Questions to Consider

Why didnt the teachers accept the school boards proposal?

The School Board!s changes

The Teacher!s changes

We want compromise, not just concessions. 1. How much is the district spending on their negotiations lawyer?
Mr. Eichfeld recently answered, Ok I was provided this info Negotiations attorney costs: 13-14 YTD 58,572.72 12-13 FY 40,132.97 Jan 12-Jun12 26,197.85 Total: $124,903.54. The Saucon Valley Boards own budget disagrees.

 The district paid $123,048 for the 2011-2012 school year They budgeted $150,000 for the 2012-2013 school year They budgeted $150,000 for the 2013-2014 school year This is well over the amount that Mr. Eichfeld provided above

2. How is Saucon Valley going to sustain a 0% tax increase for the 6th year in a row?
Dr. Fellin is recommending that the district not replace two retiring teachers: one in the elementary school and one in the middle school. (Express Times Article)

3. Does class size impact education?

Michael Karabin, Saucon Valley School Board President, believes that class sizes do not impact education and supports higher class sizes in our elementary school ...You have my support...some of us may disagree with the numbers and so forth, but thats one part of education that I have read a tremendous amount on...its only going on research that I personally did, and you have my full support on what youre projecting at this point with the changes (School Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 25). The SV Teachers, professional researchers and common sense all disagree

From the National Education Policy Center: This policy brief summarizes the academic literature on the impact of class size and finds that class size is an important determinant of a variety of student outcomes, ranging from test scores to broader life outcomes. Smaller classes are particularly effective at raising achievement levels of low-income and minority children.

Considering the body of research as a whole, the following policy recommendations emerge: Class size is an important determinant of student outcomes, and one that can be directly determined by policy. All else being equal, increasing class sizes will harm student outcomes. The evidence suggests that increasing class size will harm not only childrens test scores in the short run, but also their long-run human capital formation. Money saved today by increasing class sizes will result in more substantial social and educational costs in the future. The payoff from class-size reduction is greater for low-income and minority children, while any increases in class size will likely be most harmful to these populations. Policymakers should carefully weigh the efficacy of class-size policy against other potential uses of funds. While lower class size has a demonstrable cost, it may prove the more cost-effective policy overall.