As budgets grow smaller for school districts around the country, classroom sizes continue to grow larger in many areas. While increasing the size of a classroom can be an effective way for penny-pinching school districts to save a significant amount of money, parents and educators alike are concerned about the impact of larger classrooms on the learning environment and the quality of education overall. Do larger classrooms really translate to a lower standard of learning? This article takes a look at some of the school districts forced to consider this difficult decision, as well as data regarding student performance in larger classes.
Spokane Increasing Class Sizes, to the Concern of Parents and Teachers
Washington has one of the largest average classroom sizes in the country today, but this state may be forced to increase classes once again in some areas if they are going to balance tight budgets. According to a report at the Spokesman-Review, the Spokane Public Schools board of directors recently voted to increase the size of classes as a way to deal with a potential budget crisis. The move could save the school district between $9 and $12 million, but not everyone is pleased about the idea.
Cindy Simonson, a third-grade teacher in the district, told the Spokesman, "We do character education, but we were trained to teach academic material. It's sort of incomprehensible about how you are going to do it [with more kids]. You want to be there