High Marks for District’s Plan

A bill (SB 1210) pending in Sacramento that would provide optional funding to allow high school teachers to have smaller classes and concentrate more on the teaching of writing skills has drawn the formal support of many parents, teachers and school boards, including five Orange County school districts. The Newport-Mesa Unified School District was not one of those five listed as supporting the bill in hearings in Sacramento, but it has done something even more positive.

District trustees have authorized the hiring of 10 additional English teachers who will be assigned to classes in the district’s four high schools and junior highs in September with the specific mission of improving the quality and quantity of written work.

The approach has drawn praise from Bill Honig, the state superintendent of schools.

It’s no secret that students throughout the state are weak in their communicating skills, especially writing. Test scores in California are below average for sixth- and 12th-grade students. That was one of the reasons that prompted state Sen. Gary Hart (D-Santa Barbara) to try to improve student writing and critical thinking by increasing the writing assignments that should be part of any thorough English course. One of the best ways to do that is to reduce class sizes so that teachers will have more time to work with students individually.

Researchers who have studied school reform have recommended small class sizes to give teachers the time for interaction with students and for grading written work.

Although students in the Newport-Mesa district are performing above average in writing and English programs, the district puts such a high priority on those skills that it decided, despite a tight budget, to commit $350,000 to hire the additional English teachers and reduce class size.

Honig hopes that Newport-Mesa’s action will be “a harbinger for other districts.” So do we.

The ability to think clearly and critically, and then be able to communicate those thoughts, is a skill that serves a person well no matter what he or she does in life. It’s an invaluable lesson that will be better taught in the Newport-Mesa district because teachers will have more time to challenge students, critique their work and sharpen their writing proficiency.