23 Kindergarten kids, 1 teacher, no assistant -- cause for concern?

[Anonymous]

I was rally surprised to see my daughter's K class in PG County has 20 kids and NO assistant teacher.

I taught in Fairfax County years ago and remembr K classes ALWAYS having a teacher and a paraprofessional. But, back then the K classes were half day -- don't know if they are still or if they have moved to full day.

K is a really hard class to teach with just one adult in the class, but I guess they figure out a way to make it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You just described my DS's K class last year and my DD's K class this year. My recommendation is to volunteer! The volunteers become the TAs in the class. I WOH FT so I could only volunteer 1x a month, but I would also go on field trips with the class. I have 2 sisters who teach elementary school kids (1 in FL the other in WA) and both have TAs. I guess their school systems budget differently. I wish we had them here.

What kinds of things do you do as a volunteer?

It may depend on the teacher, but for my DS last year I typically put "graded" paperwork in the students' cubbies, helped out at the art table where kids were typically working on some sort of project. The teacher would tell me what she needed from me and I would just assist. It was a lot of fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what is your PTA doing? They can start raising funds to pay for this position. The student teacher ratio you are describing is very high and there will be many children who get lost in the process.

You can't do that in Montgomery County because they people who don't give a crap about thier schools cry foul.

And then there are people who live in poor neighborhoods, who speak little English and work three jobs to put food on the table, and who can't begin to conceive how to fundraise.

I'm glad this is prohibited.

OP - 23 kids is a small class size given recent budget cuts - especially given that there is also an assistant. Count your blessings (or go private).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP - 23 kids is a small class size given recent budget cuts - especially given that there is also an assistant. Count your blessings (or go private).

OP did say no assistant...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP - 23 kids is a small class size given recent budget cuts - especially given that there is also an assistant. Count your blessings (or go private).

OP did say no assistant...

Sorry, misread her post. Nonetheless, 23 is a small class size by MPCS 2010-2011 standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was surprised when I looked at my own kindergarten class photo from the early 1970s and counted 31 kids. I'm glad things have improved a little since then.

I found my K class photo and we had close to 30 kids but there was an assistant and it was 1/2. I was in morning K which I think was the more popular choice back then (when kids went home and took naps after lunch).

[Anonymous]

My son was in K last year. His class was right around 23 kids the entire year (1 kid moved out in Feb., then another kid moved in a month later). No assistant. He did very well. I volunteered in the classroom as I could (doing things from photocopying, to arranging bulletin boards, to filing papers). Be sure to go to "Back to School" night with the teacher, and ask about how he/she would like volunteers. Our teacher requested that volunteers not begin until October to get the kids settled into their routines. Our school has 6 Kindergarten classrooms (and 6 1st grade this year).

As another person pointed out, I was looking through old school photos recently. My second grade class in the mid 70s had 30+ kids, no teacher.

Pay attention to how your child handles the homework (which will probably begin in early October). See about volunteering in the classroom (and even the cafeteria during lunch, where parent volunteers helped the lunch aides assist kids opening milk, yogurt containers, etc.)

You will also have parent-teacher conferences in mid-November.

[Anonymous]

Don't assume people don't give a crap about their kids' education just because they aren't fundraising for extra positions (which isn't allowed in MCPS anyway). Idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: My second grade class in the mid 70s had 30+ kids, no teacher.

OP-- we had similar concerns but we were very happy with our K year (as were other parents we talked to at our school).

[Anonymous]

14:22 here. Good catch! Should have been "no aide." Of course, given how much I hated 2nd grade, perhaps it was some sort of evil comment 25 years in the making!

[Anonymous]

I am a bit surprised that 23 without an assistant is considered a good class size. I personally would be - disappointed? So I think then I would just get to know what the program is. Too much teacher direction? Lots of free exploration and social interaction? Outside time? How are discipline issues handled? How independent must my child be to feel successful?

[Anonymous]

"It may depend on the teacher, but for my DS last year I typically put "graded" paperwork in the students' cubbies, helped out at the art table where kids were typically working on some sort of project. The teacher would tell me what she needed from me and I would just assist. It was a lot of fun. "

Sounds like "busy work".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"It may depend on the teacher, but for my DS last year I typically put "graded" paperwork in the students' cubbies, helped out at the art table where kids were typically working on some sort of project. The teacher would tell me what she needed from me and I would just assist. It was a lot of fun. "

Sounds like "busy work".

It is busy work. If parents do it, they free up time for the teacher to do the teaching. If parents don't do it, the teacher has to do it, and has less time for teaching.

Volunteering is all about what the teacher needs.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I am shocked that there is no assistant. We are in Fairfax County. My daughter is in full-day kindergarten. There are 23 kids in her class. There is a teacher, an aide, and a student teacher! The teacher and aide have worked together for many years and both have a great reputation.

My 3rd grader, on the other hand has 29 in her class, with one teacher.

[Anonymous]

It's interesting to compare the class sizes today with when I went to school (1960s)--I count FORTY children in my 5th grade class photo (Lafayette Elementary School, in DC), and one exhausted teacher.
Lafayette was overrated then and possibly is now. But I survived.
Still in DC (considering moving to Maryland, hence my perusing these posts).
One school I"m considering in DC, Hyde-Addison in Georgetown, has 29 kids in each kindergarden class. ONe teacher. Not sure about aides.
Just so you know how lucky you are...