After This Last School Year, Is Anyone Leaving for Private?

[Anonymous]

We left last year and do not currently plan to return.

[Anonymous]

Spoke to my friend who's on our PTA, and she said our ES is down to 2 classes per grade due to lack of enrollment -- kids moving to private. We used to have 3 per grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really sorry to hear so many struggled with the situation but at both my kids schools the teachers went above and beyond to make it work. I have nothing but praise for them. All I had to do was get them in front of the Chromebook with camera on. The rest took care of itself but even this small effort was too daunting for many parents.

Which school cluster are you in?

Not the PP but this was my expereince in Blair Cluster, for both ES and MS. Teachers went above and beyond to set up their technology in a way that worked for the kids. Coursework for the "big kids" were clearly organized online, and my child knew where to look for practice tests and assignments.

No, it wasn't perfect compared to in-person but everyone involved seemed to be working hard. Given the whole pandemic situation, I'm grateful that my kids came out of this past year healthy, still excited about school, and with maybe 80% of what they would have learned in a regular school year.

[Anonymous]

63% of schools were open full time in person by May. Public schools in this area have made a week showing. We might move to private or just move out of state. New job is remote and my spouse’s job could move to another state.

[Anonymous]

Reading this post makes me thing there is a private school about to open in every available store front. I guess there were a lot of under enrolled schools before? Is this mostly parochial schools that have large buildings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading this post makes me thing there is a private school about to open in every available store front. I guess there were a lot of under enrolled schools before? Is this mostly parochial schools that have large buildings?

Generally, parochial schools are underenrolled as they are largely funded by the church, so they can afford to run at 75% capacity, sometimes even lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really sorry to hear so many struggled with the situation but at both my kids schools the teachers went above and beyond to make it work. I have nothing but praise for them. All I had to do was get them in front of the Chromebook with camera on. The rest took care of itself but even this small effort was too daunting for many parents.

Which school cluster are you in?

Not the PP but this was my expereince in Blair Cluster, for both ES and MS. Teachers went above and beyond to set up their technology in a way that worked for the kids. Coursework for the "big kids" were clearly organized online, and my child knew where to look for practice tests and assignments.

No, it wasn't perfect compared to in-person but everyone involved seemed to be working hard. Given the whole pandemic situation, I'm grateful that my kids came out of this past year healthy, still excited about school, and with maybe 80% of what they would have learned in a regular school year.

??? More than 20% of the math curriculum, alone, was cut so I'm not sure where you're getting yoir guesstimate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spoke to my friend who's on our PTA, and she said our ES is down to 2 classes per grade due to lack of enrollment -- kids moving to private. We used to have 3 per grade.

That's so odd because ours is way up over last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really sorry to hear so many struggled with the situation but at both my kids schools the teachers went above and beyond to make it work. I have nothing but praise for them. All I had to do was get them in front of the Chromebook with camera on. The rest took care of itself but even this small effort was too daunting for many parents.

Which school cluster are you in?

Not the PP but this was my expereince in Blair Cluster, for both ES and MS. Teachers went above and beyond to set up their technology in a way that worked for the kids. Coursework for the "big kids" were clearly organized online, and my child knew where to look for practice tests and assignments.

No, it wasn't perfect compared to in-person but everyone involved seemed to be working hard. Given the whole pandemic situation, I'm grateful that my kids came out of this past year healthy, still excited about school, and with maybe 80% of what they would have learned in a regular school year.

??? More than 20% of the math curriculum, alone, was cut so I'm not sure where you're getting yoir guesstimate.

It was different for different classes. MCPS posted this information. I saw the document. For example, my kids compacted 5/6 cut 2 units at the end of year so about 1/8th of the total content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really sorry to hear so many struggled with the situation but at both my kids schools the teachers went above and beyond to make it work. I have nothing but praise for them. All I had to do was get them in front of the Chromebook with camera on. The rest took care of itself but even this small effort was too daunting for many parents.

Which school cluster are you in?

Not the PP but this was my expereince in Blair Cluster, for both ES and MS. Teachers went above and beyond to set up their technology in a way that worked for the kids. Coursework for the "big kids" were clearly organized online, and my child knew where to look for practice tests and assignments.

No, it wasn't perfect compared to in-person but everyone involved seemed to be working hard. Given the whole pandemic situation, I'm grateful that my kids came out of this past year healthy, still excited about school, and with maybe 80% of what they would have learned in a regular school year.

??? More than 20% of the math curriculum, alone, was cut so I'm not sure where you're getting yoir guesstimate.

It was different for different classes. MCPS posted this information. I saw the document. For example, my kids compacted 5/6 cut 2 units at the end of year so about 1/8th of the total content.

It would've likely happened even if classes had been in person because Eureka wasn't designed to be used like that and this was their first year trying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading this post makes me thing there is a private school about to open in every available store front. I guess there were a lot of under enrolled schools before? Is this mostly parochial schools that have large buildings?

Generally, parochial schools are underenrolled as they are largely funded by the church, so they can afford to run at 75% capacity, sometimes even lower.

Nice that the churches are able to expand their schools quickly...both financially and in terms of staff and facilities/supplies.

[Anonymous]

We loved our focus school but lost faith in mcps this year and are going private. We homeschooled last year. So thankful we did too but I don’t wa t to do it again. Saw my kids first grade teacher last week ( DD is going into 4th) and she said the kids hardly learned anything last year. She is doing summer school now for rising 1st graders and is teaching them K basics all over because some of these rising 2st graders have never actually been in school. Her goal for the end of July is having them write their name and know and write their letters.so while I think some kids did well, The majority did not, those parents who said it was great don’t really know what they’re talking about.

[Anonymous]

Typo above.. should say 1st

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We loved our focus school but lost faith in mcps this year and are going private. We homeschooled last year. So thankful we did too but I don’t wa t to do it again. Saw my kids first grade teacher last week ( DD is going into 4th) and she said the kids hardly learned anything last year. She is doing summer school now for rising 1st graders and is teaching them K basics all over because some of these rising 2st graders have never actually been in school. Her goal for the end of July is having them write their name and know and write their letters.so while I think some kids did well, The majority did not, those parents who said it was great don’t really know what they’re talking about.

Working backward:

August 2021 going into second grade
June 2021 finish first grade (virtually or in school, depending)
March 2021 back in school for first grade, depending on their adults' decisions
August 2020 start first grade, virtually
June 2020 finish kindergarten, virtually
March 2020 Maryland governor closes the schools
August 2019 start kindergarten, normally

So why would some of these second graders have never actually been in school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Really sorry to hear so many struggled with the situation but at both my kids schools the teachers went above and beyond to make it work. I have nothing but praise for them. All I had to do was get them in front of the Chromebook with camera on. The rest took care of itself but even this small effort was too daunting for many parents.

Which school cluster are you in?

Not the PP but this was my expereince in Blair Cluster, for both ES and MS. Teachers went above and beyond to set up their technology in a way that worked for the kids. Coursework for the "big kids" were clearly organized online, and my child knew where to look for practice tests and assignments.

No, it wasn't perfect compared to in-person but everyone involved seemed to be working hard. Given the whole pandemic situation, I'm grateful that my kids came out of this past year healthy, still excited about school, and with maybe 80% of what they would have learned in a regular school year.

??? More than 20% of the math curriculum, alone, was cut so I'm not sure where you're getting yoir guesstimate.

Again this is not true. MCPS has published detailed information on this and it varies by course. For example, one of my child was in a class that had about 10% of its material cut. This was also probably going to happen even if school were in person because they were trying a new curriculum for the first time.