Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
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Class Size
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Author:  StaciLambert [ Wed Jun 09, 2004 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Class Size

I was wondering on everyone's opinion on class sizes in our schools. Do you think that by making a class size smaller it will improve the students' test scores and learning? Do you think that we should focus our budget towards getting more teachers or use it towards other aspects in education? I see it as quality vs. quantity. Do we need more teachers to decrease class size or a better quality of teachers using the budget to better qualify the teachers we do have? :?:

Author:  Jack Malone [ Wed Jun 09, 2004 9:05 pm ]
Post subject: 

I'm glad someone brought this up because it is rarely ever discussed. We always take it into consideration when glancing over the stats of a college before applying there: student/teacher ratios and what-not. Just to provide a perspective that I understand the most, because it's all I have anyway, I can tell you that people tend to forget the music classes. When the core area class teachers think they are "loaded" if their roster has 24 students, the music teacher/choral director/band director/orchestra director feels fortunate and comfortable having between 50-125 students every single class period. In most places, because there are so many more students in those classes, the school can not afford to buy text books for them that can be used by a different student every year (after erasing the four-letter words and neat cartoons we all used to draw in them), so the students end up purchasing them on their own, every year. Instruments aren't cheap either, with most decent beginning-level brands starting at a minimum of $500. In response to Staci, I don't know that I would use money to get more teachers but I think that money should be focused to help those better quality teachers you spoke of, who are already doing their best with what they have. Sorry for the length, but I feel it is important for me to be an advocate of arts education in addition to being an educator. We should understand what's going on all around our schools, yes, even outside of the four walls of our own classrooms!

Author:  Aaron Simmons [ Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:38 am ]
Post subject: 

I too Jack must advocate my profession. Physical education classrooms are also often overcrowded. For instance, there is a local school here in Boone with sometimes 50 students in a physical education class. Not only do students not get enough opportunities to have much physical activity with this many students in a class, but a HUGE safety issue is brought up.

Author:  Jeff Tutterow [ Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:21 am ]
Post subject: 

Why is there a need to start a new thread on the subject on class size? We already have a thread started on the same subject. Would it not be better to just reply to that one to keep all of our thoughts on the subject in one place?

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