Bill Clinton: “Reduction and Teacher Quality May 8, 1998 To the Congress of the United States: I am pleased to transmit today for your…”

“Reduction and Teacher Quality May 8, 1998 To the Congress of the United States: I am pleased to transmit today for your immediate consideration and enactment the ``Class-Size Reduction and Teacher Quality Act of 1998.'' This legislative proposal would help States and local school districts recruit, train, and hire 100,000 additional well-prepared teachers in order to reduce the average class size to 18 in grades 1 through 3 in our Nation's public schools. It is an essential part of our overall effort to strengthen public schools throughout the Nation. As schools across the Nation struggle to accommodate a surge in enrollments, educators and parents have become increasingly concerned about the impact of class size on teaching and learning, particularly in the critically important early grades, where students learn reading and other basic skills. This concern is justified: rigorous research confirms what parents and teachers have long believed--that students in smaller classes, especially in the early grades, make greater educational gains and maintain those gains over time. These gains occur because teachers in small classes can provide students with more individualized attention, spend more time on instruction and less time on discipline, and cover more material effectively. Moreover, the benefits of smaller classes are greatest for poor, minority, and inner- city children, the children who often face the greatest challenges in meeting high educational standards.…”