When Budget Cuts Necessitate Class Size Increases

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Eric Hanushek is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. He has been a leader in the development of economic analysis of educational issues. His newest book, Schoolhouses, Courthouses, and Statehouses: Solving the Funding-Achievement Puzzle in America's Public Schools,describes how improved school finance policies can be used to meet our achievement goals.

The economic downturn across the country has a lot of people talking about class size reduction. By and large, people are saying bigger classes would be a calamity for public schools. These discussions, while ever-tinged by politics, ignore both basic facts and research evidence.

The rhetoric of class size policy has been virtually constant for more than a decade. If one carefully culls the research literature, it is possible to find studies that conclude that achievement will improve with smaller classes. It did not take much of a sales pitch to convince parents, school officials, and legislators that everything should be done to bring class sizes down, resulting in a steady fall of class sizes. And, with the help of federal stimulus funds, most districts managed to keep prior reductions even as state fiscal conditions deteriorated. Handing out pink slips to teachers in the spring (and rescinding them later) was the perennial political maneuver to ensure that education takes small if any funding cuts.

Until now. Without further federal stimulus and without recovery from the recession, schools have begun to really feel the budget pressure for the first time, and the obvious way to deal with any budget slowdown or actual reduction is to let class sizes drift up a little. But this has reinvigorated the political efforts to hold education harmless from any fiscal demands. This situation has led to hysterical news media coverage about enormous classes and testimonials about how it has simply become impossible to teach with so many students in one class. It has also prompted the class size reduction lobbyists to quote back their evidence with the twist of how this is the worst thing that could happen to schools.

But an increase is actually different from a reduction. When reducing class size, one must hire more teachers, which means that the school system will essentially get a random draw that is expected to yield an average teacher. But increasing class size means that some current teachers must be laid off, and here the schools have an advantage. They know how effective their teachers are, so they are not forced to lay off an average teacher. They can in fact lay off below average teachers.

When budget shortfalls necessitate reductions in force, laying off the weakest teachers would lead to dramatic improvements in student achievement. As I have described elsewhere, replacing the worst 5-8 percent of our teachers with average teachers would be expected to move student outcomes near to if not at the top of the international league tables for math and science performance. And this would have enormous benefits for the U.S. economy and for the students who now have greater skills when they enter the labor force.

But wouldn't the increased class sizes offset any gains? In simplest terms, no. The evidence has been rehashed many times. The latest Brookings study, for example, concludes once again that the small class size increases from the current fiscal pressures would be virtually undetectable. Part of the confusion over the outcomes arises from the unwillingness or inability of schools to make decisions based on the effectiveness of teachers. By applying last in, first out rules (LIFO for short) to any dismissals, schools almost completely eliminate the chance to improve the learning for our children. When you use seniority as the determining factor in layoffs, you let some of your best teachers go. And, because their salaries are lowest, you have to lay off a greater number of new teachers (as opposed to more senior teachers).

To obtain a five percent savings in budget, schools must typically let average student-teacher ratios drift up by less than one student per teacher. This would put student-teacher ratios back roughly to where they were five or six years ago – larger yes, but hardly the dark ages. It certainly does not require a doubling of class sizes as some of the media accounts might suggest. The real data show that student-teacher ratios and class sizes have been falling throughout the past decade – and the recent changes are not in any way simply a continuation of a long slide toward larger classes.

Doing the right thing does require active decision making by schools and policy makers. Some of this may become easier as legislatures in states such as Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, and more revisit the rules on hiring, retention, and school decision making. But it is not automatic.

The views presented on our guest blogs are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of StudentsFirst. We thank all of our guest bloggers for their thoughtful perspectives.

How To Reform School Boards

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Gene I. Maeroff's new book is "School Boards in America: A Flawed Exercise in Democracy." He is a senior fellow at Teachers College, Columbia University, and president of the school board in Edison, New Jersey.

School boards are the Rodney Dangerfields of education—garnering little respect and serving as objects of derision.

Granted, while some of those who serve on school boards have their deficiencies, in general they tend to be civic-minded do-gooders who, unlike their neighbors, are willing to give up their free time and privacy for an often unpaid position that likely involves more hassle than acclaim. And some school boards are highly functional.

Certainly, there are ways to make school boards more efficient and more effective. Those who promote reforms in elementary and secondary education are remiss if they don't take note of the role of school boards, however insignificant those entities may seem. The states that empower local school boards with governance responsibilities and educational change may not succeed unless members of boards see the need for change and are willing to take bold steps to institute reforms.

But many obstacles stand in the way of improving school boards. After serving as president of a school board, analyzing educational trends for decades, and spending two and a half years researching and writing a newly-published book on the subject I conclude that these are at least four major areas to address when it comes to school board reform:

1. Qualifications of members

School board members in America range from those with doctorates to those that have not even completed high school. Almost all come onto school boards (more than 90 percent of them through elections; the rest are appointed) with little or no preparation for the specific tasks that await them. Some outstanding people serve on school boards and some have no business on these boards, given their temperament and ignorance.

If more school boards were appointed, and consideration were given only to candidates who have been interviewed and vetted by panels of leading citizens who do not represent special interest groups, this could make for better boards. Moreover, the criteria for consideration might go beyond the basics—citizenship and residence.

2. The elective process

Elections are certain to predominate even if more school districts shifted to appointed boards. The democratic process, though, sometimes contains the seeds of its own undoing. It is too easy for special interest groups to thrive in school board elections. Groups like teachers' unions that believe they can gain from the election of particular candidates or individuals who want to promote a single agenda—say, sharply reducing expenditures—sometimes figure prominently in board elections.

It would be undemocratic and illegal to bar such involvement. But more could be done to publicize which groups and individuals spend money and donate time for particular candidates. Furthermore, debates aired on local TV channels could enable more people to become familiar with candidates and their stance on particular issues.

3. The preparation and training of members

Governance is the main job of school boards. Most people, however well informed, do not know the ins and outs of the governance process and are unfamiliar with the legal responsibilities of board members. And because they are governing school systems, members of these boards should also be more conversant than the average citizen about issues involving teaching and learning.

Some states and some organizations such as the Center for Reform of School Systems run programs to deepen the knowledge of board members about educational issues and to facilitate their governance skills. These efforts should be expanded and reach beyond the once-a-year seminar.

4. Conduct by school members

Finally, nepotism should be a concern when it comes to school boards. All too often a member may intercede to gain special treatment for a relative. Ethics regulations have been promulgated in many locales, and this has crimped but hardly eliminated the practice.

Concern about the conduct of school board members and their role in personnel decisions should go well beyond nepotism, though. Cronyism, favoritism, and patronage may not involve relatives, but they do lead to appointments and promotions that undermine the meritocracy and saddle school systems with employees who may not be the best qualified for their jobs—from security guards to principals.

High School Student Weighs In On Ed Reform

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Ryan Sieli, 17, is a junior at Marquette High School in St. Louis Missouri. He says he became inspired about changing the current education system by watching the movie "Waiting for Superman."

Who would you expect to be writing a blog about the state of public education? A concerned government official? A recently laid off teacher? How about a school superintendent? These are all the typical names you would probably expect to see weighing in on education reform. You would probably expect them to be on news programs. You would probably expect them to be arguing over budget cuts and spending. But what you might not expect is a high school student coming out and saying how he views the national education reform debate. Sometimes, we students wonder, if we speak out, will anyone listen? How will people respond? So, I guess you could call this blog something of an experiment.

Let's start by talking about teachers who aren't performing as well as they should be, or as well as their peers. I'm sure that sentence alone put myself on the opposite side of the education debate for about half of the people reading this. But why? If I started this sentence off with "School bus drivers who get speeding tickets shouldn't drive kids," you probably would agree. However, in our society, it has become anti-teacher to raise questions about the quality of our educators or to ask that teachers be judged based on student learning. Employees in almost every other occupation expect to see their performance measured. Why not teachers?

As a test subject in the experiment going on now that we call high school, I have seen students drop out of challenging courses or fail them simply because of uninspiring, weak teaching. I have also had teachers change our outlook on a particular subject, and even school in general, because of their exceptional quality. A teacher can and will change a kid's life. I am in NO way saying the teacher is the sole determining factor in how a student performs, but it is almost crazy to suggest that it isn't a factor at all.

So how do we measure a teacher's success? I'm not here to answer the question, but I can say that it needs to be asked. I believe we should create laws and polices that motivate teachers to be the best they can be, and also motivate talented college grads to become teachers.

One teacher who has inspired me is my 10th-grade honors geometry teacher, Mrs. Bontrager. The story about her influence on my life actually starts in 7th grade when I transferred from a private elementary school to a public middle school. When I made the switch, the math classes were unsynchronized and I was put in a lower-level math course. For several yeas, I felt looked down upon by teachers and students because I was in many honors courses, yet in a lower-level math class. However, I had the opportunity to get back on the honors track when geometry came up my sophomore year of high school. I so badly wanted to prove to everyone that I was talented in math, and Mrs. Bontrager helped me do that. There truly was something different about Mrs. Bontrager. Her class structure made it nearly impossible for a motivated student to fall behind, and she was always available to help a pupil before or after school. She also always made sure that she answered every question before moving on to another subject, all the while keeping the class on task. Teachers like her can truly change kids' lives; whether it is a couple points higher on an ACT, or the pursuit of a career based in mathematics. These are the type of teachers schools needs to reward and fight to keep.

I believe that there are many other high-quality teachers out there, in fact I know there are. Yet the way we treat them in regards to salary and tenure doesn't make sense anymore. The current system in which we go about hiring, paying and employing our teachers doesn't work for anybody. Teachers are nation builders and they deserve to be held to a higher standard. If we can pass bills that will keep good teachers teaching and move out those who are low performing, we can catch up with countries like Finland and South Korea in terms of the quality of public schools and once again become The Education Nation.

The views presented on our guest blogs are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of StudentsFirst. We thank all of our guest bloggers for their thoughtful perspectives.

A Formula For Strong And Effective Teacher Evaluations

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Christina Giguiere earned a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and M.A. in Teaching at UC Irvine. While teaching first and third grade in Irvine Unified, she obtained a MS in Reading and Reading Specialist Credential and is passionate about literacy. Christina returned to UCI in 2007 to work as the Multiple Subject Credential Program Coordinator. In this role she fosters innovative partnerships with district and schools where the credential candidates are completing their student teaching. She implements professional development for elementary teachers and teaches courses about health, classroom management, lesson planning, assessment and education policy.

Teacher evaluation systems need to reward and support the most influential people in a child's education. A comprehensive evaluation system should serve to improve teacher quality and recognize highly effective teachers. Developing an innovative system is a complex process. However, because we value the impact that teachers have on student learning we must invest time and collaborate with school communities to improve the process for retaining teachers. Teacher evaluation systems need to be about clear expectations, providing teachers with data-driven feedback, and continuously supporting best practices.

I worked on a task force with members from a teacher preparation and induction coalition in Orange County. We developed a set of guidelines and recommendations for districts to use as they begin to design and implement robust teacher evaluation systems. Our guidelines encourage districts to: develop a system that is consistent and responsive to district goals; include common principles and systems that are consistently applied in the district; create transparency and clear expectations; and include quantifiable elements in all evaluations.

In addition to relying on student achievement data to measure teacher effectiveness, our task force believes teacher evaluations should be a formative and collaborative process and developed using multiple perspectives and measures. Observations should take place at several key points during the year, collaboration with colleagues and peer feedback should be an integral part of the system, and professional development support must be embedded. A tool for measuring instructional expertise, such as the Continuum for Teaching Practice used in California during induction, or the Teaching and Learning Framework implemented in D.C., allows teachers to engage in self-reflection, goal setting, and deep inquiry into practice. The Continuum or Framework provides a common language about teaching and learning, and can be used to promote professional growth within an environment of collaborative support. The tool also effectively provides teachers with an ongoing opportunity to reflect on and assess their own instructional practice.

The goal of reforming teacher evaluations is not to demonize ineffective teachers but to support and empower great teachers. Reflective educators want to be held accountable for improving student outcomes. We all must work together to develop policies for teacher evaluation that elevate the profession and value a teacher’s impact on students.

The views presented on our guest blogs are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of StudentsFirst. We thank all of our guest bloggers for their thoughtful perspectives.

Court Ruling On Charters Sends Protesters To Capitol

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Jeri Powell is a member of the Engagement team for StudentsFirst, working to pass laws across the country that put childrens' needs at the forefront of decision making. Jeri has a passionate belief in the transformative and lasting power a great education can have on a child's future. She is an attorney who recently left law practice to devote herself full-time to the movement.

The Georgia Supreme Court released an opinion Monday voting 4-3 against the law creating the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. The commission had allowed state-approved charter schools, but the court ruled only local boards of education can open public schools in most cases.

On Tuesday, I joined hundreds of parents, students, school and community leaders and elected officials for a protest on the steps of the Georgia Capitol Building in Atlanta. Tony Roberts, CEO of the Georgia Charter Schools Association, led the demonstration. The speakers included State Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, State Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, and State House Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones, among other prominent community activists. Throughout the rally, the refrain was loud and clear: children are unique, and when it comes to education, cookie-cutter solutions just won't cut it. Students and parents need choices, and that's just what the Georgia Charter Schools Commission addresses.

Protestors carried signs with slogans such as "My Charter School Is Special," a reference to the Georgia Supreme Court's argument that only "special" K-12 schools may be founded outside of the local school board's control, an argument many are sure to find tenuous, particularly given that children's lives are at stake.

A few of the day's highlights included seeing the young ladies of Ivy Preparatory Academy, dressed in uniforms and singing their school song. Ivy Preparatory Academy is a charter public middle and high school for girls, and it has produced great results for kids. More than 90 percent of the school's students met or exceeded standards in English/language arts, reading and math on the Spring 2009 Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), outperforming many of their peers in the state. Twice rejected by the local school board, the school's charter application was approved by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. The success of Ivy Preparatory Academy is a clear example of why alternative paths to charter schools are needed.

An eloquent charter school sixth grade scholar addressed the crowd, telling her story of why her parents chose to send her to a charter school. Her confidence before a gathering of hundreds was evidence of what great teachers and great schools can do for children. She was truly inspiring, and it reminded me of the saying, "Out of the mouths of babes (oft time come gems)"!

Majority Leader Chip Rogers challenged those gathered to keep showing up, every day, to personally lobby legislators until the movement had gathered all of the support necessary for justice to be restored. I have no doubt his call has been heard, and the challenge will be met. The power, enthusiasm and energy of the crowd cannot be overstated. While emotions ran the gamut from dismay, to disbelief, to defiance, the sense that there is hope remained. What I am sure of is this -- the fight has just begun. Those present and thousands more across the state will be working hard to ensure real school choice exists in Georgia.

A Welcome Change From The Status Quo - Reflections Of A Florida Teacher

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Rhonda Lochiatto is a fifth grade teacher who lives and works in central Florida. She has worked in Osceola and Orange County and is currently employed in Volusia County.

Thirteen years ago, when I first started teaching, I immediately joined the local teachers' union. I felt like I had to join because all the other teachers in my school were members.

A few months later, when I was making about $20,000 a year and struggling to pay my rent and other bills, I decided to withdraw my membership.

I followed the procedure of writing a letter and requesting termination of my membership. It took about six months for me to receive a response; meanwhile, they continued to take the dues out of my paycheck. While they did eventually reimburse me and grant my request, it left me questioning the validity of an organization that was so clearly unorganized. The expense was not the only issue. I realized I did not fully understand the purpose of the teachers' union.

As I researched more about the union, I began to question certain policies and procedures. Specifically, I did not understand how it was possible that so many great teachers put so much additional time and effort into their work, produced greater results, and yet were paid the same salary and benefits as others who were far less dedicated. It did not make any sense to me.

I have also never understood why teaching is a salaried position, with a specified number of hours. No results-producing teacher sticks to the minimum number—we work constantly!

My own personal experiences left me puzzled over teacher tenure. When I left my first job in Osceola County, everyone thought I was crazy to give up guaranteed job security. I reasoned that if I'm not doing my job, I shouldn't be protected and if I'm doing what's expected of me, I will keep my job anyway. However, after relocating to a new district, I was pink slipped at the end of the year. The reason I was laid off was because I was one of the last ones hired at the school. What that means is that even though I had exemplary evaluations, another teacher stayed simply because they'd been there longer. I accepted the policy and quickly began the job search again, but last in, first out doesn't benefit kids.

I eventually moved to my current home in Volusia County, where I have been at my current school for six years, and though I have again attained tenure I still don't understand why this policy is in place. I should not be guaranteed a job just because I have been at the school over a period of time. My longevity should be based on my performance. In talking with other teachers and parents, I know I am not alone in my concerns. Great teachers deserve the recognition that comes with being great. Ineffective teachers deserve to know that they are ineffective and to be given a chance to either better themselves or to find a more fitting career field.

What teachers deserve is fairness based on job performance and assurance that poor teachers will not be protected by tenure. That's why I am glad that the Florida legislature recently passed legislation that would end tenure and last in, first out policies. With these changes, Florida is on track toward boosting the quality of education in the state.

The views presented on our guest blogs are the views of the author and do not ne cessarily represent the views of StudentsFirst. We thank all of our guest bloggers for their thoughtful perspectives.

A Call For Civility

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Olivia Demas is a mother of three who lives in Ohio.

Opponents of education reform are crossing a line.

• In January, a mom in my hometown of Akron, Ohio was sent to jail for 9 days for seeking and pursuing the best school option she could find, ultimately getting her children into the "wrong" school district so that they could get a better education.
• Last week, a mother of five in Indiana and the President of her local PTA spoke out in favor of the StudentsFirst agenda. In response, an organized team of intimidators looked her up, wrote scathing personal attacks, and even posted information about her children.
• This month, a teacher in Nevada decided to speak out about antiquated state policies that serve to put adult interests ahead of her students. As a reward, she has been greeted with calls from her fellow teachers to leave her school, or worse, leave the teaching profession.
• In December, 275 parents in Compton, California signed a "parent trigger" petition to have McKinley Elementary School turned over to a new manager -- but defenders of the status quo in Compton harassed and intimidated the parents until a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered them to stop. Even today, the fate of the school this fall depends on litigation.

This has to stop. Debate around school reform issues should be intense; disagreements will be sharp, and rhetoric will get heated. After all, the stakes are incredibly high; but there has to be a line.

The parents noted above are speaking up in their role as good and concerned parents. Teachers should have the right to speak out as teachers. All of us should have a right to speak without being bullied and harassed.

StudentsFirst was started in order to give a voice to parents, teachers and concerned citizens who know that our country's future depends on comprehensive education reform focused on the interests of students. Please join the movement by signing up at www.studentsfirst.org and recruit your friends and family to do the same. We are fighting for our future, and we need your help.