MUSD - Increasing Classroom Size

Monrovians Unite!

According to the November 9, 2009 news from the Superintendent's web-site:

Budget

We are in the process of implementing cuts that were put into place last year. This year, K-3 class sizes were increased from 20:1 to 25:1. We anticipate the class size will increase to 30:1 in primary grades for the coming year. Additional cuts may be necessary, including the possible reduction of four work days, which would mean four fewer school days beginning 2010-11.

With those cuts in mind, and based on the most recent information received from Sacramento, we anticipate additional mid-year cuts this year, which would result in even deeper cuts to our District. We do not yet know the full impact of the Governor’s proposed 2010-11 budget, but we are braced for a difficult budget year. More information will be made available as it is received.

Does this mean that one of every five classroom teachers will be laid off?   (It takes 4 teachers for 100 students at 25-1, and only 3.3 at 30-1.) 

If not, how why will the pupil-teacher ratio go from 20-1 to 30-1 in two years, a 50% increase.  Will we have reduced the number of classroom teachers by 1/3?  What cuts, if any, are being made to non-classroom staff and programs?

There's a big difference between supervising and teaching 20 children and 30 children.  Are we willing to allow our classroom teachers to impose more structure and discipline on the children, in order to work with the larger group?  Will the District back up the teachers on the need for more structure and discipline in the classroom?