Jeb Bush changes his tune on need for small classes

Good for Jeb Bush for resisting the call for the smaller class size amendment (article below). Such proposals -- while obviously favored by the forces of the status quo (more teachers!) -- don't help kids (and, of course, raise costs). See the chapter from Jay Greene's fabulous book, Education Myths, in which he thoroughly debunks this pervasive myth.

In fact, legislation mandating smaller classes can actually HURT kids! Why? First ask yourself: "Would I rather have my child in a class of 30 with a good teacher or a class of 20 with a weak teacher?" The answer is obvious -- and supported by all sorts of evidence.

Then, think about what happens when, overnight, classes must be cut from, say, 30 kids to 20. That means hiring 50% more teachers immediately. Well, sad truth be told, we're already today scraping the bottom of the barrel in most localities when it comes to the caliber of the last teachers hired, so what do you think the quality of the incremental teachers hired is? BELOW the bottom of the barrel! So, kids end up with smaller classes -- BUT, lower quality teachers on average.

In short, adults win, kids lose -- the tragic story, again and again, in our K-12 public education system!

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The Florida Times-Union

March 10, 2006

Jeb Bush changes his tune on need for small classes

Gov. Jeb Bush's State of the State address earlier this week contained an interesting statement from a man who proclaims himself the education governor.

During a boast of how far the state has come during his two terms in office, Bush noted that in 1997 no one knew how many of the state's public school students were reading at grade level because that wasn't measured.

"By 2001, we had tested every student in grades 3 through 10, so we knew that only 46 percent of them could read at grade level or above," Bush said.

"Today, 53 percent of Florida's students have this critical skill."

I'm not sure a 7 percent increase after five years of Bush's "A-plus" plan merits bragging rights.

But that's like a lot of Bush's education program -- sleight of hand.

One of the major themes of his speech was school vouchers -- or "opportunity scholarships" in Bush's up-is-down lingo.

Struck down by the state Supreme Court, Bush told legislators that the program has to be reinstated so that low-income students trapped in failing public schools have the same chance to attend private schools that the children of well-off families have.

And what do the better private schools promote about themselves? Small class sizes.

For instance, The Bolles School advertises its pre-K through fifth-grade program this way: "Small, homelike classrooms with 20 students accentuate the vital, personal relationship that develops between the teacher and each young child."

And what was an arguing point of proponents of vouchers who rallied in Tallahassee last month? Small class sizes.

One proponent who uses vouchers proclaimed to a Times-Union reporter that "there are only nine students per teacher" at the private school her child now attends.

And what did Bush say in 1997 about the Liberty City Charter School he helped to start?

Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas reminded us in a column this week about Bush's philosophy back then: "I believe smaller schools, smaller classrooms, are better, and I think the school shows that."

Yet what's a second major theme of Bush's education agenda for this legislative session?

Doing away with the class-size amendment to the constitution that will give public schools what voucher users and even Bush find so attractive about private schools and charter schools.

Smaller class sizes.

Bush says there's no proof that smaller class sizes benefit students.

That wasn't his tune in 1997.

And Bush says there's not enough money to implement the class-size amendment.

At the same time, he also brags about handing out $14 billion in tax breaks during his two terms -- he doesn't mention that most of it went to the rich -- and he wants another $1.5 billion this year.

Sleight of hand.