Voters' voice on class sizes heard
By Times editorial
Published May 5, 2006
Some children start kindergarten able to recite the alphabet and count to 100, and some can't manipulate a pair of scissors or write their own names. In such classrooms, the difference between 18 and 26 children can be the margin that allows an industrious teacher to reach them all. That's the learning environment voters sought when they adopted a class-size amendment in 2002, and maybe Florida is now ready to honor their wishes.
Six Republicans joined all 14 Democrats in the Senate last week to block the latest effort to undermine the class-size mandate. Politically, their vote was a final rebuke for outgoing Gov. Jeb Bush, who has fought the amendment since the day it was proposed. But the bipartisan vote may also speak to a larger political reality.
"I think Gov. Bush was politically astute to try to defeat this by making it a partisan issue," says Damien Filer, who helped direct the 2002 class size campaign. "But I think the reason it polls at 70 percent support now is because it really isn't a partisan issue. This is what parents want."
The smaller classes will cost substantial money, but the good news is that the statewide average in the lower grades already has been reduced by five students. This year, lawmakers are proposing a budget that adds another $660-million in operating and $1.1-billion in construction costs for class-size reduction - even as they again reduce taxes.
The next steps will be tougher ones, as the state moves from a district average to a school average to a cap for each classroom. For example, 621 elementary schools don't currently meet a schoolwide average of 18 students in kindergarten through third grade.
The financial doomsday scenarios, though, have proved to be political posturing, and the Senate vote ought to end the gamesmanship. Next year, Florida will have a new governor, Republican or Democrat, and a new opportunity to show teachers and families the state is willing to spend money on something other than standardized tests.
Smaller classes simply allow for more individual attention, which is why they are common in other states and in private schools. They never really belonged in Florida's Constitution, but the governor's stubborn resistance illustrates why there was no other recourse.