| A long time ago, kids went to school in a | | | | discipline, teachers can't always get to each |
| one-room schoolhouse. Kids ranged in age from | | | | and everyone of their students each and every |
| around 7 to 16, and were all taught by the | | | | day. Los Angeles Schools teachers also have |
| same teacher. In the cities, schools were | | | | more papers to grade and more parents to |
| mostly run by religious organizations or | | | | conference with. According to recent studies, |
| sometimes the town's city council took over | | | | being in an overcrowded class means that kids |
| the responsibility of educating the young | | | | are performing at a lower achievement rate |
| people. As our population has increased, the | | | | than they would in a normal-sized or even |
| need for more teachers and more classrooms | | | | small-sized classroom. Kids that need help |
| and even more school buildings has grown | | | | from their teacher may need to wait a long |
| exponentially. Nowhere is that more evident | | | | time before the teacher can get to them, |
| than in Los Angeles Schools. Los Angeles | | | | since he or she is most likely working with |
| Schools have seen a population explosion over | | | | another student at the time. This empty time |
| the past few years. Higher birthrates as well | | | | can lead to bullying, disruptive behavior, or |
| as new residents moving to the city have led | | | | other nonproductive activities. Some Los |
| to Los Angeles Schools that are operating way | | | | Angeles Schools teachers are reacting to the |
| over capacity. The overflow of students is | | | | problems of overcrowding with morning |
| spilling into portable classrooms, and at | | | | demonstrations against the rising class |
| many Los Angeles Schools children share | | | | sizes. They have been outside their school |
| deteriorating bathrooms, a single eating area | | | | picketing for a few minutes each morning |
| and an overcrowded playground. Faced with the | | | | before class begins. They want to open the |
| increasing challenge of getting Los Angeles | | | | public's eyes to the fact that having too |
| Public Schools kids to lunch around lunchtime | | | | many kids in one class makes it nearly |
| and making sure they are getting enough | | | | impossible to give each student the attention |
| physical exercise throughout out the school | | | | they deserve. The teachers say that having |
| day, Los Angeles Schools principals find | | | | too many students in one class makes it |
| themselves forced to cut special programs. | | | | harder for them to spend enough time with |
| Another problem Los Angeles Schools are | | | | each. They have been holding picket signs |
| facing due to overcrowding is that schools | | | | outside of the school this week for a few |
| don't have to capacity to house all those | | | | minutes before classes begin. Overcrowding is |
| extra kids. Some Los Angeles Schools have a | | | | definitely a big problem for Los Angeles |
| student population that is at least three | | | | Schools. |
| times the size the building was designed to | | | | |
| serve. Because of these larger class sizes in | | | | Patricia Hawke is an expert researcher and |
| the Los Angeles Schools, principals are | | | | writer on real estate topics such as |
| finding that they also lack the necessary | | | | economics, credit improvement tips, home |
| teachers needed to accommodate them. Other | | | | selling advice and home buying preparations |
| problems Los Angeles Schools students are | | | | and education for relocating families. For |
| facing in the classroom is that they can't | | | | more information please visit Los Angeles |
| get the proper attention they need from their | | | | Unified School District. |
| teachers. Needing to spend a lot more time on | | | | |