The city has agreed to hire an additional 1,300 teachers in order to cut class size in half across the city.
The deal, reached Monday, means the city will have one teacher for every 16 students.
The move follows a drawn out fight between the teachers union and
the schools chancellor. Chancellor Joel Klein had repeatedly said he
wouldn’t agree to a citywide cap on class size.Senate Democrats pushed the measure.
“There are many inputs that make a difference. We think class size
is a uniquely important one, but we’re working with the mayor with the
chancellor to use the money wisely,” said Governor Eliot Spitzer.The city plans to spend $258 million overall on reducing class
size, teacher training, additional classes and longer school day.
