A bill that would increase the number of students in Florida’s K-12 classrooms is making its way through the legislature, even though voters defeated an Amendment that proposed this increase in the November 2010 election. #
The Sun Sentinel reported this Sunday: #
Class sizes in Florida public schools may be getting much larger again next fall despite voter-mandated restrictions that went into effect just this year. #
Calculus, analytical geometry, anatomy, zoology, Spanish and dozens more of the toughest courses offered in high schools no longer would be considered “core” courses under a new interpretation of the class-size amendment to the state constitution that state lawmakers are pursuing. #
The “Class Size Requirements” bill filed by state Sen. David Simmons, R-Maitland, deletes a reference to the state Constitution regarding class size maximums, approved in 2002 by Florida voters. #
In the November 2010 general election voters rejected Amendment 8, which would have increased the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in an individual classroom. #
The Florida Constitution currently caps the number of students per classroom at 18 for pre-kindergarten through grade 3, 22 for grades 4 through 8, and 25 for grades 9 through 12. #
The Sentinel reports that school officials fall on both sides of the class reduction, adding that: #
The Republican-controlled Legislature for years has sought to reduce costs of the class-size amendment, which has run to an additional $18.5 billion for extra teachers and related expenses since its passage in 2002, including $3 billion this year. Officials say the pending changes allow more options in the face of anticipated cuts in state funding. #
The Sentinel adds: #
Mark Pudlow, spokesman for the Florida Education Association, said the teachers union initially supported giving school districts flexibility in meeting class-size rules but the current proposal is “trying to hoodwink voters” who called for class-size restrictions. #
“This is all about saving money,” Pudlow said. #
