Another View: AV#243 - Colorado policymakers can make a difference on reducing class size

Part #4 - Class size/teacher workload

If we agree on the problem with class size/teacher workload in Colorado,

policymakers can make a difference – as they have in other states

A. Governors can make a difference (pages 1-2)

B. Legislators can make a difference (pages 2-4)

Addendum A - Colorado’s attempts. Little impact.

Addendum B – Oregon’ class size reporting

Addendum C – Older ECS reporting on other states

On this critical issue, we are not helpless. We know several efforts in Colorado produced little to nothing (see Addendum A). That we tried, however, shows the interest has been there. One purpose for this series is to rekindle that interest and to spark a fresh discussion on what the state can do.

The Governor and legislators are the key players here. Governor Jared Polis has stated his intention to see smaller class sizes. A number of our state Senators and Representatives have taught; no doubt they appreciate the problem reported in this series–teachers with 35 students in a classroom; secondary teachers with over 150 students enrolled in their classes.

In AV#241, “Listening to teacher on class size, teacher workload,” I quoted teachers who sound defeated. As one told me: “I am teaching, we’re all teaching, way too many human beings… We have spoken with our administration, it feels like ad nauseum, about the class sizes. I don’t see it changing ever.”

Colorado

Pupil Teacher FTE Ratio[i]

2018-19 – 17.3

2019-20 – 17.1

2020-21 – 16.6

“That’s just the way it is” – in Colorado? No, that can’t be. Once policymakers have the facts on this issue (see pages 3-4 on bills in Oregon and Virginia leading to more honest reports on actual class size, in contrast to Colorado’s annual updates - see box), I believe they will see the need to set new policy.

A. Governors can make a difference

Governor Polis – leadership – class size as a priority (All bold mine)

As a member of Colorado State Board of Education and as a gubernatorial candidate, Gov. Jared Polis has shown a desire to tackle this issue. No one has a bigger bully pulpit; no one could do more to shine a light on this problem. We need his leadership if we are to reverse course and insist that schools offer a more reasonable and supportive structure for our teachers and students. Given the Governor’s commitment to early childhood education, his efforts might focus, at first, on the appropriate class size for our youngest students. (The research in AV#242 makes a compelling case for small class sizes in grades K-2. See legislation from North Carolina and Nevada, below.) But I hope such efforts won’t stop there.

1) Website for Governor Jared Polis

“In addition to his career as an entrepreneur, much of Governor Polis’ adult life has been focused on improving public education. He served six years on the State Board of Education, where he worked to raise pay for teachers and reduce class size for students. He also founded several public charter schools for at-risk youth, and served as superintendent of one of them, the New America School, which helps immigrants earn their high school diploma.”[ii]

Polis helped establish three New America Schools: in Aurora, Lakewood, and Thornton. At the website for the schools, “small class size” is listed as one of their central features.[iii] Each school reports their class sizes to be between 16-25. Average class size at one of the schools this year, a principal wrote me, is 18.

2) Polis made it one of his goals when he ran for Governor in 2018, and restated this past January.

“As governor, I’ll take bold action: free preschool and kindergarten, better teacher pay, smaller class sizes.” (From The Colorado Sun, Promise Tracker, fall 2018)

Asserted again in his 2022 State of the State:

“There is nothing more important to the future of our state than educating Colorado children. That’s why I have a plan for historic investment in Kindergarten through 12th-grade education, which will reduce the Budget Stabilization Factor to a 13-year low, while increasing per pupil funding by roughly $12-13 thousand per classroom, supporting smaller class sizes and enhanced pay for teachers.”[iv]

Governors taking action for class size reduction

See Michigan Governors John Engler, R[v], and Jennifer Granholm, D[vi]; see Governors Pete Wilson, R, in California;[vii] see Tony Evers, D, in Wisconsin.[viii] One recent example:

Governor Cooper Urges Action on Class Size Requirements

Legislators Should Provide Funding for Reduced Class Sizes, Phase In Mandate During Special Session

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jan. 5, 2018

“Governor Roy Cooper today urged legislative Republicans to provide funding for smaller class sizes to phase in the currently unfunded mandate when they convene in Raleigh next week.”[ix]

So yes, a Governor’s leadership on this issue can make a difference. I urge Gov. Polis to “take bold action” and address unreasonable class sizes and teacher workloads.

B. Legislators can make a difference

State Laws Limiting Class Size – “Notwithstanding the ongoing debate over the pros and cons of reducing class sizes, a number of states have embraced the policy of class size reduction. States have approached class size reduction in a variety of ways. Some have started with pilot programs rather than state-wide mandates. Some states have specified optimum class sizes while other states have enacted mandatory maximums. Some states have limited class size reduction initiatives to certain grades or certain subjects.”

“Class Size: State Regulation of Class Size,” by Grace Chen, Public School Review (Sept.13, 2019). [x]

1) STATE WIDE CLASS-SIZE POLICIES – 2017-2021 - Report from Education Commission of the States (ECS)

An ECS report last December pointed to eight states that have recently enacted class size policies. It provides some context for what Colorado has not accomplished, yet.[xi]- A few examples of states that have passed class size legislation since 2017:

Nevada - S.B. 544 (2017) requires a pupil-teacher ratio of 17 pupils per licensed teacher in grades one and two and 20 pupils per licensed teacher in grade three and appropriates funding. S.B. 555 (2019) appropriates funding for fiscal year 20 and 21 to employ a sufficient number of licensed teachers in every school district to achieve a pupil-teacher ratio of 17 pupils per licensed teacher in grades one and two and to achieve a pupil-teacher ratio of 20 pupils per licensed teacher in grade three.

North Carolina - H.B. 13 (2017) outlines reporting requirements to phase in class size regulations for kindergarten through third grade… If a district does not meet class size regulations and has not applied for an adjustment waiver, the superintendent of public instruction may withhold state funds allocated to the district superintendent’s salary….

Utah - S.B. 115 (2019) provides grants to local education agencies (LEAs) to employ additional educators in high-need schools…. LEAs that receive a grant must maintain a class size of fewer than 20 students for a first-year educator whose salary and benefits are funded by the grant ….

*“§18-5-18a. Maximum teacher-pupil ratio.

County boards of education shall provide sufficient personnel, equipment, and facilities as will ensure that each first through sixth grade classroom … shall not have more than 25 pupils for each teacher of the grade….”[xii]

Washington - S.B. 5092 (2021) establishes class size average requirements for each K-12 grade for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years that range from 17 to 28.74 students; it requires monthly reporting of the average.

West Virginia - H.B. 206* (2019) establishes maximum teacher teacher-pupil ratios for first through sixth grade… requires information to be collected on 7^th through 12^th grade.

2) Legislators can … make a difference for teachers like me, as Vermont has done.

As a high school English teacher in Vermont (1978-81), I was quite fortunate, as I now realize. State policy helped ensure we had no more than 110 students (5 x 22). Current policy sounds even better.

Vermont State Board of Education - Manual of Rules and Practices [xiii]

“The Education Quality Standards are administrative rules of the State Board of Education. The State Board was directed to make these rules by an enactment of the General Assembly, see 16 V.S.A. 165.”[xiv]

Series 2000 – Education Quality Standards - 2121.2. Staff.

“Classes in grades K-3, when taken together, shall average fewer than 20 students per teacher. In grades 4-12, when taken together, classes shall average fewer than 25 students per teacher. The total class roll of a teacher shall not exceed 100 students, except where the specific nature of the teacher's assignment (such as in certain art, music, or physical education programs) is plainly adaptable to the teaching of greater numbers of students while meeting the educational goals of the program. School boards must establish optimum class size policies as consistent with statutory guidance from the Agency of Education. Class size must comply with state and federal safety requirements.”[xv]

Education Quality Standards: “EQS describes what a high-quality education should look like for students attending Vermont’s public schools. The Rules are an update to 1997’s School Quality Standards, and were approved by the Vermont State Board of Education in 2013, going into effect on April 5, 2014.”[xvi]

3) Legislators can … ensure state gathers accurate information on class size (≠ teacher-student ratio)

(WHAT PARENTS WILL FIND MOST HELPFUL)

Virginia – HB 2174 (2017) – “School boards; pupil/teacher ratios; class size limits; public report.” [xvii]

Requires each school board to annually report to the public

(i) the actual pupil/teacher ratios in middle school and high school academic courses by school, subject, course, and teacher for the current school year and

(ii) each classroom in the local school division that exceeds the relevant class size limit established by law, identifying such classroom by school, subject, course or class, and teacher.

(“Requires school districts to notify parents if a class exceeds established class size limits after Sept. 30 of the school year. Mandates the districts to provide notification within 10 days, including the reason the class size limits have been exceeded and what steps the district will take to reduce the class size.”[xviii]

Oregon – HB 2644 (2013) - class size reporting

“In 2013, HB 2644 established new class size reporting requirements for ODE (Oregon Department of Education). The bill requires ODE to report class size data for core subjects to the public and to the Legislative Assembly. In response to this bill, the 2014-15 Class Roster collection was expanded with new data elements to facilitate this reporting requirement, and the administrative rule governing class size reporting was adopted by the State Board of Education.”[xix]

ONE CONCLUSION: “There is considerable variation in class size, both within a district, within a school, and across districts.” The state report prior to COVID, for 2018-19,[xx] showed several small districts with a median class size under 10, and a couple of larger districts with median class sizes if 28 or 29. Even more valuable to a parent is Oregon’s school-by-school data,[xxi] broken down by subject matter. As here:

ENGLISH TEACHERS		Number of classes with …
School	Median Class Size	15 or Fewer students	16-25 students	26-35 students	36-45 students
Cedar Point Middle School	10	19	0	12	1
Adrian High School	13.5	3	2	1	0
Amity High School	17	7	7	1	0
Highline Part Middle School	26.5	10	6	32	0
International School of Beaverton	29	0	6	23	3
Westview High School	32	14	12	54	14

Parents seeking the best school for the child should find such data extremely helpful.

Oregon reporting also shows the Median Class Size for secondary teachers, by subject: English Language Arts - 24; Math - 24: Science - 26; Social Studies - 26. But this fails to tell us if those teachers have 4, or 5, or 6 classes. It gives us no idea of the teacher workload that has been so central to this series of newsletters. We need such additional data on Colorado teachers. Perhaps it will show the concerns raised in these newsletters have been overstated. To borrow a phrase, “let’s start with the facts.”

Finally, I gathered more data from older ECS reports, when there were in-depth studies on this issue. Though dated, I include it in Addendum C. It gives further evidence of the ways other states have addressed the concern about large class sizes. If it is a concern for Colorado, it is time we show it.

Addendum A

Colorado – To date, little to no success on class size reduction. Time to try again.

(This is an updated version of my summary first presented in AV#214, Sept. 2018)

Legislators have made several attempts to reduce or limit class sizes. The following shows that state policymakers have recognized the problem before. If we understand that class size/teacher workload issues may be even more alarming today than they were 20 years ago, perhaps this time we will find the will to do more than “make a good try.” And truly tackle the problem.

(All bold mine)

1) In 2000, HB-1213 – The Class-Size Reduction Act of 2000

I applaud the language and the intent of this bill. It did not pass; it was “postponed indefinitely” by the House Education Committee. I say: Postpone no more! Time is up! Bring it back in 2023!

House Bill 00-1213 – Sponsored by REPRESENTATIVES Tupa, Gordon, Plant, Williams S., and Windels; also SENATOR Thiebaut.

A BILL FOR AN ACT 101 CONCERNING THE REDUCTION OF CLASS SIZES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Beginning July 1, 2001:

· Limits the average class size of core classes in elementary schools to 23 students and the size of any single core class to 25 students unless the state board has granted a waiver;

· Limits the average class size of core classes in middle schools and junior high schools to 25 students and the size of any single core class to 27 students unless the state board has granted a waiver; and

· Limits the average class size of core classes in senior high schools to 27 students and the size of any single core class to 30 students unless the state board has granted a waiver.

Article 85 - “CLASS-SIZE REDUCTION ACT OF 2000.”

Legislative declaration.

(1) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEREBY FINDS AND DECLARES THAT THE EFFECTIVE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THOSE CHILDREN AND THEIR FUTURE SUCCESS AND TO THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF THE CITIZENS OF THE STATE OF COLORADO.

(2) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS THAT NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT A SMALLER STUDENT-TO-TEACHER RATIO IS ONE FACTOR THAT POSITIVELY AFFECTS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CONTRIBUTES TO SUCCESSFUL CHILDHOOD EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. IN ADDITION, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIFICALLY FINDS THAT:

(a) SMALLER CLASS SIZE ENHANCES TEACHING AND LEARNING BY PROVIDING GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION, INCREASED STUDENT PARTICIPATION, AND AN ENHANCED ABILITY FOR THE TEACHER TO COVER MORE MATERIAL IN GREATER DEPTH;

(b) TEACHING FEWER STUDENTS IN A SINGLE CLASS GIVES TEACHERS MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE TEACHING METHODS THEY EMPLOY, INCREASES CLASSROOM SPACE AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS, AND DECREASES DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS;

(d) SMALLER CLASSES CORRESPOND WITH POSITIVE EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HEALTHIER SELF-CONCEPTS, AND GREATER INTEREST IN SCHOOL ON THE PART OF STUDENTS, AS WELL AS INCREASED MORALE OF TEACHERS.

(3) ACCORDINGLY, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEREBY DETERMINES THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE AND BENEFICIAL TO THE CITIZENS OF THE STATE OF COLORADO TO IMPLEMENT CLASS-SIZE REDUCTIONS FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES. https://www.statebillinfo.com/bills/bills/00/HB00-1213.pdf

2) 2000 - Amendment 23

In 2000, Amendment 23 was approved by the voters.[i] Language in the Amendment indicated state funds could be directed toward class size reduction.[ii] As a result, in 2001, the legislature passed bills towards the implementation of Amendment 23.

HOWEVER, the Great Recession of 2008-2010 led the legislature to limit the state share of total program funding.

Many good intentions in the efforts to reduce class size in our schools, but in the end, it seems fair to say: little accomplished.

A. 2001 - 22-32-109.6. Board of education - specific duties - class size reduction plans
(1) (a) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that

(I) The voters approved section 17 of article IX of the state constitution with the intent that the increased funding of public education be used for specific and accountable purposes to improve the state’s public schools.

(II) Elementary school teachers support reducing class size in early grades; and
(III) Parents have indicated that reducing class size, especially in early grades, is one of their top priorities for public schools.

https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2016/title-22/school-districts/article-32/section-22-32-109.6/

Steps in this legislation to reduce class size were repealed in the School Finance Act of 2007. “L. 2007: (2)(b), (2)(c), (2)(e), (3), and (4) repealed, p. 745, § 28, effective May 9.” https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2020/title-22/article-32/section-22-32-109-6

B. 2001 – 22-55-108 – Accountability
(part of Article 55, “State Policies Relating to Section 17 of Article IX of the State Constitution.”)

“Each school district in the state shall adopt a continuous plan for the use of the revenues distributed to the school district pursuant to sections 22-55-106 and 22-55-107… … The plan shall include, but need not be limited to, a statement concerning the need for lower class sizes in school districts with a total enrollment of more than six thousand pupils … as determined based on discussions in public meetings held in the school district to address the class size and textbook funding issues and whether the need will be addressed by the plan.”

https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2016/title-22/financing-of-schools-continued/article-55/section-22-55-108/

UPDATE: Does the state enforce 22-55-108? I asked CDE if it makes sure districts produce such plans?

No. The Colorado Department of Education tells me:

“The Colorado Department of Education does not collect plans from districts pursuant to Section 22-55-108, C.R.S. Further, these plans are not required to be posted on district websites pursuant to Section 22-44-304, C.R.S.”

(email from Jeremy Meyer, Director of Communications, CDE – Jan. 4, 2022)

Do districts gather this information? I asked CASB, CASE, DPS, Jeffco, and Colorado Springs School District 11. I heard back from CASB and DPS.

CASB: “While CASB provides services, information, and training programs to support school board members as they govern their local districts, we do not track this kind of data.”

(email from Bryce Reedy, CASB Communications Specialist – Feb. 28, 2022)

DPS: “Our Budget Book should have that info: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bQs3KxMbLy9RGcclOMr3PAVvzyshI6KR/view
(email from Michael Vaughn, Chief Communications Officer, Feb. 24, 2022)

I tried, in vain, to find anything pertaining to class size in that publication.

Addendum B – Oregon’s class size reporting

Oregon Law

Requirements for the annual class size reports are delineated in HB 2644 (2013) and incorporated into Oregon Revised Statue (ORS) 329.901. The bill identifies the scope and content of the report, and requires the State Board of Education to define in rule some of the specific details of the report.

Oregon Administrative Rule Adoption

As outlined above, the Class Size Task Force worked to create the administrative rule necessary for the calculation of class size. In particular, the rule defined “class,” “regular assignment of teacher,” and the categories of classes that would be reported. This administrative rule was adopted on April 10, 2014:

581-002-0200 Class Size Collection

(1) As used in this rule:

(a) “Class” means a setting in which organized instruction of academic course content is provided to one or more students (including cross-age groupings) for a given period of time. A course may be offered to more than one class. Class instruction, provided by one or more teachers or other staff members, may be delivered in person or via a different medium.

(b) “Regular assignment of a teacher” means a teacher who consistently teaches a group of students in elementary self-contained classroom or group(s) of students in secondary classroom in academic subject area(s) over a given period of time.

(2) Beginning with the 2014–2015 school year, the Department of Education shall require public

education programs to submit information as required by ORS 329.901 and this rule for the

following categories of classes as identified based on the grade levels of the school:

(a) Elementary schools (any combination of grades Kindergarten through 8): Homeroom

(Self-Contained)

(b) Secondary schools (any combination of grades 6 through 12) by academic subject area:
(A) English Language Arts (Reading or Language Arts);
(B) Mathematics;
(C) Science;
(D) Social Studies (Civics, History, Government, Economics, Geography);
(E) World Language and Literature; and
(F) Fine and Performing Arts.

(3) The Department shall utilize existing institution, staff and student data collections to collect

the information required by ORS 329.901 and this rule.

(4) The Department shall provide a technical manual to public education programs that will be

used to determine class size.

[TO NOTE: From Conclusion, p. 16]

Many research questions of interest have been addressed using the data and can be found on

the Accountability Data Briefs webpage. Topics include:

· Median class sizes for historically disadvantaged student groups as compared to their

peers (Median Class Size by Student Groups)

· Examining teachers’ race/ethnicity, language of origin, educational attainment, and

subjects taught (Teachers and Subjects Taught)

· Course taking patterns of ninth graders on-track or not on-track to graduate from high

school (Freshman Course-Taking and On-Track Status)

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/reports-and-data/Documents/class_size_report_20192020.pdf

Addendum C – National reports on class size-Education Commission of the States (2009, 2010)

1) From “State Policies Focusing on Class-Size Reduction,” by Kyle Zinth, September 2009

Details steps taken by 24 states. Nothing on Colorado.

Five examples of state actions (five western states) on this issue, from this 2009 report:

Montana

Nevada

Oklahoma

Texas

Utah

Targets K-2^nd grades.

Limits class sizes to no more than 20 students.

Mandatory

MONT. ADMIN. R. 10.55.712

Targets K-3rd grades. Legislature limited teacher/

student ratio in K-3rd grades to 15 in core subjects.

Mandate

NEV. REV. STAT. § 388.700

Targets 1st-6th grades. No more than 20 students may be regularly assigned to a teacher.

Mandate

OKLA. STAT. TIT. 70, § 18- 113.1, § 18-113.2, § 18- 113.3

Targets K-4th grades. Districts may not enroll more than 22 students in a class.

Mandate

TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN. § 25.112

Requires districts to reduce class size in grades K-8, with emphasis on K-2. Must use 50% of funds allocated for this purpose to reduce class size in K-2, with emphasis on improving reading skills.

Mandate

UTAH CODE ANN. § 53A - 17a-124.5

http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/81/95/8195.pdf

2) From “Maximum P-12 Class-Size Policies,” Zinth, November 2009

“The majority of states – 36 – currently have at least one policy via statute or regulation at the state level that places a limit on the number of students that may be in any one general-education classroom.”

“[Colorado is one of the] 15 states and the District of Columbia [with] no identified policies at the statewide level limiting class sizes.”

A look at policies in 10 states, including Colorado

	Cap*	Mandate can be waived	Recommend max	No policy identified	P	K	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Colorado				X
Wyoming			X			20	20	20	20
New Mexico	X	X	X			20	22	22	22	24	24	24	27	27	30	30	30	30
Montana	X					20	20	20	28	28	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30
No. Dakota	X					25	25	25	25	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30
Idaho			X			20	20	20	20	26	26	26
Oklahoma	X	X			20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20
Kentucky		X				24	24	24	24	28	29	29	31	31	31	31	31	31
Alabama	X					18	18	18	18	26	26	26	29	29
Mississippi	X	X			22	27	27	27	27	27	30	30	30	30	33	33	33	33

*Hard cap in some states, semi-hard in others.

http://www.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/state-notes-class-size.pdf

3) From “Class Size Policies,” Zinth, April 2010

Class-Size Reduction Policies

“Twenty-five states currently have policies addressing class-size reductions to a level below 22 students per classroom. The vast majority of these policies target students in the elementary grades, with the K-3rd grade range being especially popular. Fifteen states specifically focus policies on students in grades K-3. Some characteristics of maximum class-size policies include:

• Near exclusive existence at the K-3 level

• Tendency to be more targeted at specific populations

• Variations: include mandates and voluntary grant programs.”

https://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/85/21/8521.pdf

Endnotes

[i] For the data Colorado Department of Education provides for every public school in the state, go to School/District Staff Statistics - http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/staffcurrent. Then click on Student Teacher Ratios -http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/staffcurrent#:~:text=Student%20Teacher%20Ratios%20(XLS).

Parents might be pleasantly surprised at the Pupil/Teacher FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) Ratio, until they are told that these figures (most of them under 1:20) tell them nothing about the class sizes in that school. One example: Adams 14 shows nothing but what could wrongly be interpreted as “healthy” class sizes in its 13 schools: 18.6, 14.7, 19.3, 11.4, 15.7, 15.6, 16.3, 18.0, 16.0, 15.3, 16.4, 17.1, 16.1.

What if, instead, parents were able to see the average class size for each school?

Data collection is based on Colorado School Laws - Under Article 32, “School District Boards – Powers and Duties,” statutes on the duties of the Board of Education, “Safe school reporting requirements” speaks of data collection and refers to “the average class size.”

22-32-109.1 – Board of education – specific powers and duties – safe school plan – conduct and discipline code – safe school reporting requirements

(VII) The average class size for each public elementary school, middle school or junior high school, and senior high school in the state calculated as the number of students enrolled in the school divided by the number of full-time teachers in the school. https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-22-education/co-rev-st-sect-22-32-109-1.html

NOTE: While 22-32-109.1 has been amended several times in the past 20 years, the language defining how schools should report the “average class size” has been constant for at least the last ten years.s

Again, the state is misusing the term “average class size” when it uses the formula above. This is a misnomer, as I have pointed out a number of times. The data being collected and reported, based on the formula, divide the number of students enrolled by the number of full-time teachers in the school, produces a (much lower) ratio that does not reflect the average class size.

No wonder many of us, myself included (in two reports for CDE on charter schools[i]), have made the same error. It allows us to say the teacher student ratio is 1:17 when, in our classrooms, it can look more like 1:34. And even that does not reflect a secondary school teacher’s workload (which can be, as we have seen, 34 x 5=1:170). This keeps us from grasping the nearly impossible task we give these teachers: meet the needs of all 170 of your students.

[ii] https://www.colorado.gov/governor/gov-polis

[iii] New America Schools – At each school’s website, under A Student Centered Experience, one key feature is “small class size.”

(Aurora) https://newamericaschool.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=450469&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=855073;

(Lakewood) https://newamericaschool.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=450471&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=855072

(Thornton) https://newamericaschool.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=450466&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=855074.

[iv] Transcript of State of the State - https://www.cpr.org/2022/01/13/jared-polis-2022-state-of-the-state-transcript/, Jan. 13, 2022.

[v] Michigan - https://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/0,4584,7-212-96477_31303_31317-1933--,00.html#EDUCATION

[vi] Michigan - https://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/0,4584,7-212-96477_57648_21974-141073--,00.html

[vii] California - https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-03-mn-15001-story.html

[viii] As Wisconsin’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction (2009-2019), Tony Evers advocate for smaller class sizes. As Governor, Evers recently proposed putting much of the recent COVID-related federal grant to hire more teachers and thereby reduce class sizes. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/2fe8647

[ix] North Carolina - https://governor.nc.gov/news/governor-cooper-urges-action-class-size-requirements

[x] https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/class-size-state-regulation-of-class-size

[xi] ECS, by Ben Erwin, Dec. 6, 2021. https://www.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/State-Information-Request_Class-Size-Reduction-1.pdf - Arkansas (H.B. 1890); Illinois (H.B. 254); Nevada (S.B. 544), North Carolina (H.B. 13), etc.