Must see video: Regent Kathy Cashin and City Council Education chair Mark Treyger on the importance of class size

See the video of Regent Kathleen Cashin’s observations about class size which she made during the City Council hearings on Feb. 28 about what happened when she lowered class size in the District 23 schools when she was Superintendent.

As she puts it, when you reduce class size, the “whole world changes.”  She explained how smaller classes are important both for students and their teachers, and leads to less teacher “burn out” and attrition.  “Poverty is a terrible teacher; and it drains anyone it comes in contact with.  But when children have that close connection to a teacher and can get that attention, it changes their life.”

Chair of the Education Committee Mark Treyger agrees.  As a former teacher, he says he is well aware of these issues: “Teachers burn out, I burned out.  I was one of them, it was painful.  Those that left the profession, it wasn’t that they gave up on the children, they refused to participate in a system that shortchanged them. I ran for Council to be a voice for kids and my colleagues.  I am here on a mission – we need to reduce class size to provide a quality education.”

Below the video is Dr. Cashin’s written statement. But please listen first to her and CM Treyger!

Testimony of Dr. Kathleen Cashin, Board of Regents member, on the importance of class size from Class Size Matters on Vimeo.