Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am curious kids with special needs , like those with IEP, do some of them get exempted for SSL requirements due to certain disabilities? Like a kid who has emotional outburst or need 1:1 support, how could those kid do volunteering to serve other people?

Yes, IEP can get customized pathway to graduation. But that's rarely necessary.

SSL includes L, "Learning".

There are summer camps, that parents pay for to get child care for their disabled kids, that give SSL hours for stocking a food bank or picking up trash. You can get SSL hours for reading a book or attending a lecture about left wing topics like environmentalism and diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.

It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.

There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.

Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.

+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps

I would also like to know. —middle school mom debating whether to risk the storm so her kid can get 1 SSL hour volunteering this evening a half hour away from where we live.

I wonder if the opportunities or norms are different across the schools? I haven't read the whole threads but was surprised to see this comment. I had three kids go through and all three got all SSLs in MS and I wasn't involved in almost any of it. Two of them asked their 4th and 5th grade teachers if they could help out after school (which they walked to once a week). I kind of recall them helping with earlier grades in the days before school began (putting up bulletin boards and such.) They seemed to get a lot AT school (They told me they got them for, like I think Outdoor Ed? And some things like that?0. I think, like reshelving books in the library or something? honestly, I don't know). One did some educational programs online (this was during Covid so not sure if those opportunities are still available-- I think it was like watching videos and taking quizzes about MLK or something like that?) The one time I was slightly involved, it was just driving one of them to a CIT gig in the summer-- she didn't do it for the reason of getting SSLs but did get them, and it added up to a lot over 2 weeks.

Honestly, even with 3 kids going through, I don't even know how many they needed or how they got them. They just took care of it, themselves. That's what makes me think that some schools are kind of more set up for kids to earn them (like, advertise the opportunities and have things available in or near the building) than others are?

You’re proving the point of those who say SSL hours are difficult for many to access. Your kids asked prior teachers to create an SSL opportunity for them that didn’t exist and wasn’t advertised to anyone. CIT jobs usually go to kids who have been campers in the past or kids whose parents pay for them to be campers. And great that your kids live within walking distance from their school so you didn’t need to drive them, but that isn’t the case for a lot of families.

I'm not sure why you're saying the ES opportunities didn't exist. You're right that they weren't posted on a website, but they didn't have some special relationship with the ES teachers. They just asked 'hey, do you need after school help' and the teachers said, 'sure!' Lots of kids at their ES did the same thing. But it's quite possibly true that there are different norms across elementary schools-- some might expect the volunteers or even mention it to the fifth graders as they finished up and others might find it unusual/not like to participate.

But if you're looking for posted opportunities, I just did a search on the SSL website and about a dozen virtual opportunities came up. Writing letters to cancer patients. Attending a virtual leadership academy, etc.

How is this community service? I'm really asking, not trying to be a jerk.

It's "Service Learning" requirement, not Community Service requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.

If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.

My dc has hundreds of hours and doesn’t turn them in to my frustration.

Have her write her college essay about she loves volunteering and is too busy to hand in the meaningless forms that devalue and commodify citizenship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

ELD teacher here. Yes, ELD students are behind the curve on getting SSL hours. MS and HS ELD students are new to the country so it shouldn't be surprising that they and their parents aren't plugged into what SSL is about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

I teach MS ELD students. We gave SSL hours for classwork projects. From the MCPS website:

In Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), all students, including ELD (English Language Learner) students, are required to complete 75 Student Service Learning (SSL) hours to graduate from high school; these hours can be earned through community service activities with approved organizations, and ELD students can potentially earn a portion of these hours through specific projects embedded within their English for English Learners curriculum, particularly in grades 6, 7, and 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

My kids have been taking public buses since they were 11. They are very skilled at the system. There are very few opportunities that are accessible by public transportation, which kids can do without a parent accompanying them, and which give you more than an hour or two at a time. For instance, my kid did one where she went to a community center in Gaithersburg to help the elderly with their phones….it was 90 minutes of service for which I had to drive her about 40 minutes each way. There was no way to get there by bus in less than about 3 hours with multiple transfers. I really do read these emails every week and there are very few options that don’t require a parent to attend, drive or shell out money (eg buy supplies for the kid to make something at home). One year we went to the County MLK day of service and it was soooooo overcrowded — a lot of the events ran out of supplies before the kids even got a chance to do them. Ans that required an adult (I brought 6 kids as a favor to other parents). And even then was booked up very early so you had to sign up right away.

The idea that there are thousands and thousands of hours of meaningful service in the county that these kids can do on their own is just not realistic. I think. In large party because no one really wants unsupervised kids — unless it is part of a scouting program or a camp where you have parental permissions, waivers and insurance.

+1. This. People keep posting on this thread about how easy it is to get hours and how parents didn’t need to get involved in driving them around at all, but few are posting any details about what these unicorn opportunities are. My takeaway from this thread is that you need to be a parent who paid $$$ for a camp for years that then contracts your kid as free labor and gives them SSl hours once they’re 13+. That doesn’t seem particularly meaningful to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

My kids have been taking public buses since they were 11. They are very skilled at the system. There are very few opportunities that are accessible by public transportation, which kids can do without a parent accompanying them, and which give you more than an hour or two at a time. For instance, my kid did one where she went to a community center in Gaithersburg to help the elderly with their phones….it was 90 minutes of service for which I had to drive her about 40 minutes each way. There was no way to get there by bus in less than about 3 hours with multiple transfers. I really do read these emails every week and there are very few options that don’t require a parent to attend, drive or shell out money (eg buy supplies for the kid to make something at home). One year we went to the County MLK day of service and it was soooooo overcrowded — a lot of the events ran out of supplies before the kids even got a chance to do them. Ans that required an adult (I brought 6 kids as a favor to other parents). And even then was booked up very early so you had to sign up right away.

The idea that there are thousands and thousands of hours of meaningful service in the county that these kids can do on their own is just not realistic. I think. In large party because no one really wants unsupervised kids — unless it is part of a scouting program or a camp where you have parental permissions, waivers and insurance.

+1. This. People keep posting on this thread about how easy it is to get hours and how parents didn’t need to get involved in driving them around at all, but few are posting any details about what these unicorn opportunities are. My takeaway from this thread is that you need to be a parent who paid $$$ for a camp for years that then contracts your kid as free labor and gives them SSl hours once they’re 13+. That doesn’t seem particularly meaningful to me.

Middle schools offer tons of SSL hours in school. You don't need to do them outside MCPS. Come HS there are fewer opportunities in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

My kids have been taking public buses since they were 11. They are very skilled at the system. There are very few opportunities that are accessible by public transportation, which kids can do without a parent accompanying them, and which give you more than an hour or two at a time. For instance, my kid did one where she went to a community center in Gaithersburg to help the elderly with their phones….it was 90 minutes of service for which I had to drive her about 40 minutes each way. There was no way to get there by bus in less than about 3 hours with multiple transfers. I really do read these emails every week and there are very few options that don’t require a parent to attend, drive or shell out money (eg buy supplies for the kid to make something at home). One year we went to the County MLK day of service and it was soooooo overcrowded — a lot of the events ran out of supplies before the kids even got a chance to do them. Ans that required an adult (I brought 6 kids as a favor to other parents). And even then was booked up very early so you had to sign up right away.

The idea that there are thousands and thousands of hours of meaningful service in the county that these kids can do on their own is just not realistic. I think. In large party because no one really wants unsupervised kids — unless it is part of a scouting program or a camp where you have parental permissions, waivers and insurance.

+1. This. People keep posting on this thread about how easy it is to get hours and how parents didn’t need to get involved in driving them around at all, but few are posting any details about what these unicorn opportunities are. My takeaway from this thread is that you need to be a parent who paid $$$ for a camp for years that then contracts your kid as free labor and gives them SSl hours once they’re 13+. That doesn’t seem particularly meaningful to me.

Middle schools offer tons of SSL hours in school. You don't need to do them outside MCPS. Come HS there are fewer opportunities in school.

Which middle school is this? My kid’s school certainly doesn’t

[Anonymous]

DD finished hers in 7th grade because she wanted the MS award. Then she wanted the HS award so she started racking up hours whenever she could.

DS entered MCPS in 2020 and still managed to finish his 75 by 2022 despite the pandemic.

Middle class seniors in good health have zero excuse.

[Anonymous]

Montgomery County should also remove the bolded requirement for organizations (below). My kids volunteered for community service in Baltimore County, but were not able to get their hours because the organization did not have the manpower come down to Montgomery County for an SSL orientation.

We had committed to volunteering and when I had reached out to the SSL coordinators about getting an emergency exception for this organization I never heard back.

These hours were above and beyond the requirement so it wasn’t a loss at all. We had fun and we still volunteer with that organization.

This orientation can be a simple as a short video or a PDF with the regulations explained.

“MCPS SSL organizations have:

Registered with the Montgomery County Volunteer Center;
[b]Sent a representative to an orientation where the MCPS SSL guidelines were explained;
Signed an Organization Responsibility and Assurance Document;
Tax exempt status from the IRS;”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.

If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.

Make them repeat. They've had years to do this. It isn't that hard. If they can't meet this req, they aren't ready for the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD finished hers in 7th grade because she wanted the MS award. Then she wanted the HS award so she started racking up hours whenever she could.

DS entered MCPS in 2020 and still managed to finish his 75 by 2022 despite the pandemic.

Middle class seniors in good health have zero excuse.

So just let the lower class (aka poor) seniors fail?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

My kids have been taking public buses since they were 11. They are very skilled at the system. There are very few opportunities that are accessible by public transportation, which kids can do without a parent accompanying them, and which give you more than an hour or two at a time. For instance, my kid did one where she went to a community center in Gaithersburg to help the elderly with their phones….it was 90 minutes of service for which I had to drive her about 40 minutes each way. There was no way to get there by bus in less than about 3 hours with multiple transfers. I really do read these emails every week and there are very few options that don’t require a parent to attend, drive or shell out money (eg buy supplies for the kid to make something at home). One year we went to the County MLK day of service and it was soooooo overcrowded — a lot of the events ran out of supplies before the kids even got a chance to do them. Ans that required an adult (I brought 6 kids as a favor to other parents). And even then was booked up very early so you had to sign up right away.

The idea that there are thousands and thousands of hours of meaningful service in the county that these kids can do on their own is just not realistic. I think. In large party because no one really wants unsupervised kids — unless it is part of a scouting program or a camp where you have parental permissions, waivers and insurance.

+1. This. People keep posting on this thread about how easy it is to get hours and how parents didn’t need to get involved in driving them around at all, but few are posting any details about what these unicorn opportunities are. My takeaway from this thread is that you need to be a parent who paid $$$ for a camp for years that then contracts your kid as free labor and gives them SSl hours once they’re 13+. That doesn’t seem particularly meaningful to me.

Middle schools offer tons of SSL hours in school. You don't need to do them outside MCPS. Come HS there are fewer opportunities in school.

Which middle school is this? My kid’s school certainly doesn’t

You probably wouldn't know if they does this. I was very hand's off the SSL process but would ask my kids when the 'turn in your SSL forms' reminders came out. And they reported a bunch of hours from within school that I wouldn't have heard about if I didn't ask. Some that kids got automatically (e.g. outdoor ed, though they needed to remember to fill out and submit the form). Some that teachers encouraged but didn't require (e.g., a virtual academic training-ish module that they were encouraged to complete when they had completed work in classes or had a sub). And some that kids could volunteer for (e.g., working at the library before school/at lunch).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

I'd be more inclined to keep the requirement if service was actually community service. Instead, though, students can get hours automatically in class or (looking at a recent email) attending a zoom where they "have the opportunity to engage in a youth town hall with Montgomery County councilmembers".

Exactly! Actual volunteer service. Not this bs.

It’s not volunteer service if it’s mandatory.

Child Labor Loophole.

Honestly, does this requirement exist to teach kids to accept exploitation? Maybe to acclimate them to no pay for their labor so that someday they’ll be thrilled with minimum wage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

I'd be more inclined to keep the requirement if service was actually community service. Instead, though, students can get hours automatically in class or (looking at a recent email) attending a zoom where they "have the opportunity to engage in a youth town hall with Montgomery County councilmembers".

Exactly! Actual volunteer service. Not this bs.

It’s not volunteer service if it’s mandatory.

Child Labor Loophole.

Honestly, does this requirement exist to teach kids to accept exploitation? Maybe to acclimate them to no pay for their labor so that someday they’ll be thrilled with minimum wage?

AYFKM? "exploitation"? These are opt-in activities. Nobody's being "exploited". Good lord...

Y'all raising a bunch of gold-digging moneygrubbers thinking their presence is a present or some mess. Service learning exists to supplement your parenting deficiencies and teach kids that being of use to their community is part of being in a community. You don't get paid for every little thing you do, nor should you, nor should you expect to. Damn.

And it's STUPID easy to collect these things. My HS kid has over 400. My 7th grader has over 200. They are not particularly engaged or generous people, and I've never once had to suggest they volunteer. They found activities they were interested in, and found ways to be of use at the activities they enjoyed. Students get about half of the 75 hour requirement just for in-school activities, probably because you wanky whiners whinged enough that the school started subsidizing your children's community service. If your kid can't figure out how to give 35ish hours of service between 6th and 12th grade, well, congratulations on the leech you raised.

It's just over an hour every month between 6th and 12th grade. If you're not raising your kids to be at least that generous, that's your L as a parent.