Worried about declining funds, cash-strapped school districts from Cleveland to Carlsbad are cutting class size--literally. "It was crowded at first but now I sorta like it. I feel like now I know everybody better," explained third grader Nicole Budgit, perched on a high shelf between Jimmy Yuspoor, Brittany Xtradoe, Bart Simpson-Rosensplatt, and 23 rolls of paper towels. Their classroom is both small and multi-purpose; it's the school's former custodial closet. Proponents of these cost-cutting measures say that students, forced into small spaces, are learning important 21st century skills, like sharing, taking turns, and holding hands. While there was some anxiety about electrocution when the computer science class moved into the shower room, block scheduling and later start times have allowed the district to stagger usage of actual water. With only a handful of elementary schools open in each district, not only have energy bills and other expenditures gone down, but students are bridging all sorts of barriers. These facility downgrades may not improve student achievement but they might single-handedly decrease our global carbon foot print--and possibly bring about world peace.
"Class sizes, rooms shrink with the Dow," by Greg DeTopps, USA Tomorrow, March 23, 2009