Anne Arundel County schools could end up with as many as 67 new teachers next school year because of a commitment by county officials to cut the size of elementary school classes and the willingness of the federal government to help fund smaller classes.
Anne Arundel educators are expecting to receive $1 million in federal money -- enough to hire about 33 new teachers -- this summer, and 34 other new teaching positions are in the fiscal year 2000 school budget.
Kenneth Lawson, assistant superintendent for instruction and student services, said the teachers would be placed in first grade to reduce the number of children in each class from 25 to 20.
Last year, schools Superintendent Carol S. Parham received county and federal grant money that paid for 16 new teachers in elementary school classrooms. That was the first step in her long-range plan of having one teacher for every 20 pupils in first through third grade, Lawson said.
That many new teachers would also cause a space crunch, Lawson said, because it would require creating two classrooms in some places where now there is only one.
"So, right now we are looking at all our elementary schools and seeing what we have to do," he said.
"It may mean making some tough decisions and taking resource rooms and converting them back into classrooms."
State expects $17.4 million
Maryland's 24 school districts are due to receive $17.4 million in federal funding for new teachers. Baltimore City schools will get the largest share -- $5.68 million -- and Prince George's County will receive $2.1 million. Baltimore County schools will get $1.6 million; Harford schools, $548,570; Howard schools, $411,936; and Carroll, $288,657.
In May, the Maryland State Teachers Association published its first survey on class sizes. It showed that the average public school class in Maryland contained slightly more than 27 students. That number held across all grades.
The Governor's Commission on Education requested the survey. Class size has been frequently linked to student performance.
According to the survey, Prince George's County has the largest classes, with an average of 29.3 students, and St. Mary's County the smallest, with 25 students per class.
Anne Arundel County has the second-largest classes with an average of 27.9 students, and Baltimore City is close behind with 27.8.
Group, state numbers differ
The association's numbers are about 10 students more than teacher-student ratios reported by the Maryland State Department of Education, which uses a different formula.
In 1997-1998, the state department said, the ratio of professional staff -- librarians, guidance counselors, as well as teachers -- to students was 18 to 1.
Pub Date: 3/15/99