Patty Murray: “All of these studies have followed up on what we have been able to do in reducing class size and have shown the same…”

“All of these studies have followed up on what we have been able to do in reducing class size and have shown the same benefits of better student achievement, fewer discipline problems, and better test scores for students as they moved into the upper grades. It is astounding to me that we had a bipartisan agreement 2 years ago to begin to reduce class size and every year, it seems, we have to come back and argue this again, debate it again, move on to a vote, then get to a point in October where we again amend the budget, and finally put it in the budget. It seems to me, and I assume to the Senator from Massachusetts, that we would be smarter to put it in the bill now so school districts that are trying to figure out what we are doing will have the knowledge that this program will continue; that they can begin to hire their teachers, as they do in the months of June and July, and be ready to move on without the question of being left out there.”