Do large class sizes in FCPS make you consider paying $25K for private?

[Anonymous]

At what size does it become too much for a teacher? The things I'm concerned about with large class sizes is actual space in the classroom, the amount of time the teacher has to teach either in small groups or individually, the amount of time taken away for discipline, and the amount of work a teacher needs to do with a large class size. When does it become too much for even the teacher to handle and have a productive and happy year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At what size does it become too much for a teacher? The things I'm concerned about with large class sizes is actual space in the classroom, the amount of time the teacher has to teach either in small groups or individually, the amount of time taken away for discipline, and the amount of work a teacher needs to do with a large class size. When does it become too much for even the teacher to handle and have a productive and happy year?

IME, the sweet spot (efficiency vs ability to teach) is 24-26 students in classrooms where the majority of children are well supported at home. Any more and the teacher's ability to maintain classroom dynamics and any less and the cost per pupil increases too much.

[Anonymous]

I agree. I have a class of 26 and another of 29. There isn't much difference between the two as far as what can be accomplished and how I teach. I think I would notice a difference at 25 or less. Last year I had a class of 24 and one of 29 and I did a better job with the 24. Usually I have 4-5 students in a guided reading or literature circle group, so that would take one out of the mix and allow me to meet with them more frequently. Above 25 and I am getting pulled in too many directions.

We have a ton of administrative tasks that we have to do now too compared to just a few years ago. The extra 4-5 students adds a noticeable chunk of time for those tasks.

[Anonymous]

What kind of tasks? It would be a win win if we could help teachers as well as students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of tasks? It would be a win win if we could help teachers as well as students.

Delegating grades to other teachers in ISIS (the program used for attendance and progress reports), assigning students not in our homerooms to our Blackboard course, creating separate email contact lists for the classes, updating spreadsheets with DRA scores...
Those are some of what come to mind.

[Anonymous]

To answer the original poster . . . yes. but our school costs almost 35,000. Our eldest is 5, and our youngest is 1. Within the next couple of years we have to come up with 105k/year just for school tuitions. But we hope it's the right decision.

[Anonymous]

23:38 I'm not sure the average parent understands what those tasks are. My guess is that FCPS checks this website often enough that hopefully someone in admin there will read your list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:23:38 I'm not sure the average parent understands what those tasks are. My guess is that FCPS checks this website often enough that hopefully someone in admin there will read your list.

I know. I don't expect parents to understand.

[Anonymous]

We are at a big 3 or whatever. 20 kids per class with 3 Full teachers till middle school. And half the day the class is split in half.

[Anonymous]

Sorry 2 full teachers, not 3!!! I wish!

[Anonymous]

What I don't fully understand is WHY lead teachers don't have assistants to help them. This year, my DC has a wonderful student teacher to help the lead teacher. Last year, there was no asst. to DC's lead teacher (27 kids, 1st grade class). DC's teacher last year was really amazing.

Can't FCPS work harder to at least hire/find student asst. teachers? If anyone knows anything about this issue, please fill me in. TIA

[Anonymous]

^^ It's called a budget. The FCPS Board has X dollars with which to budget. There is no money to pay for assistants.

[Anonymous]

7:23 would these tasks be better done with an administrator at the school verses the central admin staff? Seems like from your description these are time consuming data entry tasks, but I don't understand why they would be linked to teachers in ISIS which comes across to as some type of central admin IT staff. There are about 4 administration staff in the front office of our school. How do they help teachers already?

Also, what is your take on all the worksheets in FCPS? To me they seem to cause a lot of extra work for teachers making copies verses just having a textbook or workbook, but I don't really know this for sure. You'd think there would be a book that would cover 90% of the pacing standards and then the rest could be filled in with worksheets.

[Anonymous]

We sent our DS to a Catholic K because it was from 8:30-3:30, while the K at our neighborhood ES was from 9-12:30. Adding up all the after-care cost, they are almost equal. When my son started G-1 at our neighborhood ES, he was not advanced at all -neither reading nor math. The two hours extra instruction did not help on anything.
Now my DC is in public school and the class size was 24 last year and 23 this year.
In my opinion, spending $25K each year for ES does not pay off. If you have the time and patience to teach your kids at home, public is fine. However, many of my friends send their kids to private and then come to public for AAP from 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Consider what quality of teacher the particular private school recruits. Ask your public school principal how they screen for new positions. You also want a principal that advocates for more teachers in their school. It can be done. It has happened both years thus far in our school. last year child's K class was looking to be about 28. Principal got a new K teacher a week before school started so it ended up to be 21. Same thing this year in 1st grade. 30 kids/class brought down to 24/25 due to a teacher being added a few days before school started.