Helping Elementary DS in Areas Where FCPS Curriculum is Weak

[Anonymous]

If you take band, strings, or chorus though, you only get two other electives and between other offerings and foreign language, most kids who have few other choices choose computer solutions. To do the work in elementary, you have to know most of the information in computer solutions anyway so it's offered too late for most kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not allowed to assign homework over break in FCPS in elementary. It’s a big deal that it’s not allowed. Typing is supposed to be taught somewhat but there just isn’t time. Same for cursive. Ask the teacher, because they should have Type to Learn at home. I still do spelling the traditional way, but a lot of schools do word study, which I hate. A lot of teachers do cursive after SOLs.

If there is no time for cursive, typing, spelling or word study, why can't fcps just be up front about it. All of this is why I wish we had gone private. We just paid last summer to have someone teach our kids cursive and have had to sign our kids up for grammar and typing classes too. Days go by in school with no knowledge of what is being taught. No large class sizes either or special needs. Meanwhile the private schools fit all of this stuff into the school day. Makes me wonder.

Maybe you should've done your homework about the school ahead of time. Public schools teach what is being tested. Cursive handwriting is not on the agenda although some teachers might teach it a little bit after testing ends to fill up the time until the end of the year. Private school students don't take those tests. The reason they can fit in a lot of "extras" is because they choose students who are already successful or have the ability to be successful. My son's private school teacher could tell me that he needs remedial work in X and it would be on me to provide it (myself or through a tutor). Public schools have to educate whoever walks in the door, no IQ tests allowed. Private school parents are motivated to keep their child at that school so they will do what is necessary. They also seem to understand what public schools do not. You cannot coddle the students and give them easy grades. It will set them up for failure further down the line. If my son's teacher gives him a low grade, it is because that is what he earned. She is going to give him retakes to get a higher grade. He knew when the test was and he knew what was being tested so that C he got was on him. The grading is gift IMO. I took him out of public school partly due to the grading. He didn't deserve the straight As they were giving him. The bar is low in public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not allowed to assign homework over break in FCPS in elementary. It’s a big deal that it’s not allowed. Typing is supposed to be taught somewhat but there just isn’t time. Same for cursive. Ask the teacher, because they should have Type to Learn at home. I still do spelling the traditional way, but a lot of schools do word study, which I hate. A lot of teachers do cursive after SOLs.

If there is no time for cursive, typing, spelling or word study, why can't fcps just be up front about it. All of this is why I wish we had gone private. We just paid last summer to have someone teach our kids cursive and have had to sign our kids up for grammar and typing classes too. Days go by in school with no knowledge of what is being taught. No large class sizes either or special needs. Meanwhile the private schools fit all of this stuff into the school day. Makes me wonder.

Maybe you should've done your homework about the school ahead of time. Public schools teach what is being tested. Cursive handwriting is not on the agenda although some teachers might teach it a little bit after testing ends to fill up the time until the end of the year. Private school students don't take those tests. The reason they can fit in a lot of "extras" is because they choose students who are already successful or have the ability to be successful. My son's private school teacher could tell me that he needs remedial work in X and it would be on me to provide it (myself or through a tutor). Public schools have to educate whoever walks in the door, no IQ tests allowed. Private school parents are motivated to keep their child at that school so they will do what is necessary. They also seem to understand what public schools do not. You cannot coddle the students and give them easy grades. It will set them up for failure further down the line. If my son's teacher gives him a low grade, it is because that is what he earned. She is going to give him retakes to get a higher grade. He knew when the test was and he knew what was being tested so that C he got was on him. The grading is gift IMO. I took him out of public school partly due to the grading. He didn't deserve the straight As they were giving him. The bar is low in public schools.

I teach in a public elementary. I lose a lot of instructional time due to student misbehaviors. I could put a watch to the amount of time that is spent trying to manage disruptions but it would probably just add to my stress level.

I do believe grades are inflated for many before they get to me. I feel students in my class receive the grades earned. Many could do better, but it is tough to convince them to do their best or even try. I tell them and their parents not to be surprised at the end of the quarter if things (often attitudes) don’t change, but still they are “a bit shocked” when the grades come out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not allowed to assign homework over break in FCPS in elementary. It’s a big deal that it’s not allowed. Typing is supposed to be taught somewhat but there just isn’t time. Same for cursive. Ask the teacher, because they should have Type to Learn at home. I still do spelling the traditional way, but a lot of schools do word study, which I hate. A lot of teachers do cursive after SOLs.

If there is no time for cursive, typing, spelling or word study, why can't fcps just be up front about it. All of this is why I wish we had gone private. We just paid last summer to have someone teach our kids cursive and have had to sign our kids up for grammar and typing classes too. Days go by in school with no knowledge of what is being taught. No large class sizes either or special needs. Meanwhile the private schools fit all of this stuff into the school day. Makes me wonder.

Maybe you should've done your homework about the school ahead of time. Public schools teach what is being tested. Cursive handwriting is not on the agenda although some teachers might teach it a little bit after testing ends to fill up the time until the end of the year. Private school students don't take those tests. The reason they can fit in a lot of "extras" is because they choose students who are already successful or have the ability to be successful. My son's private school teacher could tell me that he needs remedial work in X and it would be on me to provide it (myself or through a tutor). Public schools have to educate whoever walks in the door, no IQ tests allowed. Private school parents are motivated to keep their child at that school so they will do what is necessary. They also seem to understand what public schools do not. You cannot coddle the students and give them easy grades. It will set them up for failure further down the line. If my son's teacher gives him a low grade, it is because that is what he earned. She is going to give him retakes to get a higher grade. He knew when the test was and he knew what was being tested so that C he got was on him. The grading is gift IMO. I took him out of public school partly due to the grading. He didn't deserve the straight As they were giving him. The bar is low in public schools.

There are few kids below grade level at our school and few misbehaviors as well. Model students really. That's not the problem. We also aren't at a very intensive test taking school although I think you are right that even if it is part of the curriculum standards, if it isn't tested, it might not be taught. I think it is a curriculum issue, but really still perplexed about the entire thing. Our school seems to think these subjects are outdated. I think that is the main problem. They have no respect for them.

[Anonymous]

Go tour a Catholic school then. They tend to be more traditional and continue to teach what the public schools think is outdated and a waste of time. They teach grammar, spelling, handwriting, history, public speaking, electives, volunteerism, etc. They teach content and skills whereas my son's former public school didn't teach much content. Apparently, content was always changing so why teach it? His public school thought if they just teach students to think critically, they will be fine. The problem is that critical thinking has its basis in knowledge of content. You can skip that part. They also seem to be more developmentally appropriate. They assign homework and expect it to be done. They know my son very well. They know he is capable of more and they expect it from him. His old public school seemed to think his efforts were worth As. Now he knows that there are no easy As. It is unfortunate you have to pay tuition just so your child can learn he needs to work hard for his grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go tour a Catholic school then. They tend to be more traditional and continue to teach what the public schools think is outdated and a waste of time. They teach grammar, spelling, handwriting, history, public speaking, electives, volunteerism, etc. They teach content and skills whereas my son's former public school didn't teach much content. Apparently, content was always changing so why teach it? His public school thought if they just teach students to think critically, they will be fine. The problem is that critical thinking has its basis in knowledge of content. You can skip that part. They also seem to be more developmentally appropriate. They assign homework and expect it to be done. They know my son very well. They know he is capable of more and they expect it from him. His old public school seemed to think his efforts were worth As. Now he knows that there are no easy As. It is unfortunate you have to pay tuition just so your child can learn he needs to work hard for his grades.

I know, right? Catholic schools are all vastly superior to Fairfax and Arlington schools.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, Catholic schools have their own problems.

Public Schools need to start actually analyzing what is working and what isn't.

[Anonymous]

Why would a teacher hate word study? Makes sense to chunk words that are spelled similarly. It's an extended form of phonics teaching. Some of the activities I've seen kids do for word study are kinda dumb but not the actual idea of it. Isn't it better than nothing?

[Anonymous]

My kids had spelling, word study, grammar and homework in AAP. So it's being taught in FCPS which would explain why many parents try to get their kids in. I don't understand why this contents would be dropped from Gen Ed.

[Anonymous]

*content

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids had spelling, word study, grammar and homework in AAP. So it's being taught in FCPS which would explain why many parents try to get their kids in. I don't understand why this contents would be dropped from Gen Ed.

After they skim all of the bright, motivated kids and put them somewhere else, they are left with the rest of them. They don't have time to teach those kids all of that other stuff because these kids are at or below grade level. It's remediation time and time to get them to pass their SOLs. AAP becomes more like a private school because they have admissions standards. When a school has to take everyone, they have a wide range of abilities. When the higher kids are taken away, look who is left.