RESEARCH - SCHOOLS IN THE BAY AREA

The article i found talked about how East Bay school districts are finally taking a look at reducing their bloated class sizes after five years of brutal cuts,Less money forced school districts to cut staff so class sizes grew and individual students got less attention, school officials say. Now with new funding-based incentives coming from Sacramento, districts are budgeting for more teachers, which they hope will bring down class sizes and improve the education of area children.The largest class sizes to be found in the region are in Union City where schools had an average of 34 students per class district wide for the 2011-12 school year, the latest numbers available from the California Department of Education. School officials there estimate that high school classes in Union City this year will average 37 students..This relates to the book when we see that an average class at Goudy holds 39 children due to lack of teachers and also at Du Sable one guidance counselor advises 420 children and this is due to lack of teachers.

The article also talks about how in Fremont Unified School District, which had the second highest average numbers in the area at 29 for the 2011-12 school year, administrators are well aware that lowering class sizes will be good for their students."Class size does matter as long as the smaller class sizes have targeted and focused instruction and intervention for students falling behind," said Fremont Superintendent Jim Morris. "If you get it down to 15, it's really great. This can relate well with New Trier school where an average class is 24 kids and the ones for slower learners hold 15 kids and each kid is assigned a faculty adviser who remains assigned to then through graduation and the advisers have a reduced class schedule to allow them have time for the kids. This compared to Chicago also where kids even stay in a class a whole semester without a teacher. The article also says how in Tennessee showed a connection between lower class sizes and better education, and it concluded increases in learning were about double for minority students in smaller classes.Examined closer, smaller class sizes result in more time with the teacher for each student.

The articles also says the districts have to lower the classes in order to qualify for the funding.Instead of cutting budgets and laying off teachers, districts are now looking at hiring more teachers and budgeting for a bit more money."There will be extra staff for us to hire," New Haven Superintendent McNamara said. "For many of the districts in Alameda County, most have 80 to 95 percent of their costs in people. We cut the low hanging fruit in programs, then we cut people. We hope in the next few years to add people back." This relates to the book when we see how low salaries have kept youthful teachers away from the schools and they are not motivated to come for their classes. Even though in the book suburban legislators keep opposing funding for Chicago schools we know that better funding which more benefits for the teachers would play a big role in how they would get motivated and in turn motivate the students to perform better.