Watch this 2-minute clip, in which New York City parents and activists explain why class size in the public schools is far too large and how this hurts children and reduces educational opportunity.

After a legal challenge, a judge ten years ago ordered the city to submit a plan for smaller classes.

The city promised that by 2012, classes in kindergarten through third grade would be capped at 20 children. The limit was to be 23 students in middle school, and 25 in high school.

“Instead, class sizes have gone up substantially since then,” said Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters.

For example, in 2007, one thousand kids in first through third grades were in classes of 30 students or more.

This past school year, more than 43,000 students in the early grades were in classes that large.