The Class-Size Amendment Must be Repealed in Florida!
The latest amendment to the Florida constitution reduces the average class size in schools around the state. Although many people believe that smaller class size will help students learn by giving them more time individually with their teacher, studies prove that class size has little or no effect on student achievement. The class-size amendment is a waste of non-existent money, and in the long run, it will only hurt Florida’s economy and the education program.
On November 5, 2002, voters approved the reduction of class sizes around the state, much to the dismay of the governor and well-informed citizens everywhere. Governor Bush previously had warned that the revision to the constitution would cost $27.5 billion over eight years and would force the state to raise taxes and cut services. Unfortunately, naïve supporters of class size reduction chose to go ahead with the modification of the constitution for emotional reasons, having no actual evidence demonstrating benefit from smaller classes. Much evidence exists, however, to demonstrate why this amendment should not have been passed.
In 1986, the Tennessee legislature commissioned the Tennessee Class Size Experiment to determine if class size made a difference in achievement for disadvantaged students. After studying 79 different schools in 42 school districts for 4 years, the researchers found that class size only had an effect on students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, and that effect was minute. The impact was only on reading, not math, and smaller classes did not help disadvantaged students. A 2002 study of New York City schools showed that smaller schools, not smaller classes, had an effect on student success.
From these and other studies, Florida should have learned that paying $27.5 billion to count the number of children in a class is a waste of money. Instead,
In 1918-1919, the worst flu in recorded history occurred, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide. The U.S. death toll was 675,000 - five times the number of U.S. soldiers killed in World War I. Crazy! This flu was unlike any other, and in infected unlike any other. Not to mention, the progression of this illness was extremely quick. One minute you’re fine and the next you’re suffering from a high-grade fever and lying on your death bed.
“My daddy died in nineteen ought nineteen of the epidemic flu and I never had a thing to do with it. He was buried in Mount Hopewell Baptist Churchyard.” ( pg 949)
... I believe that Israel must abide by international law, and should be stopped when these laws are violated. I believe that the Palestinians must be given their rights. I fully understand that Israel is extremely concerned about it’s safety as it is mostly surround by enemy’s however I do not believe that the oppression and ultimate control of the Palestinians will bring this safety they long for, but do the very opposite instead.
It should be highlighted, that the major issues of Florida state government issues lie in the legislative sphere, and are seriously discussed in the society. With a slowly recovering economy producing more revenue appears a serious question of passing a new state budget. It faces plenty of complicated challenges, which are ranging from increasing pressure to expand and fund Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the disabled and the poor, to an ongoing debate over education standards, school grades and the whole testing process. According to the research, despite the anticipated increase in Florida state revenue, lawmakers and the governor ask state agencies to outline a potential five percent cut in their spending that will be used in evaluating the next budget. It can be named as one of the most actual budget issue in Florida.
"Pandemic Flu History." Home. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.
Silverstein, Arthur M. Pure Politics and Impure Science: The Swine Flu Affair. Baltimore and London: The John Hopkins University Press, 1981.
Although I live in a small city, the class sizes at my school are large. My larger classes have made it difficult to get the individual help I want, and I know from past experiences that I function at a higher level in a smaller classroom setting. Flagler’s smaller class sizeof 17/1 is very important to me and will benefit to my success.
The funding of public education has long been an issue for the state government of Texas. Starting before Texas was even a state, public education funding was at the forefront of politicians’ minds. In 1836, one of the reasons Anglo-Texans wanted to become independent from Mexico was Mexico’s lack of a public school system (An Overview of the History of Public Education in Texas, 2016). This drove the desire of President Mirabeau B. Lamar of the Republic of Texas to create legislation that would grant public schools land (A Brief History of Public Education, n.d.). This act set aside four leagues of land per county for the use of free education centers and thus began the funding of public education by the state government (An Overview of the History of Public Education in Texas, 2016). In the last 177 years, the Texas Legislature and the Texas Education Agency have created numerous acts and laws regarding the funding of education, but it has been in the last 50 years that this topic has become highly contested, resulting in several lawsuits and endless efforts (by the school districts) to equalize the distribution of funds to Texas school districts (Texas School Finance History, n.d.). In sum, the complex issues and policies that surround the funding of public education are derived from a combination of the legislature, bureaucratic agencies, and local governments in the form of school districts.
Case studies have been key in generating research information on the effects of smaller class size. Similar results have been attained from studies in Tennessee, California and Wisconsin. Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) in Tennessee is “one of the most important educational investigations ever carried out (HEROS, 2001).” In 1985 the Tennessee passed the proper legislation to put into effect a four year class size study of students in grades K-3, using three million state dollars. The study chose a cross section of inner city, suburban and rural schools to participate as experimental and comparison groups. The groups were divided into classrooms with small enrollment (13-17 children), regular enrollment (22-25 children), and regular en...
After careful observation by medical specialists around the country, it is established that the present form of influenza is no different from any other form of influenza in English history. Influenza in the epidemic form has visited England previously in 1709, 1732 as well as in 1890.1
Throughout my educational experience not once did I ever come to think about how much of a difference the size of class makes. As I sit here thinking about how much of a difference my education would have been if the class sizes were smaller. I remember sitting still in class as I observed my teacher pressing against her temples stressed out because her class of thirty-one wasn’t listening to the instructions. “Kids if you can just please listen to me and stop hiding so we can start class.” Mrs. Robles exclaimed. Not a day went by where she did not mention how big this class was and how many kids were crammed into her small classroom as she went over her material. Regardless of it being presented with such normality we are unaware of how much of a problem it has been. In fact, this has been a problem with over 40 states in America and they have all carried out a ruling that entails smaller classes for academic and disciplinary reasons. Throughout the following essay I
Florida’s students at all levels are feeling the crunch with education spending levels down and worse performance on standardized tests. When Governor Rick Scott took office, he proposed nearly $3.3 billion in cuts to education (Bousquet & McGrory, 2014). Spending money on education is significant for teacher development, added resources to students, and facility improvements that are necessary to ensure students’ success. Florida’s educational system is changing at all levels; therefore, I have provided some insight and recommendations on improvements that need to take place.
Proper school funding is one of the keys to having a successful school. Americans believe that funding is the biggest problem in public schools. School improvements revolve around funding. There needs to be funding not only in the successful schools but also the schools that aren’t doing as well. In documentary, Waiting for Superman, it talks about how smaller class sizes will help students. Funding is what will help the smaller class sizes. State funding mechanisms are subject to intense political and economic scrutiny (Leonard). Studies have shown that funding is inversely related to accreditation levels (Leonard). School funding needs to be increased, but there must be accountability as well.
...ned. A group study published by the Teachers College Record Journal compares high school students who attended small classes to those who did not. The results reveal that students who participated in smaller classes were “2.5 months ahead in all school subjects, and as much as five months ahead in some, compared to their counterparts who attended regular classes” (Finn et al. 168). Similar research supports that idea that small classes produce even greater long-term benefits when class-size reduction is extended for additional years during primary education. Longitudinal studies reveal that a longer duration in small class primary education equates to more considerable, enduring benefits in secondary education (Finn et al. 166). The seemingly short-term participation in class-size reduction enhances a student’s entire academic career and chance for achievement.
Districts have to think about if it is worth the money to reduce class sizes, and if there is enough proof that students are academically better off in smaller class size rather than larger classes. According to Matthew Chingos and Grover Whitehurt authors of Class Size: What Research Says and What It Means for State Policy, “Increasing the pupil/teacher ratio in the U.S. by one student would save at least $12 billion per year in teacher salary cost alone” (Chingos, Whitehurt). Why would districts want to pay for the creation of smaller classes when they could save more by just adding more students to a class? This goes to show that there should not be a price tag on someone’s education. Why put more on a teacher’s plate just to save money? With the result from the Student Teacher Ratio, it is hard for districts to say that having smaller class sizes is not the way to spend money. If the districts spent the money on the class size reduction, they would not have to worry about an annual cost, because once small classes are set in place, the districts do not have to continue to pay. According to the National Education Association (NEA), having class size reductions do not only involve money but also create “improved health, less Medicaid coverage, lower crime rates, and fewer welfare recipients” (Class Size Reduction: A Proven Strategy). So, the districts should also look at this before being concerned to where their money goes. The district’s money, according to the NEA, is going into these students who will live a better life later on when they are out of school and into the real