Did anyone in FL catch the news about...

[Pin Wizard]

decreasing class size? The one we just voted for in the last election to reduce the size of classes. Today I heard something about reducing the size of the lower grades ONLY! Did anyone catch the whole story? I haven't heard it since.

 

[olena]

I'm not sure. I don't know how they plan on paying for it though. FL might be getting a state income tax after all.

 

[jamsmom]

I believe Texas has something in K-4th for 22 students max in a class. But, then the student can apply for a waiver. I have heard of schools where EVERY class has a waver

 

[Pin Wizard]

I'm sure Jeb and his crew (or whoever is in at the time) will be leaving this change until the last possible moment. My son's class has 35 kids in there! You can barely walk between the desks.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

35 kids! I think I am in a good school area in FL. My DD had 17 in her first grade class and 22 this year. Even DS in 6th grade only has upper 20's max.
I had another post, but the board is messing up and I deleted instead of edited !
Anyway, this "amendment" will have to be paid for by cutting state workers, agencies, and other programs.

 

[tater bug]

The class size amendment has created a fiscal nightmare. And yes, people will lose jobs and programs will be cut.

One big question is what are the schools that are "landlocked" going to do?

 

[MaryAnn B]

Wow 35 kids. What school district do you live in ?

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Any "in"sight dd? I still cannot believe we have an amendment for class size and something about pigs , and that people actually voted to raise salestax to 7 1/2% in our county !
Anyway PW, what grade is that with so many kids?

 

[Pin Wizard]

What county is going to 7.5% tax??? The pig thing seemed rather ridiculous. Can't believe such a thing needed a vote. Wasn't there something about a tax break for people to add on a room for grandparents to stay in or something similar? That one irritated me. But I can deal with it since the class issue went through. Actually, DS is in a private school, so of course they use every inch of the rooms to get all the $$$ in (oops...I mean get as many kids in as possible.) But what makes them stop at 35? Is that a limit of some sort? Is it just because that's how many desks they can fit in? I remember when DS was in this private school for kinder and they said there's a state law that no more than 25 (I think that was the number) could be in a class. Why would they follow a law for kinder but not for upper grades?

 

[tater bug]

BBB, the only thing I can tell you is that the issue is being worked on day and night.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I "think" the class size amendment pertains only to Public schools.
It all sounds great to say "smaller classes", but it will come at too great a cost in many other areas(including substandard facilities such as portables to house more classes and substandard teachers to teach the many classes, plus no raises for our many deserving teachers). SO many programs will be cut and many other people in state agencies WILL lose jobs to pay for this "amendment" !

*thanks dd!

 

[Pin Wizard]

What a shame. It sounds like education is even worse off than I thought. I ask myself again...do I really want to be a teacher? I really need to decide what direction I'm going in by the Fall at the latest.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I am a certified teacher, but content to be a stay at home mom. It is not very appealing to teach to me for many reasons.
Good luck in your decision.

 

[tater bug]

The voters, while well intentioned, have no idea what they have really done. The amendment is going to cost taxpayers in the billions and that's just implementing the amendment - with millions needed every year thereafter.

The Gov. was ridiculed for suggesting in his State of the State address that the issue be sent back to the voters for another vote, but that is exactly what needs to happen. And it needs to be represented honestly and accurately to the people. That didn't happen last fall.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I totally agree dd! I don't think many people understood(I did, but I pursued it)! I wish we would revote. This amendment has SO many ramifications.

 

[maleficent1959]

Our paper said that the class size limits pertain to all grades in public schools, but that it was graduated -- there will be fewer kids in the lower grades and higher numbers in the upper grades but I don't remember what the limits were.

BTW -- we're in Escambia County and our sales tax is already 7.5%.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

DD, You are so right. The way the amendment was worded and presented made it seem so good, it was until you stopped and thought about how it would be PAID for that you started questioning. I am afraid what the fall out is going to be over this.

Overcrowding isn't even the state's problem. The problem lies with school boards who are not keeping up with local development (which is out of control).

 

[tater bug]

Pin Wizard, there is a joint resolution (HJR 1571 by Rep. Sorensen) that is slowly working its way through the House. It has 3 committee stops to go before it would reach the Floor for a vote by all of the Members. It would then have to pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor. IF all of this happens, then it would be on the ballot for voter approval. HJR 1571 proposes to limit class size reduction for grades K-3 only, leaving 4-12 alone.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by donald's daisy
IF all of this happens, then it would be on the ballot for voter approval. HJR 1571 proposes to limit class size reduction for grades K-3 only, leaving 4-12 alone.

Did we have that info for the last election?! K-3 only???? I probably would have voted differently if I knew that were the case.

 

[tater bug]

PW, what was on the ballot last November was for K-12. HJR 1571 is seeking to limit the class size reduction impact to K-3 only. There are a lot of hoops to go through to get to the point where voters would have a say on it.