PHILLIP:

I'm sorry I'm late. I've left my class with another teacher.

MARTIN:

That's all right. I have time.

ANGELA:

We have just started talking about the school.

PHILLIP:

Good. I'm not too late. May I get you something to drink?

MARTIN:

No, thanks. I have something.

PHILLIP:

Angela?

ANGELA:

Yes, please. Coffee. Martin, I want to tell you one thing about this school. It's very crowded.

MARTIN:

How many students are there?

PHILLIP:

Excuse me. Angela, do you want milk and sugar?

ANGELA:

Yes, please. Where was I?

MARTIN:

How many students are there?

ANGELA:

Five hundred twenty-two. The school was built for about three hundred children. It's a neighborhood school. And the neighborhood has grown very quickly. It started with older families. Now it has young families with children.

PHILLIP:

May I say something? It's been crowded for five years. Something must be done.

MARTIN:

What kind of children go to this school?

ANGELA:

What do you mean?

MARTIN:

Are they rich children, poor children, or what?

PHILLIP:

I want to tell you about that. When the school opened-

MARTIN:

Excuse me. When did the school open?

PHILLIP:

Twenty-five years ago. As Angela said, the neighborhood was older families. There weren't so many children in the neighborhood. Now there are many families with small children.

ANGELA:

May I say something? The homes in this neighborhood were very expensive. Now they aren't.

PHILLIP:

Let's go on. We were talking about the school. It's too crowded.

MARTIN:

Does that make your work difficult?

PHILLIP:

Yes. We have too many children in the classrooms. Some of the rooms have been divided into two classrooms. The playground is also too crowded. There isn't enough room for sports and games.

ANGELA:

Phillip always talks about the playground. He coaches some of the children. Let me talk about the classroom. I have-

PHILLIP:

Excuse me. I teach classes too. I don't-

ANGELA:

I want to tell Martin about the classroom I had last year. OK?

PHILLIP:

Go on.

ANGELA:

I had children from wall to wall. I had thirty children in a room for fifteen. I couldn't move.

MARTIN:

How old were the children?

ANGELA:

About seven years old. I teach second grade.

PHILLIP:

Not all classes are this crowded. The younger children are in larger classes.

MARTIN:

Tell me more. What do you like about the school?

ANGELA:

Almost everything.

PHILLIP:

I agree. I like everything, except it's too crowded. I like the sports program. We have softball, basketball-

ANGELA:

Excuse me. May we talk about something other than sports?

ANGELA:

Excuse me. I'll be right back. I want to check on my class.