With the financial crisis that our state is facing, do you think the state should give districts some flexibility in the implementation of the constitutional class size amendment?
As I speak to people in the community the results are mixed. People who understand the implementation legislation and how punitive it is seem to believe there should be at least some flexibility. There are others who believe there should be no give at all.
Hillsborough County did not vote for the class size amendment or amendment 2 that was recently on the ballot. Just because people did not vote for the class size amendment does not mean they don't support smaller class size. It means they realized the financial implications of enacting such a strict law or maybe Hillsborough County voters just don't like constitutional amendments...can anyone say pregnant pigs?
Read the SP Times article here and tell me your thoughts.
9 comments:
Personally I think the class size amendment was a mistake but it is the law, duly voted on by the people. If it needs to be changed, shouldnt it be repealed?
I don't think we should be "flexible". A bad precedent in my opinion.
My current commentary addresses the issue of class size.
April-- We've been burned before--"fool me once...". Legislators in this state are famous for gulling voters into all kinds of things that are supposed to "benefit" education. Remember the lottery? And there have been others. Right!
Is it within the authority of the school board to refuse to enact measures the legislature doesn't fund? AS a teacher, I really have noticed the benefits of teaching to 25-28 as opposed to 30 -35 students. However--my ellectives are HUGE!!! That's not good, either. Comments? Thanks so much for all you do-- your busines-like approach and willingness to consults with teachers as professionals is much appreciated. As a parent, I've work hard to establish a co operative relationship with my child's teachers-- and appreciate the other side of that as a teacher. When parents and teachers are pitted against each other--students lose. Again--thanks.
I was watching the school board meeting last night when I noticed something very interesting-
About a month and a half ago, I was told a certain administrative appointment would be made and that certain administrator would be selected-even before the application period for that position opened
That appointment was made last night. I would like to know why the school district continues to not follow proper hiring practices and procedures.
I have noticed two very alarming things in this district:
1. The perception that if you mess up, you move up
2. Cronyism and nepotism rule the school district hiring practices.
8:04 am,
I was under the impression that proper policies and procedures were followed. I would like to talk to you. Please call my cell phone 924-1742.
At your service, April
Of course the class size amendment was a mistake. First of all, it isn't a constitutional issue and has no business being in the Constitution.
The lazy do-nothings in Tallahassee knew this would never work, so they passed it on to the general public who (as a whole) have absolutely no knowledge or experience with such issues.
On the surface it seemed like a good idea, so they voted for it. However, if it was actually a good idea, the Legislature would have eagerly passed it and would have been happy to take credit for it. As it is now, they have the excuse that it is the "will of the people."
Florida is a "mob-ocracy" (i.e. government by an unruly mob). We are not a democracy for that very reason. Our founding fathers were afraid of letting the average person make such important decisions, and rightfully so! We are a "republic", where we hire experts to do the research and make the decision. That is the job of the Legislature.
We need to can the Class Size Amendment. It was a bad idea to start with... just like the stupid bullet train...
I sense that the majority of teachers are OK with being flexible with this law. Most counselors and/or APC's keep a close eye on numbers and are able to get creative if needed (T-payroll, schedule changes, etc...) to keep things fair and functional. Speaking of which, how do feel about the proposal to increase the student to counselor ratio for next year to save money? With the requirements of the college culture initiative, combined with the increased level of crisis and stress in the schools (driven by the poor economy) it seems a better option good be found. Do you have any opinion on the matter?
As the parent of an elementary-aged child, I'm thankful for the class size amendment. My child attends a good school without a huge number of disruptive students, but even one or two in a class (and every class has at least that many) has an incredibly negative impact on the learning environment. It's hard for teachers to keep order even in small classes; I shudder to think how horrible it would be in larger ones, especially since bigger classes just increase the likelihood of additional disruptive students.
The class size amendment - while unpopular with school districts, that much prefer to waste their budgets on unnecessary principal mentors, assessment teams, consultants, bloated administrative payrolls, etc. - is wonderful for our children's educations. Just find a way to implement and fund the amendment, and stop the incessant whining about it.
I am in ninth grade at Middleton High School. I remember being in second grade and buying those silly Valentine's day cards for my class - I had to get two boxes because we had a class of 29 sudents. Now I am in AP Human Geography, a class of 14 people. 14! What I think would work is if the remedial and elementary classes were smaller, because people need more individual attention at those levels. AP classes should also be small, because it makes discussion easier, and discussion is what makes a class worthwhile. Honours classes, or even those just on grade level, should be allowed to have as many students as necessary. Just an idea.
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