Philadelphia City Council Committee on Children and Youth, 18 Feb 2016

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From YouTube: Education/Children and Youth Committee 2-18-2016 - Cherelle Parker on Class Size

Description

During a Joint Hearing of the Council Committees on Education and Children and Youth held February 18, 2016, Councilwoman Cherelle Parker (9th District) questions Karyn Lynch, Chief of Student Support Services of the School District of Philadelphia, about class size.

Parker is a former high School English teacher.

A

The chair recognizes Councilwoman Parker, Thank You chairwoman, again, I want to quickly go to the the issue of class size now help me here and tell me what the model ratio is for for elementary middle and high student to teacher ratios model with the model number I.

B

Can share with you that in kindergarten, it's no more than one to thirty, and while we aim for that in the upper levels it can, it can sometimes become much higher than that.

A

Okay with that being said, I'm looking at this print out here, that's provided to us from the PFT and obviously very parochial, looking at the knife, Council Matic district and I'm, looking at the Laura Carnell a school and for the number of oversized classes versus grades and the number of students that are in the particular class and there's a consistent number of 3435 students who are in a class and I know.

A

When we talk about a fiscal crisis there there are so many ask, and so many needs, but I ask that the district keep in mind that the reduction of class size remains a cent. A central issue. For you know, you're talking about these are the number of teachers.

A

This set one 184 in terms of teacher vacancies here and, and then you give us a number of 173, but I would dare say to you, as a former high school English teacher, that if you want to know how effective I can be in ensuring that my students are well versed and becoming proficient in the curriculum that I can do a greater job.

A

If I had a 28 to 29 students in a class or even the 30, and it makes we're even talking about 34, 35 and 36 students in the class, so when you come back and you forward the information, as we talked about earlier to chairwoman, Blackwell and Gale, please focus on class size and and talk about its priority in the overall structure of trying to ensure that we don't see any quality in the delivery of public education in the city of Philadelphia.

A

Because when you go, you know right across the continent lines and my district borders. Montgomery, County and I have had the great opportunity to visit some of those schools and so I'm, just in McCleskey and I'm. Looking at 37 kids in the classroom and then I go across the street to the county.

A

Let's say we're talking about K through 8 as it is there and I'm looking at sometimes 15 18 20 students in the class, and then we're wondering why those teachers appear to be more effective and efficient and helping to ensure that the curriculum is delivered. So I'm pretty passionate about that issue, not because it feels good and it gets a headline but because I've been in the classroom trying to ensure that my children are learning to actually get it done and just wanted to say that for the record.