Benchmark in MCPS

[Anonymous]

I teach in FCPS (Fairfax) and we started with Benchmark this year for language arts in all elementary grades. I personally hate Benchmark; I think it's awful. My students hate it and my teacher friends hate it. I thought I heard somewhere that MCPS was using Benchmark and ditched it after a year or so. Is that true? I would love it if FCPS would ditch this program, but I've been told it was a big seven year investment. How was MCPS able to get rid of it?

[Anonymous]

Omg yes. Thank goodness it's gone. It was purchased in 2019 so by 2024 year MCPS moved to a new curriculum aligned with Science of Reading approach. So they bought Amplify.... So much better for early ES and focus on phonics is back. My K kid is much better served than my current 3rd grader was in her K class for reading instruction. They have the same teacher for K and I can see the materials coming home and the change in expectations.
https://bethesdamagazine.com/2024/03/20/school-board-adopts-new-elementary-english-language-arts-curricula/
Quote:
In addition, officials noted to the board that the current Benchmark curriculum “lacked foundational literacy skill development” and was not aligned with the Science of Reading research.

[Anonymous]

They will always say it's the best thing until it isn't. Give it another year or two and it'll be "we need to do this" and then start a search for a new "curriculum" same thing new name. Good luck with benchmark it was even worse during virtual.

[Anonymous]

I wish they had gotten rid of it after a year, but we had it from before the pandemic (rolled out in some schools in 2019-2020) and only have a new, much better curriculum this year. Benchmark is absolutely terrible. I feel for any 5th grade FCOS teacher who has to teach that awful corn unit. Teachers, students, and parents alike despised it.

[Anonymous]

They started by supplementing it with Really Great Reading for a couple years, then got rid of it entirely.

[Anonymous]

It’s awful. Shockingly awful.

[Anonymous]

OP are you serious? I can't believe after all the bad press about these types of curricula that FCPS signed on to this. SMH. This makes me really sad. There has to be some kind of corruption going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP are you serious? I can't believe after all the bad press about these types of curricula that FCPS signed on to this. SMH. This makes me really sad. There has to be some kind of corruption going on.

DP but people begged FCPS not to buy it in feedback. And they still did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP are you serious? I can't believe after all the bad press about these types of curricula that FCPS signed on to this. SMH. This makes me really sad. There has to be some kind of corruption going on.

DP but people begged FCPS not to buy it in feedback. And they still did.

Shocking

[Anonymous]

Benchmark touts its Spanish materials. I wondered if that’s why mcps initially bought it (despite recommendations not to)—and perhaps why the op’s district bought it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark touts its Spanish materials. I wondered if that’s why mcps initially bought it (despite recommendations not to)—and perhaps why the op’s district bought it?

That's not a good reason. I smell bribery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark touts its Spanish materials. I wondered if that’s why mcps initially bought it (despite recommendations not to)—and perhaps why the op’s district bought it?

Could be why it was bought if there are no better alternatives in the market for Spanish

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish they had gotten rid of it after a year, but we had it from before the pandemic (rolled out in some schools in 2019-2020) and only have a new, much better curriculum this year. Benchmark is absolutely terrible. I feel for any 5th grade FCOS teacher who has to teach that awful corn unit. Teachers, students, and parents alike despised it.

They didn't even have time to cover beans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Benchmark touts its Spanish materials. I wondered if that’s why mcps initially bought it (despite recommendations not to)—and perhaps why the op’s district bought it?

Could be why it was bought if there are no better alternatives in the market for Spanish

MCPS managed to find an alternative. It's called Arriba la Lectura.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP are you serious? I can't believe after all the bad press about these types of curricula that FCPS signed on to this. SMH. This makes me really sad. There has to be some kind of corruption going on.

I have to think that the powers that be in FCPS had to know about Montgomery’s experience with it. Or were they truly unaware? If they did know, then it’s mind boggling to think they would invest so much money into this program.

Virginia law started requiring that every school system in the state choose a basal for core curriculum, so they had to choose something. But wow was this a bad choice.