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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 1986)
Page 8, Portland Observer. August 20. 1986 Elementary Schools Are Key to Leaning Smaller Class Size As First Step "Making classes smaller would permit more individualized instruc tion and more opportunities to diag nose student learning needs.” the president of the 1 8 million member NEA explained. "Additionally, we need a funda mental reexamination of elementary education in light of what we now know about how children learn,” Futrell continued "The quality of elementary education often deter mines students' later success or failure " Elementary schooling has getter- ally been overlooked by the educa tion reform movement - an over sight that can cost the country dearly in lost human resources, Fut rell noted "Millions of children have drop ped out of school because their special needs were overlooked in the early, formative years," explain ed Futrell "It's time to concentrate attention on the pre kindergarten and elementary learning environ ment. Children spend 9,000 hours in that environment — more than twice the time they spend in high school, more than the time they spend in high school and college POIC Needs Help The first OIC was founded in Philadelphia, Pa in 1964 and has expanded into a network of compre hensive employment training pro grams across the nation A National Organization Opportu nines Industrialization Centers of America, Inc. (O IC /A I serves the local OlC's in 36 states through an administrative office located in Phil adelphia, Pa providing each affiliate with technical assistance in the areas of programs and fiscal management and program planning and operation Locally, the Portland OIC has been operational since 1968 and has provided training and employment opportunities to more than 12,000 economically disadvantaged, un skilled, and unemployed individuals in the Portland Metropolitan area POIC offers a variety of programs which impact upon the disadvan taged, encompassing not only em ploy merit training but an alternative education system and strives for community economic development POIC has been hard hit with severe budget cuts which have al most crippled the existing organiza tion "W e are down, but not out." POIC is uniquely fortunate in the dedication and committment of both local and national resources and owes a debt of gnttfTtide to staff members and volunteers at all levels of the organization. We call upon those committed individuals to come forward now and help keep POIC as a viable en tity in the "grass roots" of our neighborhoods and community Where the problems are where our services are most needed - our goal and reason for being is to do what we at POIC do better than anyone else FIND THEM, men ft women of diverse ethnic back grounds who have a need, — TRAIN THEM, foi every American has held tiefore them "The Dream" of ac complishment, PLACE THEM —so that they, tho formerly disadvan taged, unemployed and unskilled in our community, can become parti cipants in the mainstream of Amer ica, heroin Portland, Oregon- help mg to become stronger individuals and helping to build a better community Funds are needed, but also volun teers in every phase of the organiza tion are essential For more information, volunteers call Minnie Belle Johnson at 282 4951 For funding pledges, call Jo Puzi (POIC) at 287 1271 We shall be honored if all the community gets involved in our struggle to maintain a source of pride that Oregonians deserve combined." Educational research, Futrell added, shows clearly that smaller class size has a positive effect on student attitudes and achievements — especially for low achieving and disadvantaged students. Futrell noted that current demo graphic protections on the growth of minority populations make smal ler elementary classes more impera tive than ever. Tomorrow's schools will face a much more racially and ethnically diverse enrollment There are already 14 million immigrants in the United States today, represent ing more linguistic and cultural di versity than this country has ever experienced. "A growing number of young Americans will be nonwhite, poor, deficient in English, and from bro ken families in the years ahead,” said Futrell ' We have to provide these children with safety nets — smaller class size is one - and give them the full learning opportunities they rightly deserve as American citizens ” Futrell said recent studies have shown that class size affects stu dent attitudes, interests, and moti vation Students in smaller classes, for example, are more intersted and involved in subject matter They also display less apathy and frustra tion. Class size in elementary schools currently ranges from 25 to 35 stu dents or more NEA supports an optimum class size of 15 students at the elementary level States. NEA President Futrell also made clear, should help children to a better educational start by provi ding mandatoiy kindergarten and making programs for four year olds available to all families Two years ago, an NEA Task Force on Educational Excellence called on schools to offer develop mental education for students at age four Overcrowded classes. Where bigger isn’t better. Imagine trying to divide your tunc equally among k? or 4C employees a «.lay. Till» is the daily dilemma teachers lace in overvn>»vded classrooms. They must spend more time with the low achievers, extra rime w ith the brightest stud« nts, leas ing little time lor the rest ot the class. In most whools, a student gets hours ol daily instruction But when a child needs special eiuourageiiK'iit or one-on-one teaching, die or I r is lucky to get ten minutes ot mdiy idual attention a day. Regardless of grade level or ability, students achieve more as c lass sue is nea National Education .Association T he S ubject I s E xcellence ry TERRI’S A •* FRESH FISH & SEAFOODS 3225 N.E. Union Ave Open 9 a in A * m m k I 6 u t Aaeni i«hur AUGUST WE0 V reduced. A student in a class ot 40 will score It? points kiweron national tests than the same student would in a class of 20. We’ve also seen that smaller classes decrease discipline prolilems. And they increase a student’s sell esteem while also increasing a teacher’s job satisfaction. Reducing class sue is a primary goal ot the NEA. We k now it is one ot the surest ways ot getting education hack in the picture and on the track of excellence. And that is our goal. In over 128 years, th at’s never wavered. We stand tor excellence in every classroom, tor every child. 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