How bad are Montgomery County Schools?

[Anonymous]

Here is what is listed on the Montgomery County Human Resources site for elementary school teacher applicants:

"Bachelor's degree in applicable field of education from an accredited college or university"

My friend became a teacher because she liked the idea of having the summers off. She graduated with a degree in art history and is a teacher in a lower MC county school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is what is listed on the Montgomery County Human Resources site for elementary school teacher applicants:

"Bachelor's degree in applicable field of education from an accredited college or university"

My friend became a teacher because she liked the idea of having the summers off. She graduated with a degree in art history and is a teacher in a lower MC county school.

As a teacher, I am personally offended that people become teachers based on the fact that we have summers off. What if systems embraced a 12-month schedule? How many "dedicated" teachers would leave?

[Anonymous]

I only know 1 teacher (and I am a teacher myself so I know plenty) who actually take their summers off. In our county, we get paid on a 10 month scale so most of us have to find a summer job to pay the bills (b/c teachers aren't exactly raking in the big bucks). The 1 teacher I know who takes her summers off have a husband who makes a lot of money in his job so she is able to go 2 months w/o being paid. I guess if you don't have kids, it could be a possibility to not work in the summer or if your husband makes a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:42- Yes, any test that a private school (not using public tax dollars) is voluntary. They choose what to administer, when to administer it, etc. If they happen to choose a test that a public schools gives, it is their own decision. And yes, many privates administer the ERB too in upper elementary. The major difference is that tests like the ERB give individual scores to each test taker (Johnny scored in the 97% overall, etc) whereas in public school, the scores are more for the school's own "report card" which is carefully scrutinized. In fact, the students taking the MSA don't receive individual score reports with specific % on them. They are told whether they scored proficient, advanced, etc but that's it. The scores in public school are for the school, district and county's use really. In private school, the score is mostly for the parents and the teachers benefit.

When my kids were in private school, the ERB was made into a big deal. It consumed the better part of a week (with the test parts being spread out over several days), no other homework was assigned, we got lots of notices asking us to make sure our kids were well rested and had a good breakfast.

Now that we're in public, we do get individualized test scores. With specific %s on them (not just "proficient" or whatever), also bar graphs that compare our kid to the county and national averages. One kid has gone through public elementary, is now in middle, and we've received individualized scores in every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is what is listed on the Montgomery County Human Resources site for elementary school teacher applicants:

"Bachelor's degree in applicable field of education from an accredited college or university".

I'm not positive, because I don't work for Montgomery County, but I believe the information you are quoting is a "minimum requirement".

In some cases, teacher applicants major in an academic subject, and then go on to get a Masters of Education for further coursework in pedagogical theory and practical teaching.

In order to be certified as an elemntary teacher in MD, an applicant must also take 2 college level classes in teaching reading. He or she also must pass the Praxis I (test of general knowledge) and Praxis II (subject matter) -- for elementary teachers the subject matter is "Elementary Education" and covers Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science.

If anyone is curious to see what elementary school teachers need to all pass before getting certified, you can see some sample questions here:

http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/PRAXIS/pdf/0014.pdf

FWIW I am a MD state certified teacher; my undergaduate degree was in linguistics, but I needed to get an MA in order to be certified to teach. The MA was a 1.5 year program and focused on theory of learning, teaching reading and math, how to assess and evaluate students, and so on.

[Anonymous]

When my kids were in private school, the ERB was made into a big deal. It consumed the better part of a week (with the test parts being spread out over several days), no other homework was assigned, we got lots of notices asking us to make sure our kids were well rested and had a good breakfast.

Now that we're in public, we do get individualized test scores. With specific %s on them (not just "proficient" or whatever), also bar graphs that compare our kid to the county and national averages. One kid has gone through public elementary, is now in middle, and we've received individualized scores in every year.


Your kids receive individual scores on what test in public school though? Not the MSA.

[Anonymous]

OK I'll name a school. Stone Mill, worksheet after worksheet after worksheet. Great test scores for the school but its a disappointment for the students. Some of the parents joke and call it Stone Mill University because of all the worksheet homework but the constant drill and test prep has little to do with developing intellect.

[Anonymous]

Proposed MCPS budget cuts FY 2011: http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/FY2011/pdf/BudgetPossibleReductions_Recommended.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK I'll name a school. Stone Mill, worksheet after worksheet after worksheet. Great test scores for the school but its a disappointment for the students. Some of the parents joke and call it Stone Mill University because of all the worksheet homework but the constant drill and test prep has little to do with developing intellect.

Yup, I named them on page 3. This is where our child would go, but we are are going private (lower cost private) at least for the first few years of elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK I'll name a school. Stone Mill, worksheet after worksheet after worksheet. Great test scores for the school but its a disappointment for the students. Some of the parents joke and call it Stone Mill University because of all the worksheet homework but the constant drill and test prep has little to do with developing intellect.

Yup, I named them on page 3. This is where our child would go, but we are are going private (lower cost private) at least for the first few years of elementary.

Oh. gosh -- is that the Huntilng Hill neighborhood? Some people I know were looking to buy a house there. I'll have to send them this news.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK I'll name a school. Stone Mill, worksheet after worksheet after worksheet. Great test scores for the school but its a disappointment for the students. Some of the parents joke and call it Stone Mill University because of all the worksheet homework but the constant drill and test prep has little to do with developing intellect.

Yup, I named them on page 3. This is where our child would go, but we are are going private (lower cost private) at least for the first few years of elementary.

Oh. gosh -- is that the Huntilng Hill neighborhood? Some people I know were looking to buy a house there. I'll have to send them this news.

Nope, it's not. You're safe.

[Anonymous]

Phew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our kids have attended a well-regarded MCPS elementary school, and, for middle and high school, two different independent schools, one in DC and one in MoCo. All three schools had their plusses and minuses, and the two private schools were very different. Our experience suggests that 1) no school is perfect, and 2) no school is right for every kid. We feel fortunate to have found schools where each of our kids is happy and thriving; however, I would never endorse an individual school, let alone an entire category of schools, as "bad" or "good" for all kids. Framing this debate in terms of public v. private, as it frequently is on DCUM, is simply divisive and unenlightening. Finally, I'll note that much of the information presented here as fact is flat-out wrong, including, but not limited to, the claim that MCPS elementary school teachers are required to have undergraduate degrees in education.

You must be certified in an area - whether it's a content area for secondary AND ed courses or a certification in elementary education, ESOL (k-12), SPED (k-12), or any electives (art and PE, for example). So if your BS or BA doesn't cut it, a master's will, assuming you fulfill the requirements. So either way you're qualified in a field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Your kids receive individual scores on what test in public school though? Not the MSA.

We just got something called the MAP results a few days ago. It's done for reading and math. It had bar graphs showing how our kid did relative to kids in the MCPS school district and in Maryland.

I also remember clearly getting individualized results from a test given in second grade to determine gifted and talented placement. I believe it was the California Terra Nova, but a few years have elapsed since then. Each family got their kid's specific scores on all the subtests.

[Anonymous]

Terra Nova and ITBS and others are not the MSA though. Teachers don't really prep the kids for them except maybe to familiarize them w/ the way they are taken- fill in the bubble tests. MSA is different in many different ways. Teachers actually teach to them and use MSA practice questions as homework and classwork assignments. Much of my 2nd graders' homework has MSA Practice or something similar written at the bottom. It really is a big deal- to the school. I don't get an individual score report from it though so it means very little to me as a parent. Apparently the students figure out this fact and also don't seem to care about the MSA either by 5th grade or so. The bribery that goes on to get the kids to show up for the test is crazy- pizza parties, prizes, etc.