The protest was led by Save Our Schools NC Parents for HB13, a group started by Renee Sekel, a parent from the Wake County Public School System. The group is calling for the N.C. Senate to pass House Bill 13 — which would provide greater flexibility in class sizes for the 2017-18 school year, so teaching positions for enrichment courses, like art and music could be maintained.
“My kids’ school is over-enrolled significantly,” Sekel said. “There’s no space. We will lose our music room. It’s not the best learning environment.”
Last year, the legislature passed a mandate lowering the required average class size for K-3 grades to be the same as the teacher to student ratio — which varies from around 16 to 18 students per teacher. Opponents say the law limits flexibility for schools to hire enhancement teachers or teacher assistants.
But the change did not include additional funding to accommodate the new requirements. Hiring teachers and creating space for the greater number of classes required is estimated to cost state school districts $188 to $338 million, according to a report by the N.C. Justice Center.
According to the report, districts will have to raise taxes locally to cover these costs. Or in the case of under-resourced districts, programs might be cut.
Mark Jewell, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators and speaker at the rally, said enrichment classes should be considered part of core curricula.
“NCAE and our teachers are supportive of small class sizes,” he said. “But you cannot do it haphazardly, and in a way that jeopardizes the kind of education and the kinds of schools that our students deserve — one that is well rounded, with a diverse curriculum.”
