So over APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's also worth noting that Canvas can be very hard to manage. My HS DD's teacher sent a note saying students needed to find a certain form linked from part of Canvas. Neither of us could find it. I spent a good 30 min looking for link. I have no idea where it was. We emailed the teacher (who still has not responded).

We've also had multiple times this year where she submitted assignments somehow to the wrong spot, then the teacher counted them as late and marked down the grade.

This year has been so hard to manage vs. in-person school where kids could actually just turn stuff in. I hate electronic school.

I don’t understand why things are so complicated. Why not just have a Google drive with all the assignments, due dates etc, and then email or upload to your own user folder that is shared with teacher for turning in. Done that’s it. Track grades in a spreadsheet. Offices do similar work all the time electronically not sure why education management systems make everything so much more complicated other than to sell stupid admin office people more crud.

?? That would be like a classroom where they just get handed worksheets to fill out and hand them back in. Just like in a real classroom, they use a lot of platforms for doing and submitting work, it's not just typing out assignments and submitting documents. My MS and HS kids do work using at least six different kinds of software between them (e.g., IXL, Brainpop, Newsela, Nearpod, Quizlet, MathQuest PLUS Google Docs) plus they use MS Teams for virtual class and some teachers post things there as well. The problem is that they are doing half of it at home now, instead of in the classroom, so if they can't find something or don't do it right away the teacher can't troubleshoot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two kids in middle school in APS. Many teachers between them. None of these issues. Sometimes they can’t find a link or have a submission issue. They work it out with their teacher. All of them have been responsive. I don’t get involved with Canvas and only check grades and missing assignments on ParentVue We’ve had no major issues like I am reading about here. Are we just lucky or are there a vocal few on here?

I think it's a mixed bag. I have senior and sophomore. Senior had no issues all year. Sophomore has had a very hard time with DL. Some teachers are very flexible and supportive and have their Canvas set up to be easy to see what's due and when. Others, their page is hard to follow, doesn't have a clear list of assignments and grades. One only puts the grades in Student/ParentVue. The school really should require teachers to follow a consistent set-up for Canvas.

That was one of the things they were supposed to do for this year--they "learned" last spring how differently teachers used it, and over the summer were supposed to figure out the "best" system and get all the teachers to use it. But apparently however each teacher sets up their stuff then affects how it works, so if they screwed something up in how they designed their pages, then everything flowed from there. And classes aren't exactly the same, anyhow--some teachers use worksheets and some use a variety of materials and some use textbooks, etc. But yes, it is really hard when stuff is not consistent, and harder when the teachers aren't responsive when you ask where things are, or where/how to submit, or the window to download or access or submit something closes by the time you find it.

It is certainly *much* better than the spring but still some assignments are still not turned in on canvas. They are at least listed now which is better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess they can start being concerned now they transformed my A student to a straight D student!

Not really seeing why that’s their concern.

DP here: Uhh....maybe because they're teachers and it's their job and responsibility to make sure their students are learning. And when you have an A student suddenly performing at a D level, you might wonder (1) if the student is ok and/or (2) perhaps your teaching in the new method of virtual/hybrid is falling short in some way. If it's one student, it should be pretty easy to inquire and figure out. If it's multiple students, the teacher should be even more interested in reaching out and figuring out what the problem(s) is/are.

If something like this is not a teacher's concern, the teacher is a terrible teacher; and/or their philosophy of teaching is completely wrong: "I provide the material. It's up to the student to figure it out and do well or not. Not my problem." Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the high schoolers async this week? I realize there’s SOLs and AP exams but that’s not a reason to cancel school. WTF? DD has nothing to do all week except for an SOL on Friday. The entire year has been a a waste.

I don't quite understand the logistics; but it has to do with teachers needing to staff/proctor the SOLs as well as use of the classrooms and community spaces to give the exams. I guess with the COVID restrictions in place, they can't figure out how to conduct classes and give SOLs at the same time like they do in normal times?

How does your DD have nothing to do all week? My DD has homework in each class for the entire week. She did homework today from 10-4.

Because "not all schools are the same" in Arlington, despite what APS insists in its public messaging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess they can start being concerned now they transformed my A student to a straight D student!

Not really seeing why that’s their concern.

Someone earlier in the thread said the teacher probably wasn’t concerned about my A student because other kids were struggling more, and I was merely pointing out that my child has now moved into the category of D student, so perhaps the teacher will care more?

They won't. Welcome to APS.

Unfortunately this year, he would have done better to fail. The focus is on making sure kids pass, not on helping D students raise their grades to Cs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess they can start being concerned now they transformed my A student to a straight D student!

Not really seeing why that’s their concern.

Someone earlier in the thread said the teacher probably wasn’t concerned about my A student because other kids were struggling more, and I was merely pointing out that my child has now moved into the category of D student, so perhaps the teacher will care more?

They won't. Welcome to APS.

Unfortunately this year, he would have done better to fail. The focus is on making sure kids pass, not on helping D students raise their grades to Cs.

PP whose kids have been failing at least 1 class (one them has been failing about half), and I assure you, if that has been their focus, it's impossible to tell. Have spoken to several other parents with kids at different schools, also with failing grades, and have not yet heard of these supposed "targeted interventions" that kids are supposed to get when they're failing. My kid has at times had a 30 average in more than one class and I have had to beg teachers to tell us what WE (the parents) can do to assist. At one point asked my kid's guidance counselor if there was any consideration for kids like mine (formerly straight As, now failing at least half)--maybe allow for extra time to turn in assignments? Maybe offer the option of just repeating a class next year? She chuckled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two kids in middle school in APS. Many teachers between them. None of these issues. Sometimes they can’t find a link or have a submission issue. They work it out with their teacher. All of them have been responsive. I don’t get involved with Canvas and only check grades and missing assignments on ParentVue We’ve had no major issues like I am reading about here. Are we just lucky or are there a vocal few on here?

You are lucky. Having spoken with parents at several different schools in APS (ES, MS, HS) this has not been consistent. Some parents have felt like it went pretty well or at least okay (IME, parents who have been able to dedicate A LOT of time to making it work) but the majority I have spoken to would say they have had major issues. And perhaps unlike the average DCUM-er I am including parents who don't speak English at home, whose kids get free lunch, who can't WFH, whose kids have IEPs/504s...have yet to hear one say that this has been a decent year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's also worth noting that Canvas can be very hard to manage. My HS DD's teacher sent a note saying students needed to find a certain form linked from part of Canvas. Neither of us could find it. I spent a good 30 min looking for link. I have no idea where it was. We emailed the teacher (who still has not responded).

We've also had multiple times this year where she submitted assignments somehow to the wrong spot, then the teacher counted them as late and marked down the grade.

This year has been so hard to manage vs. in-person school where kids could actually just turn stuff in. I hate electronic school.

I don’t understand why things are so complicated. Why not just have a Google drive with all the assignments, due dates etc, and then email or upload to your own user folder that is shared with teacher for turning in. Done that’s it. Track grades in a spreadsheet. Offices do similar work all the time electronically not sure why education management systems make everything so much more complicated other than to sell stupid admin office people more crud.

?? That would be like a classroom where they just get handed worksheets to fill out and hand them back in. Just like in a real classroom, they use a lot of platforms for doing and submitting work, it's not just typing out assignments and submitting documents. My MS and HS kids do work using at least six different kinds of software between them (e.g., IXL, Brainpop, Newsela, Nearpod, Quizlet, MathQuest PLUS Google Docs) plus they use MS Teams for virtual class and some teachers post things there as well. The problem is that they are doing half of it at home now, instead of in the classroom, so if they can't find something or don't do it right away the teacher can't troubleshoot.

What is the possible need of all those platforms? In person school used to be a teacher discussed material in a textbook, wrote notes on the board, and then kids would work problems from the book on blank paper, write essays or answer short form questions about the material, or shorter work sheets. If there is some video content that is applicable, like a PBS documentary, they can find ways to host those I suppose, but I find those useless in general.

These apps just seem like things that play videos and then pose questions to students and automatically score them, so its labor saving for teacher but basically shifts the work of managing all those different tools fall on the student or parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two kids in middle school in APS. Many teachers between them. None of these issues. Sometimes they can’t find a link or have a submission issue. They work it out with their teacher. All of them have been responsive. I don’t get involved with Canvas and only check grades and missing assignments on ParentVue We’ve had no major issues like I am reading about here. Are we just lucky or are there a vocal few on here?

You are lucky. Having spoken with parents at several different schools in APS (ES, MS, HS) this has not been consistent. Some parents have felt like it went pretty well or at least okay (IME, parents who have been able to dedicate A LOT of time to making it work) but the majority I have spoken to would say they have had major issues. And perhaps unlike the average DCUM-er I am including parents who don't speak English at home, whose kids get free lunch, who can't WFH, whose kids have IEPs/504s...have yet to hear one say that this has been a decent year.

Middles school parent. 2 kids. Both parent work full time. Have devoted no time to making this work for my kids, other than struggling with tech in the first week. Both have As and Bs. Both have worked with teachers during office hours and async times (on their days at home and in school) to fix tech or academic issues. Doesn’t feel that different. I acknowledge that many families have struggled. But I am surprised how this forum seems to have no one else reporting that it was fine with minimal parent involvement. Elementary would be a nightmare. But middle and high? I guess we are just at a great school with great teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's also worth noting that Canvas can be very hard to manage. My HS DD's teacher sent a note saying students needed to find a certain form linked from part of Canvas. Neither of us could find it. I spent a good 30 min looking for link. I have no idea where it was. We emailed the teacher (who still has not responded).

We've also had multiple times this year where she submitted assignments somehow to the wrong spot, then the teacher counted them as late and marked down the grade.

This year has been so hard to manage vs. in-person school where kids could actually just turn stuff in. I hate electronic school.

I don’t understand why things are so complicated. Why not just have a Google drive with all the assignments, due dates etc, and then email or upload to your own user folder that is shared with teacher for turning in. Done that’s it. Track grades in a spreadsheet. Offices do similar work all the time electronically not sure why education management systems make everything so much more complicated other than to sell stupid admin office people more crud.

?? That would be like a classroom where they just get handed worksheets to fill out and hand them back in. Just like in a real classroom, they use a lot of platforms for doing and submitting work, it's not just typing out assignments and submitting documents. My MS and HS kids do work using at least six different kinds of software between them (e.g., IXL, Brainpop, Newsela, Nearpod, Quizlet, MathQuest PLUS Google Docs) plus they use MS Teams for virtual class and some teachers post things there as well. The problem is that they are doing half of it at home now, instead of in the classroom, so if they can't find something or don't do it right away the teacher can't troubleshoot.

What is the possible need of all those platforms? In person school used to be a teacher discussed material in a textbook, wrote notes on the board, and then kids would work problems from the book on blank paper, write essays or answer short form questions about the material, or shorter work sheets. If there is some video content that is applicable, like a PBS documentary, they can find ways to host those I suppose, but I find those useless in general.

These apps just seem like things that play videos and then pose questions to students and automatically score them, so its labor saving for teacher but basically shifts the work of managing all those different tools fall on the student or parents.

You are woefully out of touch with education (in person education!) over the last 10 years or so. It’s not 1986.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two kids in middle school in APS. Many teachers between them. None of these issues. Sometimes they can’t find a link or have a submission issue. They work it out with their teacher. All of them have been responsive. I don’t get involved with Canvas and only check grades and missing assignments on ParentVue We’ve had no major issues like I am reading about here. Are we just lucky or are there a vocal few on here?

You are lucky. Having spoken with parents at several different schools in APS (ES, MS, HS) this has not been consistent. Some parents have felt like it went pretty well or at least okay (IME, parents who have been able to dedicate A LOT of time to making it work) but the majority I have spoken to would say they have had major issues. And perhaps unlike the average DCUM-er I am including parents who don't speak English at home, whose kids get free lunch, who can't WFH, whose kids have IEPs/504s...have yet to hear one say that this has been a decent year.

Middles school parent. 2 kids. Both parent work full time. Have devoted no time to making this work for my kids, other than struggling with tech in the first week. Both have As and Bs. Both have worked with teachers during office hours and async times (on their days at home and in school) to fix tech or academic issues. Doesn’t feel that different. I acknowledge that many families have struggled. But I am surprised how this forum seems to have no one else reporting that it was fine with minimal parent involvement. Elementary would be a nightmare. But middle and high? I guess we are just at a great school with great teachers.

I guess so! Or you have great kids? Or all of the above? I was not trying to argue with you, just saying that I have talked to folks with kids at various schools throughout the year and most have echoed what I have seen/experienced: that even for MS kids who were pretty high -achieving before this, it's been rough. For parents whose kids *weren't* doing well before this, it's been awful. I suspect there are kids and families for whom this year would have been fine or even great, regardless--the kids are super-motivated, they got really engaging teachers, they were adept with the tech or had responsive teachers who helped with trouble-shooting--there are many ways I could have seen this working for kids whose parents couldn't/didn't offer extra support and all of that is great. But it is not what I have heard from a cross-section of APS parents. I wish there some consistency across APS. When I hear Bridget Loft talk about how the teachers are reaching out to kids with Ds and Es (they even dedicated extra days to asynchronous for this stated purpose) I have to wonder what I'm missing because *at this moment* my MS kid has failing grades in more than one class and the "outreach" is zero. My MS kid's teachers often *all host office hours at the same time* so there isn't an option to do more than one class. If we can pull off no failing grades by the end of school I will be thrilled.

[Anonymous]

I have 1 middle school IEP kid and it has been a pretty okay year, I am not complaining. I have had to help my kid make sure their assignments were in A LOT, as in several times a week, because they just never had to deal with this kind of thing before. Things that go wrong are: kid turns assignment in in a file format that teacher can't read (not sure why this is possible, but it is); kid misunderstood assignment and teacher grades it with comments that only half is done (but if kid never reads these comments they don't realize they didn't complete it); kit never actually turned assignment in or never started assignment because they didn't realize it was due; kid turned assignment in by sharing it in a shared folder instead of through Canvas but teacher forgot and need to be reminded to grade it; etc. -- there are about 5 other scenarios that have happened to us a bunch this year.

If I wasn't checking my middle schooler's Canvas or my ParentVue, the kid would not be aware of any of this. Part of my mission this year has been to try to teach them to check their recent activity for teacher grading comments to see whether they need to follow up on anything (I think I've succeeded at this) and also get them to check the grade application on their iPad to see when a teacher says an assignment is missing or incomplete (less successful at this).

But even with all these issues for my IEP kid, I'm not blaming APS for the trouble kid has been having and I'm not angry at APS for making things like this. My understanding is that Canvas is actually a lot easier now that it has been even a few years ago and I'm grateful for that. Our teachers have been pretty understanding and I'm grateful for that also. I have NOT had a situation where I have reached out to a teacher and teacher has never responded or has laughed off a request from us. That sucks and I don't know what to tell you. I might want to complain to someone higher up, but at the same time I could also understand just being DONE with this year and ready for the summer.

intervene a bunch though and without me doublechecking, kid would not be turning in assignments left and right and would be getting some zeroes.

[Anonymous]

I think most teachers are pretty understanding in regards to errors in Canvas, as long as the students communicate. I would think a student that worked hard on something would look for the teachers feedback, and notice if something had gone awry. They can figure out the video games with no trouble.

Even in person, parents always needed to help kids with organization at home. The transition to middle schools should require support from parents if a child lacks these or self-advocacy skills. The schools never did it all for you. Secondary teachers usually have 120 students or more, and update grade books weekly. ParentVue IS the grade book, and should be fairly accurate. That had been made clear by APS from the beginning. In addition, interims are sent home.

There may be some variation among teachers, but I think it is an age appropriate expectation that students will know and understand each teacher’s policies, and the first week of school (several weeks even, this year) are dedicated to this.

If one of my kids had, as one PP described, weeks where they did nothing, I think I’d be more pissed off at my kid than his or her teachers. That would only have to happen once. Try taking the phone away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 1 middle school IEP kid and it has been a pretty okay year, I am not complaining. I have had to help my kid make sure their assignments were in A LOT, as in several times a week, because they just never had to deal with this kind of thing before. Things that go wrong are: kid turns assignment in in a file format that teacher can't read (not sure why this is possible, but it is); kid misunderstood assignment and teacher grades it with comments that only half is done (but if kid never reads these comments they don't realize they didn't complete it); kit never actually turned assignment in or never started assignment because they didn't realize it was due; kid turned assignment in by sharing it in a shared folder instead of through Canvas but teacher forgot and need to be reminded to grade it; etc. -- there are about 5 other scenarios that have happened to us a bunch this year.

If I wasn't checking my middle schooler's Canvas or my ParentVue, the kid would not be aware of any of this. Part of my mission this year has been to try to teach them to check their recent activity for teacher grading comments to see whether they need to follow up on anything (I think I've succeeded at this) and also get them to check the grade application on their iPad to see when a teacher says an assignment is missing or incomplete (less successful at this).

But even with all these issues for my IEP kid, I'm not blaming APS for the trouble kid has been having and I'm not angry at APS for making things like this. My understanding is that Canvas is actually a lot easier now that it has been even a few years ago and I'm grateful for that. Our teachers have been pretty understanding and I'm grateful for that also. I have NOT had a situation where I have reached out to a teacher and teacher has never responded or has laughed off a request from us. That sucks and I don't know what to tell you. I might want to complain to someone higher up, but at the same time I could also understand just being DONE with this year and ready for the summer.

intervene a bunch though and without me doublechecking, kid would not be turning in assignments left and right and would be getting some zeroes.

Sounds about right to me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two kids in middle school in APS. Many teachers between them. None of these issues. Sometimes they can’t find a link or have a submission issue. They work it out with their teacher. All of them have been responsive. I don’t get involved with Canvas and only check grades and missing assignments on ParentVue We’ve had no major issues like I am reading about here. Are we just lucky or are there a vocal few on here?

You are lucky. Having spoken with parents at several different schools in APS (ES, MS, HS) this has not been consistent. Some parents have felt like it went pretty well or at least okay (IME, parents who have been able to dedicate A LOT of time to making it work) but the majority I have spoken to would say they have had major issues. And perhaps unlike the average DCUM-er I am including parents who don't speak English at home, whose kids get free lunch, who can't WFH, whose kids have IEPs/504s...have yet to hear one say that this has been a decent year.

Middles school parent. 2 kids. Both parent work full time. Have devoted no time to making this work for my kids, other than struggling with tech in the first week. Both have As and Bs. Both have worked with teachers during office hours and async times (on their days at home and in school) to fix tech or academic issues. Doesn’t feel that different. I acknowledge that many families have struggled. But I am surprised how this forum seems to have no one else reporting that it was fine with minimal parent involvement. Elementary would be a nightmare. But middle and high? I guess we are just at a great school with great teachers.

I have one in third grade. Was not able to help, but I think it was ok. I thought the teachers were amazing!