Editor, Gazette-Journal:

In the March 16 issue of the Gazette-Journal, Mathews County supervisor Dave Jones was quoted as saying “nobody’s proven to me that small class size makes a difference.” As a second-career first grade teacher, I’ll use this as a teachable moment. My references are Wikipedia “Class Size Reduction” and the multitude of research articles and papers that can be found on either Safari or Google.

The preponderance of evidence supports small class sizes, 15 to 20 students, at the K-3 level, with added emphasis on low income, minority and disadvantaged children. The advantages include greater student achievement (both currently and in the long term), improved classroom conduct and commitment to educational development, improved graduation rates and admission to college or to workforce development programs. Some research has even shown positive results in the adult income potential and career success.

From the standpoint of the teacher, there are many positives that include more individualized or small-group instruction, the ability to better accommodate special needs children and the improvement of classroom management techniques.

In my own experience, I never had fewer than 22-25 (38 for the first six weeks one year) students with no aide. My biggest shortcoming as a teacher was that I could not adequately attend to the needs and learning styles of each child.

I am well aware of the financial issues involved, but if we want the best for Mathews County children, Class Size Matters.

Michael L. Beavers
Williamsburg, Va.