Maryland Recovery Plan for Education has been posted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All English for Speakers of Other Languages, Special Education, and resource teachers will work with small groups of students to reduce the student teacher ratios to 10 or less in each learning environment. Fine Arts teachers, Physical Education and Health will be included in the rotations to reduce the student teacher ratios. * One day is used for teacher planning and professional learning. Students will not report to school, distance learning will continue.

Our elementary school has almost 1,000 students. We have one ESOL teacher. My class of 23 students had two speech IEPs. Even with specialist support it would be tough to get classes sized down to 10.

Most of PG is ESOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe all of the helicoptered kids who can't tue their own shoes without mommy or daddy telling them to will finally get a chance to develop normally and do their work on their own.
A century ago children could get themselves up, do their chores and make their way down to the factory for work by the time they were 8.

The good old days of child labor in the factory.

DP — the point is kids are more capable than people are acting like here. The majority of HS/MS schoolers in one of the most wealthy counties in the US being unable to handle schooling from home alone is beyond ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Half of the student population will report to school for four full days each week, while the remaining second half of the school population participates in distance learning at home. The student population will alternate between each week. All grade bands will be included. Students will be provided assignments to support their learning on the days in which they do not report to school that could include paper, pencil, eLearning or a combination.[i]

I assume an extra teacher would have to be hired. One teacher would not be able to teach in person and online on the same day.

Currently, our ES teaches live for 45 minutes a day. I’m not sure why they couldn’t be fit in around in person teaching obligations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe all of the helicoptered kids who can't tue their own shoes without mommy or daddy telling them to will finally get a chance to develop normally and do their work on their own.
A century ago children could get themselves up, do their chores and make their way down to the factory for work by the time they were 8.

The good old days of child labor in the factory.

DP — the point is kids are more capable than people are acting like here. The majority of HS/MS schoolers in one of the most wealthy counties in the US being unable to handle schooling from home alone is beyond ridiculous.

The point is that "schooling from home" isn't working, with or without parents present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe all of the helicoptered kids who can't tue their own shoes without mommy or daddy telling them to will finally get a chance to develop normally and do their work on their own.
A century ago children could get themselves up, do their chores and make their way down to the factory for work by the time they were 8.

The good old days of child labor in the factory.

DP — the point is kids are more capable than people are acting like here. The majority of HS/MS schoolers in one of the most wealthy counties in the US being unable to handle schooling from home alone is beyond ridiculous.

The point is that "schooling from home" isn't working, with or without parents present.

I think people are delusional about how much is happening in school compared to what’s going on (or could with more prep) online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle schoolers and high schoolers going to school on line is a non-starter. If it's ok for the parents to go to work, then it's ok for the middle schoolers and high schoolers to go to school.

100% this.

That’s non-sensical. MS and HS might not be in physical school buildings because those buildings may be repurposed for ES students. Sheesh!

Middle schoolers and high schoolers going to school on line is a non-starter.

Then you have other issues. Most MS and HS students should be able to handle this. Is it perfect? No, but they should be able to handle this without mom or dad babysitting them. Look at the feds memo from awhile back expecting parents of 10yo to report to work. Parents with kids under 10 get some exemptions. If your kid cannot handle this, then you’re gonna have to make some lifestyle choices. Rotate babysitting teenagers with a couple other families, alternate your schedule, take a leave of absence, ... just like with daycare for infants/toddlers. Many, many people here are highly educated, yet act like divas. Start using some of those brains to come up with solutions for the (temporary?) future. This is what poor families do who manage to pull themselves up and out of poverty — without the $$$ so many DCUMers here have.

Wait, what is this??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I would feel better about this whole back to school thing if I didn’t have to worry about the crazy people who’s child is sick the night before and yet they give them Tylenol or Advil and send them to school. Proud Mom of two asthmatics!

Fair enough but kids with covid are going to be infectious before they develop a fever. Many will never even get one at all and just be little invisible vectors.

It's not clear whether or not kids are major vectors of this coronavirus. In fact, last I heard, the evidence was leaning towards not.

There were just two studies conducted that concluded that kids shed as much virus as adults, regardless of how severe their illness. That’s a huge issue.

Honestly, as a teacher I’m most worried about those sick kids being sent in. You know parents are going to be thinking “I need to go to work, I can’t afford to take more time off.” If students have a fever Monday they should not be allowed back to school for the next fourteen days without a negative COVID test. I can already see the kids in my class staying home with a “cold” one day and parents trying to send them back the next.

I think we're going to see a nurse at the door with a thermometer. No entrance with a fever. It's how they do it in Asia and for awhile it's how I think they'll do it here.

No idea who will pay for all the nurses and devices and whatnot, but I suspect they'll work on that over the Summer.

[Anonymous]

I'm picking the very first MCPS elementary school I see alphabetically: Arcolo ES

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02790.pdf

This says they have 732 students and a 10:1 student/instructional staff ratio.

So by the numbers they could pull off 10 kids per 1 class IF they had the space to do so.

If you closed middle schools and bussed half the kids there you'd have more space.

This is a huge school. I see 7 classes per grade! 41 classroom teachers

There are also: 2 art teachers, 2 guidance counselors, 7 ESOL teachers, a media specialist and an assistant (not sure if that's a teacher position), 2 general music teachers and one instrumental music teacher; 2 PE teachers, a reading specialist, 5 special ed teachers, 2 speech teachers, 2 staff development teachers, 3 focus or remedial support teachers, about 6 para educators.

That's at least 71 teaching certified adults and another 6 paraeducators. For 732 students.

So... I think it is somewhat possible to have 10 students per one adult. A whole lot of teaching rules and regulations would need to be suspended temporarily, the special ed and speech IEP requirements being the first. There's NO WAY school could happen business as usual. But from a point of safety, groups of 10 or more likely 12 could happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe all of the helicoptered kids who can't tue their own shoes without mommy or daddy telling them to will finally get a chance to develop normally and do their work on their own.
A century ago children could get themselves up, do their chores and make their way down to the factory for work by the time they were 8.

The good old days of child labor in the factory.

DP — the point is kids are more capable than people are acting like here. The majority of HS/MS schoolers in one of the most wealthy counties in the US being unable to handle schooling from home alone is beyond ridiculous.

The point is that "schooling from home" isn't working, with or without parents present.

I think people are delusional about how much is happening in school compared to what’s going on (or could with more prep) online.

I think people are delusional about what kids are actually thinking and doing compared to what the people think the kids ought to be thinking and doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm picking the very first MCPS elementary school I see alphabetically: Arcolo ES

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02790.pdf

This says they have 732 students and a 10:1 student/instructional staff ratio.

So by the numbers they could pull off 10 kids per 1 class IF they had the space to do so.

If you closed middle schools and bussed half the kids there you'd have more space.

This is a huge school. I see 7 classes per grade! 41 classroom teachers

There are also: 2 art teachers, 2 guidance counselors, 7 ESOL teachers, a media specialist and an assistant (not sure if that's a teacher position), 2 general music teachers and one instrumental music teacher; 2 PE teachers, a reading specialist, 5 special ed teachers, 2 speech teachers, 2 staff development teachers, 3 focus or remedial support teachers, about 6 para educators.

That's at least 71 teaching certified adults and another 6 paraeducators. For 732 students.

So... I think it is somewhat possible to have 10 students per one adult. A whole lot of teaching rules and regulations would need to be suspended temporarily, the special ed and speech IEP requirements being the first. There's NO WAY school could happen business as usual. But from a point of safety, groups of 10 or more likely 12 could happen.

Just an FYI, speech therapists are not teachers. People call them "speech teachers" to make it more comprehensible for the kids but they are not actually certified. They have a master's in speech therapy and that's it. Same for OT and PT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm picking the very first MCPS elementary school I see alphabetically: Arcolo ES

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02790.pdf

This says they have 732 students and a 10:1 student/instructional staff ratio.

So by the numbers they could pull off 10 kids per 1 class IF they had the space to do so.

If you closed middle schools and bussed half the kids there you'd have more space.

This is a huge school. I see 7 classes per grade! 41 classroom teachers

There are also: 2 art teachers, 2 guidance counselors, 7 ESOL teachers, a media specialist and an assistant (not sure if that's a teacher position), 2 general music teachers and one instrumental music teacher; 2 PE teachers, a reading specialist, 5 special ed teachers, 2 speech teachers, 2 staff development teachers, 3 focus or remedial support teachers, about 6 para educators.

That's at least 71 teaching certified adults and another 6 paraeducators. For 732 students.

So... I think it is somewhat possible to have 10 students per one adult. A whole lot of teaching rules and regulations would need to be suspended temporarily, the special ed and speech IEP requirements being the first. There's NO WAY school could happen business as usual. But from a point of safety, groups of 10 or more likely 12 could happen.

So babysitting, then. Paraeducators also aren’t allowed to teach students without a certified teacher present. They’re not even allowed to run a Zoom small group without a certified teacher sitting in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm picking the very first MCPS elementary school I see alphabetically: Arcolo ES

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02790.pdf

This says they have 732 students and a 10:1 student/instructional staff ratio.

So by the numbers they could pull off 10 kids per 1 class IF they had the space to do so.

If you closed middle schools and bussed half the kids there you'd have more space.

This is a huge school. I see 7 classes per grade! 41 classroom teachers

There are also: 2 art teachers, 2 guidance counselors, 7 ESOL teachers, a media specialist and an assistant (not sure if that's a teacher position), 2 general music teachers and one instrumental music teacher; 2 PE teachers, a reading specialist, 5 special ed teachers, 2 speech teachers, 2 staff development teachers, 3 focus or remedial support teachers, about 6 para educators.

That's at least 71 teaching certified adults and another 6 paraeducators. For 732 students.

So... I think it is somewhat possible to have 10 students per one adult. A whole lot of teaching rules and regulations would need to be suspended temporarily, the special ed and speech IEP requirements being the first. There's NO WAY school could happen business as usual. But from a point of safety, groups of 10 or more likely 12 could happen.

So babysitting, then. Paraeducators also aren’t allowed to teach students without a certified teacher present. They’re not even allowed to run a Zoom small group without a certified teacher sitting in.

I'd pull the speech therapists and paraeducators out of those numbers. For one thing, the PP is correct that they aren't teachers. For another, they are there specifically for kids who need a high level of support, and in classes of 10 there are still going to be kids who need a high level of support.

So, 69 classes. But I'd also assume that not every parent is going to choose to send their kid to school when there is a pandemic. So, let's assume 10% don't (I think it might well be more, based on what I hear from other countries), so 660 kids, that's 66 classes of 10, plus 3 teachers, 6 paras, and 2 speech therapist providing support to the highest need kids, and other issues.

Or you could go to classes of 12 (10 is not a magic number), and free up the music, PE, and art teachers, who could teach classes, projected on the white board, or socially distanced from the front of the room. It would be important to protect them so they aren't carrying germs from one group to the next, but there are probably ways. Outdoor PE classes, teaching remotely, teaching from the stage in the multipurpose room. Obviously no singing, or sharing instruments, but there are other music activities that could work.

Honestly, I think from an instructional point of view it would be OK. Small classes would be nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm picking the very first MCPS elementary school I see alphabetically: Arcolo ES

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02790.pdf

This says they have 732 students and a 10:1 student/instructional staff ratio.

So by the numbers they could pull off 10 kids per 1 class IF they had the space to do so.

If you closed middle schools and bussed half the kids there you'd have more space.

This is a huge school. I see 7 classes per grade! 41 classroom teachers

There are also: 2 art teachers, 2 guidance counselors, 7 ESOL teachers, a media specialist and an assistant (not sure if that's a teacher position), 2 general music teachers and one instrumental music teacher; 2 PE teachers, a reading specialist, 5 special ed teachers, 2 speech teachers, 2 staff development teachers, 3 focus or remedial support teachers, about 6 para educators.

That's at least 71 teaching certified adults and another 6 paraeducators. For 732 students.

So... I think it is somewhat possible to have 10 students per one adult. A whole lot of teaching rules and regulations would need to be suspended temporarily, the special ed and speech IEP requirements being the first. There's NO WAY school could happen business as usual. But from a point of safety, groups of 10 or more likely 12 could happen.

So babysitting, then. Paraeducators also aren’t allowed to teach students without a certified teacher present. They’re not even allowed to run a Zoom small group without a certified teacher sitting in.

I'd pull the speech therapists and paraeducators out of those numbers. For one thing, the PP is correct that they aren't teachers. For another, they are there specifically for kids who need a high level of support, and in classes of 10 there are still going to be kids who need a high level of support.

So, 69 classes. But I'd also assume that not every parent is going to choose to send their kid to school when there is a pandemic. So, let's assume 10% don't (I think it might well be more, based on what I hear from other countries), so 660 kids, that's 66 classes of 10, plus 3 teachers, 6 paras, and 2 speech therapist providing support to the highest need kids, and other issues.

Or you could go to classes of 12 (10 is not a magic number), and free up the music, PE, and art teachers, who could teach classes, projected on the white board, or socially distanced from the front of the room. It would be important to protect them so they aren't carrying germs from one group to the next, but there are probably ways. Outdoor PE classes, teaching remotely, teaching from the stage in the multipurpose room. Obviously no singing, or sharing instruments, but there are other music activities that could work.

Honestly, I think from an instructional point of view it would be OK. Small classes would be nice.

Art, music and PE are also 1.5 allocations, not 2. Those teachers are only there on certain days.

Arcola is also a Title 1 school and receives the highest level of support available. Try this exercise with any non Title 1 school and see if it still works.

[Anonymous]

Adults in an elementary school are not interchangeable widgets. I am in one of the positions listed above and have never been a classroom teacher and would probably leave my job if I were asked to. Plus I am not certified as a general education teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm picking the very first MCPS elementary school I see alphabetically: Arcolo ES

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02790.pdf

This says they have 732 students and a 10:1 student/instructional staff ratio.

So by the numbers they could pull off 10 kids per 1 class IF they had the space to do so.

If you closed middle schools and bussed half the kids there you'd have more space.

This is a huge school. I see 7 classes per grade! 41 classroom teachers

There are also: 2 art teachers, 2 guidance counselors, 7 ESOL teachers, a media specialist and an assistant (not sure if that's a teacher position), 2 general music teachers and one instrumental music teacher; 2 PE teachers, a reading specialist, 5 special ed teachers, 2 speech teachers, 2 staff development teachers, 3 focus or remedial support teachers, about 6 para educators.

That's at least 71 teaching certified adults and another 6 paraeducators. For 732 students.

So... I think it is somewhat possible to have 10 students per one adult. A whole lot of teaching rules and regulations would need to be suspended temporarily, the special ed and speech IEP requirements being the first. There's NO WAY school could happen business as usual. But from a point of safety, groups of 10 or more likely 12 could happen.

So babysitting, then. Paraeducators also aren’t allowed to teach students without a certified teacher present. They’re not even allowed to run a Zoom small group without a certified teacher sitting in.

I'd pull the speech therapists and paraeducators out of those numbers. For one thing, the PP is correct that they aren't teachers. For another, they are there specifically for kids who need a high level of support, and in classes of 10 there are still going to be kids who need a high level of support.

So, 69 classes. But I'd also assume that not every parent is going to choose to send their kid to school when there is a pandemic. So, let's assume 10% don't (I think it might well be more, based on what I hear from other countries), so 660 kids, that's 66 classes of 10, plus 3 teachers, 6 paras, and 2 speech therapist providing support to the highest need kids, and other issues.

Or you could go to classes of 12 (10 is not a magic number), and free up the music, PE, and art teachers, who could teach classes, projected on the white board, or socially distanced from the front of the room. It would be important to protect them so they aren't carrying germs from one group to the next, but there are probably ways. Outdoor PE classes, teaching remotely, teaching from the stage in the multipurpose room. Obviously no singing, or sharing instruments, but there are other music activities that could work.

Honestly, I think from an instructional point of view it would be OK. Small classes would be nice.

Art, music and PE are also 1.5 allocations, not 2. Those teachers are only there on certain days.

Arcola is also a Title 1 school and receives the highest level of support available. Try this exercise with any non Title 1 school and see if it still works.

My guess is that in the schools where parents have more resources, more parents will choose another way to educate their kids, rather than sending them in risky times.

Having specials virtually etc . . would make the 1.5 thing OK. Obviously, we can't ask those people to be full time teachers to a group if they aren't full time staff.

It might be that numbers are more or less than 12, but even 14 is better than 25.

It isn't perfect, but it's better than either a) no in person school at all or b) numbers spiking because we didn't prevent spread and then we end up with no school at all.