You don't just walk in and suddenly reduce all K-3 classes to 15 students. Do it one year at a time. Space is an issue-smaller classes mean that districts will need more classrooms. Charles Achilles, professor of educational leadership at Eastern Michigan University, urges school systems to look for space in their communities that could be linked to school buildings by technology. Many teachers were inspired to enter the profession by their own teachers.
Teachers now have to accept the responsibility for doing the same.
No, says Achilles. But this, in turn, may lead to an increase in the size of the classes where the majority of children spend most of their day. The Association supports an optimum class size of 15 students in regular programs and a proportionately lower number in programs for students with exceptional needs. NEAalso believes that class size maximums must be established, based on criteria that include type of students, subject area content, and physical facilities. She'd like to see if the original STARstudents, one year after graduation, are registered to vote, do volunteer work, and otherwise contribute to their communities.