Montreal Teachers 4 Change.org

By Joy Resmovits. Published July 14, 2012 by The Huffington Post

“Unlike a shrunken police or fire department, the impact of school cuts isn’t always obvious. There are no bodies in the streets, no charred evidence of harm done. That has made school systems attractive targets for austerity-minded politicians across the country.

Thirty-four states have slashed their K-12 education budgets since 2008, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Making sure class sizes don’t explode nationwide would cost $10 billion annually, according to a March reportfrom the Southern Regional Educational Board.

But impact of these cuts is visible when you look at kids like Shania, and the ripple effects can last a lifetime. Earlier grades are especially important, because that’s when students learn the fundamentals — how to read, write, add and subtract — that undergird the rest of their education. Studies have shown that students who don’t learn to read proficiently by third grade are much more likely to drop out. Third grade is also the year students start taking standardized tests, which can alter their educational futures.”

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/14/larger-class-size-a-thousand-cuts_n_1659591.html