What the heck is happening to DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader at a charter school just learned a song that helps them to ask people for their pronouns which is great. They've also learned the phonics, continents, multiplication and the basics of plate tectonics (when they learned about the continents, they learned how the continents got their shape - it was apparently a very exciting lesson because they came home and showed me how various mountain ranges around the world were formed).

In the SECOND grade? Are you kidding me?

2nd grade standard is repeated addition aka 2+2+2=2*3

In our HRCS, multiplication was introduced towards the end of second grade. But now in 3rd, they should have mastered it and have moved on.

Seriously guys - there is no such thing as HRCS anymore - move on - its kind of sickening...

What’s sickening is how slow and bad the math curriculum is in DCPS in the upper grades. In poorly performing schools, teaching to the middle is teaching below grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We left DCPS when I realized my DC did not reliably know multiplication facts by the end of 4th grade. Or spelling.

Wow, that’s really bad. I would have been out if there too if that was the case.

[Anonymous]

Some of you need some IRL friends rather than spending your work day bashing the people who give their day to your children. It's a bad look

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you need some IRL friends rather than spending your work day bashing the people who give their day to your children. It's a bad look

It's not the teachers, it's the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

I had one kid go through Watkins and one kid go through Maury, and both of them learned geography and multiplication (including math fact memorization) in 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you need some IRL friends rather than spending your work day bashing the people who give their day to your children. It's a bad look

It's not the teachers, it's the curriculum.

Then please listen to this teacher and take your complaints offline

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you need some IRL friends rather than spending your work day bashing the people who give their day to your children. It's a bad look

It's not the teachers, it's the curriculum.

Then please listen to this teacher and take your complaints offline

Everyone please stick your heads in the sand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first grader knows continents by singing a song they learned at school. They’re at Shepherd, fwiw.

The Jack Hartman song? Because that’s how my Ker knows the continents. (We’re at LT.) Second grader there has been exposed to multiplication, but as another poster indicated, it seems to be mostly conceptual. 2x3 = 2 sets of 3 = 3 + 3 = 3 sets of 2 = 2 + 2 + 2 kind of thing. Not like memorizing times tables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader at a charter school just learned a song that helps them to ask people for their pronouns which is great. They've also learned the phonics, continents, multiplication and the basics of plate tectonics (when they learned about the continents, they learned how the continents got their shape - it was apparently a very exciting lesson because they came home and showed me how various mountain ranges around the world were formed).

We are not at the same charter but my 2nd grader, at an immersion charter, last year spent time in similar topic in science where they learned about earth plates, volcanoes, tsunami, etc…and they built some cool volcanoes using paper and clay and wrote stories about above in both English and Spanish. The kids loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids didn’t have math or reading today due to delay but they engaged in some sort of activity to talk about their emotions which led my DC to be in tears the rest of the day.

Report cards were super generic and said nothing of value.

My kid seems to know what every letter of LGBTQ stands for and what it means (which is fine) but could not name the seven continents and doesn’t know what continent we live in (which is not fine imho)

Teachers seem checked out. I guess I don’t blame them really.

Sigh. It seems like things are falling off a cliff. Just me? Hopefully, it’s just me.

My first grader has already learned the continents, oceans, and compass rose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader at a charter school just learned a song that helps them to ask people for their pronouns which is great. They've also learned the phonics, continents, multiplication and the basics of plate tectonics (when they learned about the continents, they learned how the continents got their shape - it was apparently a very exciting lesson because they came home and showed me how various mountain ranges around the world were formed).

We are not at the same charter but my 2nd grader, at an immersion charter, last year spent time in similar topic in science where they learned about earth plates, volcanoes, tsunami, etc…and they built some cool volcanoes using paper and clay and wrote stories about above in both English and Spanish. The kids loved it.

Majority of 2nd graders in title 1 schools can barely read much less write stories. It’s sad but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader at a charter school just learned a song that helps them to ask people for their pronouns which is great. They've also learned the phonics, continents, multiplication and the basics of plate tectonics (when they learned about the continents, they learned how the continents got their shape - it was apparently a very exciting lesson because they came home and showed me how various mountain ranges around the world were formed).

We are not at the same charter but my 2nd grader, at an immersion charter, last year spent time in similar topic in science where they learned about earth plates, volcanoes, tsunami, etc…and they built some cool volcanoes using paper and clay and wrote stories about above in both English and Spanish. The kids loved it.

DCPS science curriculum is very strong. The problem here is that science and social studies are not tested subjects (except for a couple of times throughout their 13 years, OSSE tests science knowledge). When the testing stakes are high in terms of bonuses for principals and school rankings and federal funding, of course the no -tested subjects are allotted VERY little time. Many elementary teachers can only teach these subjects when time allows as the focus on math and ELA is relentless. The math curriculum is actually quite good, even if unfamiliar to parents. The steady focus on number sense and flexible operations will pay off! But there is also a time for memorizing basic math facts too. I suggest making some simple multiplication flash cards and doing them at dinner each night If your kid isn’t fluent by the end of third grade.

[Anonymous]

The real equity issue is not providing rigorous academics that meet ALL kids where they are. DCPS continues to focus on lower tier students, which is important, but the curriculum fails to challenge other students. Allowing the teachers to spend more time on rigorous, differentiated instruction would actually be the just and equitable thing to do - in all wards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader at a charter school just learned a song that helps them to ask people for their pronouns which is great. They've also learned the phonics, continents, multiplication and the basics of plate tectonics (when they learned about the continents, they learned how the continents got their shape - it was apparently a very exciting lesson because they came home and showed me how various mountain ranges around the world were formed).

We are not at the same charter but my 2nd grader, at an immersion charter, last year spent time in similar topic in science where they learned about earth plates, volcanoes, tsunami, etc…and they built some cool volcanoes using paper and clay and wrote stories about above in both English and Spanish. The kids loved it.

DCPS science curriculum is very strong. The problem here is that science and social studies are not tested subjects (except for a couple of times throughout their 13 years, OSSE tests science knowledge). When the testing stakes are high in terms of bonuses for principals and school rankings and federal funding, of course the no -tested subjects are allotted VERY little time. Many elementary teachers can only teach these subjects when time allows as the focus on math and ELA is relentless. The math curriculum is actually quite good, even if unfamiliar to parents. The steady focus on number sense and flexible operations will pay off! But there is also a time for memorizing basic math facts too. I suggest making some simple multiplication flash cards and doing them at dinner each night If your kid isn’t fluent by the end of third grade.

PARCC numbers don’t support your premise above. The overwhelming majority of kids are way below grade level in math, as in 1 or 2. Look at the science scores, also abysmal.

If the curriculum was strong in content, above would not be so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader at a charter school just learned a song that helps them to ask people for their pronouns which is great. They've also learned the phonics, continents, multiplication and the basics of plate tectonics (when they learned about the continents, they learned how the continents got their shape - it was apparently a very exciting lesson because they came home and showed me how various mountain ranges around the world were formed).

We are not at the same charter but my 2nd grader, at an immersion charter, last year spent time in similar topic in science where they learned about earth plates, volcanoes, tsunami, etc…and they built some cool volcanoes using paper and clay and wrote stories about above in both English and Spanish. The kids loved it.

DCPS science curriculum is very strong. The problem here is that science and social studies are not tested subjects (except for a couple of times throughout their 13 years, OSSE tests science knowledge). When the testing stakes are high in terms of bonuses for principals and school rankings and federal funding, of course the no -tested subjects are allotted VERY little time. Many elementary teachers can only teach these subjects when time allows as the focus on math and ELA is relentless. The math curriculum is actually quite good, even if unfamiliar to parents. The steady focus on number sense and flexible operations will pay off! But there is also a time for memorizing basic math facts too. I suggest making some simple multiplication flash cards and doing them at dinner each night If your kid isn’t fluent by the end of third grade.

No. Just no.