Keep Three 4th Grade Classes at SPS

We as current 3rd grade parents at Strawberry Point School are writing to express our strong opposition to the elimination of one 4th grade classroom at SPS for the upcoming 2017-18 school year. A two classroom configuration for 4th graders next year will result in 29-30 students per class. Taking into account the significant proportion of students in our grade that require additional support, a minimum of 9 students, this reduction would present a significant and undue impediment to our children’s access to education.

Independent of any particular needs that may or may not be met with outside resources, the negative effect large class size has on children’s learning has been well documented. This is likely why small class size appears to be a district pursuit as well. In the MVSD 2016-17 Strategic Plan, “maintain lower class sizes” is the first strategy outlined in order to achieve the first of the district’s objectives, and yet there does not seem to be any action plan for it. Not eliminating a 4th grade classroom at SPS is an immediate and concrete step you can take in that direction.

While we object to the trend of larger class sizes for any grade or school in the district, it has an even more dramatic impact on the current 3rd grade class at SPS, due to our high level of special needs students. At least 15% of the students in the current 3rd grade require additional support in the form of special education services; this is compared to district and county averages of 9.6% and 11.1%, respectively. As we know, students with learning differences and other special needs require more individualized attention. Looking ahead to 4th grade classrooms with 29 or 30 students (including 4 or 5 special education students per class), we do not believe such large class sizes would serve the interests of ANY of the students, even factoring in the excellent staff we are fortunate to have at SPS.

Furthermore, if you recall, when you personally presented Measure E to the PTA in the Fall, one of the primary “selling points” was that passing Measure E would keep our class sizes small. As we are sure you are aware, there were several districts that had parcel taxes on the ballot last year and Mill Valley’s Measure E was the only one to pass. That was not an accident. We parents advocated fiercely for it with our friends, neighbors, and total strangers. Our parent community and PTA Board (of which, incidentally, 70% have children who will be affected by this classroom reduction) stood out on the streets with signs, made phone calls, and actively supported this measure. It is deeply disappointing to feel that these efforts are wasted when one of the key arguments for the measure can be discarded so abruptly.

If there is insufficient funding to maintain a teacher salary that the district has already been paying, then we would like to:

• Request a full, public audit of the district’s financials because we need to understand why that is the case. Was the Measure E projection incorrect? What of the District Strategic Plan? Why, after our parent community collectively fundraises over $4.5 million/year for our K-8 kids and passes significant parcel taxes, do we have 4th grade classrooms at 30 children (including 4-5 special needs children per class)?

• Re-examine the strategy of “targeting total staff compensation in top quartile of comparable districts” as a means to achieve a high level of student learning. How can we promote excellence in education if we are unable to achieve reasonable class sizes in our elementary schools?

• Request a formal discussion with you, Michele Rollins (Assistant Superintendent), Wendy Holmes (Curriculum), Andee Abramson (Student Services) and Bill Lampl (Kiddo) to consider implementing a class size reduction platform as part of Kiddo funded initiatives. (If other avenues are exhausted.)

If class sizes nearing or exceeding state maximums for 4th and 5th grades is truly a long term goal for the Mill Valley School District, we strongly urge more transparency with your parent community on that point. Had we known that there was not enough funding to move towards what is considered to be small class sizes, we would have reconsidered our donations to the District Technology Plan and other district-wide initiatives, instead redirecting our efforts towards supporting an initiative that is extremely important to every single one of us: small class size.

The elimination of a 4th grade classroom at SPS for the 2017-18 school year would truly be to the detriment of ALL the students and we strongly urge you to change your course of action. We look forward to your response and will be requesting a meeting with you and our parent group in the immediate future to address these concerns as well.

Yours Sincerely,

STRAWBERRY POINT 3RD GRADE PARENTS (SEE PETITION SIGNATURES)