Class Size Reduction North County Times ANTI editorial

Our North County Times editorial comments have become very ANTI. It is ANTI middle class wages and health benefits, ANTI union, ANTI fact based editorial and today ANTI class size reduction.

Today's editorial was a regurgitation of a right wing phony facts by an ANTI education "think" tank here in California called the Heartland Institute. How very sad that the NCTimes editors are so unable to discern the difference between real information and phony ANTI propaganda.

Here are a couple of easy things to know about the Heartland Institute that can be found in a two minute search of their website that NCTimes editorial staff apparently failed to do:


(1)This group of paid liars defends the Tobacco industry against "anti smoking propaganda."

If any news reporter or editorial writer points out that smoking kills and that the tobacco industry manipulates nicotine to cause quick addiction, etc. the Heartland attacks. They accuse that person of engaging in anti-smoking propaganda. See:
http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/14064/ClassSize_Reduction_Brings_Mixed_Results.html

(2) Medicaid, Medicare and SCHIP are all evil government programs that cause more problems than they solve.

All three programs and should be gotten rid of in favor of "consumer driven health care." A lovely sounding phrase that means something very evil. Translation only the healthy and wealthy will be able to afford or qualify for this 'consumer driven health care," the rest of us are supposed to die quietly in the cold dark streets and not bother the rich benefactors of the paid propagandists at Heartland when we are in need of medical help.

The heartless Heartland Institute put together crazy CON facts saying that class size reduction does not help and published them here: http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/14064/ClassSize_Reduction_Brings_Mixed_Results.html
Any rational person would realize immediately that fewer children in the classroom means more time spent per child and more learning per child. the heartland propagandists are paid to manipulate and lie and would be fired if they did not. I understand why they lie, but why the NCTimes? Apparently there are no rational thinkers among the North County Times editoral staff who realize that class size reduction helps real kids really learn. The better education our kids get today, the better economy California will have tomorrow. Here is the "Californian" branch of the NCTimes editorial:

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/02/22/opinion/editorialscal/z1fdc2d221246000488257562007b1778.txt
EDITORIAL: Smaller class sizes hard to justify
OUR VIEW: Costly grand experiment's results mixed
By The Californian Opinion staff (Aren't they the very same folks as the NCTimes staff?) Sunday, February 22, 2009 12:13 AM PST

California's grand experiment at improving education by shrinking class sizes at the lowest grades appears to be coming to an end, a victim of the red ink gushing out of the state Capitol.Neither state nor local officials have officially pulled the plug yet on the program, and in fact most are fighting desperately to save it. But after 12 years ---- and decidedly mixed results ---- it has become a luxury neither the state nor local districts can afford.

The class-size reduction program limits kindergarten-through-third-grade classes to 20 students or fewer. The state subsidizes the smaller classes to the tune of $1.3 billion a year, but local districts have always had to supplement the state money to make it work.

The program began in the mid-1990s when the state was fiscally healthy and searching for a way to boost its abysmal education standing. The idea was costly, but seemed to make sense: Give kids more attention when they are just beginning to learn, and it will give them a boost for the rest of their school years.

Teachers love it and swear it has worked wonders, and there is little doubt that smaller classes make for a more pleasant teaching and learning experience. But few long-term studies can find any real improvement in test scores or learning as a result of keeping early-grade classes small. (At least none that the editorial staff could find listed at the Heartland Institute website)

And with the state dealing with a $40 billion budget deficit abyss, laying off workers and closing state offices, we cannot afford to keep subsidizing a program that makes us feel good but cannot demonstrate real results. (Lie, see next blog post)

Democratic legislators are reluctant to abolish the program because it would offend one of their key constituencies, the teachers union. (Oh yeah that's why the democrats support class size reduction. It has nothing to do with the fact that children learn more and have a better experience in school. Those silly Democrats actually caring about the learning of regular kids in public school classrooms. How last week is that?)

Smaller classes, after all, means more teachers. (Yes, so what?)But area school districts are staring into that same abyss, albeit on a smaller scale.

In the next few months, districts around the region will all be facing the same reality ---- drastically shrinking budgets.

Temecula's school board was told last week that closing three schools, doing away with class-size reduction and laying off 300 employees still would not close a $14 million budget gap. The $3 million a year it spends on the program will not balance its budget, but it is doubtful district leaders can balance it and keep the smaller class sizes.

School leaders around the region have jealously guarded the program as they trimmed budgets in recent years, but the trimming is turning into a blood-letting, and it will become harder and harder to justify, despite the anecdotal testimonials. (and real evidence--http://www.cta.org/NR/rdonlyres/39CEEB46-1F8F-483D-AC49-0A77339CE3F1/0/ProtectSmallerClassSizesFacts2009Jan29.pdf
and http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2009/02/class_size_redu.html)

Best comment from readers of NCTimes on line today:
Mike1 February 22, 2009 11:02AM PST
There is a thing called evidence that you need to support your opinion. Where is it NCT board? Pretty convenient to make a statement that class size reduction and then provide no proof. According to the U.S. census bureau, state and federal Dept of Ed it is working. Anyone that reads your articles already knows that you are blatantly anti teacher and anti union but come on!!! The biggest supporter of class size reduction was CA PTA and they fought to get it passed. Scores of k-3 students are well above the national average. Stop feeding the people nonsense.