Class size is key

Re “Schools that fail all our children,” Opinion, Nov. 20

The headline of this article sums up a common misconception held by so many, and preached by those who have spent little or no time in the classroom. It is the place where too many people stop reading, but I continued reading, and, despite the misleading headline, I found that John Rogers and Jeannie Oakes agree with me. They concluded what every teacher in California will tell you if you ask: It’s class size. It’s support for children who need it. It is not a program, and it is not a test. The test stops at the end of the testing period. It gives data, not solutions.

Does it alarm parents that their child has 50% more students in his class than children in other states? Does it alarm parents that kindergarten is not mandatory in California, and smaller classes are offered for first-, second- and third-graders but not for kindergartners in a growing number of school districts? Does it alarm parents that as soon as their child finishes third grade, the size of the class expands from 20 to 30 or more (even higher as they reach middle school and high school)?

Schools are not failing our children. California legislators, the governor and voters are failing our children. It’s time to start listening to those who know, the classroom teachers. It’s time to advocate for your children.

Pam Sunderman

Secretary

California Kindergarten

Assn., Newport Coast