Class size: Introduction to the Issue
By: Teya Ridgeway
How we started
This year, Jones College Prep's American Literature class has done research to answer their essential question: What does it mean to be American?
As of now, the students have studied a variety of essays, novels, and short stories to practice their analytic and critical thinking to develop thought out solutions to real world situations. After reading "Always Running" by Luis Rodriguez, the Jones students focused on one of the book's key concepts: equity in education. The American Literature teacher, Mr. Ernesto Saldivar, asked his students to identify and evaluate the inequities in education. This high school project evolved into a public affair in which a panel of men and women attended a seminar hosted by Saldivar's American Literature class to speak about education.
As of now, the students have studied a variety of essays, novels, and short stories to practice their analytic and critical thinking to develop thought out solutions to real world situations. After reading "Always Running" by Luis Rodriguez, the Jones students focused on one of the book's key concepts: equity in education. The American Literature teacher, Mr. Ernesto Saldivar, asked his students to identify and evaluate the inequities in education. This high school project evolved into a public affair in which a panel of men and women attended a seminar hosted by Saldivar's American Literature class to speak about education.
What is class size?
The equity in American children's education has been questioned since the founding of public schools. Researchers have studied an array of theories to identify where the inequities lie in education. Class size is a pressing issue that has plagued our schools. The student to teacher ratio affects how well an individual student can learn. Without a plan to stop overcrowding schools, students will not receive a quality education to survive in society, and change our world for the better.
TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIO: HOW DOES IT AFFECT EDUCATION?
Currently, this ratio is approximately 31:1 in elementary schools, and 24:1 in high schools; well above the national average of 15 students per teacher (CPS 3). Depending on the amount of funding a school receives, classrooms may be overcrowded or significantly small. CPS provides each school a set amount of money per student, which causes school administrations to accept more pupils to achieve higher yearly incomes. Unfortunately, the public schools system has distorted into a capitalist business. Elite or selective schools collect higher profits for their smarter students. Schools in low income neighborhoods are prone to overcrowded classrooms because they do not earn the same rates per child as selective students. Overcrowded classrooms disrupt the "delicate balance of a class ecosystem" (Rich 3). Students are not capable of performing academically, causing the school to lose funding, which results in the loss of jobs in the public educational system. It is class size that sparks tension between the Chicago Teacher's Union and CPS Headquarters. Class size is a major problem in the public schools system, and will continue to be unless communities rise to the task and fight for smaller classrooms.
TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIO: HOW DOES IT AFFECT EDUCATION?
Currently, this ratio is approximately 31:1 in elementary schools, and 24:1 in high schools; well above the national average of 15 students per teacher (CPS 3). Depending on the amount of funding a school receives, classrooms may be overcrowded or significantly small. CPS provides each school a set amount of money per student, which causes school administrations to accept more pupils to achieve higher yearly incomes. Unfortunately, the public schools system has distorted into a capitalist business. Elite or selective schools collect higher profits for their smarter students. Schools in low income neighborhoods are prone to overcrowded classrooms because they do not earn the same rates per child as selective students. Overcrowded classrooms disrupt the "delicate balance of a class ecosystem" (Rich 3). Students are not capable of performing academically, causing the school to lose funding, which results in the loss of jobs in the public educational system. It is class size that sparks tension between the Chicago Teacher's Union and CPS Headquarters. Class size is a major problem in the public schools system, and will continue to be unless communities rise to the task and fight for smaller classrooms.
Works Cited
Matos, Brian. "The Windy City YR."Chicago Public Schools By The Numbers. Chicago Young Republicans, 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.chicagonow.com/windy-city-young-republicans/2012/04/chicago-public-schools-by-the-numbers/>.
Rich, Motoko. "Subtract Teachers, Add Pupils: Math of Today’s Jammed Schools." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/education/subtract-teachers-add-pupils-math-of-todays-jammed-schools.html?_r=0>.
School, the story of American public education. Dir. PBS Network. Perf. Meryl Streep. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 2001. DVD.
"School Funding Formulas." District and Community Demographics. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/finance/fy14budget/documents/AppendixB.pdf>
Rich, Motoko. "Subtract Teachers, Add Pupils: Math of Today’s Jammed Schools." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/education/subtract-teachers-add-pupils-math-of-todays-jammed-schools.html?_r=0>.
School, the story of American public education. Dir. PBS Network. Perf. Meryl Streep. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 2001. DVD.
"School Funding Formulas." District and Community Demographics. Chicago Public Schools, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cps.edu/finance/fy14budget/documents/AppendixB.pdf>