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Parents urge board to restore third second-grade class at Emmens Lake, citing research
Summary
Parents told trustees that reducing three incoming second-grade sections to two at Emmens Lake Elementary would place 28 students per class and worsen outcomes for students needing extra supports; they asked the board to restore a third section using district resources.
At the June 15 meeting of the Caledonia Community Schools Board of Education, parents asked trustees to reverse a staffing decision that would reduce next year’s incoming second-grade sections at Emmens Lake Elementary from three to two.
"Tonight, I'm asking you to reconsider that decision," said parent Ansley Nights, who identified herself as the parent of an incoming second grader. Nights cited decades of research, including the Tennessee STAR study and work by Finn and Achilles, arguing that smaller elementary classes produce better reading and math outcomes and that the greatest gains appear for students academically at risk. She told trustees district data show roughly 25% of the cohort below grade level, nearly 30% requiring intervention and about 20% with IEPs or 504 plans.
"We're asking for the district to restore a third second grade classroom not because it's easier and not because it's cheaper, but because it's a right decision for our children," Nights said.
A second speaker with classroom experience, Danielle Grassman, said she had been a teacher for 14 years and, now speaking as a parent, asked trustees to weigh long-term educational evidence when assigning staff and classroom sections.
No district official committed to an immediate change during the meeting. Trustees heard the parents’ evidence and said they would continue to review staffing plans and budget implications before making final assignments for the coming school year. The board took no formal action on this issue at the meeting.
