Every day more than 37,000 New Mexico elementary students, enough to fill the Pit twice over, experience negative effects of large class sizes such as a lack of engagement, increased behavior issues, and lower achievement.
In the 2022-2023 school year, 27% of elementary classrooms exceeded limits and average targets set in current state law. At Think New Mexico, a think tank serving New Mexicans, we examined the class sizes of every elementary school in the state using data reported to the Public Education Department. The story we uncovered is one of challenging teaching and learning conditions across the state.
In Deming, we found a kindergarten class with 31 students. A first grade class in Bloomfield had 30 students, while a second grade class in Albuquerque was reported to have 34 students. Third grade classes in Farmington and Gadsden tallied 30 students. A fourth grade class in Alamogordo listed 40 students, and Artesia reported a fifth grade of 39 students.
Current state law caps kindergarten classes at 20 students and sets “average” class sizes of 22 for grades 1-3 and 24 for grades 4-6, but the reality is that a waiver system allows a skirting of the law and our children pay the price with inadequate learning conditions.
By contrast, Finland, hailed for its world-class education system, utilizes small classes of about 20 students. Alabama and Florida cap grades K-3 at 18 students, while last year New York joined Louisiana and Montana in capping those grades at 20. For its largest district, Nevada caps range from 16-18 students for grades K-3.
Think New Mexico recommends that the legislature and governor enact a law phasing in a 20-student cap in grades 1-6 over six years, one grade per year to allow ample time to plan for funding, space, and staff.
New Mexicans overwhelmingly support this idea. A statewide poll we commissioned last month found that 96% of New Mexico voters believe class size is important for student success, and 83% support a law that would cap elementary classes at 20. Only 22% believe our classes are the right size.
Smaller classes allow time for personalized learning and time for teachers to build relationships with students and families. This is an urgent need with nearly 40% of our students reported as chronically absent.
Research shows that nine out of ten teachers want smaller classes. Working conditions are often why teachers leave the profession, especially amid worsening behavior and safety issues.
As a former teacher, my largest class was 26 fourth graders and the smallest was 15 third graders. Guess which class showed more growth? Guess which year I felt at my best?
While opponents say reducing class sizes is impractical due to a teacher shortage, smaller classes could actually reduce the shortage. We can keep teachers from leaving the profession if we respect their needs and support their efforts. And if we make teaching a more attractive career option, we can lure our brightest students to the profession and keep them.
Research also shows that achievement gaps lessen when low-income and minority students remain in small classes over several years. The 2018 Martinez-Yazzie court ruling, which found that at-risk students were not receiving an adequate education, held that the state must provide programs and services to prepare students for college and career, including smaller classes.
If you agree that New Mexico should cap the size of elementary school classes, please visit the action center at www.thinknewmexico.or g to ask the governor and your legislators to make this a priority for 2024.
Mandi Torrez is the Education Reform Director for Think New Mexico and the 2020 New Mexico Teacher of the Year.