Crowded Classrooms

A federal education law signed by President Bush is making more money available for elementary and secondary education. The new law says that schools districts cannot use overcrowded classes in better-performing schools as an excuse to keep students from transferring from failing schools, according to new federal regulations. The law also holds educators accountable for failures in teaching the nation's 48 million public school students.

Reflection: Is it fair to overcrowd a “better-performing” school in favor of the failing schools?

Answer: At first look, this sounds like a great plan, if a failing school does not make progress, parents are offered the chance to transfer their children to another school even if that school is full. But what happens to the children in the better-performing school once their school becomes even more overcrowded. Crowded classroom conditions not only make it difficult for students to concentrate on their lessons, but limit the amount of time teachers can spend on wait time, cooperative learning and group work. In addition, because teachers must constantly struggle simply to maintain order in an overcrowded classroom, the likelihood increases that they will suffer from burnout earlier than might otherwise be the case. Overcrowding also has a direct and often severe impact on the logistics of the school day, forcing changes in schedules and making disruptions and noise part of normal operating procedure. Perhaps, electives such as art, music, and shop classes will be eliminated, because of the need to use all available space for educational "basics. So now instead of one failing school and one better school, you have two schools that fail.

Submitted by: Larissa Taff, American University
Source:www.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/12/02/education.reform.ap/index.html