Luna outlines plans for larger class sizes, fewer teachers

State schools Supt. Tom Luna is now outlining his plan to increase class sizes in grades 4-12 to save $100.7 million a year, which he’d use to fund his other reforms, including technology and pay-for-performance. “Great teachers know how to handle one or two more students,” he told lawmakers. “The vast majority of credible research hasn’t found a correlation between class size and student outcomes.”

He said “great teachers know how to engage students,” using tools ranging from classroom “clickers” to more computers.

Under his plan, Luna said, “We would need about 770 fewer positions over the next two years. This can be absorbed primarily through attrition.” Then, he said, as student enrollments continue to grow, some would be added back; over five years, the net loss of teachers would be about 320, he said.