No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?

[Anonymous]

Just went to the SSIMS parent night last night and heard that there is no enrichment or honors-level instruction for grade 6 in anything related to words: language, history, humanities. Everyone now takes the same Global Humanities and English courses, and they don't even group the sections by aptitude/interest. They "enrich in the classroom," which as we can all appreciate asks an unrealistic amount of the teachers when the sections are capped at 35 students.

At rhe risk of blowing up this board, DC doesn't give a darn about STEM. But math is the only subject that's tracked now, apparently. So why did ELC prepare kids for more rigorous writing and analysis if MS isn't going to exercise that? DC really loves to read and write. We had heard good things about the deeper version of HIGH and had hopes it might be an outlet if DC got in. Now apparently...no.

Anyone else's MS operating this way?

[Anonymous]

TPMS told us the same thing.

[Anonymous]

And yet people claim the MCPS magnet programs are so great? What a joke.

[Anonymous]

This is the direction of MCPS. HS "honors" is basically for below level, on level and slightly above level.

Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors". Tada.. achievement gap closed. NOT.

The same thing is now happening in MS.

Even if your kid decides to take AP classes in HS, they won't have been prepared by the MS, which is now solely focused on social/emotional learning.

It sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And yet people claim the MCPS magnet programs are so great? What a joke.

the true magnet programs are better.

[Anonymous]

Its all in the name of equity!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just went to the SSIMS parent night last night and heard that there is no enrichment or honors-level instruction for grade 6 in anything related to words: language, history, humanities. Everyone now takes the same Global Humanities and English courses, and they don't even group the sections by aptitude/interest. They "enrich in the classroom," which as we can all appreciate asks an unrealistic amount of the teachers when the sections are capped at 35 students.

At rhe risk of blowing up this board, DC doesn't give a darn about STEM. But math is the only subject that's tracked now, apparently. So why did ELC prepare kids for more rigorous writing and analysis if MS isn't going to exercise that? DC really loves to read and write. We had heard good things about the deeper version of HIGH and had hopes it might be an outlet if DC got in. Now apparently...no.

Anyone else's MS operating this way?

The transition from CES to regular MS is rough - it is so much easier and boring. My kid hated sixth grade with a passion and cried weekly. It’s rough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just went to the SSIMS parent night last night and heard that there is no enrichment or honors-level instruction for grade 6 in anything related to words: language, history, humanities. Everyone now takes the same Global Humanities and English courses, and they don't even group the sections by aptitude/interest. They "enrich in the classroom," which as we can all appreciate asks an unrealistic amount of the teachers when the sections are capped at 35 students.

At rhe risk of blowing up this board, DC doesn't give a darn about STEM. But math is the only subject that's tracked now, apparently. So why did ELC prepare kids for more rigorous writing and analysis if MS isn't going to exercise that? DC really loves to read and write. We had heard good things about the deeper version of HIGH and had hopes it might be an outlet if DC got in. Now apparently...no.

Anyone else's MS operating this way?

Did they say anything about how they think they will achieve this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the direction of MCPS. HS "honors" is basically for below level, on level and slightly above level.

Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors". Tada.. achievement gap closed. NOT.

The same thing is now happening in MS.

Even if your kid decides to take AP classes in HS, they won't have been prepared by the MS, which is now solely focused on social/emotional learning.

It sucks.

Strange I feel the opposite. The TPMS magnet, Hon Spanish 3, HIGH etc did a great job preparing DC for high-school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just went to the SSIMS parent night last night and heard that there is no enrichment or honors-level instruction for grade 6 in anything related to words: language, history, humanities. Everyone now takes the same Global Humanities and English courses, and they don't even group the sections by aptitude/interest. They "enrich in the classroom," which as we can all appreciate asks an unrealistic amount of the teachers when the sections are capped at 35 students.

At rhe risk of blowing up this board, DC doesn't give a darn about STEM. But math is the only subject that's tracked now, apparently. So why did ELC prepare kids for more rigorous writing and analysis if MS isn't going to exercise that? DC really loves to read and write. We had heard good things about the deeper version of HIGH and had hopes it might be an outlet if DC got in. Now apparently...no.

Anyone else's MS operating this way?

The transition from CES to regular MS is rough - it is so much easier and boring. My kid hated sixth grade with a passion and cried weekly. It’s rough.

I hope you considered other options, rather than just letting that kid cry weekly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the direction of MCPS. HS "honors" is basically for below level, on level and slightly above level.

Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors". Tada.. achievement gap closed. NOT.

The same thing is now happening in MS.

Even if your kid decides to take AP classes in HS, they won't have been prepared by the MS, which is now solely focused on social/emotional learning.

It sucks.

Strange I feel the opposite. The TPMS magnet, Hon Spanish 3, HIGH etc did a great job preparing DC for high-school.

Strange you don't realize that most kids are not in magnets in MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the direction of MCPS. HS "honors" is basically for below level, on level and slightly above level.

Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors". Tada.. achievement gap closed. NOT.

The same thing is now happening in MS.

Even if your kid decides to take AP classes in HS, they won't have been prepared by the MS, which is now solely focused on social/emotional learning.

It sucks.

Strange I feel the opposite. The TPMS magnet, Hon Spanish 3, HIGH etc did a great job preparing DC for high-school.

Strange you don't realize that most kids are not in magnets in MS.

It's for advanced learners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TPMS told us the same thing.

TPMS had HIGH and Advanced English last year. Did this change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the direction of MCPS. HS "honors" is basically for below level, on level and slightly above level.

Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors". Tada.. achievement gap closed. NOT.

The same thing is now happening in MS.

Even if your kid decides to take AP classes in HS, they won't have been prepared by the MS, which is now solely focused on social/emotional learning.

It sucks.

Strange I feel the opposite. The TPMS magnet, Hon Spanish 3, HIGH etc did a great job preparing DC for high-school.

Strange you don't realize that most kids are not in magnets in MS.

It's for advanced learners.

and we've come full circle.

To reiterate:

The class meant for "advanced learners", ie, "honors" type classes, are now made up of below level, on level and slightly above level.

Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors" or "advanced" classes. Tada.. achievement gap closed.

[Anonymous]

This sounds very similar to DCPS. How are folks feeling that moved from DCPS to MCPS for the schools? Genuine question because we're a DCPS family contemplating that move...