This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I am troubled by legitimate studies showing both class size and per-pupil spending have no correlation on educational outcomes. The rigorous science behind this analysis is undeniable and is not what concerns me.
What is distressing is using such studies to continually justify the miserly funding provided to public schools in Utah as though there is no limit to how far the results of this research can be extrapolated. Despite what all this research suggests, isn't it reasonable to assume that, at some point, class sizes and spending levels do impact student achievement? If there is absolutely no correlation between class size, per-pupil spending and educational outcomes, why not simply organize all students into the logical extreme of a single class with a single teacher?
The obvious answer is, regardless of how some choose to use valid research, at some point class size and spending levels will have an impact on student results.
Finally, none of these studies addresses the problematic issue of whether our teacher compensation is reasonable and fair. And isn't our chronic teacher shortage a clear, basic supply-and-demand indicator of the shameful state of education funding in Utah?
William F. Anderson
South Salt Lake