Letter: Statistics on class sizes in Nevada are deceptive

Monday, Dec. 27, 2004 | 9:01 a.m.

Your Dec. 6 editorial, headlined "Class sizes here remain way too high," deserves a few additional comments. As you stated, the average number of students in Nevada schools, 19, seems very good. That number can be very deceiving to the unaware public.

What was not mentioned by your editorial was that class average computations include nonteaching positions of librarians, deans, counselors and activities directors in the overall average. These positions are not assigned classrooms of students to handle each day, but are included in the teaching staff numbers.

Thus the number of students that would be assigned each of these positions must be absorbed by teachers in actual classrooms. The number of students reported in annual classroom size reports is not accurate and represents a form of inflationary manipulation of numbers.

The state education department and district administrators continually play a deceptive game of smoke and mirrors when informing the public about the true number of students in average classes. The method by which true average class sizes are determined and reported to the public must be changed to be accurate. To do otherwise is dishonest and an illusion worthy of the best Las Vegas Strip magicians.

VIRGIL A. SESTINI