Argumentative Essay: Does Class Size Matter?

In the article “Fremont high school”, Jonathan Kozol describes how the inability to provide the needed funding and address the necessities of minority children is preventing students from functioning properly at school. He talks to Meriya, a student who expresses her disgust on the unequal consideration given to urban and suburban schools. She and her classmates undergo physical and personal embarrassments. Kozol states that the average ninth grade student reads at fourth or fifth grade level while a third read at third grade level or below. Although academic problems are the main factor for low grades, students deal with other factors every day. For example, School bathrooms are unsanitary, air condition does not work, classrooms have limited

Overcrowded schools are one of the many reasons why America is falling backwards. With high birth rates and continuous immigration flow the classroom has become overcrowded. The best way a student can learn is if the attention is not so divided. With large classrooms having over 30 students, it makes it almost impossible for a teacher to attend to each student equally. “Slavin (1989) reviewed those studies that lasted a minimum of 1 year and had 20 students or fewer. He concluded that substantial reductions in class size have a small positive effect on students” (Synopsis of Class Size Literature). Classrooms should be small enough for a teacher to perform well without divided attention. In smaller classrooms, students are recognized for their contribution and participation. Students can respect the work of their peers individually and learn from them and help maintain order. They have more time to be collaborative, work creatively, think critically and draw their own predictions. In “Every Classroom Teacher’s Dream”, Patricia Handley states that “Teachers have more opportunity for personalized assessment with students, such as individual conferencing. With a small class, teacher can maximize best teaching practices, heightening students’ academic achievement” (6). There is ample evidence on how a small classroom can improve so much.

Kozol shares his experiences with students and teachers while visiting Fremont High School in Los Angeles, California. From the beginning, Kozol set the mood for the piece by describing the lackluster conditions of the buildings. He described the lack of sufficient classroom space by saying that "nearly a third of all the classrooms in the school, were located in portables took place in converted storage closets" (Kozol 641). He then begins giving descriptions of the atmosphere and explains how the school is over crowded being that there are so many children and not enough teachers and bathrooms for all students to access. Kozol states that the average ninth grader reads at a fourth or fifth grade level which proves that students also have many difficulties in school. Beyond learning there are many other reasons why it is hard for students to obtain the proper education.

Achieving a college degree is worth the time and effort as well as the financial struggle because there is more to be gained besides context knowledge. College is something that has dropped in importance as less and less people attend every year. These students are unsure as to whether it is worth it.Parents push their kids towards college and some even tell them not to go because of financial problems. This pressure students to make a life changing decision. This is all things that may keep a student from a secondary education that could kick-start a new and better life.

Her grades began to suffer and her mother watched in pain, not knowing what to do. The article goes on to explain how “class sizes are rising throughout the nation. In Queens, New York the number of students in a classroom has risen from 20 students to 32. McAllen, Texas reported having 50 students in their classes and a Las Vegas kindergarten teacher had 41 students.”

Students shouldn't feel ashamed, indifferent or humiliated by these conditions. There are things that Kozol has seen in elementary schools in New York that are missing besides a commendable appearance like a library and programs like art and music. A principal from a

overcrowded school. As uncomfortable as change can be, it will all be made in the name of

As an active college student, the question of whether or not college is worth the investment is an important one to consider. With tuition rates continuing to rise every year in an economy slowly recovering from a deep recession, alternative paths of career development such as trade school, military service, or entrepreneurship have become more appealing than ever. For the average person however, research reveals when it comes to employment access and stability, securing higher levels of income, and long-term job satisfaction, a college degree is still the most reliable and safest road to travel.

Is college worth it? Many people have their opinions on the subject, most people saying college isn't worth it anymore. Most people can’t handle the debt and think that a degree isn’t worth that hassle of it all. I disagree with those people, a college tuition and an degree is totally worth it in the long run and it outweighs the debt.

As this country is becoming a more educational country, excelling in Math, Science, English, and Social Studies, education prices rise. Some colleges have tuition prices in multi-ten thousands of dollars. And as the college process go up, the question pops up; is college worth the price? Unless you are wishing to have debt for the rest of your life, the answer is no.

Many schools don't have enough funds to support themselves; therefore they should use their money to fix buildings and to buy new textbooks. According to Amanda Ripley’s article, “It's Time To Scale Back,” maintaining a grass field can cost more than 20,000 dollars (11). Premont Independent School was threaten to close because of money issues so they had to stop the sports teams and by doing this they were able to save 150,000 dollars (10). Schools should stop using their money on sports and start using it on the school. In conclusion schools should save their money for more important things. Although saving money is important, allowing kids to study for a longer time is also crucial for their education. Ripley stated in her article that by

The evidence suggests that increasing class size will not only harm children’s test scores in the short-run, but also in their long-run human capital formation. Money is saved from increasing class size will be more substantial social and educational costs in the future. In addition to high costs, reducing class size have unintended consequences. When California lowered class sizes in 1996, they realized that they did not have enough teachers to meet the challenge. Schools were forced to hire new teachers and add portable classmates to accommodate the state

Imagine if you had no money, if you went to a store and you really wanted something but you could not afford it. How would you buy it? This may sound crazy but the owner of Microsoft Bill Gates did not attend college same with the other entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs. Now days what Steve and Bill did would be a dream but there is probably a 1% chance of that happening. What do you think? Is college still worth it? I think collage is definitely worth it since you will have more options in life and you will get a little more respect from your employer.

It is pretty apparent that in America, and elsewhere, most parents and general adults want what is best for their children in terms of education. This mindset can be seen reflected in the legislative aspects of our education system; there are many incentives pushing through the school boards and legislatures of our nation in order to attempt to further refine the education system. This is important as it allows us to refine traditional American education in order to improve upon it, and one of these attempt refinements and improvements has to deal with the subject of class size. For many people, large classroom sizes are a spawning ground for many issues with the education system: high distraction in the classroom, teacher inefficiency, among a plethora of others. Although it may seem regressive to favor small classes over bigger, more potentially diverse classes, small class sizes are more beneficial for education in that it is less distracting for the students and raises the possibility of staying focused, it potentially raises teacher-student relationships, and it allows for better results and better statistics coming from these smaller classes.

Many parents feel their children are not being challenged enough in public schools. Some of these children are doing well but clearly could do more, could be stretched intellectually. From their parents' point of view, they spend far too much time watching television, wandering around the mall, or playing games on their computers. Many parents are consequently drawn to private schools because of the academic rigor that comes with smaller classes, more personal attention, and teachers who nurture and promote each child's talents. There is no question that private schools offer smaller classes than most public schools in the country. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 1998-99 the median student-teacher ratio in NAIS schools was 9 to 1 while that in public schools was 17 to 1. Smaller classes make it difficult for a student to hide or slide. In a room with only 14 other students, it is difficult to remain uninvolved or consistently unprepared. Teachers can get to know 15 students much better and faster than 30. Smaller classes promote more faculty member-student interaction, and most kids