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Published on: 11/30/2008
Last Visited: 11/30/2008
Rachel Rivera was skeptical about class size until she witnessed the effect it had on her sons.
Her experience reads like a carefully designed case study.
Rivera is the mother of two boys who are three years apart.
...
"Both of my children progressed at different rates, and I attribute that to class size," Rivera said.
The older son struggled to master the basics by the end of the school year.
In just four months, the younger son had improved his writing equal to one year and mastered the basics.
And he was not unique.
"Even the ELL students mastered their basic skills—it didn't matter," Rivera recalled of students who were non-native English speakers.
"I was friends with the teacher and she was just as amazed as we were."
Rivera does not chalk up the difference to her children but rather to the smaller classroom and an environment conducive to learning.
"When you walked in the room there was more order, a tighter community.
It was a really cohesive, nice learning environment," she said.
"The children felt safe and secure.
...
Rivera reflected on her own initial doubt with regard to the class size reduction program.
...
Rachel became a volunteer with Voices for Education and was hired in March of 2008 as our Development and Community Relations Director.
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