Chicago, IL
The Clinton Administration has recently proposed federal initiatives to reduce class size in the early grades and help states and local communities rebuild the nation’s schools. The AFL–CIO supports efforts to strengthen and improve public education and urges Congress to take action on these issues.
A reduction in class size for grades one through three to a nationwide average of 18 will increase the amount of personal attention paid to every child, build a solid foundation for further learning, and help ensure that all children learn to read independently by the end of the third grade. We support efforts in Congress to help local school districts hire and pay the salaries of an additional 100,000 teachers and assist states with funding for teacher training and ongoing professional development. Evidence for the value of pursuing this strategy is compelling — class size reduction efforts in Tennessee and other places show that reducing class size, particularly for younger children, helps boost student achievement overall, and has an especially significant impact on the education of poor children.
Today, 14 million students each day attend schools with dangerous structural deficiencies, environmental problems and serious overcrowding. Indeed, the GAO reports that about 60 percent of public schools have at least one major building feature in disrepair, and it estimates that providing schools with repairs alone will total $122 billion. Add to that the demand for building new schools to meet growing enrollments and the need for wiring and technology in existing schools, and the problem tops $200 billion. These problems are growing and should be met by action in this Congress. We urge Congress to take steps to meet this need in legislation that will reach the President’s desk this year.
The AFL-CIO reaffirms its commitment to strong public education for all children. It views the class size and modernization initiatives as two key components in an overall effort to improve public schools that includes establishing high academic standards and a challenging curriculum, ensuring safe and orderly classrooms, and attracting and retaining qualified teachers.