Viers Mill ES students protest Title I change

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes, I'm sure those fourth and fifth graders planned it...

I mean, I get that adults often use kids as pawns and props for their own beliefs but for this type of thing, why is it hard to believe the kids planned it? Kids in 4-5th grade are 10-12 years old. I think that's a ripe age to want to jump in and do something. And if they knew that the change of funding meant some of their teachers weren't coming back next year, seems like that's motivation for them to want to fight back somehow.

Seems more like staff would be more likely to discourage it, since it was probably a big hassle for them. I see some adults in the video but they look like they're just standing back and supervising, so probably teachers? Were parents allowed on the property?

I think it was probably a great lesson in civics for the kids. People don't give kids enough credit these days. When they're clueless and don't care about the world, they're lazy and entitled. When they try to speak up (about an issue directly affecting them!) they're labeled as brainwashed or troublemakers.

Too true. Kids are capable of understanding injustice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should protest illegals flooding their classrooms!

Would you make the same type of comment if a Potomac or Bethesda elementary school had students speaking out about a cause that affected them? Very, very few, if any, undocumented children are landing in our area at this time. These students are native-born American citizens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher there and it was fully planned by a Girl Scout troop- not parents.

The issue is that they lost Title 1 status due to the changing MCPS calculation strategy and not due to any change in poverty levels at the school. Parents were told that there was no need to fill out forms, so they didn’t. We also have huge numbers of undocumented students whose parents don’t qualify for food stamps, even though they’re well below the poverty line.

If MCPS had disclosed their changing method earlier in the year, Viers Mill and the other impacted schools could have had a chance to collect forms- or at least have a chance to work with MCPS on a better strategy to transition to the new calculation strategy.

You are very naive if you think there were no adults involved in the planning of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher there and it was fully planned by a Girl Scout troop- not parents.

The issue is that they lost Title 1 status due to the changing MCPS calculation strategy and not due to any change in poverty levels at the school. Parents were told that there was no need to fill out forms, so they didn’t. We also have huge numbers of undocumented students whose parents don’t qualify for food stamps, even though they’re well below the poverty line.

If MCPS had disclosed their changing method earlier in the year, Viers Mill and the other impacted schools could have had a chance to collect forms- or at least have a chance to work with MCPS on a better strategy to transition to the new calculation strategy.

You are very naive if you think there were no adults involved in the planning of this.

You are very naive if you think preteens can't conspire together to defy authority in an organized manner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes, I'm sure those fourth and fifth graders planned it...

You haven't met any kids recently, have you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes, I'm sure those fourth and fifth graders planned it...

I mean, I get that adults often use kids as pawns and props for their own beliefs but for this type of thing, why is it hard to believe the kids planned it? Kids in 4-5th grade are 10-12 years old. I think that's a ripe age to want to jump in and do something. And if they knew that the change of funding meant some of their teachers weren't coming back next year, seems like that's motivation for them to want to fight back somehow.

Seems more like staff would be more likely to discourage it, since it was probably a big hassle for them. I see some adults in the video but they look like they're just standing back and supervising, so probably teachers? Were parents allowed on the property?

I think it was probably a great lesson in civics for the kids. People don't give kids enough credit these days. When they're clueless and don't care about the world, they're lazy and entitled. When they try to speak up (about an issue directly affecting them!) they're labeled as brainwashed or troublemakers.

Kids are capable of understanding injustice

kids know fairness for sure, as in, "That's nor fair!" but only in a selfish aspect (same with many adults too...the selfish part that is)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher there and it was fully planned by a Girl Scout troop- not parents.

The issue is that they lost Title 1 status due to the changing MCPS calculation strategy and not due to any change in poverty levels at the school. Parents were told that there was no need to fill out forms, so they didn’t. We also have huge numbers of undocumented students whose parents don’t qualify for food stamps, even though they’re well below the poverty line.

If MCPS had disclosed their changing method earlier in the year, Viers Mill and the other impacted schools could have had a chance to collect forms- or at least have a chance to work with MCPS on a better strategy to transition to the new calculation strategy.

The school I work at also lost it. The PTA is protesting. It’s really disappointing about the changes MCPS made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes, I'm sure those fourth and fifth graders planned it...

I mean, I get that adults often use kids as pawns and props for their own beliefs but for this type of thing, why is it hard to believe the kids planned it? Kids in 4-5th grade are 10-12 years old. I think that's a ripe age to want to jump in and do something. And if they knew that the change of funding meant some of their teachers weren't coming back next year, seems like that's motivation for them to want to fight back somehow.

Seems more like staff would be more likely to discourage it, since it was probably a big hassle for them. I see some adults in the video but they look like they're just standing back and supervising, so probably teachers? Were parents allowed on the property?

I think it was probably a great lesson in civics for the kids. People don't give kids enough credit these days. When they're clueless and don't care about the world, they're lazy and entitled. When they try to speak up (about an issue directly affecting them!) they're labeled as brainwashed or troublemakers.

Kids are capable of understanding injustice

kids know fairness for sure, as in, "That's nor fair!" but only in a selfish aspect (same with many adults too...the selfish part that is)

You are right, this is true of my 5 year old. But nobody is saying kindergarteners organized the protest.