Amendment 8
At the 2010 General election November 2nd, voters in Florida will be voting on Amendment 8, “Revision of the class size requirements for public schools”. The ballot will officially say:
NO. 8 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE IX, SECTION 1 ARTICLE XII, SECTION 31
Revision of the class size requirements for public schools
The Florida Constitution currently limits the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in public school classrooms in the following grade groupings: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 18 students; for grades 4 through 8, 22 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 25 students. Under this amendment, the current limits on the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in public school classrooms would become limits on the average number of students assigned per class to each teacher, by specified grade grouping, in each public school. This amendment also adopts new limits on the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in an individual classroom as follows: for prekindergarten through grade 3, 21 students; for grades 4 through 8, 27 students; and for grades 9 through 12, 30 students. This amendment specifies that class size limits do not apply to virtual classes, requires the Legislature to provide sufficient funds to maintain the average number of students required by this amendment, and schedules these revisions to take effect upon approval by the electors of this state and to operate retroactively to the beginning of the 2010- 2011 school year. YES [ ] or NO [ ]
Personally I will be voting ‘YES’ on Amendment 8. In 2002 I agreed when the Voters of Florida voted for the Classroom Size Amendment because we needed to reduce the number of students in a classroom and bring it to a more manageable number. We have greatly reduced the number of students in a classroom but now , in order to meet the classroom level , a district must open a new classroom once one new student enrolls in school. As an example, if the cap is 22 students for third grade and you get a 23rd student , you must hire another teacher AND provide a new classroom space — all at the taxpayer ‘s expense. In order to meet this requirement, a school might have to add another teacher to the classroom making one classroom with as many as 44 or more students and two teachers. That is not a positive learning environment for our students. The Amendment would give schools and districts more flexibility at the school level to meet the cap on a school average rather then a hard cap.
Research for yourself but consider voting, YES on amendment 8. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
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