Comments on: Amendment 8 Fails; Class Size Rules Stand

By: Smitty

Smitty — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:20:30 +0000

In response to the $7000.00 per child that the state gives for each child, don’t be misled, this is not just for teacher pay. This has to pay for every expense the school incurs. Transportation, ( drivers and fuel), insurance, teacher and employee befits($$$$$$), utility bills(thousands a month) supplies and books, technology, and any thing else the school and children require. IF,,,IF its $7000.00 per child this is still a tight budget per school. To me, it’s not always the quantity of the classroom but the quality of the teacher. My child has been in a class of 12 with a teacher and a tuter in the room and came home with an F, then he’s been in a class of 30 and made Bs and Cs. Principals and administrators are not idiots, they are not going to put to many on a teacher, or in critical grades, like kindetgarten,1st , 4th, 7th and 10th, that could be detrimental to the student, teacher or schools’ performance. This amendment would have only raised the amount by 3 students per class, and could have saved the taxpayers a lot of money. There will always be a need to hire more teachers, but look out for more school closings and consolidations, and oh yea, more taxes.

By: Oversight

Oversight — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 10:38:37 +0000

I attended one of the school board/district’s public meetings and it was said that Escambia County already meets the mandates of class size. So what’s the issue here? Well remember the money that’s already earmarked for maintaining class size – it could then be used for some other project like the purchase of an old Gulf Power building and moving the district offices into Brownsville. What’s the overall size of the school district’s budget – $540+ million? $4 million is a drop in the bucket.

By: Melody

Melody — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:10:03 +0000

As a middle school teacher I have had class loads of 198+. Imagine the grading! More than 3 hours for every assignment! I asked an administrator how to find the time, and I was told to do more “group work.” This year my class load is much better. Thank you, Florida, for letting me teach. I can’t help but wonder if the lawmakers aren’t afraid the “lower class” won’t start to catch up to their “charter schools.”

By: interested reader

interested reader — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:06:05 +0000

Re: Dave Murzin- William, perhaps you could print the names of all the politicians, including school board, who endorsed this amendment so we would know who NOT to vote for next election.

By: North End resident

North End resident — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:27:39 +0000

Sounds like we still have politicians to vote out of office!! How dare someone use our children and grandchildren to achieve their own personal/political goals.
All those involved should be supporting the fact that during a recession, creating jobs (teachers) improves the economy and smaller classrooms means better education for our children.
Most of the Lottery money goes to colleges which many children in our public schools will never GET to see! If you are that bad off then use your political pull to get more lottery money going to our schools! Leave our public schools alone!!!! Better yet, why don’t the public officials take a pay cut and use that money to hire more teachers.
First you consolidate schools in the northend and now you want to overcrowd the classrooms at the expense of lowering our children’s quality of education. Go find someone else to rip off because we have had enough!

By: Proud to be a silly.... What am I?

Proud to be a silly.... What am I? — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 19:55:15 +0000

In the beginning of the year of my fourth-grade class there were 16 people, 1 came, 1 left, so now we just have 16 kids. 6 Under the limit!

By: shae

shae — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 19:53:29 +0000

Several really good friends of mine are teachers. This year, Florida educational Budget cut out teacher aides in the class rooms. So the teachers are already over worked and underpaid trying to accomplish the impossible with what has been put on the teachers already. Can you imagine what it would be like with even more students in the class rooms? Or, imagine a majority of the teachers walking out. So Glad this amendment didn’t pass!!!!

By: Retired Teacher

Retired Teacher — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:21:39 +0000

Until this year when hard caps on class size became mandatory, schools averaged class sizes to meet the requirements. I taught through those years and can tell you that averaging means classes of 12 students where each child is given personal attention and classes of 38 students where no teacher can teach to individual needs. This is what Ammendment 8 would have made law. If someone can explain how that kind of “equality” is beneficial for all students, I’d love to hear it.

By: Poorteacher

Poorteacher — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:20:27 +0000

I remember signing the petition way back when the original Class Size Amendment was just a dream. The school year had just ended, and I had been made to teach two Geometry classes full of 10th, 11th and 12th graders. When I say “Full” I mean one class had 38 and the other class had 39. I actually was a little relieved because until they “leveled the classes” I originally had 45 and 44.

Can you IMAGINE being in high school and taking a Geometry class with that many kids in it? It was definitely a disservice to those students – even though I tried my best. I’m glad that they didn’t get rid of the class size amendment, the teachers and students REALLY need it to stay just like it is.

By: Dave Murzin

Dave Murzin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 17:17:17 +0000

William, perhaps you could do a story on the true cost of “the Class Size Amendment” and why passing Amendment 8 was so important. The State of Florida sends almost 7,000 dollars per child to the Escambia County School District for public education. The defeat of this amendment will mean that the Escambia County School District will spend around 4 million dollars on BUILDINGS, not TEACHER PAY. Sure, more teachers means more dues for the Teachers Union, but that doesn’t mean students will get a better education because of it.