Summer School -- WTF MCPS????

[Anonymous]

So one of my kids is in summer school because they failed a math class. Today was the first day. Came home and said, I did all the work in the chromebook and don't have to go back until July 11. Um, what? They said the teacher taught for the first ten minutes then they opened their chromebooks and did the units online. Showed me their awesome scores on all the units -- 80%, 100%, 85%. Strange since they were there because they had failed the class. I said, how is it that you understand enough to work ahead like that? If you understand all that, why did you FAIL in the first place? Shrugs, then says they'd be ahead another day if they hadn't spent so much time talking to the other kids in the class. Wait, so you all have chromebooks open to do work and are allowed to talk to each other? HELLO -- THEY ARE CHEATING!!!! Some kid was probably googling all the questions and passing the answers around.

I CANNOT BELIEVE this is what MCPS is offering students who are doing poorly. These are kids who need to be shown that spark, to want to learn -- who NEED TO BE TAUGHT BY A REAL TEACHER, one who gives a crap. Why doesn't MCPS just let them do the work online at home if that's what passes for teaching in summer school?

I am so so so disappointed. I thought summer school would make a difference. My child is not learning a damn thing in MCPS and doesn't care at all about learning. What a joke MCPS has become.

[Anonymous]

That is opposite my child’s experience today. 9 kids for honors geometry. Teacher told them that they will have quizzes almost daily as 1 week is being taught each day. They stayed until 12:30 exactly.

Is that the central program? My kid is at his home school.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know about this year, but in the past, one of my kids took two summer school HS math courses (A & B) to get ahead and they only had to attend in person 3x. The first day, the mid term, and the final. The rest was just working through online units via Clever. Some stuff was Khan Academy.
Kid had the same instructor for both A & B. No actual teaching. The instructor was reluctant to have kids come for office hours and ultimately, these are the Bs on my otherwise straight A kid’s transcript.
The following year, sibling took the same courses during the summer and kids were encouraged, but not required to come for office hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about this year, but in the past, one of my kids took two summer school HS math courses (A & B) to get ahead and they only had to attend in person 3x. The first day, the mid term, and the final. The rest was just working through online units via Clever. Some stuff was Khan Academy.
Kid had the same instructor for both A & B. No actual teaching. The instructor was reluctant to have kids come for office hours and ultimately, these are the Bs on my otherwise straight A kid’s transcript.
The following year, sibling took the same courses during the summer and kids were encouraged, but not required to come for office hours.

Sounds like what we're experiencing. What joke.

[Anonymous]

Different experience here. Son is taking honors geometry online. He’s complaining he’s already behind on day 1 because he’s not finished with the 1st assignment which was started in class and the teacher said would take 10 minutes. He’s so frustrated that he’s ready to drop. Also there is zero instruction! It’s 100% through some app and nothing like the school year class. My son is retaking this class and needs real instruction.

By the way, they made it clear that you must attend the sessions for credit or you will get no credit even if you have an A. OP, make sure your child shows up to all of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So one of my kids is in summer school because they failed a math class. Today was the first day. Came home and said, I did all the work in the chromebook and don't have to go back until July 11. Um, what? They said the teacher taught for the first ten minutes then they opened their chromebooks and did the units online. Showed me their awesome scores on all the units -- 80%, 100%, 85%. Strange since they were there because they had failed the class. I said, how is it that you understand enough to work ahead like that? If you understand all that, why did you FAIL in the first place? Shrugs, then says they'd be ahead another day if they hadn't spent so much time talking to the other kids in the class. Wait, so you all have chromebooks open to do work and are allowed to talk to each other? HELLO -- THEY ARE CHEATING!!!! Some kid was probably googling all the questions and passing the answers around.

I CANNOT BELIEVE this is what MCPS is offering students who are doing poorly. These are kids who need to be shown that spark, to want to learn -- who NEED TO BE TAUGHT BY A REAL TEACHER, one who gives a crap. Why doesn't MCPS just let them do the work online at home if that's what passes for teaching in summer school?

I am so so so disappointed. I thought summer school would make a difference. My child is not learning a damn thing in MCPS and doesn't care at all about learning. What a joke MCPS has become.

OP, maybe it's time for a talk with your child about why you think your child should do their own work and why you think your child needs to learn the material?

[Anonymous]

That doesn’t seem right at all. Is there someone you can complain to? The class is supposed to be taught, not just assigned! Is it through your child’s school or central? Which course is it?

I wonder if there is a different section that you can switch your child to- one where the teacher is actually teaching!

My child is at Churchill and is taking honors geometry this summer to get ahead. The class was small and she said that the teacher was funny and helpful. But she did say there was a lot of work and that they have their first quiz tomorrow. They had time to do the homework in class and it was graded for completion. Like a PP, she was told that she can’t miss any classes if she wants the credit and all classes are in person from 8-12:30.

[Anonymous]

No Math in MCPS is taught properly and the objective is never for the kids to "learn" its for them to pass through the classes as quickly as possible with the most A grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is opposite my child’s experience today. 9 kids for honors geometry. Teacher told them that they will have quizzes almost daily as 1 week is being taught each day. They stayed until 12:30 exactly.

Is that the central program? My kid is at his home school.

DP here. My kid is at the central online program taking Health A and the OP's experience is opposite from ours. My daughter is currently in her room working on an assignment- she has one practically every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Different experience here. Son is taking honors geometry online. He’s complaining he’s already behind on day 1 because he’s not finished with the 1st assignment which was started in class and the teacher said would take 10 minutes. He’s so frustrated that he’s ready to drop. Also there is zero instruction! It’s 100% through some app and nothing like the school year class. My son is retaking this class and needs real instruction.

By the way, they made it clear that you must attend the sessions for credit or you will get no credit even if you have an A. OP, make sure your child shows up to all of them.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So one of my kids is in summer school because they failed a math class. Today was the first day. Came home and said, I did all the work in the chromebook and don't have to go back until July 11. Um, what? They said the teacher taught for the first ten minutes then they opened their chromebooks and did the units online. Showed me their awesome scores on all the units -- 80%, 100%, 85%. Strange since they were there because they had failed the class. I said, how is it that you understand enough to work ahead like that? If you understand all that, why did you FAIL in the first place? Shrugs, then says they'd be ahead another day if they hadn't spent so much time talking to the other kids in the class. Wait, so you all have chromebooks open to do work and are allowed to talk to each other? HELLO -- THEY ARE CHEATING!!!! Some kid was probably googling all the questions and passing the answers around.

I CANNOT BELIEVE this is what MCPS is offering students who are doing poorly. These are kids who need to be shown that spark, to want to learn -- who NEED TO BE TAUGHT BY A REAL TEACHER, one who gives a crap. Why doesn't MCPS just let them do the work online at home if that's what passes for teaching in summer school?

I am so so so disappointed. I thought summer school would make a difference. My child is not learning a damn thing in MCPS and doesn't care at all about learning. What a joke MCPS has become.

It sounds like your kid probably knows their stuff but was distracted at school. Fortunately, chrome books make it easy to stay focus on the work. Your probably very lucky to be in this class.

[Anonymous]

I would go online and check the class and see what the information says and if it doesn't say anything, email the teacher as that doesn't sound right.

[Anonymous]

I would also check on how the grades are being determined. It is possible that each of the online units is just a participation grade and they will be given tests in person which account for 90% of the grade. If this is the case, your child might fail again if he just cheated on the modules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So one of my kids is in summer school because they failed a math class. Today was the first day. Came home and said, I did all the work in the chromebook and don't have to go back until July 11. Um, what? They said the teacher taught for the first ten minutes then they opened their chromebooks and did the units online. Showed me their awesome scores on all the units -- 80%, 100%, 85%. Strange since they were there because they had failed the class. I said, how is it that you understand enough to work ahead like that? If you understand all that, why did you FAIL in the first place? Shrugs, then says they'd be ahead another day if they hadn't spent so much time talking to the other kids in the class. Wait, so you all have chromebooks open to do work and are allowed to talk to each other? HELLO -- THEY ARE CHEATING!!!! Some kid was probably googling all the questions and passing the answers around.

I CANNOT BELIEVE this is what MCPS is offering students who are doing poorly. These are kids who need to be shown that spark, to want to learn -- who NEED TO BE TAUGHT BY A REAL TEACHER, one who gives a crap. Why doesn't MCPS just let them do the work online at home if that's what passes for teaching in summer school?

I am so so so disappointed. I thought summer school would make a difference. My child is not learning a damn thing in MCPS and doesn't care at all about learning. What a joke MCPS has become.

This sounds a lot like the online summer school classes. Are you sure it's supposed to be an in-school class? Those usually require daily attendance and there is a lot of work crammed into a short period of time. The online classes only require you to show up on the first class and last class for the exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No Math in MCPS is taught properly and the objective is never for the kids to "learn" its for them to pass through the classes as quickly as possible with the umost A grades.

This. Math in MCPS is almost universally bad. MCPS wants to just pass the kids along to the next level.

If you want your kid to actual learn Math, you will have to look elsewhere.