I don't understand the deal with MoCo class size
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Anonymous
| If you look at the schools in the metro West suburbs of Boston where I'm from orginally, for example, it tends to be 16-18 kids in a class. Everywhere in MoCo that I'm aware of is at least 26-27 kids a class. Even in local catholic schools, it's still 26-27. I just don't get it. Is there a reason it is this way? We pay a ton in taxes and live in a tiny house and our kids are in a super crowded classroom. |
Anonymous
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This are is more expensive, I suppose, which affects teacher salary. I have a child with special needs and large class sizes materially affect his behavior and academics. It's sad to think that so many of us struggle to find accommodations for our children in special ed resource classrooms (which also cost the taxpayer money), when their needs might actually be met by smaller classes. The alternative is expensive private school, and not just any school, as you just said (parochials also have large classes), which many of us cannot afford. |
Anonymous
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"This area", not "this are", sorry.
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Anonymous
This. And the MCPS teachers are also living in tiny houses & apartments and sending their own children to overcrowded classes. |
Anonymous
| I teach high school in Montgomery County at a highly regarded W school and all of my classes have 33 or 34 students. It's terrible. Not only that, I can't afford to live in the boundary in which I teach. |
Anonymous
| I also teach in a W school. The counselors and teachers are working their tails off trying to find spots in classrooms and meet the needs of all the kids. It is frustrating and exhausting, but we have to work within these constraints. It is a terrible situation, but at least the community--teachers, kids, parents--are invested in education. The PTA helps too, which is much appreciated. I can sense morale has changed for the worse though. |
Anonymous
| How much are the property taxes where you're from in Boston? I would bet they are higher than MCPS. I have lived in the Chicago suburbs and Pittsburgh suburbs and MoCo taxes are much less. I moved from an $800,000 house in MoCo where the taxes were just under $8,000. An $800,000 in my Pittsburgh suburb would have taxes well over $25,000. So I don't think MoCo homeowners pay a ton in taxes and even a slight increase could make a difference. |
Anonymous
| One of the issues is the size of the school district. It's probably true that everywhere you are aware of has 26 kids in a class, but there are a lot of schools with many fewer. My child's first grade class has 16 students, but we're at a Title I school that most DCUM parents would never deign to consider. But...the point is that we pay a ton in taxes, but those taxes are distributed across a socioeconomically diverse county. If MCPS were split into three districts (North, East, West), there would be a massive achievement gap but folks in the West and North would get smaller classes, probably. |
Anonymous
Same here, except I teach MS. It's only 1-2 more students per class than last year, but I have run out of desks and had to put a work order in. Meanwhile, I have a student sitting at my desk each class. They like the swivelly chair! Many of my coworkers and teacher friends live in Howard, Frederick, or PG so they can buy a decent house. I just can't do the commute. |
Anonymous
| 19 kids in Our Silver Spring ES |
Anonymous
Enjoy it. It won't last... |
Anonymous
| Read one of the fcps class size thread...30+ kids per class in some cases. |
Anonymous
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22 kids in my kid's class. Has steadily been 22 through elementary. My older kid's class started at 19 in K, was in the low twenties (22-23) 1st-4th, and graduated 5th with 24.
Olney/Brookeville area |
Anonymous
| Also at 19 in a SS ES. |
Anonymous
ESS? |