Bad grades? Let's teach them less

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are kids with disabilities that already have laid out plans (IEP or 504) that are supposed to meet a child’s individual needs. What has MCPS done for these students in the digital learning model to meet their individual needs? Failed to provide services and accommodations that these students with disabilities need to access the curriculum and failed to modify IEPs and 504s to address new challenges that digital learning presents to students with disabilities.

That's a very different, and very important discussion.

[Anonymous]

I don't care about the change in grades, but I do care if they water down the classes and get rid of some content in Middle/High School classes. I like the ideas of if a kid truly can't keep up, their parents need to submit a request for a waiver. Don't dumb down the class for my kids (who can keep up) just because your kid can't.

That or have the different sections - one class for kids who can keep up, one class for kids who need the flexible due dates. Of course, that might mean the kids don't go to their home school virtually but so be it.

[Anonymous]

I warned you this was coming and you did nothing to stop it. It is policy now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about the change in grades, but I do care if they water down the classes and get rid of some content in Middle/High School classes. I like the ideas of if a kid truly can't keep up, their parents need to submit a request for a waiver. Don't dumb down the class for my kids (who can keep up) just because your kid can't.

That or have the different sections - one class for kids who can keep up, one class for kids who need the flexible due dates. Of course, that might mean the kids don't go to their home school virtually but so be it.

This is the inflection point when “thriving” kids and parents realize they’re about to have their experience highly compromised as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about the change in grades, but I do care if they water down the classes and get rid of some content in Middle/High School classes. I like the ideas of if a kid truly can't keep up, their parents need to submit a request for a waiver. Don't dumb down the class for my kids (who can keep up) just because your kid can't.

That or have the different sections - one class for kids who can keep up, one class for kids who need the flexible due dates. Of course, that might mean the kids don't go to their home school virtually but so be it.

Totally agree with you. The mentality of MCPS leadership is really mind-boggling stupid. They have to screw up every kid! How do parents stop this race-to-the-bottom madness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I warned you this was coming and you did nothing to stop it. It is policy now.

Whom are you addressing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are kids with disabilities that already have laid out plans (IEP or 504) that are supposed to meet a child’s individual needs. What has MCPS done for these students in the digital learning model to meet their individual needs? Failed to provide services and accommodations that these students with disabilities need to access the curriculum and failed to modify IEPs and 504s to address new challenges that digital learning presents to students with disabilities.

That's a very different, and very important discussion.

I have one child with an irp and one child with a 504.
In both cases, mvps reached out tonis at the beginning ofnthebyear to discuss how best to modify the plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about the change in grades, but I do care if they water down the classes and get rid of some content in Middle/High School classes. I like the ideas of if a kid truly can't keep up, their parents need to submit a request for a waiver. Don't dumb down the class for my kids (who can keep up) just because your kid can't.

That or have the different sections - one class for kids who can keep up, one class for kids who need the flexible due dates. Of course, that might mean the kids don't go to their home school virtually but so be it.

This is the inflection point when “thriving” kids and parents realize they’re about to have their experience highly compromised as well.

Its really not, though. Kids who are doing wellnhavr parents who make sure they do well. I am doubling down on supplementing. Nbd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about the change in grades, but I do care if they water down the classes and get rid of some content in Middle/High School classes. I like the ideas of if a kid truly can't keep up, their parents need to submit a request for a waiver. Don't dumb down the class for my kids (who can keep up) just because your kid can't.

That or have the different sections - one class for kids who can keep up, one class for kids who need the flexible due dates. Of course, that might mean the kids don't go to their home school virtually but so be it.

This is the inflection point when “thriving” kids and parents realize they’re about to have their experience highly compromised as well.

Its really not, though. Kids who are doing wellnhavr parents who make sure they do well. I am doubling down on supplementing. Nbd.

If you have to supplement, then it's not working at large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS: *makes adjustments, based on data and experience, to help students get through an unprecedented and difficult time*

You: "Bad! Those adjustments are insufficiently punitive!"

Oh look there is someone with a soul here. Thank God.

Look, people. There are two issues. One is the education itself. What kids are learning. Then there are the rewards and punishments. The A's and F's.

No need to change the curriculum, teach to the highest level, give the most rigorous feedback. Fine. Great!

But give grade amnesty for all who ask. None of it goes on a transcript. None of it goes to GPA. If you don't learn, then your punishment is that you haven't learned. If you learn, your rewards is that you have. Find a way to prove it without the transcript.

It is completely messed up and cruel and stupid to punish a generation of students for not "performing" during the pandemic. Why on earth would we benefit, as a community, from making it harder for students who have already missed crucial material to succeed in the future?

Stop congratulating yourselves on your kids' A's. It's an arbitrary, deeply-flawed system. Just because you've taught your kids to jump through hoops doesn't mean the whole thing isn't a circus.

P.S. My kids are doing fine. They'll do fine either way. Because I, like you-reading-this, have the educational, emotional, financial, and other resources to support them adequately. Stop worrying about your cared-for kids and think about how we can serve those who are not adequately cared-for.

Merry Christmas.

+1 Thank you. I don't understand the outrage. We are in this mess for so long because we're selfish and haven't cared enough for our fellow humans. Let's show grace and compassion where we can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You can't un-have the kids, so direct the energy you're wasting bitching and moaning into parenting and making it work for your kids. "But it's HARD!!" is not an excuse. Man/woman up.

You're lecturing anonymous posters on the Internet, about whose life circumstances, choices, and actions you know NOTHING. Why?

What you call "lecturing" is actually speaking the truth to DCUM. The people who have time to sit on these threads writing endless ranting diatribes every day about the evils of schools and horrible selfish teachers and responding ad infinitum are NOT the people working three jobs, losing their heat and utilities. Those people are out there scraping by by their fingernails and doing everything they can to help their family and their kids, just as they have always had to do.

People here are privileged and persist in the now demonstrably false belief that "education" means they are entitled to their kids being someone else's problem 7+ hours a day, 5 days a week. They just like to whine and bitch when they don't get their way. Oh well. Time to suck it up and do your job as parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS sucks!
Yes, some students are failing. Find a way to hide the problem by raising their grades. PLEASE DO NOT LOWER STANDARDS for kids who can keep up. Why does MCPS have to screw up every kid???

This.

+1, if kids fail its on them and their families. Its sad, but they need a wake up call.

But let's blame the teachers! It's their fault students aren't doing their work.

Who's blaming the teachers?

ROFL. You CANNOT be serious. Take a stroll through the endless stream of "open schools NOWWWWW" threads that appear anew every day. "Our kids are failing! Evil teachers just want to sit home and watch Netflix in their pajamas! IF they really CARED about our kids and if it was a CALLING and not just a JOB, they need to get their asses back in the classroom do their damn job!" (which of course they are already doing, but don't confusing the raving and hysterical with facts).

Or, my personal favorite, the people who insist it is the TEACHER'S problem if their kids don't do their work, because she needs to ENGAGE them, because I'M FAR TOO BUSY BECAUSE I'M WORKING ALL DAY, except I have countless hours to waste on DCUM endlessly complaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have six more months to go of students increasingly checking out and/or barely living up to these watered-down expectations. They essentially want to make sure that district wide learning outcomes go from abysmal to catastrophic. DL has failed, and there's no fixing it.

Not for everyone. Don't generalize.

Okay, I guess it's working for you. BFD. FYI, these lowered expectations impact you as well. So yes, it's broadly failed.

Hi there. NP. Hasn't failed for our kids, or for the kids of all but one family we know in our friend circle.

But keep shouting into your echo chamber where you can continue to pretend that your experiences are universal.

[Anonymous]

My kid loves DL. He always complained to me about the kids in class who misbehaved and occupied the teacher's time. Now those kids either don't log on turn on their cameras. He says that school is good now. No wasted time. They also don't spend a lot of time in small groups doing busy work waiting for the teacher to meet with their group. He logs on three times a week for his small group time. The other two days, he can work on his classwork offline. I think the teachers are just getting back to teaching the material instead of the three-ring circus. The PITA kids don't show up and waste class time. He doesn't want to go back this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

ROFL. You CANNOT be serious. Take a stroll through the endless stream of "open schools NOWWWWW" threads that appear anew every day. "Our kids are failing! Evil teachers just want to sit home and watch Netflix in their pajamas! IF they really CARED about our kids and if it was a CALLING and not just a JOB, they need to get their asses back in the classroom do their damn job!" (which of course they are already doing, but don't confusing the raving and hysterical with facts).

Or, my personal favorite, the people who insist it is the TEACHER'S problem if their kids don't do their work, because she needs to ENGAGE them, because I'M FAR TOO BUSY BECAUSE I'M WORKING ALL DAY, except I have countless hours to waste on DCUM endlessly complaining.

PP, I mean this kindly and sincerely: you would feel better if you spent less time on DCUM.