Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 17, 1994 TAG: 9410170041
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The size of classes in the city's elementary schools has become an issue as the school system switches to smaller classes in schools with high concentrations of children from low-income families.
The city received nearly $1 million in state school-disparity funds this year to provide smaller classes in kindergarten through third grade in schools where a large percentage of children receive free or reduced-priced lunches. The money was used to hire 35 additional teachers to provide smaller classes.
The city must have an average of one teacher for every 18 to 20 students in grades K-3 in those schools.
In schools where few students qualify for subsidized meals, there are 25 students in some classes.
In a few cases, there are 26 to 28 children in classes in fourth and fifth grades in schools that are not included in the disparity mandates.
Despite some large classes, the city complies with all state regulations, said Faye Pleasants, assistant superintendent for personnel and staff development.
Some parents from Fishburn Park Elementary School took their complaints to the School Board last week. They asked the board to provide more teachers or teacher aides.
They said schools in middle-income neighborhoods should not be forced to have large classes while other schools have low student-teacher ratios.
The board did not provide any immediate relief, but it asked Superintendent Wayne Harris to review the staffing level and determine whether more teachers or teacher aides are needed. It also asked for a detailed report on cases where classes are large and the reasons for them.
Board member John Saunders said the intent is to put the board on record in support of smaller classes.
"I think that the administration has done an excellent job in staffing and trying to have small classes, but we still have pockets of large classes," Saunders said.
At Saunders' urging, the board asked Harris to review the standards for class size and make recommendations, if any, in the next school year.
``We want the administration to stay on the top of this situation," board member Marsha Ellison told Harris.
But board member Marilyn Curtis said the School Board shouldn't try to run the schools. She said Harris is the superintendent and the board shouldn't second guess him.
"We are policy makers and we shouldn't get into the administration of the school system," she said.
Pleasants said most disparity-funded classes are smaller than the state mandates. Of 184 classes in K-3 in schools where more than half the pupils get free or reduced-price lunches, 180 fall within the average ratio of 18-to-1 and four are at the maximum of 22-to-1.
In schools where between 25 percent and 50 percent of the pupils qualify for subsidized meals, there must be an average of no more than 20 students per teacher. Of 63 classes in this category, 58 fall within the average ratio of 20-to-1 and five are at the maximum of 25-to-1.
Pleasants said the disparity regulations do not apply to the fourth and fifth grades, but the city tries to keep classes small.
Citywide, the student-teacher ratio in elementary classes is 19.5-to-1; in middle schools, 18.1-to-l; and in high schools, 18.7-to-1.
If specialized teachers such as art, music and special education are included, the ratios are lower: elementary, 15.5-to-l; middle schools, 14.4-to-1; and high schools, 16.9-to-1.
Mercedes James, president of the Roanoke Education Association, supports the move to reduce class sizes.
James, who is an elementary school teacher, said teachers can give more individual attention to students in smaller classes.
"There is so much more that you can do with children when you have time to do it," he said.
Some teachers shudder when they hear about huge classes, James said, because they can be so stressful.
by CNB