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Prince William schools consider lowering class sizes
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Prince William County (Map, News) - The extra student in some Prince William County classes this year has become a headache for teachers, school board members and administrators, and could now be a problem for taxpayers.
The schools incrementally increased average class sizes in grades four through 12 during last year’s budget crunch to save millions by hiring almost one fewer teacher per school.
“It’s an initiative we had to employ that saved about $5 million, but that we don’t necessarily like,” said Bob Horwath, Prince William County Schools supervisor of budget.
The measure increased the class sizes for fourth and fifth grade by one student and the middle and high schools by half a student. When spread across the 72,654 student district, it accounted for 66 teaching positions, Horwath said.
“When we are talking about the class size ratio, there is not a single item that will affect education like that one,” school board member Grant Lattin said.
Restoring that cut emerged this week as a critical component of school board members’ proposals to improve education at a budget workshop with county supervisors Wednesday.
Prince William County Board Chairman Corey Stewart said restoring class size limits is something that has to be done, but also stressed that in a dismal real estate market, the everyone must understand it will be a difficult budget year.
Supervisors are considering a tax rate increase of 25 percent to help pay for the class size measure and $27 million in other school priorities next year, which would increase the average homeowner’s tax bill 8 percent.
Though it’s just a one-student increase, Prince William Education Association president Megan Link said it can make maintaining discipline and offering individual instruction more difficult, which translates into lower student performance.
“I’d say it’s a top concern for teachers at every level,” Link said.
dgenz@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
9:20 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 6, 2008 re: "Angry parents: Problems with math program linger unsolved"
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8:21 AM MST on Fri., May. 9, 2008
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11:14 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 19, 2008
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PWCS Middle School Teacher said:
I currently teach 6th graders who are not the product of Math Investigations. Even my smartest students struggle with basic math facts. It has nothing to do with the elementary curriculum but rather parent involvement. Students will not learn basic math facts unless there is support and practice at home. Parents, please stop blaming teachers and curriculum for your inability to parent and offer home education. Buy flash cards and run through them with your child every evening. While you are in the car running from soccer practice to dance lessons, review the facts. In a school, where I teach a class of 30 kids in a 45 minute class period, I have 90 seconds to spend with each child a day. Tell me what I am supposed to teach your child in that time. The SOLs, character development, study skills, health, nutrition, dealing with bullies, respect...?????? We can't do it all, we are only here to support the parenting that needs to be done at home. Please step up to the plate!!!!
2 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
At least its better than layoffs. Its a step in a new direction, I guess the " CRACKDOWN " is working. At least the pencil's are sharpened, no not the ones you write with, I mean the county officials.....
2 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
As a citizen of Fairfax, I want to know who is going to pay for this ESOL education? There are only so many education dollars to go around, and our children who are citizens are being shafted by having so many resources go to illegal aliens. I know this as a fact since my ADHD child had great difficulty getting assistance from overworked teachers and counselors. He suffered while alien children and parents got special treatment and attention.
6 agree | 2 disagree
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After 50 years I'm still a roman catholic said:
The relocation occurred because Prince Henry said those three dreaded word’s “obey our laws”. Does everyone understand the Catholic Church knows that by them supporting the illegals now, our public schools will become over-run, forcing the middle-class to pay them for a private education? This will also allow the Catholic Church to start shaping the young minds of our future voter population to their specifications’ again, but this time a much bigger population, means much more money and control to the church.
7 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I'm a teacher in DCPS. Just this week in my school, we got two new students who don't speak a word of English. I don't know if they came from Prince William County or not; I think they just arrived in the US. One is illegal (we don't officially ask, but I know) and the other is a resident alien. They are sweet children who want to learn.
3 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
We don't want your illegals in Fairfax, either.
6 agree | 5 disagree
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Tom said:
“People are going to counties where there is more receptivity and where people are more welcoming and there is a commitment not to persecute immigrants,” Panameno said. “Fairfax, Arlington and Maryland, that’s where people are going.” Notice how the author of this bias article ended with this nice piece of propaganda. They are "persecuting immigrants". Ugh! First they are not being persecuted. Second they are not "immigrants'. They are illegal aliens, a big difference. But the liberal press would have you think otherwise and blur the legal differences between the two groups.
7 agree | 3 disagree
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Underpaid Teacher said:
As a teacher in PWCS, I say categorically that we're underpaid. We rank dead last compared to any school system to the east of us. Teachers in PWCS here are leaving every day for better pay in Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, and Falls Church. The best teachers see the rewards from other systems and leave forthwith! Very quickly Prince William County Schools are losing the ability to deliver a "World-Class" education. The Supervisors are trying to save money on the backs of the teachers and the students. To not give the our teachers a promised raise will be seen as a betrayal. That betrayal will not be forgotten and we will quickly find a county that will treat us right. My message to the Supervisors---START ACTING LIKE LEADERS!!!
3 agree | 4 disagree
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Bozo Bonker said:
And cut the pay of administrators and teachers who don't perform. Make it revenue neutral.
3 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
You are right to get rid of math investigations. My daughter started it in Greece in kdg. and now is in 4th grade. She and her classmates barely know math and the teachers are as frustrated as the parents. Yet another program Walts and his cronies insisted on. The new math coordinator is forming a committee this year to look at supplemental material or a new program. Thank God! Maybe the kids will be able to add when they graduate. I think the parents of Greece should sue Walts for educational neglect on top of mismanaging our money.
55 agree | 37 disagree
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A Math Fact Analysist said:
Let’s get the facts right. Truthfully, PWCS sent a survey to 1,838 households, and only 536 responded. 28% of the respondents (151) said that they were only "somewhat satisfied"; while 51% (274) said they were "very satisfied". I guess it is the “Math Investigations” side of PWCS, but 51% does not equal 80%. I think PWCS should send out a new survey on “Math Investigations”...one that is restricted from PWCS teachers and employees since they might be forced by the Superintendent to show support for MI to keep their jobs. Let's ask some direct questions about “Math Investigations”, and let's find out how PWC parents (not PWCS employees) really feel about it. Let's just stop this political posturing and do what's right for ALL our children. By the way, I simply used facts obtained from the PWCS.edu website: PWCS Investigations document dated December 19, 2007 (EVALUATION OF PWCS ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS INITIATIVE: “INVESTIGATIONS IN NUMBER, DATA, AND SPACE” YEAR ONE REPORT: 2006-07).
57 agree | 45 disagree
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Provocateur said:
No wonder Johhny can't add nor read nor write nor reason.
56 agree | 39 disagree
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Concerned Military Parent said:
Bravo Mr. Hecht! PWCS have NOT taken into account the thousands of military students that are currently in the K-3 elementary schools of this county. They are leaving our children behind because they are not teaching basic traditional math fundamentals used my most schools in the nation. Our children need to know basic math facts, standard algorithms, muliplication facts through 9 and long division. They need these basic skills in order for them to survive their academic carrer bouncing from one school district to another. The PWCS have completely disregarded the military children of this county, because they have neglegicted to see the needs of the military child. Because we realize the impact military life has on our children, the first thing a military family does when they receive orders to move is look at the schools and test scores in the district in which they are to move. Had we known that PWCS were adopting this before we moved here, we would have NEVER moved to PWC!
53 agree | 59 disagree
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PW Elem. School Mom said:
The PWCS Superintendent's comments are simply NOT TRUE. This program was put in place even though all PW middle and elementary school scores were above VA state averages and rising!! It was put in place before any 6th grade testing occurred in this state, and PWCS 6th grade test results are above VA state averages across the board 2006 & 7! Why can't this man tell the truth? - no wonder we parents are up in arms...and perhaps this is why he is now under investigation by the NY state attorney general for actions taken his previous position as superintendent of Greece NY Distrct schools according to the Potomac News. We could have adopted a proven quality math program like Singapore Math, but instead we got "fuzzy math" and the numbers don't add up. And now our kids have to suffer.
63 agree | 60 disagree
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Frustrated PW Parent! said:
Why can't PWCS tell the truth? Fact is PW math scores weren't falling they've been above state averages and continuing to rise...under quality traditional math programs - that's the truth from VA Dept of Education public record. For yet another PWCS official - a math resource teacher like Ms. Marcell - to be unable to speak the truth about our scores is beyond words. This is why parents are up in arms. At every step of the way PWCS has been untruthful about this "fuzzy math program" - it is unproven and leaves children years behind where they should be! Instead of adopting a challenging proven program to make children excel, they gambled away our chidren's future on dumbed down mathematics. $2 million tax dollars totally wasted and PWCS officials unable to tell the truth. This program is everything about building "legacies" for PWCS officials...regardless of damage being done to our children.
44 agree | 41 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Corey Stewart always blames state for everything. It is his poor leadership that causing lots of problems for Prince William County. Thanks to Mr. Stewart, Prince William County ranks at the bottom in every service campare to other jurisdictions in Northern Virginia.
80 agree | 77 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Like many schools in California, if students do not learn english in school, then they do not know the english language as adults
124 agree | 134 disagree
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bcsal said:
This is going to be the downfall of American education. But at least it will be diverse, right? We're so stupid.
142 agree | 119 disagree
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