As an educator, the one main thing that has always bothered me is the amount of children in a public school class. This can range anywhere from 20 to over 40.

Adminstrators have always "talked" about how it is essential to stop overcrowding yet, for over twenty-five years, the problem has remained the same.

No wonder charter schools and academies are becoming the school of choice for many families.

I think a huge problem is the fact that the schools are run by educators... and an entire district has ONE business person--who is managed by an educator. The financial waste is ASTOUNDING. I worked in an affluent district--the kind of school that teachers dream of teaching in: school-supplied laptops for the teachers with home/remote access to all of our applications for grading, attendance, mail... wireless connectivity on the entire campus and a laptop cart for every 3-4 classrooms.

Still, I taught one of my computer classes in an old book closet that I had to share with that floor's only photocopier and no windows with inadequate cooling for 24 computers. Two of the computers didn't work and they loaded the class with 26 students. How does that happen?

And yet, if you are anything other than a lifetime educator, you are shunned from being involved because "you don't understand".

Actually folks, YOU don't understand.

The problem with class size, as a singular factor, is the research. Class size and its effect on students have been researched repeatedly. Smith and Glass�s meta-analysis (1980) gives evidence that class size effects vary with students' age. And others studies indicate that class size effects vary with subject matter�even within a discipline (McConnell & Sosin, 1984; Raimondo et al., 1990). Still others have indicated that class size has an isignificant impact on student success, if compared with other factors (levelling, academic supports, the presence of an aide, etc.).

In a troubled school with many troublesome factors, if all is done to "improve student success" is shrink the classroom, the outcome is negligible.

All of those studies were performed before the prevalence of special needs seen in today's classrooms. If I taught 240 kids in a year then easily 80 of them had IEP accommodations.

In that case, class size matters.

And regardless, if I only have 24 computers for a computer class and I have more than 24 kids--I promise you it matters in terms of what those extra kids aren't learning.

Small schools are the way to go if you dont want oversized classes. Last year i was in eigth grade and i was in advanced classes, and the class size was 10 students including me. The other classes were about 14- 16. In the high school, where im going this year, has about 20-25 kids because of failing kids. My class size(All kids in my grade) is about 60. The highest class size (All kids in grade) was about 120. Not very many. We Have a lot of smart people and you get help if you need it and learn a lot more. And get threw more material! Darci :) Oxford Class of 2013