Class size matters

As a dedicated sixth-grade teacher whose main mission is to advance my students academically, the negative impact of a levy failure that I can most closely relate to is the continued eroding of reasonable class sizes. The current mantra in the public arena that “a good teacher with a packed classroom is more effective than a lousy teacher with fewer students” is obviously correct, but it misses the point entirely.

What needs to be heard, and acted upon, is that a proficient teacher with fewer students is going to be far more effective than that same teacher with a classroom loaded beyond reason. Manageable class size means more time to analyze individual student work, more time to work with small groups of students, fewer disruptions in the classroom, and more physical space for an optimum learning environment.

The educational advantages to having sensible class sizes are many. If we really want educators to be able to move their students toward meeting increasingly demanding standards, then we must provide them with the conditions that allow them to get the job done.

Please vote “yes” for Spokane schools on Feb. 14.

Warren Wheeler

Nine Mile Falls