Advice for parents concerned about elementary curriculum

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher who has had a long career teaching in elementary school in FCPS. If you are a parent, it would be extremely effective for you to email the School Board individually about the need for the following:

1. Putting spelling back on the report card aka “progress report.”
2. Adding individual grades for proper punctuation and capitalization and usage in the writing grade section.
3. Returning to spelling, grammar, and related language arts textbooks.
4. Requiring students at 3rd grade and above to read full chapter books in school and not just excerpts.
5. Return to math textbooks and workbooks.
6. Prioritize making buses available for field trips so that students can take advantage of the wealth of locations to visit in this area. Due to a lack of buses and drivers, field trips now can’t leave schools until 9:45, by the time they are loaded, and have to be back by something like 1 so that high school runs can start. It’s too short a window to go to DC for more than 90 minutes. I know why this is, but I am sure the School Board doesn’t realize this. I have asked.


With so many subs, it is much easier for them to make progress with the structure of textbooks. Imagine if parents had had textbooks to guide instruction at home during the pandemic. They also help immeasurably with alleviating teacher burnout. So much easier than hustling for video clips and worksheets and reading selections on their own.

If all parents ask, it will work. Please.