Tools for Providing an Excellent Education for All of our Children

By Shane McLoud

As a teacher, Shane McLoud brings real-world experience and solutions to the School Board.

• Class size must be reduced so teachers can give more individualized time to each student, allowing teachers to better connect, teach, and assess every student. Right now, grades K-3 have 20 students to 1 teacher, but after this, it's common to have 30-34 students. Grades 4 and 5 should also have 20 students to 1 teacher, and grades 6-12 should have 24 students to 1 teacher in the core classes.

• Strong parental involvement must be encouraged. As parents are a child's first teacher, parent involvement is critical to a child's academic success. Parent participation at school and at home should be encouraged, and parenting skill classes should be offered to help parents learn how to be better partners in their child's education.

• We must provide ongoing professional development for teachers. Like any other profession, teachers should have continuing education to ensure they are effective in the classroom.