Among the number of state mandates legislators attempted to change to reduce education costs during the 82nd Legislative Session, perhaps none is more controversial than the class size cap. Otherwise known as the 22:1 teacher/student ratio, it is a rule that can affect both personnel decisions and costs at the district level. A number of legislators introduced legislation that would have raised or at the very least altered the cap. Unfortunately, all were defeated during the session, and though some measures have been re-introduced during the special session that having bearing on this area, they are, in their current form, less aggressive than earlier approaches.
Does Texas need a class size cap? The cap is only firm on Kindergarten through 4th grade classes in Texas. Research indicates that in the lower grade levels, a class size limited to 13-17 students can have a positive impact in closing some achievement gaps for minority students. However, due to the size of Texas’ student population, there is no way to bring the class size cap down that far. We simply do not have the money or the personnel. Once you get beyond the 13-17 range, the educational benefits of smaller classes in lower grade levels become far less discernable. Should our school districts be required to abide by a class size cap whose benefits are murky at best?
The core issue here is not whether limiting class size is a truly effective educational tool. The issue is freedom and flexibility in education practices. Parents, teachers, and principles should be the ones who are choosing how best to educate our students, not state officials here in Austin. Though public school funding has yet to be formally appropriated (the special session will determine the final dollar amounts), many districts still find themselves in troubled financial straits. In some cases these straits are their own doing, in some cases the state’s, and in many cases a combination of the two. Giving them greater flexibility to handle these problems will at the very least ease the tension generated at the state level. This session was a missed chance to make major gains along those lines.
-James Golsan