Honors English 9A, MP1: What is your child reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the new opt out policy, teachers are even more beleaguered. The RT at my school was concerned about showcasing the texts her teachers were using at BTSN because she worried that parents would flip through them and complain.

Could a parent opt out of Magic Fish and All American Boys and in effect force A Separate Peace?

My 9th grade students have the option to opt out of the Magic Fish, especially considering the fact it has a moderate LGBTQ focus. We told them in class they can do that. However we have let them know that the other books they choose will be more difficult and that all instruction will be tailored towards the 99% of kids who are reading The Magic Fish. Any kid who opts out will essentially be on independent study and for better or worse, be left to sink or swim. This is not an ideal way to begin their adjustment to high school and the real academic consequences that come with it.

What would you say to a student who doesn’t want/need to opt out of Magic Fish but would like to be offered a more challenging book and guided independent study in addition?

They have that option if they want. They also have the option to read independently on their own outside of school. Nobody is stopping them from doing that. However, If they want to be able to receive regular and routine assistance and guidance from myself and the other teacher in the room, they probably should follow the plan in place.

If a child is truly so gifted that Magic Fish is beneath them, they should have no issue with easily getting their A during the 44 minutes a day we spend in class and supplementing their education outside of class.

Shouldn't Magic Fish be "beneath" almost every student since it's written below a 3rd grade reading level? Is your class majority EML students or kids otherwise way below grade level? Why would you try to steer all the kids in your honors English high school class into a book at an elementary school level?

I am the co teacher. The other teacher who is the established ELA teacher has been teaching 9th grade for 6 years and I trust their judgement in knowing how to ensure student success early in the year.

My middle schooler has a 1500 lexile on their MAP report.

I don't my child to experience "success" in highschool in an extremely coddled, low-expectations environment that leaves him unprepared for college and life.

Congrats on getting the opportunity to humble brag about your child. Im sure they are going to do just fine getting into the college of their choice regardless of having to have been forced to read a book below their level in 9th grade.

4th grade level books for 9th grade "honors" is malpractice.

[Anonymous]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is 940

Charlotte's Web is 680

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its me, the co-teacher again. We gave the students their choice of two alternate reading choices if they choose to opt out of The Magic Fish. They are A Separate Peace and When I Was Puerto Rican. 0 out of 75 students took the choice of the alternate book, but we did give them the weekend to discuss it with their parents.

Thank you for the update!

A couple of questions.

1) do the students get to decide or do the parents? (I thought families hd to fill out an opt out form and then the students would be assigned an alternative - is this really up to the students?)

2) when students opt out are they given specific . Assignments for their new book? A Separate Peace is in the curriculjm and has specific assignments that go with it.

3) it seems late to be just starting a novel now when school has been in session for several weeks. What has the class been doing? Are there different readings and writing activities that they have been doing?

Thanks from the mom of an 8th grader

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the new opt out policy, teachers are even more beleaguered. The RT at my school was concerned about showcasing the texts her teachers were using at BTSN because she worried that parents would flip through them and complain.

Could a parent opt out of Magic Fish and All American Boys and in effect force A Separate Peace?

My 9th grade students have the option to opt out of the Magic Fish, especially considering the fact it has a moderate LGBTQ focus. We told them in class they can do that. However we have let them know that the other books they choose will be more difficult and that all instruction will be tailored towards the 99% of kids who are reading The Magic Fish. Any kid who opts out will essentially be on independent study and for better or worse, be left to sink or swim. This is not an ideal way to begin their adjustment to high school and the real academic consequences that come with it.

What would you say to a student who doesn’t want/need to opt out of Magic Fish but would like to be offered a more challenging book and guided independent study in addition?

They have that option if they want. They also have the option to read independently on their own outside of school. Nobody is stopping them from doing that. However, If they want to be able to receive regular and routine assistance and guidance from myself and the other teacher in the room, they probably should follow the plan in place.

If a child is truly so gifted that Magic Fish is beneath them, they should have no issue with easily getting their A during the 44 minutes a day we spend in class and supplementing their education outside of class.

Shouldn't Magic Fish be "beneath" almost every student since it's written below a 3rd grade reading level? Is your class majority EML students or kids otherwise way below grade level? Why would you try to steer all the kids in your honors English high school class into a book at an elementary school level?

I am the co teacher. The other teacher who is the established ELA teacher has been teaching 9th grade for 6 years and I trust their judgement in knowing how to ensure student success early in the year.

My middle schooler has a 1500 lexile on their MAP report.

I don't my child to experience "success" in highschool in an extremely coddled, low-expectations environment that leaves him unprepared for college and life.

Then, you need to go private.

She shouldn’t have to. She should be able to get at grade-level books and tasks in an on-grade leave class, and above-grade level books and tasks for an honors class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its me, the co-teacher again. We gave the students their choice of two alternate reading choices if they choose to opt out of The Magic Fish. They are A Separate Peace and When I Was Puerto Rican. 0 out of 75 students took the choice of the alternate book, but we did give them the weekend to discuss it with their parents.

Thank you for the update!

A couple of questions.

1) do the students get to decide or do the parents? (I thought families hd to fill out an opt out form and then the students would be assigned an alternative - is this really up to the students?)

2) when students opt out are they given specific . Assignments for their new book? A Separate Peace is in the curriculjm and has specific assignments that go with it.

3) it seems late to be just starting a novel now when school has been in session for several weeks. What has the class been doing? Are there different readings and writing activities that they have been doing?

Thanks from the mom of an 8th grader

Idk about the first two.

For #3, this is completely normal. The first two weeks the class schedules change so much and kids flip from one teacher to the next. We are also required to do a lot of “community building” in the first several weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its me, the co-teacher again. We gave the students their choice of two alternate reading choices if they choose to opt out of The Magic Fish. They are A Separate Peace and When I Was Puerto Rican. 0 out of 75 students took the choice of the alternate book, but we did give them the weekend to discuss it with their parents.

Thank you for the update!

A couple of questions.

1) do the students get to decide or do the parents? (I thought families hd to fill out an opt out form and then the students would be assigned an alternative - is this really up to the students?)

2) when students opt out are they given specific . Assignments for their new book? A Separate Peace is in the curriculjm and has specific assignments that go with it.

3) it seems late to be just starting a novel now when school has been in session for several weeks. What has the class been doing? Are there different readings and writing activities that they have been doing?

Thanks from the mom of an 8th grader

As the co-teacher and also in my first year, I am not in charge of doing much of the lesson planning and have deferred that to the more experienced teacher in the room who is an actual ELA teacher. I know there are lots of very specific assignments and lessons for The Magic Fish but I am almost certain there will not be that level of instruction for the alternate books. Those students have been advised that they will almost be expected to independently study. I assume there will be less involved lessons and assignments and more generic book report and analysis type work to be expected.

As the co-teacher, I have planned to read and follow along with the alternative texts should any parent/student request them so I can at least be familiar with them. I read A Separate Peace 25 years ago when I was in 9th grade so I'm not exactly a content expert anymore. As for the other option, I have never even heard of it until like 3 weeks ago so I will have a lot of catching up to do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I was frustrated when my kid's "Advanced" English 6 class was reading Magic Fish. Now I can wait to be infuriated AGAIN when they get it as a high schooler.

My child went to private MS followed by MCPS HS, let me tell you...

I haven't heard of Magic Fish, but he read All American Boys in MS. Animal Farm was a repeat for him.

[Anonymous]

Oh and I didn't answer the 1st question. We let the students decide. We advised that they discuss it with their families if they truly object to the LGBTQ content but I don't believe we required them to. There was no opt out form provided. Instead we posted a book choice assignment where the student had to tell us why they opt out and why they chose the book they wanted to read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its me, the co-teacher again. We gave the students their choice of two alternate reading choices if they choose to opt out of The Magic Fish. They are A Separate Peace and When I Was Puerto Rican. 0 out of 75 students took the choice of the alternate book, but we did give them the weekend to discuss it with their parents.

Thank you for the update!

A couple of questions.

1) do the students get to decide or do the parents? (I thought families hd to fill out an opt out form and then the students would be assigned an alternative - is this really up to the students?)

2) when students opt out are they given specific . Assignments for their new book? A Separate Peace is in the curriculjm and has specific assignments that go with it.

3) it seems late to be just starting a novel now when school has been in session for several weeks. What has the class been doing? Are there different readings and writing activities that they have been doing?

Thanks from the mom of an 8th grader

As the co-teacher and also in my first year, I am not in charge of doing much of the lesson planning and have deferred that to the more experienced teacher in the room who is an actual ELA teacher. I know there are lots of very specific assignments and lessons for The Magic Fish but I am almost certain there will not be that level of instruction for the alternate books. Those students have been advised that they will almost be expected to independently study. I assume there will be less involved lessons and assignments and more generic book report and analysis type work to be expected.

As the co-teacher, I have planned to read and follow along with the alternative texts should any parent/student request them so I can at least be familiar with them. I read A Separate Peace 25 years ago when I was in 9th grade so I'm not exactly a content expert anymore. As for the other option, I have never even heard of it until like 3 weeks ago so I will have a lot of catching up to do

Are you in MCPS? We don't have co-teachers. We have student teachers and special ed teachers but sped teachers are not in the classroom full time. The only co-teachers are at the more specialized special needs programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its me, the co-teacher again. We gave the students their choice of two alternate reading choices if they choose to opt out of The Magic Fish. They are A Separate Peace and When I Was Puerto Rican. 0 out of 75 students took the choice of the alternate book, but we did give them the weekend to discuss it with their parents.

Thank you for the update!

A couple of questions.

1) do the students get to decide or do the parents? (I thought families hd to fill out an opt out form and then the students would be assigned an alternative - is this really up to the students?)

2) when students opt out are they given specific . Assignments for their new book? A Separate Peace is in the curriculjm and has specific assignments that go with it.

3) it seems late to be just starting a novel now when school has been in session for several weeks. What has the class been doing? Are there different readings and writing activities that they have been doing?

Thanks from the mom of an 8th grader

As the co-teacher and also in my first year, I am not in charge of doing much of the lesson planning and have deferred that to the more experienced teacher in the room who is an actual ELA teacher. I know there are lots of very specific assignments and lessons for The Magic Fish but I am almost certain there will not be that level of instruction for the alternate books. Those students have been advised that they will almost be expected to independently study. I assume there will be less involved lessons and assignments and more generic book report and analysis type work to be expected.

As the co-teacher, I have planned to read and follow along with the alternative texts should any parent/student request them so I can at least be familiar with them. I read A Separate Peace 25 years ago when I was in 9th grade so I'm not exactly a content expert anymore. As for the other option, I have never even heard of it until like 3 weeks ago so I will have a lot of catching up to do

Are you in MCPS? We don't have co-teachers. We have student teachers and special ed teachers but sped teachers are not in the classroom full time. The only co-teachers are at the more specialized special needs programs.

DP. My kid has had co-teachers in MS “advanced” English all 3 years of MS, and last year there was a co-teacher in Algebra 1. The co-teachers are SPED teachers but as far as I could tell they help the whole class. They are certified teachers and not paras.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh and I didn't answer the 1st question. We let the students decide. We advised that they discuss it with their families if they truly object to the LGBTQ content but I don't believe we required them to. There was no opt out form provided. Instead we posted a book choice assignment where the student had to tell us why they opt out and why they chose the book they wanted to read.

Thanks so much for sharing all this information — it is very valuable. Appreciate your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its me, the co-teacher again. We gave the students their choice of two alternate reading choices if they choose to opt out of The Magic Fish. They are A Separate Peace and When I Was Puerto Rican. 0 out of 75 students took the choice of the alternate book, but we did give them the weekend to discuss it with their parents.

Thank you for the update!

A couple of questions.

1) do the students get to decide or do the parents? (I thought families hd to fill out an opt out form and then the students would be assigned an alternative - is this really up to the students?)

2) when students opt out are they given specific . Assignments for their new book? A Separate Peace is in the curriculjm and has specific assignments that go with it.

3) it seems late to be just starting a novel now when school has been in session for several weeks. What has the class been doing? Are there different readings and writing activities that they have been doing?

Thanks from the mom of an 8th grader

As the co-teacher and also in my first year, I am not in charge of doing much of the lesson planning and have deferred that to the more experienced teacher in the room who is an actual ELA teacher. I know there are lots of very specific assignments and lessons for The Magic Fish but I am almost certain there will not be that level of instruction for the alternate books. Those students have been advised that they will almost be expected to independently study. I assume there will be less involved lessons and assignments and more generic book report and analysis type work to be expected.

As the co-teacher, I have planned to read and follow along with the alternative texts should any parent/student request them so I can at least be familiar with them. I read A Separate Peace 25 years ago when I was in 9th grade so I'm not exactly a content expert anymore. As for the other option, I have never even heard of it until like 3 weeks ago so I will have a lot of catching up to do

Are you in MCPS? We don't have co-teachers. We have student teachers and special ed teachers but sped teachers are not in the classroom full time. The only co-teachers are at the more specialized special needs programs.

I am in MCPS. I am a Special Ed LAD teacher. I am in there to support the students with IEPs but as part of my co-teaching agreement with the other teacher, I have agreed to assist with the whole class as much as I can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its me, the co-teacher again. We gave the students their choice of two alternate reading choices if they choose to opt out of The Magic Fish. They are A Separate Peace and When I Was Puerto Rican. 0 out of 75 students took the choice of the alternate book, but we did give them the weekend to discuss it with their parents.

Thank you for the update!

A couple of questions.

1) do the students get to decide or do the parents? (I thought families hd to fill out an opt out form and then the students would be assigned an alternative - is this really up to the students?)

2) when students opt out are they given specific . Assignments for their new book? A Separate Peace is in the curriculjm and has specific assignments that go with it.

3) it seems late to be just starting a novel now when school has been in session for several weeks. What has the class been doing? Are there different readings and writing activities that they have been doing?

Thanks from the mom of an 8th grader

As the co-teacher and also in my first year, I am not in charge of doing much of the lesson planning and have deferred that to the more experienced teacher in the room who is an actual ELA teacher. I know there are lots of very specific assignments and lessons for The Magic Fish but I am almost certain there will not be that level of instruction for the alternate books. Those students have been advised that they will almost be expected to independently study. I assume there will be less involved lessons and assignments and more generic book report and analysis type work to be expected.

As the co-teacher, I have planned to read and follow along with the alternative texts should any parent/student request them so I can at least be familiar with them. I read A Separate Peace 25 years ago when I was in 9th grade so I'm not exactly a content expert anymore. As for the other option, I have never even heard of it until like 3 weeks ago so I will have a lot of catching up to do

Are you in MCPS? We don't have co-teachers. We have student teachers and special ed teachers but sped teachers are not in the classroom full time. The only co-teachers are at the more specialized special needs programs.

I am in MCPS. I am a Special Ed LAD teacher. I am in there to support the students with IEPs but as part of my co-teaching agreement with the other teacher, I have agreed to assist with the whole class as much as I can.

Is that why my kid with an iep got ignored?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All American Boys
But they will also be reading Of Mice and Men

Of Mice & Men is a choice in MP2. And it's super short. Why couldn't they read both of these in MP1?

Totally agree. My HS English class in 1986 probably read twice as many books. I remember we read Great Expectations, catcher in the rye, Frankenstein, a Shakespeare play, the Iliad, and I’m sure there were a couple more I’m forgetting now (maybe Huck Finn?) And I went to public school in a random state so I feel like it’s achievable for McPS.

I went to Hoover and Churchill in the 90’s. We read lots of books in 8th grade - but the one I remember is Of Mice and Men because it made me cry. We read Great Expectations in 9th grade English. I read the Odyssey and Dandelion Wine (such a weird book - that’s all I remember) in 10th. I think we read a bunch of short stories every year. We read a bunch of Shakespeare (taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet in middle school). My English teachers were pretty good. I think 9th and 12th grade were the best. It’s frustrating how things have changed. My middle schooler is clearly not a reader and mcps is not going to be able to rope her into reading. Luckily, my younger kid is in a CES program, so she gets particularly amazing teachers and lots of books to dissect. It forces me to see how my older kid missed out… but she is still doing well in school.