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Radio ad spotlights crowded classrooms

The Massachusetts Teachers Association has launched a radio advertising campaign focusing on the impact that state cuts in education spending are having on class sizes in our public schools. The MTA's one-minute spot, Unanswered Questions, began airing March 1 on AM and FM stations around the state. The ad focuses on children asking questions in a second-grade classroom.

"Teachers always do their best to give every question the attention it deserves, but because Massachusetts has cut state funding per student more than any other state in the past two years, class sizes will continue to grow, and questions may go unanswered," the ad states.

The statement reflects the findings of a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Andrew Reschovsky, which showed that state aid per pupil, including grants and reimbursements, dropped by more than 14 percent in the Commonwealth between fiscal years 2002 and 2004, after adjusting for cost increases. Nationally, the average decline was 4 percent over those two years.

In addition, groups representing teachers, superintendents, school committees and municipal officials recently issued a report, Progress in Jeopardy, that covered survey findings from 187 school districts across the Commonwealth. The report -- issued by the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers -- showed that class sizes have risen in 59 percent of the 153 districts that reported class-size data. In Bridgewater-Raynham, the average class size in grades K-3 has risen to 27; in Fitchburg, some classes in grades 4-12 have as many as 37 students.

"It is vital for citizens to understand the impact of state budget cuts on the children in our public education system," said MTA President Catherine A. Boudreau. "It is clear that we must reverse this decline, and we call upon Gov. Mitt Romney to play a leading role in that effort.

"So far," Boudreau added, "the governor's priorities do not seem to address the needs of public education at any level. Every day, we hear more from teachers, education support professionals and higher education faculty about the toll the lack of resources is taking."

The MTA radio spot is airing on stations in Greater Boston, Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Springfield and Worcester, and on Cape Cod. Unanswered Questions was produced by SS+K, an advertising firm with offices in Boston and other cities.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association represents 96,000 public education employees, including education support professionals, teachers, higher education faculty and staff, and future teachers.