THE
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Dr. Michael M. Krop Sr. High • 1410 Countyline Road • Miami, Florida 33179 POLICY A new policy which was revoked at the start of the school year affects the number of students allowed in each classroom.
SIZE
AMENDMENT
By Sara Alvarez staff writer Junior Julian Covos sits in the back of his Advanced Placement (AP) chemistry class of 39 students and wonders if he will receive enough individual attention to pass the AP exam in May. “This overcrowding definitely affects our learning,” Covos said. “Individual students don’t receive the same amount of attention they need, and it is a lot easier to get lost.” In 2010, Florida voters passed a law which limits core class sizes to 25 students per class. This year however, the Class Size Amendment does not apply to students who take AP classes or other non-core classes. Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott does not consider AP courses to be core classes although they may be required for graduation. As a result of this decision, AP
September 22, 2011 • Issue 1 • Volume 14
JAVIER STORCH
CLASS IN SESSION: Social Studies teacher Ellen Elias lectures her fouth period, AP macroeconomics.There are 36 students in the class, 11 more than last year when the class size amendment affected AP as well as core classes.
classes have become significantly overcrowded, putting students’ learning at a disadvantage. More than 2.1 billion
dollars have been cut from state education since 2008, according to the State Education Department.
“The entire AP program has been compromised,” English teacher Michael Kelly said. Kelly believes that once a
class passes 25 students, student comprehension is significantly reduced because of the short adolescent attention span. With fewer students, greater retention occurs. He also believes that a student who is not selfmotivated will need guidance that a teacher with over 25 students cannot provide. According to a study 2008 study done in Columbia University Teachers College, reducing class size can improve students’ academic performance. Apart from the lack of individual attention, another problem is the space necessary to hold all these students although counselor have worked overtime trying to solve this problem through class leveling. “I used to be in a very small room that was the size of an office, but they moved me to a larger classroom so that solved the problem,” social studies teacher Michelle Mar said. Principal Dawn Baglos also sees the need for smaller class sizes. “I recognize that high schoolers are still developing and they need the follow up,” Baglos said. “Because we want our kids to be successful, we are doing what we can.”
SPORTS
School fined for basketball violation By Eric Eidelstein editor-in-chief
On Wednesday, September 7th the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) fined Krop over $53,000 for falsifying the eligibility documents of several basketball players for the 2010-2011 season. According to the Miami
Herald, FHSAA executive director Roger Dearing said that the fine was originally around $313,000 but was reduced due to the cooperation of Krop and Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This fine came with a three-year probation period for the basketball team who will not be able to participate in the state playoffs. In addition to the basketball
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team’s ineligibility, the entire athletic department has been put on a one-year probation period. The FHSAA is monitoring the school for standard violations such as not meeting grade requirements and forging documents (See http://www. fhsaa.org for more information on violations). As a result of the incident, Basketball Coach Shakey
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Rodriguez resigned. After receiving FHSAA’s ruling, Principal Dawn Baglos filed an appeal. Although Baglos could not reveal the contents of the appeal, she said a decision will be made by Nov. in Gainesville. “Our school has garnered more than 80 million dollars in scholarships over ten years,” Baglos said. “This should not
be overshadowed by $53,000.” Senior Jennifer Thelusma, who is involved in several school clubs thinks the FHSAA fine is inappropriate considering the many cuts being made in the public school system. “They are punishing the students,” Thelusma said. “In light of Class Size Amendment and budget cuts, this large fine will only hurt the student population.”
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THE REVIVAL
Remembering September 11, page 12
PAGE 7
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