Honors Math classes being poorly taught (Churchill)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

No

Ok. Then read the OFFICIAL report that cost $10 million. At that price, the experts who evaluated the curriculum must have known what they were doing. And they said...IT STINKS!!!

LOL
1. The curriculum that was evaluated was the K-8, not HS.
2. The report said the curriculum is lacking (especially for certain groups ), but not stink.

But carry on with rant and half-truths. Don't let the truth get in your way

An anecdote: I recently checked on my DS's standardized math scores from middle school, when in private. I compared with DS's current SAT scores. The same! (at least the same nationwide percentile) No damage has been done with the MCPS math curriculum. I personally think that DS could have used more homework, but that's just my personal opinion. No tutors have been needed and DS has had A's in all honors math courses. I personally think that one of the main problems is that students have been accelerated too much. DS's precalculus teacher complains about the freshmen and sophomores all the time. We're in the DCC, not Churchill.

The point of many posters on this thread is that Churchill is writing it's own curriculum and doing a bad job of it. There are also teachers at Churchill that lack the skillset and knowledge to teach the course they have been assigned. For students in those classes, they struggle and have to either get a tutor or use some sort of outside resource to teach themselves. The principal know who the bad teachers are but it takes years to fire a teacher.

If your child is in the DCC, how can you comment on what is happening at Churchill?

You do realize these schools have the same curriculum, same standardized tests, same budgetary constraints, same pool of teachers and the only differences is simple demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in MCPS and once applied for a job at Churchill under the last principal, who filled the teaching ranks by playing fast and loose with the rules. She violated policies regarding timing, nepotism, transfers etc., so it doesn’t surprise me Heckert has inherited a subpar staff.

+1 Nepotism was in multiple departments and still exists in the Social Studies department. All teachers and staff should be reevaluated. Math isn't the only department with serious issues.

I'm so grateful we're not @Churchill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in MCPS and once applied for a job at Churchill under the last principal, who filled the teaching ranks by playing fast and loose with the rules. She violated policies regarding timing, nepotism, transfers etc., so it doesn’t surprise me Heckert has inherited a subpar staff.

+1 Nepotism was in multiple departments and still exists in the Social Studies department. All teachers and staff should be reevaluated. Math isn't the only department with serious issues.

Explain please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in MCPS and once applied for a job at Churchill under the last principal, who filled the teaching ranks by playing fast and loose with the rules. She violated policies regarding timing, nepotism, transfers etc., so it doesn’t surprise me Heckert has inherited a subpar staff.

+1 Nepotism was in multiple departments and still exists in the Social Studies department. All teachers and staff should be reevaluated. Math isn't the only department with serious issues.

Explain please.

The Science Resource Teacher had his wife in the science department.

The Resource Counselor had her daughter in the department, who was promoted to be the new Resource Counselor when she left.

The Social Studies Resource Teacher has his wife in the Social Studies department.

If a student has an issue with a teacher or a counselor, the next in the chain of command to meet with is the Resource Teacher or Resource Counselor. When these people are related to the employee of the complaint, it creates a conflict of interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in MCPS and once applied for a job at Churchill under the last principal, who filled the teaching ranks by playing fast and loose with the rules. She violated policies regarding timing, nepotism, transfers etc., so it doesn’t surprise me Heckert has inherited a subpar staff.

+1 Nepotism was in multiple departments and still exists in the Social Studies department. All teachers and staff should be reevaluated. Math isn't the only department with serious issues.

Explain please.

The Science Resource Teacher had his wife in the science department.

The Resource Counselor had her daughter in the department, who was promoted to be the new Resource Counselor when she left.

The Social Studies Resource Teacher has his wife in the Social Studies department.

If a student has an issue with a teacher or a counselor, the next in the chain of command to meet with is the Resource Teacher or Resource Counselor. When these people are related to the employee of the complaint, it creates a conflict of interest.

OUCH!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in MCPS and once applied for a job at Churchill under the last principal, who filled the teaching ranks by playing fast and loose with the rules. She violated policies regarding timing, nepotism, transfers etc., so it doesn’t surprise me Heckert has inherited a subpar staff.

+1 Nepotism was in multiple departments and still exists in the Social Studies department. All teachers and staff should be reevaluated. Math isn't the only department with serious issues.

Explain please.

The Science Resource Teacher had his wife in the science department.

The Resource Counselor had her daughter in the department, who was promoted to be the new Resource Counselor when she left.

The Social Studies Resource Teacher has his wife in the Social Studies department.

If a student has an issue with a teacher or a counselor, the next in the chain of command to meet with is the Resource Teacher or Resource Counselor. When these people are related to the employee of the complaint, it creates a conflict of interest.

OUCH!

Yes and when the resource counselor hired her daughter, she wasn’t eligible for the position. She had to hide it so she could give it to her daughter.

[Anonymous]

Wow! That is really bad. I had no idea about those relationships. That said: nepotism does exist elsewhere —especially in special ed departments where it is often difficult to hold on to great teachers.

[Anonymous]

Brandy Heckert is going to have to peel back the onion to get at the rot that is Churchill. It’s not an overnight fix—but she needs to start documenting immediately—no honeymoon grace year or two—and she needs to lose the problem people who aren’t tenured. And she needs to get help from above. She’s new at this. I hope she has a strong mentor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brandy Heckert is going to have to peel back the onion to get at the rot that is Churchill. It’s not an overnight fix—but she needs to start documenting immediately—no honeymoon grace year or two—and she needs to lose the problem people who aren’t tenured. And she needs to get help from above. She’s new at this. I hope she has a strong mentor.

The Director is also new. Hopefully he is getting support from above and is keeping close tabs on problems within the school. Thus far, it's a lottery as to what your child's experience will be. Nothing much has seemed to change.

What were the results from the Thanksgiving survey?