Class Size Counts: Editorial on Fairfax County Public Schools' Class Size

(Editor’s note: This is a Letter to the Editor, written by Class Size Counts.)

By Kim Farrell

Public Relations director, Class Size Counts

On September 8, almost 185,500 students headed back to public schools in Fairfax County. For many children, there were fewer than 20 students in their class. For plenty of other children, there were over 25 and sometimes over 30.

Three years ago, concerned parents created Class Size Counts (CSC), researched state laws and school system policies, met with elected officials and Superintendent Garza, submitted Freedom of Information Act requests, interviewed national class size leaders, and wrote letters to the editor. Today, Class Size Counts has over 1,500 supporters.

This year, CSC asked School Board candidates to complete a questionnaire about their views on class size. Based on their responses, past statements and past votes (for incumbents), CSC compiled a voter’s guide to the candidates. That approach placed a premium on each candidate’s integrity. CSC also looked at how well each School Board candidate represented his or her constituents on this issue.

Visit http://classsizecounts.com/?page_id=129 to see how the candidates compare on the class size issue. Then vote for a School Board candidate who shares your priorities. Otherwise, you may end up with someone who will place your priorities at the bottom of his or her list after the election.

Kim Farrell

Mother of two FCPS students

Class Size Counts Public Relations Director