Class Size Matters

REDUCE CLASS SIZE NOW!

Since Spring 2006, Parents United has been issuing a call around class size, the highest ratio in the Commonwealth. We brought media attention to increasing class sizes districtwide, and lobbied district and city officials to study and create a plan to address the issue.

On August 8, 2007, the District unveiled a five-year plan to significantly reduce class size districtwide to 20 students/teacher in kindergarten and 22 students/teacher in grades 1-3. Parents United was vigilant in ensuring that the plan stayed in place at the Corrective Action II schools and successfully reversed a decision in Spring 2008 to dissolve that effort due to budget problems.

In February 2009, Dr. Arlene Ackerman, as part of her “Imagine: 2014” Strategic Plan, reaffirmed the District’s commitment to reduce class size districtwide to 20 students/teacher in kindergarten, and 22 students/teacher in grades 1-3.

Parents United remains committed to holding the District accountable for reducing class sizes for all schools in the district.

Let us know: What’s class size like at your school? More important, what resources would your school need to effectively reduce class size and link it to academic achievement (i.e. facilities concerns, need for more certified teachers to reduce class size as opposed to extra personnel).

We’d like to use your stories as documentation to support speeding up the class size initiative process so please be as specific as you feel comfortable. Send us your name and contact information if you think you might provide testimony to the SRC on this issue.

Read the District’s 2007 plan of action for reducing class size (PDF).