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First‑grade teacher and parents warn of larger K–1 classes after Tecumseh Local reassigns looping teacher
Summary
A Park Layne first‑grade teacher told the board that reassigning a looping teacher to kindergarten will reduce first‑grade sections from ten to eight and raise class sizes to 24–25 students; administrators said kindergarten enrollment surged in July and the district will monitor counts.
Tia Stryker, a first‑grade teacher at Park Layne Elementary, told the Tecumseh Local Board of Education on Aug. 7 that the district’s recent reassignment of a K–1 looping teacher back to kindergarten will leave first grade with eight sections instead of ten and increase class sizes.
"Class size is a huge deal in the early grades," Stryker said during public comment, arguing that smaller K–3 classes improve test scores, behavior and participation and allow teachers time for one‑on‑one assessments.
Supervising staff member Paula Crew responded that first‑grade classes are set at 24 students each, with one section at 25, while kindergarten sections settled at about 21–22 after the reassignment and limits on open enrollment. "We had an influx of kindergarten students that came in, especially in the month of July," Crew said, and the district moved the looping teacher to kindergarten to manage kindergarten counts.
The board did not vote on staffing at the meeting; the change was described as a staffing and enrollment adjustment driven by July registration and budget considerations. "We did away with open enrollment last year and this year for kindergarten and first grade which drastically reduced that size as well," Crew said, adding that district leaders will continue to monitor enrollments.
Kerry Cassell, a teacher speaking for the union during later public comment, reiterated concerns about the effect of larger early‑grade classes on behavior and instructional time and urged leaders to consider redeploying funds to hire an additional first‑grade teacher.
The board’s personnel consent calendar, which included multiple hires and resignations, was approved in a unanimous vote. Board members and administrators said they would provide the board with enrollment comparisons from prior years and watch counts before making further staffing changes.
