Las Vegas Sun

February 23, 2012

Currently: 60° | Complete forecast | Log in

Smaller class sizes benefit Nevada students

Bob Miller

Thursday, March 24, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

I am speaking out today for a cause I believe in deeply.

More than 20 years ago, when I took office as governor, I made reducing class sizes in Nevada elementary schools the chief goal of my new administration.

I believed then and believe now that nothing is more important than giving children in primary grades the best start in school we can. That means having them in classrooms where they receive more individual instruction in reading, writing and math. In short, it means classes with fewer students per teacher.

The first phase of class-size reduction was put in place for kindergartners and first-graders in the 1990-91 school year. In 1991, the Nevada Legislature appropriated funds to reduce pupil-teacher ratios in the first and second grades and selected kindergartens to 16-1.

It is important to remember that in late 1991, the state faced a massive budget shortfall, and we severely cut back on state spending and programs. But we preserved class-size reduction, because it was a cornerstone of our commitment to helping every child in Nevada succeed in school.

We wanted to extend class-size reduction to third grade — giving our children the benefit of smaller classes in their first three or four years of school — and we were finally able to achieve that in the mid-1990s, when third-grade class sizes were reduced to 19 students per teacher.

This has been a significant financial commitment by the state to provide the best opportunities for our children and their future. Since its inception, about $1.8 billion has been invested in class-size reduction. Hundreds of thousands of our students have benefited from it. Every survey conducted has found parents believe strongly in smaller classes, and that their children are better off because of them.

The rapid growth of our economy and population in the late 1990s and early 2000s brought many new families to Nevada, many of them with children for whom English was a second language, or who did not speak English at all. These children needed that extra attention.

We did not have enough classrooms in all of our schools to accommodate smaller classes, and as a result some classes were team-taught, with two teachers in a classroom. We have successfully dealt with that as we built more schools.

There was resistance in some legislative sessions to fully fund class-size reduction or to give school districts the option of increasing class sizes in the lower grades. Most recently, in the 2010 special legislative session, districts were authorized to increase class sizes by up to two students in first, second and third grades to cope with the current budget crisis.

This was adopted as a temporary measure. I did not view it as abandoning our commitment to keeping class sizes smaller for the benefit of our young children. In good times and bad, we have persisted in preserving the best learning environment for them.

For the first time in 20 years, the proposed budget would make class-size reduction an optional program along with multiple other programs. School districts would be forced to choose what to eliminate.

Given the fact that K-12 funding levels would be significantly reduced, there is a real risk that our schoolchildren would be forced into much larger classes at the earliest stage of their education when they are in the most need of personal attention.

This is not an acceptable alternative for balancing the state’s budget — shifting the burden to schools, teachers and our youngest students. We would be abandoning our 20-year commitment to giving our children the best start we can. I am urging our legislators to reject this proposal — our children deserve better.

Bob Miller was governor of Nevada from 1989 to 1999.

Discussion: 5 comments so far…

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.

Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.

  1. By WoodySez1 (Tom Lide)
    March 24, 2011
    10:55 a.m.
    Flag

    What, a sane person was once Governor of Nevada? How did that happen?

    Thanks for the letter, Gov. Miller. Well done.

  2. By ASadTeacher (Nancy Agustin)
    March 26, 2011
    7:54 a.m.
    Flag

    This is not an acceptable alternative for balancing the state's budget -- shifting the burden to schools, teachers and our youngest students (Gov Miller, 2011).

    Thank you Governor for your support.

    It does not feel good to be picked-on by bullies. It feels good when a big guy comes to the rescue.

  3. By longun45 (Anthony Wright)
    March 28, 2011
    12:55 p.m.
    Flag

    Given that the schools now graduate less than half of all students, that money was wasted. Reductions in class sizes have no bearing on the learning by students. This has been shown over and over. Lower class sizes only benefit Unions with increased dues do to increased employment. The unions and government now is nothing more than a slush fund for unions and for increasing governments size and causing it to go way beyond its mandated functions. The proof is in the pudding. Look at he results, increased drop out rates, inferior test scores, and the increase in zero level classes in colleges. Smaller class sizes, spending more money on each student both fail the students and the state of Nevada.

    The insane regulations under which today's teachers are forced to teach assures that no student will get an adequate education. No amount of money or individual instruction will remedy that.

  4. By globarrvers (Barbara Radecki)
    March 29, 2011
    12:12 p.m.
    Flag

    Anthony Wright writes: "The proof is in the pudding. Look at he results, increased drop out rates, inferior test scores, and the increase in zero level classes in colleges. Smaller class sizes, spending more money on each student both fail the students and the state of Nevada."

    Prove your statements.

  5. By EffectiveTeacher (Melissa Smith)
    April 3, 2011
    3:27 p.m.
    Flag

    Those who point to graduation rates realize that the state doesn't actually count the number of seniors who graduate vs drop out, right?

    They don't even count each student who started 12 grade and then graduated.

    The state of Nevada counts you as a "cadre" when you enter 9th grade. Then sees how many in your "cadre" graduated THAT school in 12 grade.

    So, if you move in 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade you get counted against that school as not graduating. It doesn't matter if you moved to another school in the state and graduated, or if you are military and moved out of state. You started 9th grade and didn't finish.

    Now, if you went to each high school the month before graduation and asked them how many seniors they had, and then asked them how many are graduating, the percentage would be much higher.

    But, due to whatever lack of mathematical skills the state has, they can't count each student, they can't subtract students who move, and they can't keep track of students who transfer within high schools; so they count "cadre" percentages.

    They also don't include seniors who do not pass one or all parts of the HSPE after graduation and receive their diploma late.

Post a comment

Commenting requires registration.

Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy.

If you would like to submit your comment as a letter to the editor, you may submit it here.

Most Popular

  • Viewed
  • Discussed
  • E-mailed
  • Facebook

The Sun

Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.