MCPS teachers - what would you tell parents in your class(es) if you could?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is something I would tell parents of students with IEP's: If you think your child should have a different service placement (outside the HSM) you should hire an advocate/lawyer.

The gatekeeping involved with the central special ed department is off the charts at this point. They will do everything in their power to work to prevent a kid from being moved to a different program because of staff shortages in those programs. Local special ed teachers are POWERLESS (other than collecting data and working on the IEP) to make this happen. The special ed supervisors will stonewall and throw up obstacle after obstacle. Only when a parent is there being persistent and bringing representation do things really happen.

I hate to see this worded like this. You want grace for teachers who are over burden but don’t have grace for central special Ed supervisors who you admit are trying not to add more to already overburdened teachers in another program. And the Special ED assistant super as admitted publicly that their are kids who need and should be in private settings but can’t because there are not spaces available.

What I would like to see is continued advocacy for Spec-Ed teaching salary to be a completely different scale. I also like to see some case management admin support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That they should be supplementing at home. We aren't allowed to give ELA homework in the early grades (maybe that will change if we ever get a new curriculum) so instead we tell families to “read” when what I really want them to do is a few minutes of fluency drills to reinforce what I’m teaching in class.

Can you provide examples of the fluency drills you’d like parents to have their kids do? Are there workbooks you would suggest?

[Anonymous]

I would tell parents to please read my emails and/or Class Dojo posts. Of course the parents who don’t read them also won’t read this either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends - if they have an iep? I’d tell them that most of the services are delivered by the general Ed teacher because inclusion spec Ed teachers are stretched too thin and we spend so much time on paperwork and not with kids. I’d also tell them no matter what they “advocate for” in the iep, it doesn’t actually happen during the school day due to limited resources and time so half the time we just agree to make you go away

Sad but true. We had to do everything privately. MCPS was a joke.

I think it has to do with the massive increase in students requesting these services these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends - if they have an iep? I’d tell them that most of the services are delivered by the general Ed teacher because inclusion spec Ed teachers are stretched too thin and we spend so much time on paperwork and not with kids. I’d also tell them no matter what they “advocate for” in the iep, it doesn’t actually happen during the school day due to limited resources and time so half the time we just agree to make you go away

We know. Thanks for being a failure in your life's work.

Likewise for being a failure at actual life. (Lack of empathy is the first sign of being a psychopath)

"I decided to use an anonymous forum to taunt distraught parents of special needs kids in a blasé manner about how we fail their children. But you're the psychopath! Poor me!"
PP

I have two special needs kids and did not take it that way. Anyone with a bit of common sense can see teachers and support staff are stretched far too thin. This teacher is being honest. Which was the request on the thread. Parents need to know this so we can try to make the best decisions possible for our kids.

So you’re ok with your child’s IEP team agreeing to provide certain supports that they have no good faith belief that they will provide?

If you really do have children with special needs, I doubt they require much in the way of supports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is something I would tell parents of students with IEP's: If you think your child should have a different service placement (outside the HSM) you should hire an advocate/lawyer.

The gatekeeping involved with the central special ed department is off the charts at this point. They will do everything in their power to work to prevent a kid from being moved to a different program because of staff shortages in those programs. Local special ed teachers are POWERLESS (other than collecting data and working on the IEP) to make this happen. The special ed supervisors will stonewall and throw up obstacle after obstacle. Only when a parent is there being persistent and bringing representation do things really happen.

I hate to see this worded like this. You want grace for teachers who are over burden but don’t have grace for central special Ed supervisors who you admit are trying not to add more to already overburdened teachers in another program. And the Special ED assistant super as admitted publicly that their are kids who need and should be in private settings but can’t because there are not spaces available.

What I would like to see is continued advocacy for Spec-Ed teaching salary to be a completely different scale. I also like to see some case management admin support.

I would love to see SpEd on a different pay scale. But I fear two things: 1) MCEA would never let it happen, and 2) it would just exacerbate staffing problems, since already budget is the limiting factor for things like paras.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would tell parents to be more respectful of everyone’s time and space in the car loop and at arrival/ dismissal. People are so rude

Exactly! I have witnessed parents getting pretty combative with staff because they want to do what they want to do:

1. Pull up all the way! We are trying to reduce congestion on the street where we have many families walking to school, so we need to fit as many cars in the drop off loop as possible.
2. Get off your cell phones! I have seen parents almost run into the car in front of them far too many times.
3. Please have your children exit the passenger side of the car. See number two about distracted drivers.
4. I know each school is different but an issue at my school, a parent parks in the handicap parking spot to brush her child’s hair and clean up her face. She’s been asked multiple times to park in the main lot but she argues that others are doing it and we are racist for speaking to her about it but not others. Note, the other cars are dropping off children with physical handicaps but she’s not entitled to that information.

5. Teach your children to open their own door.

+1 for the love of god pmfi you’re going to be a car rider teach them to do it or get off your a$$ yourself and open it for them!! We are not chauffeurs here to open your door for your kids one by one

Sure, teach the kids to get out themselves, but please don't get out of your car to let them out if there are school staff there to do it (and wait for that/roll down your window to ask for help if needed). For schools with tighter loops and longer lines, the extra time of a parent getting out, opening the door, ushering the child out, shutting the door and getting back in keeps everyone else in line waiting and is dangerous (see: having kids get out on the passenger/sidewalk side only).

Oh, and please have them ready to go by the time you pull up (seatbelt/straps off, open door, get out of car unencumbered, reach back to grab already-packed backpack, say "bye" to let you know they are done, close door; only these things).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is something I would tell parents of students with IEP's: If you think your child should have a different service placement (outside the HSM) you should hire an advocate/lawyer.

The gatekeeping involved with the central special ed department is off the charts at this point. They will do everything in their power to work to prevent a kid from being moved to a different program because of staff shortages in those programs. Local special ed teachers are POWERLESS (other than collecting data and working on the IEP) to make this happen. The special ed supervisors will stonewall and throw up obstacle after obstacle. Only when a parent is there being persistent and bringing representation do things really happen.

I hate to see this worded like this. You want grace for teachers who are over burden but don’t have grace for central special Ed supervisors who you admit are trying not to add more to already overburdened teachers in another program. And the Special ED assistant super as admitted publicly that their are kids who need and should be in private settings but can’t because there are not spaces available.

What I would like to see is continued advocacy for Spec-Ed teaching salary to be a completely different scale. I also like to see some case management admin support.

I would love to see SpEd on a different pay scale. But I fear two things: 1) MCEA would never let it happen, and 2) it would just exacerbate staffing problems, since already budget is the limiting factor for things like paras.

The problem is that there are shortages in other areas as well. There is a shortage of high school physics teachers. Should they get a raise as well so that MCPS can hire more of them? Some schools had a long term sub all year for physics because there are no teachers to be hired. Special Ed parents look at everything from a special education lens but there are many fires to be put out. School bus drivers need a raise as well as school psychologists as there are shortages in both of these areas

[Anonymous]

Parents of middle and HS students - your kids are on their cell phones way more than you think during school despite what they tell you.
Please advocate for tougher cell phone rules in schools. Private schools are doing a much better job of enforcing cell phone rules and their kids are getting a better education because of it. Also, for high school, I don’t mind the early start but period 1 is a waste because kids are either half asleep or arrive late. If I was a high school parent I would advocate for a later high school start time. Many states have adapted to a later start time. I feel so bad for high school kids who look so tired in school but not much I can do about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please set up Synergy and include an active email address. Please check your Synergy email. This is the easiest way for teachers to contact parents and it immediately documents the contact in Synergy.

Please check your child's grade prior to the last week of the marking period. If you want me to do something to help your child pass the class, do not email me the last week of the marking period (and check your Synergy email, because I have already emailed you about it). Know that I am doing everything in my power to help your child pass the class. I provide small group support, reteaching, modified assignments, options for responding orally to demonstrate understanding, anything and everything possible to help support your child.

If you want your child to earn an A, and you plan on emailing me about it, please include what your child has done to demonstrate exceeding standards on assignments throughout the marking period. Just because your child turned in all of the work, doesn't mean that they earn an A. Remember it is about how well they are demonstrating understanding of the standards, not just earning points.

Be willing to answer unlisted phone calls. I can't always call home during the school day, so I have to use my personal phone to call you. If I am doing that, there is an issue. I have probably sent emails about the issue, but you didn't respond because you haven't sent up an email in Synergy.

Thanks. The following is not meant to be a snark, but to temper the good thoughts presented to keep things workable:

I hope that teachers/admins can avoid making families rely on other communication systems besides phone, direct email and the Synergy/ParentVUE system. Using other tools is fine, so long as any relevant communication also arrives by one of these.

I also hope your peers can be sure to grade regularly enough so that the material is available for students and families to review/correct/support/remediate before it is too late in the marking period. We've had times when there isn't anything available until the week before, and then it's too late (and, often, there isn't the favor of a response to family inquiry about it).

I also hope that the expectations for achieving an A are made clear, in a detailed manner, well before an assignment is due/a test is given. "Exceeding standards", while appropriate in concept, is entirely too nebulous when used as guidance to students/families.

Thank you for the extra effort made in calling after hours. Keeping your number private is entirely appropriate. However, please be willing to leave a message if we don't pick up an unlisted call, even if it is to suggest a time you might call back where we should consider picking up from an unlisted number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t expect much. I literally only get 18 seconds per school day to think and plan for YOUR kid. 0.8 part time teacher = 36 minutes/day planning time with over 100 students

This would be my message, too. We are overwhelmed and we get very little time during the work day to actually get work done. I’m lucky if I get 30 minutes a day to respond to emails, look at data for all 140 students, plan lessons, grade papers, call parents, eat lunch, and go to the bathroom.

I’m not arguing but can you explain what happens to your time? You are supposed to get an hour planning/grading time per day plus a 45 minute lunch. And then some time after school. Are they making you cover other classes during your break? Or attend meetings? This seems like the kind of thing that could be grieved.

HS teacher here - I often work through lunch providing extra help to students who have trouble with my class or kids who are absent for various reasons and miss class. Also, IEP kids often get extended time so they come in at lunch for extra time on tests. I also need time to respond to emails from students, parents and administrators. We also have department meetings and other meetings within our content areas. I need to make paper copies of handouts and assignments and sometimes there is a line at the copier and sometimes it jams and you have to spend time troubleshooting. If I try to assign everything electronically, my students complain. I also help out junior teachers in my content area. We get pulled in to sub for classes. The principal and instructional coach will ask for data requests that I have to pull together. Grading always takes forever. I have to fill out IEP updates and attend some IEP meetings. I also write college and internship recommendations. Counselors request meetings about certain students. I do all my planning at home because the school day is just packed with stuff.

This wouldn't solve the entire problem, but couldn't schools have printing offices staffed with people making $15/hour who can make copies of course materials? It's such a waste of teachers' time to have to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents of middle and HS students - your kids are on their cell phones way more than you think during school despite what they tell you.
Please advocate for tougher cell phone rules in schools. Private schools are doing a much better job of enforcing cell phone rules and their kids are getting a better education because of it. Also, for high school, I don’t mind the early start but period 1 is a waste because kids are either half asleep or arrive late. If I was a high school parent I would advocate for a later high school start time. Many states have adapted to a later start time. I feel so bad for high school kids who look so tired in school but not much I can do about it.

THIS THIS THIS! I can't think of any two changes that would have a bigger impact on my students' success than this.

Honestly, the biggest advantage kids may be getting from a private school education is the ability of privates to restrict phones in the classroom.

-- public high school teacher whose child just graduated from a Catholic school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is something I would tell parents of students with IEP's: If you think your child should have a different service placement (outside the HSM) you should hire an advocate/lawyer.

The gatekeeping involved with the central special ed department is off the charts at this point. They will do everything in their power to work to prevent a kid from being moved to a different program because of staff shortages in those programs. Local special ed teachers are POWERLESS (other than collecting data and working on the IEP) to make this happen. The special ed supervisors will stonewall and throw up obstacle after obstacle. Only when a parent is there being persistent and bringing representation do things really happen.

I hate to see this worded like this. You want grace for teachers who are over burden but don’t have grace for central special Ed supervisors who you admit are trying not to add more to already overburdened teachers in another program. And the Special ED assistant super as admitted publicly that their are kids who need and should be in private settings but can’t because there are not spaces available.

What I would like to see is continued advocacy for Spec-Ed teaching salary to be a completely different scale. I also like to see some case management admin support.

I would love to see SpEd on a different pay scale. But I fear two things: 1) MCEA would never let it happen, and 2) it would just exacerbate staffing problems, since already budget is the limiting factor for things like paras.

The problem is that there are shortages in other areas as well. There is a shortage of high school physics teachers. Should they get a raise as well so that MCPS can hire more of them? Some schools had a long term sub all year for physics because there are no teachers to be hired. Special Ed parents look at everything from a special education lens but there are many fires to be put out. School bus drivers need a raise as well as school psychologists as there are shortages in both of these areas

The level and persistence of shortages are not equal across the board. SpEd and STEM should both be on different pay scales. But any time that idea comes, elementary and social science teachers flip out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is something I would tell parents of students with IEP's: If you think your child should have a different service placement (outside the HSM) you should hire an advocate/lawyer.

The gatekeeping involved with the central special ed department is off the charts at this point. They will do everything in their power to work to prevent a kid from being moved to a different program because of staff shortages in those programs. Local special ed teachers are POWERLESS (other than collecting data and working on the IEP) to make this happen. The special ed supervisors will stonewall and throw up obstacle after obstacle. Only when a parent is there being persistent and bringing representation do things really happen.

I hate to see this worded like this. You want grace for teachers who are over burden but don’t have grace for central special Ed supervisors who you admit are trying not to add more to already overburdened teachers in another program. And the Special ED assistant super as admitted publicly that their are kids who need and should be in private settings but can’t because there are not spaces available.

What I would like to see is continued advocacy for Spec-Ed teaching salary to be a completely different scale. I also like to see some case management admin support.

I would love to see SpEd on a different pay scale. But I fear two things: 1) MCEA would never let it happen, and 2) it would just exacerbate staffing problems, since already budget is the limiting factor for things like paras.

The problem is that there are shortages in other areas as well. There is a shortage of high school physics teachers. Should they get a raise as well so that MCPS can hire more of them? Some schools had a long term sub all year for physics because there are no teachers to be hired. Special Ed parents look at everything from a special education lens but there are many fires to be put out. School bus drivers need a raise as well as school psychologists as there are shortages in both of these areas

The level and persistence of shortages are not equal across the board. SpEd and STEM should both be on different pay scales. But any time that idea comes, elementary and social science teachers flip out.

I’m a general ed teacher with 140 students, over 30 of whom receive special education services through me within my classroom. Would I be on a different pay scale because I’m also honoring IEPs / 504s and attending many IEP meetings in addition to my general ed work?

I’m not being snarky. I’m just trying to point out how murky this water is.

[Anonymous]

I would tell parents to keep your kid accountable for their behavior, don't let as much go. Make them pick up their own trash and put their own dishes away and hang up their own coats. If they're rude, call them out on their tones. Teach them empathy if they don't have it naturally. Tell them to wash their hands after they use the bathroom. Constant screen time and late bedtimes are absolutely ruining kids; they can't concentrate and they can't regulate themselves as much. Lock up the iPads and other devices, make sure you know what they're watching on YouTube. But most importantly, teach them to respect adults, starting with you. Don't let them yell at you.