Today there was an article in the Tribune, "Minneapolis classrooms are losing battle of the budge."
Implicitly this article demonstrates how the media helps distort the publics' view of educational issues. http://www.startribune.com/stories/1592/5738327.html If you're aware of the 2000 referendum in which voters approved funding smaller class sizes you might also remember that one of the "promises" was that smaller class sizes would increase student achievement. What's notable about today's article is that there is no mention what-so-ever about achievement. Somehow we are to implicitly assume that large class sizes are bad and that we need to reduce them. What the article fails to note is that student achievement has been raising regardless of class sizes. So possibly, class sizes are not the quite the evil they are made out to be. It has always been my contention that class sizes are more important for the numbers of union members that they result in and not how they benefit students. Voters should think twice before once again accepting an increase in funding that does not increase student achievement and also fails to reduce class sizes. Michael Atherton Prospect Park REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
