Parents Disturbed by Large Classes at Greenacres

Parents of Greenacres fourth graders were dismayed to learn in August that their children would be placed in classes above the maximum class size of 24 students. Up to this point, the grade had been divided into four sections, each numbering below 22 students. What's more, the grade included some staff children who if included this year would have allowed for a fourth section.

However this year, with the maximum class size rising from 22 to 24 students Principal Gerry Young found that without the staff children the grade no longer had enough students to justify hiring an additional teacher. After the August 15 deadline, with 72 children enrolled, the district made the decision to move the staff children to other schools and have three sections of 24 students each. But as luck would have it, two more students subsequently enrolled, bringing the count to 25 in two classes and 24 in one. (One of the returning students is not expected to attend school until November.)

Parents questioned why the district failed to anticipate a change and retain a teacher as the school budget called for 105 sections and the district now has only 103. However the administration explained that once the August 15 deadline was reached a decision needed to be made. Furthermore, Dr. McGill believes that the pool of strong candidates for teaching positions dwindles in the last weeks of August. And, if they made an exception and ignored the August 15 deadline in Greenacres they argued they would need to do the same at Edgewood where two grades have classes above the maximum size.

In order to allay concerns and assure parents that their children would have a good year, albeit in somewhat larger classes, School Board President Suzanne Seiden and Schools Superintendent Michael McGill met with parents of fourth graders in the library of the school on the morning of September 11.

McGill opened by telling parents that there was nothing unusual about these classes and that this was not the first time the school has dealt with this issue. He assured parents that their children would receive ample attention, have a successful year and go on to do great things.

Seiden sympathized with the parents saying, "It has happened to all of us .... I don't remember the number of children in my kids' classes, only the teachers and the experience." She said that the Board had to abide by the August 15 deadline to make class assignments and said that Edgewood's first and fifth grade classes also had classes above the maximum size.

Parent Tammy Fine asked why the district had not done a better job communicating to parents that this could be an issue. She also suggested that in the future the principal enlist the help of parents to find out who might be moving in and enrolling.

Principal Gerry Young told parents that he visits the fourth grade classes daily and sees nothing unusual. In fact, so far the year is going well in all three classes.
A discussion about aides ensued --- there will be three in each class though some were already assigned to these classrooms to assist children with special needs. McGill argued that the presence of additional aids in the classrooms improves the adult-student ratio and is beneficial to all as the aids monitor individual students but also work with groups.

Asked at what level of enrollment the decision not to split into a fourth section would be reconsidered, McGill said that if additional students move in and the classes reach the high twenties the district will reconsider.

Parents also questioned whether the district could hire two additional teachers to provide extra support in the over subscribed classrooms. For now, that idea is not under consideration, however extra library time and assistance from the technology teacher will be offered.

Space was another concern as one of the 4th grade classes is in a smaller room without adequate space for individual desks. To address this, the school has substituted large tables for desks and will ask teachers to rearrange or get rid of some of their materials.

Seiden credited the parents for their involvement and encouraged them to continue their engagement with the district's strategic plan, the search for a new superintendent and the revision of the budget process.

She said she recognized the need for better communication and preferred face-to-face meetings to emails. She asked for parents to be patient and to give time for the year to unfold. She also said that the number of sections was not determined by the school budget – and that if additional teachers were needed the Board would find a way to fund them.

Dr McGill suggested that parents contact their PTA President in the future and ask her to speak to the Principal and represent parents to the administration.