To the Editor:
I want to urge all Bristol voters to turn out June 8 and vote down the school budget.
As a former teacher, I consider myself pro-education but I don’t think that increased spending and small class size guarantee good results. The superintendent, school committee, and budget committee presented a fiscally and educationally responsible budget, with cuts, to the town. The town meeting voted to increase this by $65,000 so there could be two 6 grades with 11 students each.
Why a competent teacher and ed tech can’t effectively manage and teach a class of 22 is beyond me. Thelma Baker, near the end of her great teaching career, had 40 students in a class, with no ed techs. There is not a single study that shows small class size, except for maybe Kindergarten and first grade, produces improved student performance.
Bristol’s enrollment has dropped dramatically but I don’t think the number of staff has. With small class sizes, one would think there would be a big improvement in student achievement but that hasn’t happened.
We’re spending top dollar per pupil but not getting top dollar results. Vote no on the budget,
Pete Hope, Pemaquid
