Bad review about FCPS first grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have been in 2 different elementary schools and I would say that there is far too much screen time these days. Reading/phonics is done on Lexia - must do Lexia every day. Math is frequently on Math playground or whatever that is called - where they consider math to be dressing your penguin or prodigy, which also lets kids spend an oddly weird amount of time dressing characters. Reading is often done on MyOn - not with real books. Indoor recess? Screentime! Lunch? Movie time! Having said that, I'm not sure privates are any better.

There is a growing movement away from tech in schools now that there is more research about how it reduces learning. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen fast enough for my kids or yours.

This is such an odd post. True students are on Lexia. There isn’t any customization of the penguin and STMath, so what are you talking about? Indoor recess occurs 2 to 3 times a year. They are never movies during lunchtime. And kids can go to the library at least 1-2 times a week to get a paper book.

It is true that there’s increased technology in schools nowadays, but your post is clearly an exaggeration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are zoned for a Greatschools 10/10 elementary school in the Langley pyramid. We have not talked to anyone about the schools yet as our kids are young. A neighbor of mine who has a DD in first grade was saying most of the teaching is on screens and the homework is on screens as well. She said it kind of matter-of-factly, not happily. That is not what I want for my child. Do we need to shell out a ton of money we don’t have for private?! Does it vary in other elementary schools.

What do you mean?

Life and work revolves around screens. Screens are fabulous teaching tools.

Would you like to return to slate and chalk or something? Make them bang the erasers after school as discipline? Maybe bring back caning or other corporal punishment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been in 2 different elementary schools and I would say that there is far too much screen time these days. Reading/phonics is done on Lexia - must do Lexia every day. Math is frequently on Math playground or whatever that is called - where they consider math to be dressing your penguin or prodigy, which also lets kids spend an oddly weird amount of time dressing characters. Reading is often done on MyOn - not with real books. Indoor recess? Screentime! Lunch? Movie time! Having said that, I'm not sure privates are any better.

There is a growing movement away from tech in schools now that there is more research about how it reduces learning. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen fast enough for my kids or yours.

This is such an odd post. True students are on Lexia. There isn’t any customization of the penguin and STMath, so what are you talking about? Indoor recess occurs 2 to 3 times a year. They are never movies during lunchtime. And kids can go to the library at least 1-2 times a week to get a paper book.

It is true that there’s increased technology in schools nowadays, but your post is clearly an exaggeration.

My experience was closer to PP's - lots of indoor recess, lots of lunch movies (and class time movies), lots of Myon. Obviously schools vary.

[Anonymous]

It's so like a Langley poster to talk about a 10/10 GS elementary when there aren't any GS 10-rated ES in FCPS any longer (this says more about GS than FCPS, but it's also indicative of how Langley posters assume everything there must be the very bestest.

And the FOMO (fear of missing out) when it comes to not sending a kid to some expensive private. Chef's kiss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been in 2 different elementary schools and I would say that there is far too much screen time these days. Reading/phonics is done on Lexia - must do Lexia every day. Math is frequently on Math playground or whatever that is called - where they consider math to be dressing your penguin or prodigy, which also lets kids spend an oddly weird amount of time dressing characters. Reading is often done on MyOn - not with real books. Indoor recess? Screentime! Lunch? Movie time! Having said that, I'm not sure privates are any better.

There is a growing movement away from tech in schools now that there is more research about how it reduces learning. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen fast enough for my kids or yours.

This is such an odd post. True students are on Lexia. There isn’t any customization of the penguin and STMath, so what are you talking about? Indoor recess occurs 2 to 3 times a year. They are never movies during lunchtime. And kids can go to the library at least 1-2 times a week to get a paper book.

It is true that there’s increased technology in schools nowadays, but your post is clearly an exaggeration.

My experience was closer to PP's - lots of indoor recess, lots of lunch movies (and class time movies), lots of Myon. Obviously schools vary.

Why was your kid watching movies during lunch? Weren’t they in the cafeteria? Your situation is extremely uncommon.

[Anonymous]

I remember being super disappointed in first grade- we had switched from private to FCPS and it was like you describe. It has only gotten worse so maybe first grade was one of the better years

[Anonymous]

Not my kids’ experience… but we are only at a 6/10 fcps school.

[Anonymous]

You really have to visit the schoolS to see. They are not all the same and every teacher is not the same.

[Anonymous]

Please, please call your principals and superintendents and ask to decrease screen time.

[Anonymous]

OP it's highly teacher dependent. I have 3 kids in FCPS elementary schools and so we've dealt with multiple different teachers in many grades. Each teacher will focus more or less on screens.

That said, the Lexia, myOn, Pebble Go, and ST Math focus is annoying. Reading paper books is better for learning. Using physical manipulatives instead of pushing around digital place value blocks in ST Math is better for learning. The "adaptive" technology in both Lexia AND ST Math doesn't actually work (no surprise to anyone who has ever used software) and so the screens are worse at targeting content to individual learners than teachers are. I hate it. It's a major reason we are looking to shell out $$$ for private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are zoned for a Greatschools 10/10 elementary school in the Langley pyramid. We have not talked to anyone about the schools yet as our kids are young. A neighbor of mine who has a DD in first grade was saying most of the teaching is on screens and the homework is on screens as well. She said it kind of matter-of-factly, not happily. That is not what I want for my child. Do we need to shell out a ton of money we don’t have for private?! Does it vary in other elementary schools.

What do you mean?

Life and work revolves around screens. Screens are fabulous teaching tools.

Would you like to return to slate and chalk or something? Make them bang the erasers after school as discipline? Maybe bring back caning or other corporal punishment?

Spoken like someone who doesn't write software and has never used educational technology.
-professional computer programmer who is a Luddite for her kids, just like Steve Jobs was

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been in 2 different elementary schools and I would say that there is far too much screen time these days. Reading/phonics is done on Lexia - must do Lexia every day. Math is frequently on Math playground or whatever that is called - where they consider math to be dressing your penguin or prodigy, which also lets kids spend an oddly weird amount of time dressing characters. Reading is often done on MyOn - not with real books. Indoor recess? Screentime! Lunch? Movie time! Having said that, I'm not sure privates are any better.

There is a growing movement away from tech in schools now that there is more research about how it reduces learning. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen fast enough for my kids or yours.

This is such an odd post. True students are on Lexia. There isn’t any customization of the penguin and STMath, so what are you talking about? Indoor recess occurs 2 to 3 times a year. They are never movies during lunchtime. And kids can go to the library at least 1-2 times a week to get a paper book.

It is true that there’s increased technology in schools nowadays, but your post is clearly an exaggeration.

DP. Our school was frequently showing movies during lunchtime the year after Covid to try and keep kids quiet and 3' apart. They didn't before and they don't now, but they did for a while.

We have indoor recess more than 3 times a year for sure.

I think the customization of the penguin is the poster being confused between ST Math and Prodigy.

Kids can get paper books, but I feel like our teachers encourage myOn and Pebble Go and NewsELA because the county paid for them and now teachers are expected to use them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been in 2 different elementary schools and I would say that there is far too much screen time these days. Reading/phonics is done on Lexia - must do Lexia every day. Math is frequently on Math playground or whatever that is called - where they consider math to be dressing your penguin or prodigy, which also lets kids spend an oddly weird amount of time dressing characters. Reading is often done on MyOn - not with real books. Indoor recess? Screentime! Lunch? Movie time! Having said that, I'm not sure privates are any better.

There is a growing movement away from tech in schools now that there is more research about how it reduces learning. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen fast enough for my kids or yours.

This is such an odd post. True students are on Lexia. There isn’t any customization of the penguin and STMath, so what are you talking about? Indoor recess occurs 2 to 3 times a year. They are never movies during lunchtime. And kids can go to the library at least 1-2 times a week to get a paper book.

It is true that there’s increased technology in schools nowadays, but your post is clearly an exaggeration.

My experience was closer to PP's - lots of indoor recess, lots of lunch movies (and class time movies), lots of Myon. Obviously schools vary.

Why was your kid watching movies during lunch? Weren’t they in the cafeteria? Your situation is extremely uncommon.

Yes, movies were shown in the cafeteria, eg daily during the week before winter break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are zoned for a Greatschools 10/10 elementary school in the Langley pyramid. We have not talked to anyone about the schools yet as our kids are young. A neighbor of mine who has a DD in first grade was saying most of the teaching is on screens and the homework is on screens as well. She said it kind of matter-of-factly, not happily. That is not what I want for my child. Do we need to shell out a ton of money we don’t have for private?! Does it vary in other elementary schools.

What do you mean?

Life and work revolves around screens. Screens are fabulous teaching tools.

Would you like to return to slate and chalk or something? Make them bang the erasers after school as discipline? Maybe bring back caning or other corporal punishment?

Cleaning the board and erasers was a fun job, not a punishment. But yes, detention used to involve helping the school janitor and I think that's a good punishment, especially for property destruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP it's highly teacher dependent. I have 3 kids in FCPS elementary schools and so we've dealt with multiple different teachers in many grades. Each teacher will focus more or less on screens.

That said, the Lexia, myOn, Pebble Go, and ST Math focus is annoying. Reading paper books is better for learning. Using physical manipulatives instead of pushing around digital place value blocks in ST Math is better for learning. The "adaptive" technology in both Lexia AND ST Math doesn't actually work (no surprise to anyone who has ever used software) and so the screens are worse at targeting content to individual learners than teachers are. I hate it. It's a major reason we are looking to shell out $$$ for private.

and you will regret that! we spent a small fortune on private the last 2 years for two kids, and it's a sh*tshow...screens EVERYWHERE : this private has no rules for personal devices, smartphones and Apple watches out all day, kids allowed to "take notes" on their personal device even though the school ISSUES chromebooks to each child, personal iPads pulled out for indoor recess (happens VERY often in winter) in grades as young as 1st.
you are FOOLing yourself if you think it's any better in private unless you go to a Catholic school where they shun all tech and they make kids use paper/pencil/books for every assignment.

I'll take public school all day every day, thanks.