Saturday, January 29, 2011

Classes So Small They Might Disappear - voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled: The Education Blog

Classes So Small They Might Disappear - voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled: The Education Blog

Classes So Small They Might Disappear

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  • Photo by Sam Hodgson

    Carver Elementary teacher Andrew Rodaniche is briefly interrupted by kindergartner Shaun Pham as he talks to his class about behavior issues. The schools classes are small, but it could be forced to give up a fifth of its teachers to budget cuts, boosting class sizes significantly.

RELATED STORIES

The Story
San Diego Unified is planning to scrap small classes for its littlest learners, part of a costly and controversial experiment, before it has any idea whether they worked.
The Impact
Schools that were lucky enough to enjoy tiny classes are now in for a shock, losing dramatic numbers of their teachers.
The Big Picture
Even if the small classes prove to be a success, the district says it can’t afford them.

Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 6:00 pm |Updated: 11:35 am, Fri Jan 28, 2011.

While Amanda Freeman helps a tiny boy read the word "puppet," the other kids chirp "Teacher! Teacher!" like baby birds eager for a worm. One wants to know what an otter is. Another says, "I'm done!" A girl dressed entirely in pink steps up and taps Freeman on the arm until she gets a glance. Read the rest of this article

Fighting a Grade? Fat ChanceComments (1) | 2:37 pm

You know how they say you can't fight City Hall? It looks like you can't fight your teacher either, at least when it comes to getting a grade you don't like.

Only two San Diego Unified students tried to appeal the grades they got to the school board between November 2009 and October 2010. Neither of them won their cases.

Read the rest of this article

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