Montgomery County Elementary Schools -- Student/Teacher Ratio & Smaller Classes

[Anonymous]

Unless you are at a Title 1 school the class size is highly variable. All depends on how many kids are in each grade and if they are just over or under the threshold for another class. For example, in our ES my older son's grade is very small and he usually has 21-22 kids in his class. They are just over the threshold for a 6th class. My younger son's class is huge so he has more kids in his class.

I think the only way to guarantee a small class is by going private.

You should also take into account having your son deal with lunch and recess which are the most chaotic parts of the day. The classroom itself may not even be an issue. In terms of sensory issues I doubt having 20 kids versus 26 is going to be that much of a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, labeling a child with a disorder can really influence how teachers and other students perceive the child which can of course influence how the teacher (or other students) treat the child. There are benefits to labeling if the child does require extra services, but labeling should be avoided if possible

You should be labeled a moron.

[Anonymous]

I will just nitpick here that a school doesn't have to be Title I to have mandated much smaller classes. Some have local Focused Academic Support funds. This is also somewhat of a poverty indicator, but our school currently has about 30% FARMs and qualifies for these funds. See http://www.gtamc.org/resources/links---montgomery-county/red-zone-green-zone-mcps-focus-and-non-focus-schools though somewhat out of date.

[Anonymous]

I have heard great things from families of kids at Oakland Terrace at Plyers Mill in Wheaton. It is a focus school so the class sizes in K-2 are smaller. I think the max is 19 or 20, vs Title 1 which may be 16. Keep in mind that class sizes are smaller for a reason at a Title 1 school. For example, at my friend's child's Title 1 school, English is not the primary language spoken in at least 1/2 of her classmates' homes. Most of the kids had no formal schooling prior to entering Kindergarten. The teacher needs more time with the students individually to get them acclimated to the educational system and find ways to make sure she is communicating effectively with the kids and families. I know my friend says there are some behavioral issues in her daughters class more so because the kids are still adjusting than that the kids have behavioral issues. Also she says the parent involvement and PTA is practically non-existent. While I volunteer every week or so in my kids' classes, as do several other parents, her kids' teachers were surprised when she asked about volunteering and were not particularly receptive. Albeit her school has extra funds for aides in the class and to do some of the administrative work that I do when volunteering, I do feel more invested in my kids' school just for the mere fact that I am there.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that more to think about than class size to assist your child's education. My son has some sensory issues, mild but there, and he was OK in his class of 25 when he was in kindergarten. The teacher was great at controlling the class volume, and her room was not overly cluttered, which can cause sensory overload for DS. I never said anything to the teacher about DS because I wanted to see how things panned out for him.