class size rule...

[Anonymous]

When my oldest started K, we opted out of our neighborhood school, which is a Title 1 school due to scheduling issues ( it was on a modified calendar, and my teaching job was not). He ended up being placed at a higher performing, much less diverse school. I actually really struggled with the lack of diversity, which I felt did not represent our community. After years of enormous class sizes, and limited differentiation, IMO, due to large class size, we decided to start our middle son at the Title 1 school. His class size has been at least 10 less than his brother's were. My youngest started at the same school last year. My oldest finishes at his school after this year, we kept him as he is in the AAP class. If I had it to do over again, I would keep him at the Title 1 school. The extra resources benefit the entire student body, and though the overall base knowledge level is definitely lower, we have seen much more differentiation at lower grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP This is what I'm afraid of. Math seems easier because it is more straightforward. I don't see how reading and writing can be taught to so many at a time.

Last year I had 29 students in one class, 24 in the other. I can honestly say the group of 24 received better reading instruction just by the fact that I was able to meet with them in guided groups more often.

[Anonymous]

My kids go to an FCPS Title I school. The class sizes for DC's grade (third) are 15 - 16 kids. It's not like that every year. It seems to usually be around 20 kids.

[Anonymous]

How do you feel that some schools have 32 kids in 3rd grade and your kid is in a class of 15?

[Anonymous]

Don't be envious. If they don't have enough kids they could cut a teacher. One year I taught first grade, we got cut. The newest first grade teacher left the day after Halloween. Not pretty.

[Anonymous]

Lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lucky.

The title 1 school might be open for pupil placement. If you're that envious, you could check it out. Of course, you'll have to leave your high SES enclave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you feel that some schools have 32 kids in 3rd grade and your kid is in a class of 15?

Frankly I am thrilled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lucky.

The title 1 school might be open for pupil placement. If you're that envious, you could check it out. Of course, you'll have to leave your high SES enclave.

You read that incorrectly. That wasn't meant to say "lucky" in an envious way. It was meant to mean lucky as in, "I feel lucky to have a child in a school with low class sizes".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lucky.

The title 1 school might be open for pupil placement. If you're that envious, you could check it out. Of course, you'll have to leave your high SES enclave.

You read that incorrectly. That wasn't meant to say "lucky" in an envious way. It was meant to mean lucky as in, "I feel lucky to have a child in a school with low class sizes".

You'll feel less lucky when they get older and are behind the kids from the higher SES schools.

[Anonymous]

You'll feel less lucky when they get older and are behind the kids from the higher SES schools.

Gee. What arrogance. FYI: Just because your kid goes to a higher SES school does not guarantee that he will be high. Someone has to be at thebottom.
Former teacher

[Anonymous]

I taught in a diverse school and had all kinds of kids: GT;LD;ESOL;etc.
A bright kid will do well anywhere if he is challenged andencouraged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You'll feel less lucky when they get older and are behind the kids from the higher SES schools.

Gee. What arrogance. FYI: Just because your kid goes to a higher SES school does not guarantee that he will be high. Someone has to be at thebottom.
Former teacher

And the poster who wrote the top quote fails to realize that a) kids who already have advantages do perfectly fine at Title 1 schools, ie get 600s on SOLs and b) actually get a better education because in addition to the smaller class sizes, Title I schools have access to more prof dev, more cutting edge instructional programs and more resources.

I have taught at non-Title I schools and found the instruction to be okay, but way more worksheets. The kids come with many advantages already and don't really balk at that instruction. But at a Title I school, I had to be on my game for kids that came in without advantages. I couldnt just give them some worksheets. That made me a better teacher for EVERY kid, including the kids who were not from poverty, but in-bounds for our school. We had specialists in math and reading that gave us outstanding professional development. I never worked with more amazing teachers than when I was at a Title I school.

--FCPS teacher who has taught at both Title I and non-Title I schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lucky.

The title 1 school might be open for pupil placement. If you're that envious, you could check it out. Of course, you'll have to leave your high SES enclave.

You read that incorrectly. That wasn't meant to say "lucky" in an envious way. It was meant to mean lucky as in, "I feel lucky to have a child in a school with low class sizes".

You'll feel less lucky when they get older and are behind the kids from the higher SES schools.

How does it feel knowing that private school parents are saying the same thing about you because your kid goes to a high SES public school? Oh no! Public school!

[Anonymous]

Why do I have to leave where I live just to send my child to a title 1 school to get low class sizes? I'm sorry but we live near the beltway because our jobs are in two different directions. I shouldn't have to put up with 30 plus kids in our neighborhood elementary class just so some school in a more remote area has 15. Nor do I have a great love of spending money on schools with high ESOL rates. How many other schools in the world spend so much money toward foreign students? Why isn't the extra ESOL teacher and title 1 teacher enough? There is no reason that FCPS should be manipulating class size ratios so much between schools. And there is no reason my child should be in a class built for about 20 with over 30 children in it. As far as I can tell there are a lot of reasons the distribution is going against VA law.