Class Size

News Report:  50,421 Chicago kids in homerooms over the class size limit
Data obtained by WBEZ show 18 percent of elementary school homerooms in Chicago Public Schools have more kids than they are supposed to.

One of the biggest challenges I've had this year is the large size of the classes.  Each of the Grade 7 homerooms at my school has 36-37 students.  These homeroom groups rotate through my room for math during the day.  "The district’s own guidelines say classes should be capped at 28 kids for younger students, 31 for third graders and up."  While it is difficult having so many in the upper elementary/middle grades, I can only imagine what it is like for the younger grades to have just as many.  I admire the younger grades teachers who have classes exceeding the caps (which are also high) and maintain their sanity!