Parents Upset By Arlington ISD Teacher Shuffle

ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - The Arlington Independent School District is shaking up their classrooms just four weeks into the new school year. Dozens of teachers across the district are switching grade levels or even campuses, and parents are not happy about the moves.

According to school district officials, this is something that happens a little bit every year, and it is required as new students sign up late for classes or get transferred into the area. As the students shuffle around in the first weeks of school, so must their instructors. The Arlington ISD chooses to do it now, rather than earlier in the year, so that children are not moved around more than necessary.

"We don't want to have to move people twice," explained district spokesperson Leslie Johnson. "We want to make sure our enrollment is as stable as possible."

In some cases, the movement means that class sizes are going up. For example, at Pope Elementary School in Arlington, there are about 20 kids in each sixth-grade class. However, after the teachers are switched around, there will be about seven more children per sixth-grade class.

The Arlington ISD aims to have no more than 30 kids per teacher. The Texas Education Agency's recommended classroom size limits only pertain to students up to the fourth grade.

Notices about the shuffling have not yet been sent to parents, but many moms and dads are learning about the changes through the grapevine. And the news is not going over very well. "I'm worried that she's not going to get the personal attention that she needs," said parent Lois Woodall about her daughter.

There are 38 teachers relocating withing the Arlington ISD, but this is not an isolated situation. The teacher shuffle happens at several other school districts all across the state, including others here in North Texas.

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