Terrible Math Teacher Algebra 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to my kid, she just hands worksheets out when she’s there. Virtually no teaching.

Sounds like MCPS algebra. If she leaves your kid has a sub all year, it wouldn’t be better.

So is this common? Teachers give worksheet but don’t actually teach math? We are in a W pyramid school.

Well, yes, the entire curriculum is nothing but worksheet packets. Direct instruction is out of favor, group work and self discovery are the norm. So if, the teacher is there part of the class and another adult is supervising group work, that's nearly indistinguishable from any given MCPS algebra classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to my kid, she just hands worksheets out when she’s there. Virtually no teaching.

Sounds like MCPS algebra. If she leaves your kid has a sub all year, it wouldn’t be better.

So is this common? Teachers give worksheet but don’t actually teach math? We are in a W pyramid school.

Well, yes, the entire curriculum is nothing but worksheet packets. Direct instruction is out of favor, group work and self discovery are the norm. So if, the teacher is there part of the class and another adult is supervising group work, that's nearly indistinguishable from any given MCPS algebra classroom.

Well, then my child's Algebra I teacher is probably going to be fired, because as best I can see, she teaches every concept until the students understand it. My math-hating kid gave a clear and accurate description of functions at the dinner table last night, so apparently this teacher is not long for MCPS, according to your analysis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS has a terrible teacher at his middle school. She's out EACH class because she's "pumping" and a sub comes in to class. How is this allowed? Friend's kid also has same math teacher at a different time and she pumps then too. It's like he doesn't have a math teacher this year. She's a new teacher. How long will it take for MCPS to kick her out?

I used to teach at a private and I pumped during lunch. Missing class for pumping is unacceptable. The principal needs to find a better time for this woman to pump. By the way, I didn't try to keep up my full supply. That may simply not be compatible with teaching. That's just the way that it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to my kid, she just hands worksheets out when she’s there. Virtually no teaching.

Sounds like MCPS algebra. If she leaves your kid has a sub all year, it wouldn’t be better.

So is this common? Teachers give worksheet but don’t actually teach math? We are in a W pyramid school.

Well, yes, the entire curriculum is nothing but worksheet packets. Direct instruction is out of favor, group work and self discovery are the norm. So if, the teacher is there part of the class and another adult is supervising group work, that's nearly indistinguishable from any given MCPS algebra classroom.

+10,000. THis is what we are finding in math and science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS has a terrible teacher at his middle school. She's out EACH class because she's "pumping" and a sub comes in to class. How is this allowed? Friend's kid also has same math teacher at a different time and she pumps then too. It's like he doesn't have a math teacher this year. She's a new teacher. How long will it take for MCPS to kick her out?

I used to teach at a private and I pumped during lunch. Missing class for pumping is unacceptable. The principal needs to find a better time for this woman to pump. By the way, I didn't try to keep up my full supply. That may simply not be compatible with teaching. That's just the way that it is.

We don’t know any of the backstory. My cousin had a baby that could only tolerate breastmilk. They tried dozens of formulas including prescription ones. Finally, she quit her job so she could keep her baby alive. But she had a DH that was willing to work two FT jobs to enable that. When my youngest had failure to thrive, I was going through a divorce. I had to pump three times a day at work because no one was going to support us if I stayed home. If the principal is allowing this to occur every day, there’s a reason HR believes to permit it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS has a terrible teacher at his middle school. She's out EACH class because she's "pumping" and a sub comes in to class. How is this allowed? Friend's kid also has same math teacher at a different time and she pumps then too. It's like he doesn't have a math teacher this year. She's a new teacher. How long will it take for MCPS to kick her out?

I used to teach at a private and I pumped during lunch. Missing class for pumping is unacceptable. The principal needs to find a better time for this woman to pump. By the way, I didn't try to keep up my full supply. That may simply not be compatible with teaching. That's just the way that it is.

We don’t know any of the backstory. My cousin had a baby that could only tolerate breastmilk. They tried dozens of formulas including prescription ones. Finally, she quit her job so she could keep her baby alive. But she had a DH that was willing to work two FT jobs to enable that. When my youngest had failure to thrive, I was going through a divorce. I had to pump three times a day at work because no one was going to support us if I stayed home. If the principal is allowing this to occur every day, there’s a reason HR believes to permit it.

And we shouldn't. I don't know why middle school students/parents were given any explanation at all.

[Anonymous]

OP, why did you put pumping in quotes? Are you suggesting she’s faking, or are you not sure what it means, or what?

[Anonymous]

This is what is so silly about the ‘boundary analysis.’ There is no direct instruction anymore in any MCPS school. The kids who are doing well in a W cluster are doing well because of tutors or parents. This is why the County should be paying the tutoring for Curriculum 2.0 fiasco the past 9 years. This is why a curriculum choice is so crucial. Having said that I have to give the devils in Rockville their due for the new math curriculum. It’s way better - and neurotypical kids will be fine with their handouts. God save the dyscalculia children! Folks teachers are there just to mind your kids for 6 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what is so silly about the ‘boundary analysis.’ There is no direct instruction anymore in any MCPS school. The kids who are doing well in a W cluster are doing well because of tutors or parents. This is why the County should be paying the tutoring for Curriculum 2.0 fiasco the past 9 years. This is why a curriculum choice is so crucial. Having said that I have to give the devils in Rockville their due for the new math curriculum. It’s way better - and neurotypical kids will be fine with their handouts. God save the dyscalculia children! Folks teachers are there just to mind your kids for 6 hours.

If you really believe that, why pay Bethesda prices for your home? You could live in Wheaton or Bowie and pay for private school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is what is so silly about the ‘boundary analysis.’ There is no direct instruction anymore in any MCPS school. The kids who are doing well in a W cluster are doing well because of tutors or parents. This is why the County should be paying the tutoring for Curriculum 2.0 fiasco the past 9 years. This is why a curriculum choice is so crucial. Having said that I have to give the devils in Rockville their due for the new math curriculum. It’s way better - and neurotypical kids will be fine with their handouts. God save the dyscalculia children! Folks teachers are there just to mind your kids for 6 hours.

Unfortunately, I agree with you. We are assigned the worst Mcps schools in the county, but my kids went to magnets. I have tutored them in all subjects since they started school. I understand that this is not feasible forost people. We are at the tail end of out time in MCPS and I am not worried about my house value, because we bought really cheap in a not great school pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS has a terrible teacher at his middle school. She's out EACH class because she's "pumping" and a sub comes in to class. How is this allowed? Friend's kid also has same math teacher at a different time and she pumps then too. It's like he doesn't have a math teacher this year. She's a new teacher. How long will it take for MCPS to kick her out?

I used to teach at a private and I pumped during lunch. Missing class for pumping is unacceptable. The principal needs to find a better time for this woman to pump. By the way, I didn't try to keep up my full supply. That may simply not be compatible with teaching. That's just the way that it is.

We don’t know any of the backstory. My cousin had a baby that could only tolerate breastmilk. They tried dozens of formulas including prescription ones. Finally, she quit her job so she could keep her baby alive. But she had a DH that was willing to work two FT jobs to enable that. When my youngest had failure to thrive, I was going through a divorce. I had to pump three times a day at work because no one was going to support us if I stayed home. If the principal is allowing this to occur every day, there’s a reason HR believes to permit it.

No matter how much we empathize, this life circumstance shouldn't be negatively affecting students. There should be another way to help this teacher--reassigning her to some kind of admin duty for the year, getting her a permanent TA who is there when she isn't, etc. A sub for half the class is total bulls*t.

[Anonymous]

OP here- thank you PP. I agree. She’s impacting at least 60 kids as she’s gone from multiple classes. My child has told me that he was told that it would be like this the entire school year. Is it likely that anyone will step in or not until kids start to fail progress checks etc. My student is strong so I have not complained outside of DCUrbanmom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thank you PP. I agree. She’s impacting at least 60 kids as she’s gone from multiple classes. My child has told me that he was told that it would be like this the entire school year. Is it likely that anyone will step in or not until kids start to fail progress checks etc. My student is strong so I have not complained outside of DCUrbanmom

No. It’s not likely even if kids start to fail. Because the teacher clearly has permission to do this if a sub is coming in. Considering how intolerant MCPS is of giving basic ADA accommodations to teachers with temporary disabilities (they are forced to stay home instead), something else is going on here. Your child and you have partial info or entirely inaccurate info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I would hope that pumping is a protected activity.

Also, some women do terribly with pumping and need to do it often, which is painful and laborious. I'm sure this teacher would rather be teaching than pumping, but she's doing it for her baby!

The students are the collateral damage here, and I'm sorry they are in this situation. But I would never move against a teacher who needs to pump.

If I were you, I would supplement at home.

Bullshit. Teachers in middle school teach 4 classes max and never more than 2 in a row. Absolutely no need to pump that often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, why did you put pumping in quotes? Are you suggesting she’s faking, or are you not sure what it means, or what?

Because if a teacher is back from maternity leave, her child is at least 12 weeks and she doesn't need to be pumping every 2 hours and taking long breaks to do so. She can pump twice a work day both boobs at the same time, and get all she needs.