Does your state have a Class Reduction Law? If you are not sure, go into your state education site and check out the laws pertaining to this. UT has adopted laws dealing with a formaula for K-2 class size.
Cindy--that would be great. I would love to obtain any information you, or other members of this group, can provide. I have been away for a number of weeks, so I haven't been in touch with the school. While we were away, class lists have been posted and much to my dismay, out of the three second grade classes, my son is in the class with most of the trouble makers. As I have posted before, the equity of the distribution is infuriating. Now seeing it writing is even worse!! We were promised a teaching assistant dedicated to the second grade (all three classes where ever needed)....from the looks of it, that person (if they have even been hired yet!)will spend a majority of their time in my son's class based on the cast of characters! URG! I think I want to go back to the beach and bury my head in the sand.
On a more positive note, yes. Anything you could send would be wonderful. I will send you an email off list with my mailing address.
Our school has an intervention group that teachers participate in. some teachers have extra traing in behavioral management. If there are problems with a child, they bring that child up in a meeting with tachers involved. Brainstorming is done as to how to tackle the problem..through behavoir charts, rewards,...even intervention with Dr. Parents are informed. Then they know that their child is disruptive and they can help at home to reinforce things.Teachers need help with these children andd getting support from a group is the right things to do. I can't get info. on this program till i go back to school but can send then to you.
This is the age old struggle in the public school system. I have had three kids going through the same schools. It is my observation and experience that sometimes your student just is in a bad class that, by the way, will follow them through their learing years. Staff still talk about the class ahead of me by one year that went through the school system over 20 years ago. I find that direct complaints, in writing about the individual kids may help with intervention being provided by the schools with the family. I have always regretted the disturuption of valuable class time from these promblems. The schools cannot take these kids out of school so there hands are tied, but the Board of Educaiton should have something in place for intervention. These "trouble making kids" are kids, who are in real need. My son is bothered constantly. The staff all look out for him and this other kid, but things still happen. My son understands that this child cannot control himself and all we can really do is pray for him and the tough time his family must be going through. What else can we really do? As far as class size is concerned, that is a battle you can fight at the state level. Go for it!
In my years of having my daughter in school and I should add her fourth school (lots of moves and bad school district) the school board and or school district would be VERY intrested in hearing about the principals' behavior. Just as you would report a 'rude' co-worker these people need to know how their employee is treating the customers!
I feel really lucky to have the charter school we do, class sizes are 25 and we add extra teachers when nessasary.
The tough part, she's doing a job. Ask her if she has ever sat in on any of these classes for any amount of time?
May the force be with you.
WEll, I have an update of this issue at our school.
Parent were encouraged to write letters to the members of the board of education and also the superintendent team of our town.
Of the 65-70 families, at least half wrote the letters. Yesterday I was in the Family Center at our school and the principal walked by. She stops and says good morning to me and then says that she had been to the town office of the board of education the day before and was handed a stack of letters from first grade parents requesting an additional class for second grade next year.
She says "although parents have voiced their opinions, the number of students will not support the addition of a fourth class". She is beginning to sound like a broken record. The numbers are not the only thing in judgement here. The behavior of the students in the exisiting classes is horrific! In fact, we have had two first grade students suspended because of physically acosting each other, swearing, etc. a real mess. I then told her that while it would be nice to water-down the existing problems next year by spreading the problem children over 4 classrooms, I understand that the numbers don't support it budget-wise. I did state very clearly though that the current form of discipline was not working and this "be nice and be a positive role model only" is not working. There must be other methods (I am not suggesting physical reprimands or other inappropriate behavioral modification methods, just something other than these happy face sticker contracts, etc. they are currently using for kids.)
Then I find out later in the day that she personally called each of the parents who had sent in a letter and was a little nasty to them as if to say "you are wasting your time and mine by going through this letter writing effort". Public schools will always be plagued with all sorts of children/ families with all sorts of issues and very different parenting styles.
Then I heard that she instructed the first grade teaching team to BE AT a meeting at 3:20pm, no excuses. I can just imagine that she was as short with the teachers, and quite probably reprimanded them. (When parents have asked what they could do to voice their opinions on the plan for next year, teachers were very careful not to compromise their professional ethics in encouraging people to make a stink--perhaps the principal thinks the teachers went behind her back to get the support of the parents.....isn't that the purpose of a parent/teacher partnership!?
In any case, the saga continues and we are still in the same boat of expecting only 3 classes next year.
I wonder what will happen when I see the principal on Tuesday after Memorial Day.
Now that you have read this post, can you share what your schools do for behavior modification and discipline at your school?
