Mcps has a dropout problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because we are talking about education, not a triage center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because we are talking about education, not a triage center.

Think about registering to be an organ donor or to vote at the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Student Attendance Pathway and Engagement

In January 2019, a committee was formed to explore what factors compel students to drop out of school or infrequently attend school. This concern speaks to MCPS’ core values, equity, and ensuring that each student embraces education as a pathway toward a fulfilling future.

This exploratory committee compiled a report and presented its findings at the July 29 Board meeting. The report presented examined relationships between chronic absenteeism, varying levels of student engagement, and factors influencing both. The study found several key areas impacting student attendance, including: lack of relationships with other students and staff members; reading below grade level; challenges for English Language Learner students; keeping students engaged through partnerships, internships and other pathways to graduation; obtaining help and guidance through counselors and social services; equipping staff through professional staff development, teaching methodologies and models; articulation between school levels; special education programs and the availability of unique pathways to graduation; disengagement at the middle school level; and the use of evidence of learning and eligibility measures to track student progress.

The analysis and findings of the report also were presented, including the successful factors and barriers to student engagement. Staff and Board members stressed the importance of meeting the needs of every student through relationships and equitable access to resources to keep students engaged.

Read the memorandum to the Board.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/BEBM2D591C6C/$file/Student%20Attendance%20Pathway%20Engagement%20190729.pdf


New Business Item: Supporting Student Access to Nutritional Meals

The Board raised supporting student access to nutritional meals as a new business item to be considered and to vote on at the next Board meeting. The following resolution will lie on the table until the August 29, 2019, meeting.

Proposed Resolution:

Resolved, that the Board of Education request that the Board’s Policy Management Committee review the need for a policy that addresses the school system’s role in combatting childhood hunger; benchmark with local and similarly situated school districts and consider bringing forward a recommendation to the Board of Education during the 2019–2020 school year.


Innovative Approaches to Alternative Education

Board members received a presentation on the Recovery and Academic Program (RAP), and the juvenile services education county pilot program at Alfred D. Noyes Children’s Center and the efforts of the programs to serve students who need additional support. An overview of each program was provided.

The RAP pairs academic coursework from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with recovery support services provided at The Landing, Family Services recovery clubhouse. The impetus for the program is to enable students to continue to work toward graduation in a safe and supportive environment during the day, while learning the necessary skills needed to maintain sobriety in the afternoons and evenings. Funded by a Maryland State Government grant, the program is free of charge to Montgomery County youth and accepts referrals from MCPS, juvenile drug court, and other nonprofit agencies. In addition, staff members offered an explanation of the referral process, the daily program, outcomes and insight about the program’s first year of implementation.

Information about the Alfred D. Noyes Children’s Center also was presented to the Board. Currently, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Juvenile Services Education System (JSES) provides educational services in 13 residential facilities operated by the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS). In 2018, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill (HB) 1607 establishing the Juvenile Services Education County Pilot Program. The purpose of the program is to pilot a model for the oversight of education for children in the juvenile justice system by local boards of education.

Through a partnership between MCPS and MSDE, the Alfred J. Noyes Children’s Center in Rockville will serve as the JSES facility participant in the pilot. The pilot project team will be managed by the Noyes School principal with support from the site coach and MCPS executive director (chief academic officer) and consists of representatives from MCPS offices, as well as representatives from MSDE and JSES. The reconstitution of this team is essential to a successful implementation plan in this first year of the pilot.

Discussion also focused on the proposed bodies of work supported by MCPS for the pilot; proposed grant-funded supports; and proposed MCPS in-kind supports.

Read the memorandum to the Board.
https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/BEBM275914C2/$file/Innovative%20Approaches%20Alt%20Ed%20190729.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because when you stack 4 or 5 "basic" things on top of one another, it becomes a huge undertaking. And bet addressed by teh appropriate agency, not the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because when you stack 4 or 5 "basic" things on top of one another, it becomes a huge undertaking. And bet addressed by teh appropriate agency, not the school.

It doesn’t have to be the final stop. Just a first stop. You expect the school nurse to render first aid, right? Why not have the equivalent for a winter coat or dinner until the other services can be arranged?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

This service can be provided at libraries far more easily and effectively since they have more convenient hours and loads of PCs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because we are talking about education, not a triage center.

Think about registering to be an organ donor or to vote at the DMV.

Those examples are as simple as checking yes on a paper. Performing triage in schools turns schools into something completely different than an education center. If MCPS and Md Dept of Ed are going to turn schools into triage centers, they should also make free online public school available, as 41 other states already do. I'd rather teach my kids at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because we are talking about education, not a triage center.

Think about registering to be an organ donor or to vote at the DMV.

Those examples are as simple as checking yes on a paper. Performing triage in schools turns schools into something completely different than an education center. If MCPS and Md Dept of Ed are going to turn schools into triage centers, they should also make free online public school available, as 41 other states already do. I'd rather teach my kids at home.

You don’t have to live in one of those states to do a free online school. Your kids’ diplomas might say Florida, but you’d be spared having to interact with poor people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Those examples are as simple as checking yes on a paper. Performing triage in schools turns schools into something completely different than an education center. If MCPS and Md Dept of Ed are going to turn schools into triage centers, they should also make free online public school available, as 41 other states already do. I'd rather teach my kids at home.

Why not start now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Those examples are as simple as checking yes on a paper. Performing triage in schools turns schools into something completely different than an education center. If MCPS and Md Dept of Ed are going to turn schools into triage centers, they should also make free online public school available, as 41 other states already do. I'd rather teach my kids at home.

Why not start now?

+1

I bet we can crowd source some workbooks for you. And you can use the public library computers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because when you stack 4 or 5 "basic" things on top of one another, it becomes a huge undertaking. And bet addressed by teh appropriate agency, not the school.

It doesn’t have to be the final stop. Just a first stop. You expect the school nurse to render first aid, right? Why not have the equivalent for a winter coat or dinner until the other services can be arranged?

That is the school nurse's actual job to render first aid. Would you expect the school nurse to be in the health room all day dealing with sick and injured kids and also popping out to man the school's clothing closet whenever anyone comes to "shop" in it? Or volunteer her time in the evenings to serve dinner to families?

All of these services take time and manpower. I teach in a high FARMS school. We don't have any extraneous people sitting around available to undertake running a food pantry, clothing closet, urgent care, or job training for parents. Our school is lucky to have Linkages to Learning on site and they do as much of this kind of stuff as they can but it's their full time job and they have specific funding and employees for it. Having school staff run these kinds of services means that they aren't available to do their actual jobs.

Linkages to Learning has hosted computer skills classes for parents in our computer lab in both English and Spanish. They were sparsely attended. They also won't be able to continue because our computer lab is being turned into a classroom due to a need for more classroom space.

There's a perception out there that schools should be taking on more, more and more. The thing is, it can't be an "and" situation, it has to be an "or" situation. Which would you prefer? School staff coordinating and running an urgent care OR providing interventions to students who need support? School staff coordinating and running food pantries and clothing closets OR prepping materials for an engaging science lesson? Where do you think this time, money and staffing should come from? We barely keep our heads above water as it is doing our primary jobs (which of course means more than what our job description actually entails), but do you really think "other duties as assigned" should mean running a food pantry, clothing closet, urgent care, or job training for parents, and that would somehow *not* impact student instructional time?

Resources are limited and the ones that exist in schools are already strained to capacity. You can't keep adding and adding responsibilities to schools and not expect things to boil over. We're not magicians. If you think we *should* be able to take these things on and also do our jobs, please come sub or shadow in a high needs school for at least a week to see what really goes on vs. what you are assuming goes on in your head. We're also not martyrs and can't be expected to take on all of society's woes and eschew our own families, health and sanity.

Of course it would be lovely if schools could be one stop shops for everything the community needs. There are a lot of things in this world that would be lovely but are not logistically possible for one reason or another.

I would love to hear how you actually think this would work logistically. Please elaborate. You can't say parent volunteers because we don't have those. Not every school has an active PTA and people who are able or willing to volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Don't be intentionally obtuse. This thread is not about meals at school; MCPS already provides free or reduced price school meals. It's about whether schools have a responsibility to address outside economic factors that impact the dropout rate.

Should schools address factors that affect children's education? Yup, they sure should.

I get the feeling that you are writing in generalities to avoid admitting that your position is ill-conceived.

Great. So if there's a homeless kid, the school should provide housing?

If a kid is being abused, a couple of teachers, the janitor, and the vice principal should go arrest the parent?

Of course not. If someone at the school is made aware of one of those conditions, they should refer the matter to the appropriate agency that has expertise providing the required services.

Do you disagree with this?

Different poster. Some home problems are relatively easy to address via a school community. Some districts find having a food pantry or clothing closet in schools helpful. Others put a clinic for vaccinations and urgent care level emergencies. My mom taught in a school that opened the computer lab to parents and other household members that wanted to do GED or job search. I’d love my school to offer all of those. Because the sooner kids’ basic needs are met, the dinner they are available for learning. Why send basic things through two to three more levels of bureaucracy when we can do it in house?

Because we are talking about education, not a triage center.

Think about registering to be an organ donor or to vote at the DMV.

Those examples are as simple as checking yes on a paper. Performing triage in schools turns schools into something completely different than an education center. If MCPS and Md Dept of Ed are going to turn schools into triage centers, they should also make free online public school available, as 41 other states already do. I'd rather teach my kids at home.

You don’t have to live in one of those states to do a free online school. Your kids’ diplomas might say Florida, but you’d be spared having to interact with poor people.

If you don't live in the particular state, you have to pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Those examples are as simple as checking yes on a paper. Performing triage in schools turns schools into something completely different than an education center. If MCPS and Md Dept of Ed are going to turn schools into triage centers, they should also make free online public school available, as 41 other states already do. I'd rather teach my kids at home.

Why not start now?

+1

I bet we can crowd source some workbooks for you. And you can use the public library computers.

We don't need those things, which is the point. My kids are fully prepared to learn. They don't need anything but to be taught.