Answer to Phase Two Questions and Answers.

Things left unsaid:

I think the main reason that the current proposal is before the voters is that the School Board thinks it stands a much better chance of passing.  The High School bond issue went down in flames.  As I recall it did into even get a majority.  It needed sixty percent.  The first elementary school issue passed. 

Once again class size was introduced.  Perhaps the most favorable view from the Education Cartel’s viewpoint comes from the left wing think tank, Brookings.  “[I]t appears that very large class-size reductions, on the order of magnitude of 7-10 fewer students per class, can have significant long-term effects on student achievement and other meaningful outcomes. These effects seem to be largest when introduced in the earliest grades, and for students from less advantaged family backgrounds.” http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2011/05/11-class-size-whitehurst-chingos  The author, Russ Whitehurst used to head Whatworksclearinghouse and is generally respected as an honest researcher.  You might want to read the whole thing. 

Unless a change in class size is at least in the range of  7 – 10 and is in grade three or lower, class size changes should not be an issue relevant to this proposal.  There are many things we can do to improve education outcomes than improving facilities and for far less money. 

Please feel free to post your thoughts on the original article as well as replies to this post.