Jan. 9 BOE Business Meeting Discussion Thread

[Anonymous]

Today's Board meeting was a doozy. It went over 5 hours long.

[Anonymous]

Geez what "important" things were discussed? Anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geez what "important" things were discussed? Anything?

Embarrassingly low literacy scores, embarrassingly low math proficiency scores and an embarrassing "update" on systemwide safety and security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geez what "important" things were discussed? Anything?

Embarrassingly low literacy scores, embarrassingly low math proficiency scores and an embarrassing "update" on systemwide safety and security.

No discussion of mistake purchase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geez what "important" things were discussed? Anything?

Embarrassingly low literacy scores, embarrassingly low math proficiency scores and an embarrassing "update" on systemwide safety and security.

No discussion of mistake purchase.

NOPE! That was glossed over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geez what "important" things were discussed? Anything?

Embarrassingly low literacy scores, embarrassingly low math proficiency scores and an embarrassing "update" on systemwide safety and security.

Is this a surprise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geez what "important" things were discussed? Anything?

Embarrassingly low literacy scores, embarrassingly low math proficiency scores and an embarrassing "update" on systemwide safety and security.

No discussion of mistake purchase.

NOPE! That was glossed over.

Did you also look at some of the new contracts...they were pretty shocking with some of the vendors.

[Anonymous]

Did they talk about the snow days and the calendar at all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did they talk about the snow days and the calendar at all?

If you mean did they talk about how we'd decide how to make up the snow days with the allotted dates on our calendar? No. But they did use the "Things to Know" newsletter to address criticism around their decision to remain closed for a third day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they talk about the snow days and the calendar at all?

If you mean did they talk about how we'd decide how to make up the snow days with the allotted dates on our calendar? No. But they did use the "Things to Know" newsletter to address criticism around their decision to remain closed for a third day.

I didn't expect an actual decision today, was just wondering if the topic came up at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they talk about the snow days and the calendar at all?

If you mean did they talk about how we'd decide how to make up the snow days with the allotted dates on our calendar? No. But they did use the "Things to Know" newsletter to address criticism around their decision to remain closed for a third day.

Maybe if they just ignore the problem it will go away.

[Anonymous]

In the math data part, were they trying to say that instructional coaches are the answer? In the vast majority of math classrooms, the teacher isn’t the problem. I’ve encountered students in MS and HS who can’t add single digit numbers without a calculator. I wonder what the instructional coaches would suggest in order to help them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the math data part, were they trying to say that instructional coaches are the answer? In the vast majority of math classrooms, the teacher isn’t the problem. I’ve encountered students in MS and HS who can’t add single digit numbers without a calculator. I wonder what the instructional coaches would suggest in order to help them.

The answer to both the poor performance in ELA and math was pretty much saying that the teachers were the problem. I was somewhat taken aback.

I wonder how MCEA feels about this? They were not present at the meeting.

[Anonymous]

It’s easy to blame the teachers. It’s hard to try to solve the problem of 16 year olds who don’t know 7+4 without a calculator. Yet teachers are trying to teach them quadratic equations and logs. Also, many former LFI students are now diploma bound due to new guidance from MSDE. Many have IQs under 60 yet are still expected to learn these topics. The problem is so much deeper than teaching skills but MCPS refuses to address this time and time again.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I guess I should correct myself.

The CO staff blamed the teachers for not knowing their content areas AND they blamed principals for not being supportive of the math coaches and CO supports by not taking them up on their offers of support or failing to carve out the needed time for teachers to do the integrated planning that's needed.

Again, I expect MCAAP and MCEA might not love those narratives.