Teachers strike for reduced class size - would a state income tax fix it?

[Left coast liberal]

Here in Washington we don't have a state income tax but offer plenty of tax breaks for corporations.

Meanwhile the teachers are standing up to a court order to return to work on Monday.

30 - 32 kids per class room and many with special needs or english as second language.

Sucks! How will it end?

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-19093-Seattle-Special-Needs-Kids-Examiner~y2009m9d11-Kent-teachers-strike-for-reduced-class-size-a-state-income-tax-would-solve-the-money-problem

[woodsprite]

1. I'm in NCCo., DE and my kids (elem & hs) class sizes average 36 kids.

My daughter has a chemistry class where the teacher told parents at open house that the students would not be doing experiments because there were too many kids in his class to work safely in the lab (33 kids/32 chairs, down from 39 the first day of school). How can you learn chemistry without experiments?

Now, whether it's a Fed, State or School District rule (not sure), but I was told that class size is not mandated from 4th grade on up to 12th. We were also told that they won't be getting any more teachers. They have all the teaching spots filled that they are funded for. There are 1650 kids in the high school. I don't know how many in my son's elem. school (approx. 400). Then there are teachers who are teaching demanded, but unfunded classes - who have to get supply money from the parents of interested students (orchestra-$100, photography-$140, etc.)

This is a public school in a district where all 3 high schools have failed the NCCLB benchmarks for the past 2 yrs.

[Left coast liberal]

2. Wow. I had no idea.

This issue makes me fume.