Public vs. Private Schools for people living in Montgomery County

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not very unusual for MCPS elementary classes in the younger years to have 16-18 students. My son's was like that for 3 years in a row so not a fluke.

Yes, child #1's class size was 17-18 students for K-3. Not in a Title I/Focus school, either. Child #2's class size has been 22-23 in the same school. I think that a class size of 30 is probably quite atypical in MCPS elementary schools.

Are those class sizes with one teacher, or two?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not very unusual for MCPS elementary classes in the younger years to have 16-18 students. My son's was like that for 3 years in a row so not a fluke.

Yes, child #1's class size was 17-18 students for K-3. Not in a Title I/Focus school, either. Child #2's class size has been 22-23 in the same school. I think that a class size of 30 is probably quite atypical in MCPS elementary schools.

What school/schools and how long ago? From what I've seen over 25 seems to be the norm. I believe they cap class sizes at 29 but wouldn't be surprised at some 30s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not very unusual for MCPS elementary classes in the younger years to have 16-18 students. My son's was like that for 3 years in a row so not a fluke.

Yes, child #1's class size was 17-18 students for K-3. Not in a Title I/Focus school, either. Child #2's class size has been 22-23 in the same school. I think that a class size of 30 is probably quite atypical in MCPS elementary schools.

Are those class sizes with one teacher, or two?

One. No assistant either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not very unusual for MCPS elementary classes in the younger years to have 16-18 students. My son's was like that for 3 years in a row so not a fluke.

Yes, child #1's class size was 17-18 students for K-3. Not in a Title I/Focus school, either. Child #2's class size has been 22-23 in the same school. I think that a class size of 30 is probably quite atypical in MCPS elementary schools.

Are those class sizes with one teacher, or two?

With one teacher and a shared paraeducator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With one teacher and a shared paraeducator.

What's a "shared paraeducator"? I'm imagining a young not-yet-licensed teacher who floats among several classrooms, but that's just a guess. Can you explain please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With one teacher and a shared paraeducator.

What's a "shared paraeducator"? I'm imagining a young not-yet-licensed teacher who floats among several classrooms, but that's just a guess. Can you explain please?

No -- here's the MCPS job description for a paraeducator.

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/personnel/classification/descriptions/description.aspx?fn=6600-602

The shared part, in my children's school, means that there is a paraeducator assigned to four or five classrooms, who goes around among those classrooms as needed. I assume that the respective classroom teachers get together and figure out the paraeducator's classroom tasks and schedule, but I don't know that for a fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With one teacher and a shared paraeducator.

What's a "shared paraeducator"? I'm imagining a young not-yet-licensed teacher who floats among several classrooms, but that's just a guess. Can you explain please?

No -- here's the MCPS job description for a paraeducator.
http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/personnel/classification/descriptions/description.aspx?fn=6600-602

The shared part, in my children's school, means that there is a paraeducator assigned to four or five classrooms, who goes around among those classrooms as needed. I assume that the respective classroom teachers get together and figure out the paraeducator's classroom tasks and schedule, but I don't know that for a fact.

So there's really no significant requirement at all, is there? I see the college degree preferred language, but it's essentially anyone the school chooses to hire, right? What kind of person usually fills that role at your child's school?

Getting back to the original question of how many teachers for a class of 17-18, 22-23, or 25-29 (since it seems all flavors are out there), it seems the short answer is "one teacher" even if there might be some limited supplemental help. Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With one teacher and a shared paraeducator.

What's a "shared paraeducator"? I'm imagining a young not-yet-licensed teacher who floats among several classrooms, but that's just a guess. Can you explain please?

No -- here's the MCPS job description for a paraeducator.
http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/personnel/classification/descriptions/description.aspx?fn=6600-602

The shared part, in my children's school, means that there is a paraeducator assigned to four or five classrooms, who goes around among those classrooms as needed. I assume that the respective classroom teachers get together and figure out the paraeducator's classroom tasks and schedule, but I don't know that for a fact.

So there's really no significant requirement at all, is there? I see the college degree preferred language, but it's essentially anyone the school chooses to hire, right? What kind of person usually fills that role at your child's school?

Getting back to the original question of how many teachers for a class of 17-18, 22-23, or 25-29 (since it seems all flavors are out there), it seems the short answer is "one teacher" even if there might be some limited supplemental help. Right?

Yes, much like hiring at private schools. I have not asked the paraeducators at my children's school about their educational qualifications for the job.

But yes, if you want a class size of 15 with two teachers, you are unlikely to find that in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So there's really no significant requirement at all, is there? I see the college degree preferred language, but it's essentially anyone the school chooses to hire, right? What kind of person usually fills that role at your child's school?

Getting back to the original question of how many teachers for a class of 17-18, 22-23, or 25-29 (since it seems all flavors are out there), it seems the short answer is "one teacher" even if there might be some limited supplemental help. Right?

Yes, much like hiring at private schools. I have not asked the paraeducators at my children's school about their educational qualifications for the job.

But yes, if you want a class size of 15 with two teachers, you are unlikely to find that in MCPS.

It seems like you're getting defensive, and maybe you think I want to make this a public vs private debate. I don't. I'm just asking questions about your experience, so I can understand what happens in MCPS schools. I had thought when you first mentioned the paraeducators that they're essentially almost-teachers with lots of meaningful contact with the students. Now I understand they're not. Let's not make this adversarial, OK?

[Anonymous]

14:21 again. And do you really think that the paraeducators at your MCPS school are equivalent in skill to most private school teachers? If so, that's pretty significant and wonderful from MCPS.

I know the private school teachers I've met are real teachers with tons of skill. I cannot tell from your comments whether or not these paraeducators are anything like that.

I'm looking for information, not sniping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So there's really no significant requirement at all, is there? I see the college degree preferred language, but it's essentially anyone the school chooses to hire, right? What kind of person usually fills that role at your child's school?

Getting back to the original question of how many teachers for a class of 17-18, 22-23, or 25-29 (since it seems all flavors are out there), it seems the short answer is "one teacher" even if there might be some limited supplemental help. Right?

Yes, much like hiring at private schools. I have not asked the paraeducators at my children's school about their educational qualifications for the job.

But yes, if you want a class size of 15 with two teachers, you are unlikely to find that in MCPS.

It seems like you're getting defensive, and maybe you think I want to make this a public vs private debate. I don't. I'm just asking questions about your experience, so I can understand what happens in MCPS schools. I had thought when you first mentioned the paraeducators that they're essentially almost-teachers with lots of meaningful contact with the students. Now I understand they're not. Let's not make this adversarial, OK?

They are essentially almost-teachers with lots of meaningful contact with the students. How are the paraeducators at my children's school? All of the ones my children have dealt with have been great, except for that one mean one that probably every school has. I have confidence that the principal is not hiring random unqualified fools off the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

say you live in Montgomery County, which has an excellent public school system

Montgomery County does not have an excellent school system. Its mediocre at best but getting worse each year. In the past few years it has gone down hill fast. Class sizes exploded a few years ago and 2.0 is the biggest disaster. The new Algebra 2.0 was such a disaster that MCPS inflated all test scores to bring everyone up to last year's failure rate. 32% of middle school kids and 82% of high school kids failed before the grade inflation. Several ES schools in Churchill and Wootton are seeing enrollment declines for the first time in years. It isn't because houses are not being sold to people with kids.

Montgomery County is becoming what NW DC used to be..a residential community with good houses but if you can afford it, you do private.

Lol, if you think MCPS is mediocre I hope you never leave the "DC Metro area" bubble...

It is mediocre. My daughter is in the highest reading level in 2nd grade and her teacher constantly tells us she has promise. Her cousin who attends a top school in Anne Arundel County dances circles around her. her cousin goes to a mostly white school. They are ok with the lack of diversity because honestly, how many times are you going to need to interact with someone who isn't similar to you later in life???? Diversity isn't that important to me either because i see it is adding no value to my daughter's education - she is in a very diverse school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

say you live in Montgomery County, which has an excellent public school system

Montgomery County does not have an excellent school system. Its mediocre at best but getting worse each year. In the past few years it has gone down hill fast. Class sizes exploded a few years ago and 2.0 is the biggest disaster. The new Algebra 2.0 was such a disaster that MCPS inflated all test scores to bring everyone up to last year's failure rate. 32% of middle school kids and 82% of high school kids failed before the grade inflation. Several ES schools in Churchill and Wootton are seeing enrollment declines for the first time in years. It isn't because houses are not being sold to people with kids.

Montgomery County is becoming what NW DC used to be..a residential community with good houses but if you can afford it, you do private.

Lol, if you think MCPS is mediocre I hope you never leave the "DC Metro area" bubble...

It is mediocre. That is why all the affluent, educated, white people are leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It is mediocre. That is why all the affluent, educated, white people are leaving.

The white population of Montgomery County is actually increasing.

White population of Montgomery County, 2010 (Census): 558,358
White population of Montgomery County, 2013 (American Community Survey): 636,440

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It is mediocre. That is why all the affluent, educated, white people are leaving.

The white population of Montgomery County is actually increasing.

White population of Montgomery County, 2010 (Census): 558,358
White population of Montgomery County, 2013 (American Community Survey): 636,440

This doesn't show the rate at which the new white folk enroll their kids in public school vs private school, though. Has this rate changed in the last 3 years? The last 5 or 10?

Also -- and I personally believe this to be critically important when discussing montgomery county changing demographics -- that us census designated group "white people" includes new Latino immigrants in Langley park, Wheaton, etc.