Maximum Class Size in FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re always in the high 20s/low 30s at my kid’s school. I’m sure he’ll have around 32 this year in 2nd grade. We seem to be always on the borderline of needing an additional teacher and then having small class sizes vs. making do with big class sizes.

Unless it has changed in the last few years if every class at the grade level exceeds 30 they qualify for another teacher or the class gets an IA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re always in the high 20s/low 30s at my kid’s school. I’m sure he’ll have around 32 this year in 2nd grade. We seem to be always on the borderline of needing an additional teacher and then having small class sizes vs. making do with big class sizes.

Unless it has changed in the last few years if every class at the grade level exceeds 30 they qualify for another teacher or the class gets an IA.

Qualify does not mean that it has to happen. I would guess that the lack of Teachers and IAs will mean that it is not happening. The larger classes in most schools are probably due to a lack of Teachers to make smaller classes.

[Anonymous]

My fifth grader, at the time, started with 34. It went up during the year.

[Anonymous]

They are required to have a shared aid in the classroom for the grade level. I think it’s mainly for reading and math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re always in the high 20s/low 30s at my kid’s school. I’m sure he’ll have around 32 this year in 2nd grade. We seem to be always on the borderline of needing an additional teacher and then having small class sizes vs. making do with big class sizes.

Unless it has changed in the last few years if every class at the grade level exceeds 30 they qualify for another teacher or the class gets an IA.

Qualify does not mean that it has to happen. I would guess that the lack of Teachers and IAs will mean that it is not happening. The larger classes in most schools are probably due to a lack of Teachers to make smaller classes.

We’ve had big classes for years but the only ones who get aides are K and even then they leave halfway through the year and are replaced by subs or no one at all. Anyway, I did some quick math based on last school years yearbook and each class will probably be 29 or 30 to start the year, so I’m guessing not 31+ huge at first unless a ton of kids moved in this summer. 2nd grade so no one is in full time AAP yet.

[Anonymous]

Four sixth grades at my child's ES. Smallest class is 28 kids. It's way too crowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Four sixth grades at my child's ES. Smallest class is 28 kids. It's way too crowded.

6th graders are the size of adults. Most ES classrooms aren't big enough for 30 adult people crammed in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Four sixth grades at my child's ES. Smallest class is 28 kids. It's way too crowded.

6th grade teacher here. It varies by year depending on size of grade level. Last year we had 27-29 kids per class. This year we have 17-20. Same number of teachers. Next year we could be back to higher numbers. I hate the staffing formula because they just lump 1-6 together and then the principal decides how to allocate in the different grade levels. IMO, the staffing formula should go by grade. No class should be larger than 25 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Four sixth grades at my child's ES. Smallest class is 28 kids. It's way too crowded.

6th grade teacher here. It varies by year depending on size of grade level. Last year we had 27-29 kids per class. This year we have 17-20. Same number of teachers. Next year we could be back to higher numbers. I hate the staffing formula because they just lump 1-6 together and then the principal decides how to allocate in the different grade levels. IMO, the staffing formula should go by grade. No class should be larger than 25 kids.

There actually are divisions between K being separate and then 1-3 and then 4-6. The staffing formula and the state formula and that is how they present it to the public and state. I think it comes out as a spreadsheet in November that fcps presents to the public and to the state their compliance with their own regulations and state regulations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:32 is at the top top end of normal.

I taught 5th & 6th in FCPS starting in the late 90s. It was not unusual to have that many kids in a class. It was totally fine.

Not unusual at public, yes. Totally fine? No.

Stop. It’s within the range of what’s allowed but it is inaccurate to say it isn’t unusual at public.