MCPS Announces New Attendance Plan and Policy on 8/22

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our staff were also discussing students skipping classes to avoid tests, study, and take them later. Currently, we are not allowed to take points off for skipping. The current system encourages it due to the lack of consequences.

This exactly! My child knows they dye can skip without consequence!

For the teachers who discussed it today, will that now change? Will students not be able to make up work mussed during class unexcused absences? Fingers crossed!

Then, this is a parenting issue. My kid knows they cannot skip or miss assignments or there are serious consequences at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Underlying all of this is that there is no way to punish weak parenting without hurting the child even more. You can't take money from parents, or send parents to jail, as punishment for weak parenting, and expect that to help the child. There aren't better environments just waiting to host the child.

Punitive arrangements are useless, unless they are deferred until children are 18 or 21.

Examples of potentially plausible programs:

* Welfare subsidies are $X, plus $Y bonus for students who attend school and submit academic work. This discourages pulling kids out of school to do labor or just hang out

* If a parent fails to put a child through 11 valid years of schooling before age 21, parent does weekends in prison or community service.

Many of the parents in question already receive welfare benefits, so I don't think that works.

To your point: Some of the underlying problems are character, moral and ethical problems that the school district nor the county government can help.

What "welfare benefits" do you think the parents are getting, specifically?

Housing, food and likely medical insurance.

There is still cash assistance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what exactly is the new plan and policy?

Because they cut off the livestream, we're all in the dark. I'm guessing we'll get the details when news reports are filed later today? This is all so bizarre.

MCPS's largest student racial group is Hispanic, and 36.6% of Hispanic students are chronically absent (based on MSDE report card).

Whey are more than 1/3 of Hispanic students chronically absent? Are they helping their family or are they doing something else?

In fact some Hispanic groups surveyed MCPS's Hispanic students and found that many of them are not going to school because they were undereducated in their home countries (many of them are immigrant children and are ESOL students) and cannot keep up with the work, even the ESOL work.

I look forward to see whether MCPS addresses this massive problem in the school system.

Right.

This is no longer a school system primarily of UMC kids. It is increasingly a system of high needs kids.

2021-2022 numbers:

40% of the kids are FARMS
18% are ESOL

33% Hispanic
22% Black
25% White
14% Asian

This is in a county that is 42% white and with a 5% poverty rate.

Think about that. Essentially, white families with financial means have fled the system.

Not a conclusion you can make from the data you've given. What are the demographics of all school-aged kids in MoCo?

Look at 2002-3 numbers:
https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/fy2003/schools/county.pdf
White 46.1%
Black 21.4%
Hispanic 17.9%
Asian 14.2%

FARMS 22.5%
ESOL 8.5%

In 20 years, FARMS, ESOL, and Hispanic percentages doubled or nearly doubled, and White percentage nearly halved.

Excellent. With all this diversity I’m sure the schools are doing fantastically well. It’s our strength you know.

[Anonymous]

Does the 10 day unenrollment only apply to unexcused absences or all absences?

My senior year, I had chicken pox. My parents contacted the office to report the illness, make arrangements to get my assignments from my teachers, and offered to bring a doctor’s note (but were told it wasn’t needed). When I got back to school I was informed that I was on attendance probation and another absence could result in loss of credit.

I realize that most of the absenteeism isn’t related to significant medical or other excusable reasons, but that doesn’t justify allowing those students and families who are doing their best to be sacrificed to overly rigid protocols.

[Anonymous]

The average daily attendance has a big impact on funding for the schools which is why I am sure MCPS is cracking down. Tax payers are paying per pupil even when those kids aren't in school.

My DD is in a title 1 school and several kids were away for long periods of time. Her class size was super small because there was always someone out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can think of at least 2 students last year that missed a month of school to visit family out of the country. One was in Africa and the other in South America. So would MCPS now unenroll them?

Also, what happens once these kids are unenrolled? I’m thinking of the many moms of MS boys that say “I can’t control him” and their son misses 65 days of school. There is no phone call or home visit that will get that kid to school.

In the first paragraph, students who miss the first ten days of school would be unenrolled. We call these no shows. Most no shows are the result of parents forgetting to notify the school that they moved. We also get some kids who are traveling and miss the first week. The neighbor kids know and tell us. “Larla moved over the summer.” Or “Larlo says he’ll be back after Labor Day.”

I don’t think removing no shows five days early will do much. I’m more worried about students who are absent 1-2 days a week all year long.


MCPS already has the policy of unenrolling students who miss 30 days for reasons other than illness.

[Anonymous]

Extra extra, read all about it. Mcps is making students attend their classes before having teachers inflate their grades. That's a step in the right direction....uh I think????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am very frustrated by this and by what we (as staff) discussed at school today about this. What we were told was: kids are absent because they don’t want to come to school; they don’t want to come to school because they don’t feel supported culturally; so we as a staff need more anti-bias training.

I am so sick of this.

That’s ridiculous. I’m a lifelong Democrat and this is making me kind of hate left-wing educational politics.

You should be. Unfortunately the bias narrative just continues the cycle of low expectations and group politics that leads to disadvantaged groups not coming to school in the first place.

Hmm... Source?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were told today that teachers must take attendance in every single class and if a kid comes in 20+ minutes late, then mark them absent. We are not supposed to change their attendance to present if they show up half way through class.

Except this is late, not absent. We had a teacher mark our kid absent for homeroom as they didn't participate/share as the teacher demanded they did as our child wasn't uncomfortable with the constant topics the teacher pushed and it was a teacher where if you didn't say the right thing you were verbally admonished for not being their version of political correctness. It wasn't reasonable but not worth fighting as homeroom meant nothing.

What did the principal say when you brought this up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what exactly is the new plan and policy?

Because they cut off the livestream, we're all in the dark. I'm guessing we'll get the details when news reports are filed later today? This is all so bizarre.

MCPS's largest student racial group is Hispanic, and 36.6% of Hispanic students are chronically absent (based on MSDE report card).

Whey are more than 1/3 of Hispanic students chronically absent? Are they helping their family or are they doing something else?

In fact some Hispanic groups surveyed MCPS's Hispanic students and found that many of them are not going to school because they were undereducated in their home countries (many of them are immigrant children and are ESOL students) and cannot keep up with the work, even the ESOL work.

I look forward to see whether MCPS addresses this massive problem in the school system.

Right.

This is no longer a school system primarily of UMC kids. It is increasingly a system of high needs kids.

2021-2022 numbers:

40% of the kids are FARMS
18% are ESOL

33% Hispanic
22% Black
25% White
14% Asian

This is in a county that is 42% white and with a 5% poverty rate.

Think about that. Essentially, white families with financial means have fled the system.

Not a conclusion you can make from the data you've given. What are the demographics of all school-aged kids in MoCo?

Look at 2002-3 numbers:
https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/fy2003/schools/county.pdf
White 46.1%
Black 21.4%
Hispanic 17.9%
Asian 14.2%

FARMS 22.5%
ESOL 8.5%

In 20 years, FARMS, ESOL, and Hispanic percentages doubled or nearly doubled, and White percentage nearly halved.

Excellent. With all this diversity I’m sure the schools are doing fantastically well. It’s our strength you know.

Yeah, I miss the good ol' days when POC knew their place - and it wasn't MoCo - too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were told today that teachers must take attendance in every single class and if a kid comes in 20+ minutes late, then mark them absent. We are not supposed to change their attendance to present if they show up half way through class.

Except this is late, not absent. We had a teacher mark our kid absent for homeroom as they didn't participate/share as the teacher demanded they did as our child wasn't uncomfortable with the constant topics the teacher pushed and it was a teacher where if you didn't say the right thing you were verbally admonished for not being their version of political correctness. It wasn't reasonable but not worth fighting as homeroom meant nothing.

What did the principal say when you brought this up?

Nothing. They’d look into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were told today that teachers must take attendance in every single class and if a kid comes in 20+ minutes late, then mark them absent. We are not supposed to change their attendance to present if they show up half way through class.

Except this is late, not absent. We had a teacher mark our kid absent for homeroom as they didn't participate/share as the teacher demanded they did as our child wasn't uncomfortable with the constant topics the teacher pushed and it was a teacher where if you didn't say the right thing you were verbally admonished for not being their version of political correctness. It wasn't reasonable but not worth fighting as homeroom meant nothing.

What did the principal say when you brought this up?

Nothing. They’d look into it.

And when you followed up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the 10 day unenrollment only apply to unexcused absences or all absences?

My senior year, I had chicken pox. My parents contacted the office to report the illness, make arrangements to get my assignments from my teachers, and offered to bring a doctor’s note (but were told it wasn’t needed). When I got back to school I was informed that I was on attendance probation and another absence could result in loss of credit.

I realize that most of the absenteeism isn’t related to significant medical or other excusable reasons, but that doesn’t justify allowing those students and families who are doing their best to be sacrificed to overly rigid protocols.

I am not 100% certain, but if you are in contact with the school, I don't think the student would be unenrolled for medical reasons.

This is really for the kids who go MIA, as well as the parents. I am a teacher I try to reach out to parents of kids who are chronically absent and I get crickets. It is also for the kids who leave the country for weeks/months at a time. And it is no big deal to just reenroll those students once they get back. Although, they will reenroll at their home school, so they may lose their place in a special program (not IEP placement), like a magnet program or immersion program.

[Anonymous]

We need a wall around to schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the 10 day unenrollment only apply to unexcused absences or all absences?

My senior year, I had chicken pox. My parents contacted the office to report the illness, make arrangements to get my assignments from my teachers, and offered to bring a doctor’s note (but were told it wasn’t needed). When I got back to school I was informed that I was on attendance probation and another absence could result in loss of credit.

I realize that most of the absenteeism isn’t related to significant medical or other excusable reasons, but that doesn’t justify allowing those students and families who are doing their best to be sacrificed to overly rigid protocols.

I am not 100% certain, but if you are in contact with the school, I don't think the student would be unenrolled for medical reasons.

This is really for the kids who go MIA, as well as the parents. I am a teacher I try to reach out to parents of kids who are chronically absent and I get crickets. It is also for the kids who leave the country for weeks/months at a time. And it is no big deal to just reenroll those students once they get back. Although, they will reenroll at their home school, so they may lose their place in a special program (not IEP placement), like a magnet program or immersion program.

Based on information we received from our school I’m not sure you’re correct about that.