Open letter to Members of the Board of Education from the GHS Science Dept:
The proposed reduction of 6.5 teaching positions at Greenwich High School raises serious concerns, particularly for student safety in science classrooms. If cuts are distributed equitably across departments, the Science Department would lose another teacher in addition to the science position eliminated just two years ago, along with two Learning Facilitator positions.
Losing teachers directly increases class sizes, and in science classes, larger class sizes are not just an instructional issue—they are a safety issue. We as science teachers are responsible for the safety of our students, your children, and we take that responsibility seriously. Science teachers are responsible for the safety of students while they work with chemicals, open flames, sharp instruments, and specialized equipment. Effective supervision requires teachers to actively monitor each lab group, something that becomes increasingly difficult as class sizes grow.
Science classrooms at Greenwich High School were designed with fixed lab benches based on safety standards recommended by organizations such as the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and OSHA. These labs are built to safely accommodate 24 students. The State of Connecticut recommends an even lower ratio of 15 students per teacher in laboratory settings. While the physical size of the classrooms has not changed, the district has increased the class size cap to 27 students, and further staff reductions would push class sizes even higher.
Once enrollment exceeds 24 students, as it currently does in some science rooms, extra desks must be placed in aisles because the rooms cannot be reconfigured. This, along with students’ backpacks, reduces aisle space, making it difficult for teachers and students to move safely during labs and nearly impossible to exit quickly in an emergency. Crowded aisles and restricted movement create unsafe conditions, particularly when students are handling chemicals or laboratory equipment.
In chemistry labs, students work at lab benches equipped with gas lines and Bunsen burners. There are six lab stations per room. As class sizes increase, teachers are forced to create larger lab groups, crowding more students around open flames and increasing the risk of accidents. Similarly, in biology labs, tools such as scalpels and chemical preservatives require constant supervision—something that becomes far more challenging with too many students to monitor at once.
The increased number of students has made each science discipline think about which labs we can safely have the students perform and eliminate certain labs due to the increased number of students in the class. Chemicals in chemistry labs and scalpels used for dissection in biology labs have to be taken into consideration when there are so many students to monitor. Students often ask, “Can I eat/drink this?”, “What would happen if I stuck myself with this?”, “Would this kill me if I got some on myself?”, “Would I go blind?” As much as we appreciate the inquisitive nature of these questions, the more it reminds us that our eyes need to be on each lab group, monitoring their work. We think we have covered everything with our lab protocols but students find something that was not explicitly stated and think it is okay to try and find the answer to one of the questions above. More students means it can be harder to prevent students from performing their own “experiment”.
Modern instructional practices encouraged by the district, including Building Thinking Classroom, recommends groups of three students for optimal learning. Research shows that groups of 3 is the optimal number for effective student engagement in group work. With 27 students, this results in nine lab groups—far more than the available space and equipment can safely support. The result is overcrowding that limits student participation and compromises safety.
The unique nature of Science Department classes requires a significant amount of time spent on cataloging, and ordering supplies and materials for the science labs. Learning Facilitators coordinate all of these activities so the loss of these two positions have decreased the amount of time that Science teachers can spend working with students outside of the classroom.
Greenwich High School has long prioritized students. Science teachers have always prioritized safety. Continued increases in class size due to additional teacher cuts threaten both. Further reductions to science staff will jeopardize student safety and diminish the quality of hands-on science education. It is concerning that the Board of Education continues to cut student-facing positions and compromise student safety while refusing to cut funds dedicated to professional development, travel, outside consultants, and central office staff.
Sincerely,
Ben Alander
Athena Apazidis
Debbie Baran
Shirley Barban
Richard Baxley
Dan Bloom
Aimee Bolash
Andrew Bramante
Stephen Collins
Laura Fox
Ben Gawle
Tracey Gorglione
Ellen Lewis
Paul Ludwig
Taylor Mecozzi
Sarah Meyers
John Nabozna
Colin Nanavaty
Katie Norton
Dr. Beena Ramachandran
Marinella Scicchitano
Dr. Cindy Vartuli
Jerusha Vogel
Sarah Zeegen