Cali's K-12 Hordes

Typical California Class Size? (Image by EddieHosa)

Class sizes have been growing in California for the past several years, due primarily to budget cuts. The state has slashed $20 billion from K-12 education over the last three years, and is set to cut another $4 billion next year.

In Oakland, K-3 class sizes could jump 30% from 23 to 30, according to the Bay Citizen. The Sunnyvale School district expects to see K-3 class sizes increase from 20 to 23. Cupertino expects to increase class sizes for grades 6-8, as well as 1-3. However, California State School Board President Michael Kirst says some schools may see K-4 classes approach 40 students.

Supposedly the state has a $1.3 billion per year class size reduction program. Fifteen years ago, the state mandated a strict class size limit for grades K-3 of 20 students per teacher. However, starting in 2009, the state relaxed its class size requirements, allowing school districts to still collect state class size reduction subsidies even if their class sizes rose as high as 28 or 30 students.

Of course this is all irrelevant. Education experts like Arne Duncan and Bill Gates insist that class size doesn’t matter (contrary to most of the research). Arne Duncan even said he would rather have his own kids in a class of 28 with a “good” teacher, than in a class of 23 with a mediocre teacher. However, a class size of 28 must sound pretty good to California’s teachers who have had more than 30 kids per class for years. It is also pretty hypocritical coming from a guy who went to a private school with an average class size of 19 (see Value Subtracted: Ed Reform’s Privileged Private School Brats).

Brown’s “Pro-Teacher” Board Fast Tracks Parent Trigger

California’s infamous Parent Trigger law, which allows a majority of parents to petition to have their low-performing school converted to a private charter school, has been given the green light to move ahead by State Board of Education President Michael Kirst. The law’s first test came last year, when parents at Compton’s McKinley Elementary, led by the Green Dot front group Parent Revolution, used strong arm techniques to bully parents into signing the petition. Some parents complained that they were threatened with deportation if they didn’t sign. As a result, Compton exploited irregularities in the petition to invalidate it, while community groups and anti-charter advocates called for a revamping of the law. Instead, under Kirst’s leadership, the State Board extended emergency rules for the law and expedited the timetable for coming up with new rules to clarify disputed issues.

Kirst and the School Board diverted the issue to a committee assembled by new State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson that includes representatives from Parent Revolution, as well as the California Teachers Association. This committee is to make recommendations by next month on permanent regulations on the Parent Trigger law. Meanwhile, the existing emergency regulations will hold, with a vote of 9-1 by the State Board, with only the former CTA lobbyist Patricia Rucker voting against it.

Some Issues That Still Need Resolution

• How signatures will be verified
• How to ensure that parents receive accurate information
• How to ensure that petitions are handled fairly
• Who decides which charter operator will take over
• What will be the appeals process
• How to prevent bullying and intimidation of parents