No mentorship is perhaps more vital and sensitive than that between a teacher and their student. So retaining a low student-to-teacher ratio — the number of students for every one teacher — is heralded by many parents and experts as one of the most important ways to foster that relationship.
But an analysis of 10 years of data found that the number of teachers in Massachusetts public schools is highly responsive to changes in the economy, leading to a fluid student-teacher ratio….
Public schools in the commonwealth are funded by a combination of local and state taxes. A perfect storm of economic hardships and legislative decisions last decade led to a decline in public school funding and, in turn, the loss of thousands of teacher jobs, research shows.
And school districts are still recovering.