We have been anxiously anticipating our new school!  We were not disappointed!  We are so grateful for our new beautiful building!

However, I have great concern about what is going to happen inside the building. The class sizes are not conducive to effective learning! Obviously, I do not know all the class sizes, but the one I am most concerned about is my son’s first grade class.

Our first grade classes are too big. Each first grade class has 27-28 first graders! That is too many students for these amazing teachers to effectively teach. It is not fair to our kids.  It is not fair to our teachers. It is unrealistic that they will have best year possible with so many students in their classes.

Our son had a difficult time adjusting to first grade last year.  For multiple reasons he is doing first grade again.  I do not blame this on anything that was done or not done last year, he is where he is supposed to be.  I would count last year’s class size, room size, and initial chaos as factors in the challenges of his first First grade year.

Last year we were flexible and grateful for Emmaus and everyone that helped make the school year happen.  It was not an ideal circumstance, but everyone made the best with space and materials available.  One way I feel we were able to do that was with the hope of the next year (this year) being better and worth the wait.  This year when we would have (and do have) new building, new desks, new, new, new the year comes with much expectation!

That is all wonderful, but 28 first graders in one class with one teacher!  This is not wonderful and it is not even close to good!  I am sure these numbers on paper seemed reasonable, however, when is the last time you were with a group of first graders, even 5 first graders at a time?  Then, imagine the responsibility of teaching them to read.

It is crazy that our beloved Moore Public Schools, where people move to be in the district would knowingly be set up for failure.  At Briarwood, we have endured enough traumas, and then to be asked to accept 28 students in our first grade class I believe that this is unacceptable!

It is not safe.  How can one adult properly monitor 28 learners all at different levels with different learning and behavior and physical needs?  How can they even safely go down the hall without risk of loosing a few?  That is if they are the only ones in the hall at the time, but then put a few other 28 student classes walking and passing and going different directions it becomes chaos, with a few adults to monitor.

There is not enough time in a school day for a class of 28 first graders.  How long will it take for 28 first graders to take a bathroom/water break?  How much time will one teacher need to listen to all 28 students read even one time each week?  Even in a perfect class with quick learners and superb teaching and planning, if even possible, adequate time with small groups of students will be highly limited.

So, we are in our new school, but still not enough space.  Yes, the classrooms are bigger, but there are more students, so did we gain any space in our new school?  If we measured space per student is it any better than our tight Sunday school classes of last year?

Is the argument that it will work its way out over the next few years?  By then it is too late for my first grader.  These students do not have the time to sacrifice another year of their learning.  First Grade is the foundation for their educations for the rest of their lives, this year must be great!

Class size is a key factor in student success and failure in every grade level, one study I read even cited small class sizes significantly impacting success and failure at the college level.  It is a key factor in the early years, K-2nd.  I have done some research and will not list it all here, but there multiple studies on the impact of class size just on achievement tests, behavioral issues, and teacher migration and burn out.  Why set us up to fail or drop in any of these areas?

I have simply scratched the surface with the issues and arguments I have about this situation. I would really like to understand any benefit for my child in being one in a class on 28 during his second first grade year.

We are overboard excited about our new school!  After a life changing tornado, and one school year in a amazingly generous church, we are blessed with our brand new school building!  New desks, new books, new playground, new, new, new!  It is amazing!

But… are there enough new desks?  Are there enough new books?

My fears are about what will happen on the inside?  We have been set up for failure.   Our kids will not have best year possible.  Our teachers will not have best year possible.

I don’t think this is fair.  It is not fair for any school, any teacher, any student!  It is not fair for a school, teachers, and students who have lost so much and sacrificed so much all with the anticipation and expectation that this year would be better.

Do I expect a perfect school?  No

Do I expect everything to run smoothly immediately?  No

Do I expect no challenges in the transition?  No

I do expect safe learning environment.

I do expect my children to be taught and not just herded.

I do expect my children’s teachers to know if my child is struggling with a concept.

I do expect our district’s administration to consider all students as people and not just a number.

I do expect our children’s education to be more valuable than money or publicity.

How can one teacher effectively teach 28 first graders?  I don’t want to see if it is possible, the risk is too great.

Jill Johnson

Mom to Lydia (9^th grade), Zoe (4^th grade), Nathan (1^st grade)