E-mail sent to Principal about "Solution" by Steph Morgan

Steph sent this email today, 8/20/08

Dear Principal Rynchek,

I see the letter posted on the website to the Kindergarten parents about the class size issue at Lake Harriet Community School. You state that the issue is now "remedied". I wanted to express my grave disappointment in this "remedy." Having class sizes at 27 or 28 instead of 30 is not much of a solution. I think that is still much too big of a class size and teacher ratio, especially for kindergarten. My long term concern is what happens next year. As I understand it, the five K sections break down into 4 for first grade. With the numbers you have now, (if my math is correct, you have approximately 135 K students) that will mean 34-35 kids in a first grade class. That is beyond acceptable. As I consider my options, I am thinking about the future years, and I frankly don't know what is best for my child at this time. I want to send him to the Minneapolis public schools, and especially want to support my community school, however I can't stomach the idea that he might be in a class of 35 next year, and in future years.

I have talked with other parents, some with incoming kindergartners and some with children already at LHCS. All are as outraged and disappointed as I am. I learned that the last year K sections were smaller, around 23 or 24 per section. I wonder why LHCS accepted a bigger class this year, considering the lack of space and teacher resources? My concern is that it does not appear to be your concern that the class size is too large this year. I had originally asked that a sixth kindergarten section be opened for the 2008-09 K class. That would get the class size down to about 22 or 23. You must have the space for it, as you have three sections in the morning, and could presumably have three in the afternoon. It would of course require another half-time teaching position.

I hope the school is thinking ahead now to what will become of this large group of kids next year, and the following years, so that their school experience is not just "fine" or "manageable" as it will have to be this year, but exceptional.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Morgan