Basal Training

[Anonymous]

Any feedback on Basal Training that is happening over the Summer?

[Anonymous]

I haven’t done it yet- signed up for a few weeks but I hear mixed things on the FB group. Some think the day 1&2 Benchmark people were helpful and FCPS day 3 is not. And then it was flipped and day 1&2 just felt like a sales pitch. I think it depends on instructor.

I have still been on the fence about doing it but FCPS isn’t clear about what happens if you don’t do it in the summer. Apparently they will cram it in a 1/2 day session when we go back. So why 3 days if it be done in 1?

Also you can access Benchmark Universe through Clever so I was digging around a little just out of curiosity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any feedback on Basal Training that is happening over the Summer?

Same as the PP and planning to do it during the school year.

The summer training takes 3 days but if you wait for the school-year training it will only take 1/2 of one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any feedback on Basal Training that is happening over the Summer?

Same as the PP and planning to do it during the school year.

The summer training takes 3 days but if you wait for the school-year training it will only take 1/2 of one day.

That’s what I don’t get? Why try to make us take it (paid) in the summer if it can be done in a shorter time frame?

Also I have also heard that the other 2 days need to be made up but will happen after school starts.

[Anonymous]

I understood there would be an opportunity to do the 3 days after the teacher calendar begins, but I don’t know when that opportunity will be.

[Anonymous]

Thanks this is helpful. And I didn’t know that it was up on clever.

[Anonymous]

Three days of training is awesome.

[Anonymous]

Some people are saying it’s overwhelming. It seems to depend on the instructor.

[Anonymous]

Days 1 & 2 felt like a sales pitch, but day 3 was actually useful because you had to practice teaching the new material. It then became obvious that there is still plenty of prep and coordination that needs to be done if you want a class to run smoothly. The Benchmark people spent a huge amount of time emphasizing how easy it was going to be because “everything has already been done for you.”

[Anonymous]

My Benchmark instructor for day 1 & 2 was great. Day 3 FCPS instructor was good too, but it was an unnecessary day. Day 3 could have been an online training - MTSS. We walked through teaching a lesson but had done a lot with our trainer on day 1 and 2 so it was a bit of an overlap.

We did a lot of hands on with day 1 & 2. Walked through teaching of lessons, where to find everything, where to find the online versions of the couple things that FCPS didn’t buy, etc. My instructor didn’t make it like a sales pitch. There was the potential for a bit of that in the slides I think but she skipped right over it and got down to business.

There is still so much that FCPS doesn’t know the answer to because the state still doesn’t have answers.

I am glad that I did it before school starts because there is a learning curve and a lot you have to prep. Now I understand it and will be able to jump in and prep everything on my 1st day back. The lessons start on day 1. If I had it to do over, I would take it in late July so that it’s more fresh in my brain for the start of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Benchmark instructor for day 1 & 2 was great. Day 3 FCPS instructor was good too, but it was an unnecessary day. Day 3 could have been an online training - MTSS. We walked through teaching a lesson but had done a lot with our trainer on day 1 and 2 so it was a bit of an overlap.

We did a lot of hands on with day 1 & 2. Walked through teaching of lessons, where to find everything, where to find the online versions of the couple things that FCPS didn’t buy, etc. My instructor didn’t make it like a sales pitch. There was the potential for a bit of that in the slides I think but she skipped right over it and got down to business.

There is still so much that FCPS doesn’t know the answer to because the state still doesn’t have answers.

I am glad that I did it before school starts because there is a learning curve and a lot you have to prep. Now I understand it and will be able to jump in and prep everything on my 1st day back. The lessons start on day 1. If I had it to do over, I would take it in late July so that it’s more fresh in my brain for the start of school.

Thanks. Kindergarten will get 5 days to settle in before starting. But I’m glad to have it done too.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if you have to complete the training in order to get paid? It n other words if you miss part of a day do they still pay you for the parts you attend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My Benchmark instructor for day 1 & 2 was great. Day 3 FCPS instructor was good too, but it was an unnecessary day. Day 3 could have been an online training - MTSS. We walked through teaching a lesson but had done a lot with our trainer on day 1 and 2 so it was a bit of an overlap.

We did a lot of hands on with day 1 & 2. Walked through teaching of lessons, where to find everything, where to find the online versions of the couple things that FCPS didn’t buy, etc. My instructor didn’t make it like a sales pitch. There was the potential for a bit of that in the slides I think but she skipped right over it and got down to business.

There is still so much that FCPS doesn’t know the answer to because the state still doesn’t have answers.

I am glad that I did it before school starts because there is a learning curve and a lot you have to prep. Now I understand it and will be able to jump in and prep everything on my 1st day back. The lessons start on day 1. If I had it to do over, I would take it in late July so that it’s more fresh in my brain for the start of school.

Thanks for the info. When you say that there's still so much FCPS doesn't know the answer to bc the state still doesn't have answers, what do you mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know if you have to complete the training in order to get paid? It n other words if you miss part of a day do they still pay you for the parts you attend?

That happened to someone in my class. They take attendance am & pm. On the last day you put it in MyTime for just the hours you attended. But if you know in advance that you’ll be missing a good part of a day, then I would choose another session personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Benchmark instructor for day 1 & 2 was great. Day 3 FCPS instructor was good too, but it was an unnecessary day. Day 3 could have been an online training - MTSS. We walked through teaching a lesson but had done a lot with our trainer on day 1 and 2 so it was a bit of an overlap.

We did a lot of hands on with day 1 & 2. Walked through teaching of lessons, where to find everything, where to find the online versions of the couple things that FCPS didn’t buy, etc. My instructor didn’t make it like a sales pitch. There was the potential for a bit of that in the slides I think but she skipped right over it and got down to business.

There is still so much that FCPS doesn’t know the answer to because the state still doesn’t have answers.

I am glad that I did it before school starts because there is a learning curve and a lot you have to prep. Now I understand it and will be able to jump in and prep everything on my 1st day back. The lessons start on day 1. If I had it to do over, I would take it in late July so that it’s more fresh in my brain for the start of school.

Thanks for the info. When you say that there's still so much FCPS doesn't know the answer to bc the state still doesn't have answers, what do you mean?

The state hasn’t worked out all of the details. This just became law last year. The state just decided on basals this spring. Lots of details to be ironed out by the state still. For example, the state is still deciding which students will be required to have intervention reading plans. Until a decision is made by the state you just have to assume it’s all ELs who are below grade level — including kids who just came to the US - which is completely ridiculous.