Four schools in the El Paso area have asked for class size waivers claiming that the so-called cuts in education spending are forcing them to lay teachers off. (http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19662594)

Give me a break!

First, there was no cut in state spending. The legislature appropriated more money for the upcoming biennium than was spent last biennium. (More money is spent on K-12 education than any other item in the Texas state budget.) But schools didn't receive the one-time "stimulus" money this biennium. Though they were told it was one-time money and not to use it to fund onging programs, many ISD's simply didn't listen. We in Texas have funded public education at a rate five times faster than the increase in student population and inflation. It's time we stop overspending and encourage ISD's to spend their money more wisely -- like in the classroom. Across the state, the Texas Education Agendy figures indicated that ISD's spend only about 50 cents of each education dollar on instruction.

Second, class size should not be mandated by the state. Actually, according to the Texas Education Agency, we have only 14.5 students for every teacher (and 7.5 students for ever ISD employee).

Posted Jan 3 by Peggy Venable

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19662594