Our average class size in neighborhood schools is appalling. For example, the Troupe School has an average class size of 26 students for the 7th grade, whereas the state average is 21.9. When class size is large, our students need to compete with one another to get personal attention to their learning needs. We need to invest in neighborhood schools by decreasing the class size through aggressive teacher recruitment and retention.
The Board of Education is appointed by the Mayor and is not accountable to the public. Appointees take the decision-making power of how our tax money is spent out of our hands. New Haven has too many fat cat administrators and not enough quality teachers. Since teacher salaries are not competitive with to neighboring districts, many teachers do not stay in New Haven schools very long. The Board of Education controls 42% of the city's budget. No other cities in Connecticut have an appointed Board of Education. It's time to get out of the dark ages. We need to be able to elect our Board of Education.