Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for June 25, 2006 TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE...

...A drop in the bucket? Pick your cliche!

From the Chicago Tribune...

Illinois bets $10 million on smaller classes

By Josh Noel
Tribune staff reporter

Educators applauded a law signed Wednesday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich that sets aside $10 million for a pilot program aimed at reducing class sizes, but they said much more is needed to take a significant bite out of crowded classrooms.

State officials hope to lower class sizes in some crowded schools to no more than 15 pupils in kindergarten through 3rd grade through the program, under which public schools can apply for funds that will be disbursed in $50,000 grants.

But at Wilson Elementary School in Cicero, where Blagojevich signed the law before a dozen 7 and 8 year olds, $50,000 would get the school one new teacher, said Supt. Clyde Senters of Cicero District 99.

Adding a teacher could cut the school's average class size to 23 from about 27, far short of the governor's goal. Even with a grant or two, the district will likely have larger classes next year after a budget deficit forced the firing of about 60 teachers, Senters said.

"It needs to be bigger bucks, but it is what it is," he said. "We welcome any opportunity to try reducing class size."

The cost of reducing class size to 15 "would be something I can't even fathom," he said.

In a classroom where well-behaved pupils sat on the floor, Blagojevich said the pilot program would be administered by the Illinois State Board of Education.

He said he hopes legislators will expand the program later this year.

"It's a matter of simple common sense that if kids can be in smaller classrooms they're likely to learn better," Blagojevich said. "We want to show some success then go to Springfield and say we need more than $10 million."

Smaller class sizes allow for more individualized attention that leads to more learning and fewer disciplinary problems, officials said.

According to figures released by the governor's office, in 2005 the average class size in Illinois was 21 in kindergarten, 21.5 in 1st grade and 22 in 3rd grade. Class size figures for 2nd grade were not available.

Wilson Elementary's average is 36 per kindergarten class, 27 per 1st grade class and 30 per 3rd grade class.

"We pray that the state of Illinois will generally recognize the value of this and move it forward," said James Dougherty, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

Ann Courter, who manages budget and tax policy for non-profit Voices for Illinois Children, called the pilot program "a moral guidance that says this is an important priority, and that's a good thing.

"But to really affect class size, it will take a substantial amount more than $10 million."