Causecast

by CLAIRE DALTON, Contributing Writer

1. Class sizes have long been a point of contention for public schools, parents, and lawmakers. While some argue that cutting programs and increasing class size will help us through this economic crisis, numerous studies have shown that smaller classes narrow the achievement gap for poor, ethnic, and racial groups as much as 38%, as well as improve attendance.

2. There is a difference between class size and pupils per teacher. “Teacher” in this case references all administrators, guidance counselors, librarians, tech staff, special education staff, and specialty teachers—the more classes you offer like gym and pottery, the lower the ratio becomes. As a result, there is a lot of misinformation about the effectiveness of reducing class sizes. For example, the average pupil-to-teacher ratio in California is currently 8 students, but you won’t find a middle or high school classroom with less than 32.

3. The average American teacher spends $800 each year on supplies for their classroom and students, despite the average income for a teacher being in the lower $40K range. If you’d like to help these teachers supply their classrooms, check out the wish lists through Support Your Teacher

4. No Child Left Behind was enacted in 2002, requiring that schools perform to rigid standards in math and reading to get funding, including better test scores each year from the same grade level, i.e. the test scores from the 2nd grade class in 2010 must be better than the 2nd grade class in 2009. While increased accountability has raised test scores in many states, it has also resulted in many cut classes and programs.

5. The programs most commonly cut first are music classes, the arts, gym classes, after-school athletics, summer school, and ESL support. Currently, only 57% of schools nationwide have music classes and 47% have visual arts classes.

6. Budget cuts have also affected school lunches. In some schools, the rising prices meant some students couldn’t afford food, and many schools have been forced to abandon or minimize their part in the National School Lunch Act, providing adequate nutrition to students in need. In other schools, it is merely the quality and quantity that have suffered. A variety of organizations are actively fighting to increase the quality and accessibility of the foods given to school children, such as Better School Food, from the makers of “Two Angry Moms.”

7. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Obama will provide $90.9 billion to prevent layoffs and cutbacks, support low-income school children, increase teacher salaries, increase grants, and boost a number of programs, from special education to childcare services and the education of homeless children.

8. The Center on Education Policy has found that state test scores in all achievement levels—basic, average, advanced—have increased in about three-quarters of cases. However, it does not measure the degree to which test scores have risen. Additionally, most schools have lowered the bar for what constitutes “advanced” as NCLB fought for proficiency at all levels, benefiting the basic achievement group at the expense of the advanced. To put it bluntly, students are being taught to a level of “average” intelligence.

9. In public and private schools alike, bullying has long been a problem. More disturbing, however, is the increased rate of suicides among bullied young children, most notably the recent deaths of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover and Jaheem Herrera. If you want to help show your support to end student bullying, sign the petition being sent to Congress to increase students’ protection against bullying.

10. Concerned about our students? Yeah, you should be. Get involved in their future through organizations like Save The Children and Youth Mentoring Connection, and talk to the schools in your community about how you can volunteer to help support students.

Photo by calculat0r, flickr