In Asian countries, where self-motivation (to learn) and self-discipline (to not disrupt) is high, 30-35 kids might be possible, as the kids are staying more focused, which lessens the distraction load for the teacher.

Also, in college where a critical mass of the kids are paying for it, motivation tends to take care of itself. And where it doesn’t, the kids drop out, and it’s just part of life. Opportunity missed. Too bad.

Not only that, but kids do fall through the cracks simply because teachers’ numbers are so high. One of the first things I tell my kids every year is that they must be pro-active and take responsibility for their own education. In other words, they must come to me and let me know if they don’t understand something. I just don’t have the time to touch base with each student individually.

You’re right about the emotional investment too. I have cried over students. Teachers end up being not only instructors, but also counselors and a willing ear when students need to vent. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…teaching isn’t for weaklings.

Also, I don’t think it saves money. Less teachers means overcrowding, and overcrowding means more kids sliping through the cracks and less discipline, which in turn results in more gang activity, higher crime, graffiti and drugs in schools, etc. These are the “hidden costs”, but predictable costs nonetheless, when utilizing such a strategy towards cost savings.

Take two case studies. First, look at D.C. Nowhere in the country is more money spent per capita on students and with a worse return on performance. Then, look 5 miles to the south in Northern Virginia, where you not only have one of the best educational systems in the country, but in the world, and with less money being spent per student. D.C. has tried the approach of cutting teachers and Northern Virginia school systems have not. In fact, discretionary spending in Virginina’s budget has amounted to less than 0.25% of the state budget.

The fact that teachers put in incredible hours for which they are not paid to grade assignments and generate lesson plans, and the personal and emotional investment they make in children’s lives is an invaluable asset to our society.

Our country’s future dominance is directly correlated with our educational attainment.

rbdwiggins:”There is absolutely nothing wrong with having 30-35 students per teacher.” I’d love to have only 30-35 students! This year I will have 30-35 students per class period, 6 periods a day. If I learned my math correctly, that gives me 180-210 students EVERY DAY, in an over crowded classroom with too few supplies.

And, whitman4562001, I teach English which requires hours upon hours of grading. If I was told that I had to teach PE too, I’d quit. And, by the way, PE teachers do more than monitor kickball.

One more thing, private schools are generally much smaller than public schools. The high school where I currently teach has over 2,000 students. The charter school I came from had 110. It was no problem for me to include public speaking and drama to my curriculum in that case.

Regarding classes like shop and home economics. Not every student will attend college and they need to learn a trade so that they can go to work and make a living when they graduate. I don’t know of too many construction businesses, for instance, that will hire a 14-year-old to build houses. In my county we actually have a vo-tech high school that offers many vocational and technical classes to the students, in addition to the core subjects.

My school has one principal and four assistant principals. The principal is buried in paperwork up to her ears and the assistant principals spend a great portion of their day dealing with student discipline issues in addition to paperwork up to their ears. Again, before I was a teacher I thought they made too much money. Now I know that they really earn their dollars.

There is a reason that teachers, police officers, and firefighters are called public SERVANTS. It’s because a lot of what we do every day is off the clock.

Education in America actually achieved better results, higher proficiency and at less cost per student under that scenario.

Of course, that was before Public Law 96-88.