How do you keep up ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With many proposed changes on various issues from grading policy to boundaries and more, how do you as a parent/caregiver/guardian keep up with the developments in MCPS, and do you get involved in issues that are important to you and your family? If doing so, is it your full time job?

I don’t. Too much. I just focus on weekly email snd voice message sent principal and emailed grades.

[Anonymous]

I try to check in on the Board meeting website every month or so and take a couple minutes to flip through the presentations on topics that seem important. (Occasionally also watch the recordings of those sections as well if it's really important and I have the time, but often just reading the presentations works fine and is much quicker.)

[Anonymous]

I became an MCCPTA delegate for our school. We receive monthly updates on what is happening at the county level, which I then share with our school’s families through the PTA listserv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it’s important they’ll mail something home, otherwise I just don’t care.

This 100%

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]There used to be the Montgomery County Parent's Coalition that provided straight facts. I think they're out of business now. Bethesda Beat and MoCo show picked up some of the slack, but of the two MoCo show is more likely to be transparent. Silver Spring also has a Silver-Spring-only website (for the in-crowd).

DCUMS is a mixed bag. The problem is that the BoE, County Council, MCPS CO and the admins monitor this website and, yes, tries to influence outcomes. There even was a time when MCPS Communications Office had paid personnel blogging (I think they stopped when they were caught wasting taxpayer money, but not 100% certain it completely stopped?).

I've been watching how MCPS rolls for years now. The Central Office pretty much does what they want, espousing the Marie Antoinette method of governance. Unfortunately official sources are mostly worthless. I've personally found that although some MCPS staff are honest, higher-ups are less so. Revisionist history is not uncommon. Monitoring the Montgomery County Council and BoE is pretty useless as well. Rarely there will be a glimse into the background politics, but without the surrounding context.
Parents coalition? Please..
Parents coalition and facts don't go together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent Coalition is a bunch of former MCPS parents who like to stir up sh*t without helping to solve problems.

Want to know, learn, and help priblem solve? Get involved with your PTA, become the MCCPTA Rep, and then a Cluster Coordinator.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing to be involved with your local PTA or MCCPTA, but to dunk on the Parents' Coalition in favor of the PTAs is disingenuous. Unlike PTAs or MCCPTAs, the Parents' Coalition is honest and fact-based and unafraid of ruffling MCPS's feathers.

Is this supposed to be a joke or sarcasm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There used to be the Montgomery County Parent's Coalition that provided straight facts. I think they're out of business now. Bethesda Beat and MoCo show picked up some of the slack, but of the two MoCo show is more likely to be transparent. Silver Spring also has a Silver-Spring-only website (for the in-crowd).

DCUMS is a mixed bag. The problem is that the BoE, County Council, MCPS CO and the admins monitor this website and, yes, tries to influence outcomes. There even was a time when MCPS Communications Office had paid personnel blogging (I think they stopped when they were caught wasting taxpayer money, but not 100% certain it completely stopped?).

I've been watching how MCPS rolls for years now. The Central Office pretty much does what they want, espousing the Marie Antoinette method of governance. Unfortunately official sources are mostly worthless. I've personally found that although some MCPS staff are honest, higher-ups are less so. Revisionist history is not uncommon. Monitoring the Montgomery County Council and BoE is pretty useless as well. Rarely there will be a glimse into the background politics, but without the surrounding context.

Parents Coalition? Please...
Parents Coalition and facts don't go together.

[Anonymous]

I don't. I focus on raising my kids and taking advantage of the opportunities that are there, whatever they might be. If they change the boundaries, we'll go to another school. It's the same with magnet programs. If they're available, we'll take a look at them, but I'm not worried about what they'll be.

A good student can get a decent education almost anywhere, including MCPS. We focus on the parts we can control, not the specifics of what the school system does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I became an MCCPTA delegate for our school. We receive monthly updates on what is happening at the county level, which I then share with our school’s families through the PTA listserv.

You receive updates that they want you to see. MCCPTA signs NDAs with MCPS and withholds important information from parents. If you want information withheld, MCCPTA is your group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't. I focus on raising my kids and taking advantage of the opportunities that are there, whatever they might be. If they change the boundaries, we'll go to another school. It's the same with magnet programs. If they're available, we'll take a look at them, but I'm not worried about what they'll be.

A good student can get a decent education almost anywhere, including MCPS. We focus on the parts we can control, not the specifics of what the school system does.

Efforts led by parents worked in trying to change the English Language curriculum. If they hadn't pushed, your kid and all kids would continue with what they were getting for the last 5+years. But you can't be bothered because the "school system" will take care of it? It was also parents who got their case to be decided by the Supreme Court. Whether you believe or don't in the decision made by the Court, it could not have happened without parents' involvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't. I focus on raising my kids and taking advantage of the opportunities that are there, whatever they might be. If they change the boundaries, we'll go to another school. It's the same with magnet programs. If they're available, we'll take a look at them, but I'm not worried about what they'll be.

A good student can get a decent education almost anywhere, including MCPS. We focus on the parts we can control, not the specifics of what the school system does.

Efforts led by parents worked in trying to change the English Language curriculum. If they hadn't pushed, your kid and all kids would continue with what they were getting for the last 5+years. But you can't be bothered because the "school system" will take care of it? It was also parents who got their case to be decided by the Supreme Court. Whether you believe or don't in the decision made by the Court, it could not have happened without parents' involvement.

You clearly have no ideas of what you're talking about.

[Anonymous]

They send "newsletters" to families via email, yet, families can't even change (update) a frickin emergency contact information on their own in ParentVue. Basics, basics, MCPS hon

[Anonymous]

Signed up to receive the Thursday emails from MCPS and the BOE. Participate in your school PTA (most have a meeting once per month) and read the full Principal e-mail. Review the BOE meetings/presentations once a month.

It's really not hard. No it's not a full-time job, it's not even a part-time job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Signed up to receive the Thursday emails from MCPS and the BOE. Participate in your school PTA (most have a meeting once per month) and read the full Principal e-mail. Review the BOE meetings/presentations once a month.

It's really not hard. No it's not a full-time job, it's not even a part-time job.

Thanks for the great tip on getting censored information. Ignorance is bliss!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I became an MCCPTA delegate for our school. We receive monthly updates on what is happening at the county level, which I then share with our school’s families through the PTA listserv.

You receive updates that they want you to see. MCCPTA signs NDAs with MCPS and withholds important information from parents. If you want information withheld, MCCPTA is your group.

I find it helpful. I definitely do not find the Parents Coalition helpful at all. To beach her own.