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Drowning in Numbers: The Unfair Burden of High Student-to-Teacher Ratios
Drowning in Numbers: The Unfair Burden of High Student-to-Teacher Ratios
Erika Begay
Flagstaff High School has been experiencing a high student-to-teacher ratio in the classroom over the past couple of years, a trend that teachers are saying is stretching both safety and learning to their limits. One science teacher described the problem candidly: "This class ideally and safely should only hold twenty-four kids. But I have thirty this year—and that’s considered a smaller class compared to a few years ago.” That being said, classrooms are now undeniably well above the state recommendation, which is twenty-five students max. Now classrooms that once occupied two dozen of students have grown to thirty to forty students on average. This is already negatively impacting a handful of students in certain classes, leaving them little to no opportunity to grow efficiently.
In certain hands-on classes—overcrowded classrooms are not just inconvenient, but also dangerous. One chemistry teacher stated she's had to avoid or scale back lab experiments because supervising thirty plus students around open flames and chemicals alone, can be chaotic and unsafe on many levels. Even reasonable inconveniences like this could strain students from receiving the experience wanted in classes like these. But, looking past just the dangers of overcrowded classrooms, the academic toll is also growing. Certain teachers also often struggle to give students the individual attention they may often seek when in need of tutoring or help, also resulting in some introverted students slipping through the cracks. A concerned teacher addressed this issue saying “There are kids who are scared to ask for help—I know they’re struggling, but it’s hard to reach them all.”
Administrators at the FHS are reportedly trying to manage the situation but physical and financial limits make it nearly impossible. Classrooms are already at capacity, and there’s no space, funding, and additional teachers. Teachers, on the other hand, are forced to find the balance of safety and education as they feel the district has turned a blind eye.