Hand in Hand: Small Schools and Effective Teachers

On my morning commute, I read the eSchool News article “Gates Foundation: Teachers trump class size”.

“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation… found the key to better education is not necessarily smaller schools but more effective teachers.”

Small schools and effective teachers come hand in hand.

There is a reciprocal relationship between good teachers and small schools. Smaller schools provide more opportunities for teachers, students, and administrators to build strong relationships. The support system in a small school is very different from a large school. The ability for a teacher to walk down the hallway and know most students by their names is a real improvement over the anonymity of students in large schools.

All teachers should be effective, otherwise they shouldn’t be teaching. However, all teachers can be more effective at a small school.

Students, parents, and teachers, feel free to chime in about your experiences! How much of a difference does school size make?

Chris Leung, MSEd is a New York State certified teacher and helps keep all the systems running at Tutor.com.