FCPS school decline

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

[Anonymous]

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

I don't know the data on this. However, at one time, they put centers in less affluent schools in order to bring up scores in those schools.

Makes transportation costs go up, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

I had to ask my rising 5th grade (general Ed) kid if they wrote the elusive five paragraph paper. Yes, he did. We found them first on Google Drive and then the hard copies that came home.

One was a persuasive essay (he wrote about the importance of being on an team) and the other essay was focused on reasons so many colonists died during the Jamestown Settlement.

Same poster. We found a third essay. Looks to be a persuasive review on Panera.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

I had to ask my rising 5th grade (general Ed) kid if they wrote the elusive five paragraph paper. Yes, he did. We found them first on Google Drive and then the hard copies that came home.

One was a persuasive essay (he wrote about the importance of being on an team) and the other essay was focused on reasons so many colonists died during the Jamestown Settlement.

Same poster. We found a third essay. Looks to be a persuasive review on Panera.

DP, 3rd grade teacher
Our students take many pieces of writing through the writing process. I don’t know if we would consider them “essays”, but their “All About…”, persuasive review and content area research writings are all developed using paragraphs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

Not necessarily true.

Following Centers are not less affluent…
Lemon Road
Westbriar
Churchill Road
Haycock
Louise Archer
Sunrise Valley
Willow Springs
White Oaks
Oak Hill
Poplar Tree
Greenbrier West
Navy
Mosaic
Mantua

I can keep going…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because academically, most centers are better. And some people think the model is better socially than Local Level IV, where kids have the same 25 classmates for 4 years.

Of course they are better academically. Not because instruction is better, but because of the selection process. Not all the kids are smarter than those at the base school, but they have parents who protested to get them into the program and are very involved.

AAP starts way too early. I would eliminate it in third grade and fourth grade. Kids are still maturing.

Either that, or go back to the GT program where only the truly gifted are selected. AAP is not GT.

Okay. So the peer group is better but not necessarily the teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

Not necessarily true.

Following Centers are not less affluent…
Lemon Road
Westbriar
Churchill Road
Haycock
Louise Archer
Sunrise Valley
Willow Springs
White Oaks
Oak Hill
Poplar Tree
Greenbrier West
Navy
Mosaic
Mantua

I can keep going…

I think you’re missing PP’s point. There are AAP centers in affluent areas but they were often placed in schools less affluent than the neighboring schools. In other cases they were placed in schools that just had more capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

Not necessarily true.

Following Centers are not less affluent…
Lemon Road
Westbriar
Churchill Road
Haycock
Louise Archer
Sunrise Valley
Willow Springs
White Oaks
Oak Hill
Poplar Tree
Greenbrier West
Navy
Mosaic
Mantua

I can keep going…

I think you’re missing PP’s point. There are AAP centers in affluent areas but they were often placed in schools less affluent than the neighboring schools. In other cases they were placed in schools that just had more capacity.

I am looking holistically. There are AAP centers in every pyramid. The pyramids that are less affluent have centers that are less affluent. The PP stated most centers were less affluent than the surrounding schools and that is not true if you look at the list of centers.

I personally wish centers would go away in these affluent areas as the majority have local level programs. It irritates me beyond belief that every school going into our center has a LL4 program that is well established and we bus kids to the center. It us a waste of money and resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

Not necessarily true.

Following Centers are not less affluent…
Lemon Road
Westbriar
Churchill Road
Haycock
Louise Archer
Sunrise Valley
Willow Springs
White Oaks
Oak Hill
Poplar Tree
Greenbrier West
Navy
Mosaic
Mantua

I can keep going…

I think you’re missing PP’s point. There are AAP centers in affluent areas but they were often placed in schools less affluent than the neighboring schools. In other cases they were placed in schools that just had more capacity.

I am looking holistically. There are AAP centers in every pyramid. The pyramids that are less affluent have centers that are less affluent. The PP stated most centers were less affluent than the surrounding schools and that is not true if you look at the list of centers.

I personally wish centers would go away in these affluent areas as the majority have local level programs. It irritates me beyond belief that every school going into our center has a LL4 program that is well established and we bus kids to the center. It us a waste of money and resources.

Of the first five schools on PP’s list, all but one are near more affluent schools. Not familiar with the others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

Not necessarily true.

Following Centers are not less affluent…
Lemon Road
Westbriar
Churchill Road
Haycock
Louise Archer
Sunrise Valley
Willow Springs
White Oaks
Oak Hill
Poplar Tree
Greenbrier West
Navy
Mosaic
Mantua

I can keep going…

I think you’re missing PP’s point. There are AAP centers in affluent areas but they were often placed in schools less affluent than the neighboring schools. In other cases they were placed in schools that just had more capacity.

I am looking holistically. There are AAP centers in every pyramid. The pyramids that are less affluent have centers that are less affluent. The PP stated most centers were less affluent than the surrounding schools and that is not true if you look at the list of centers.

I personally wish centers would go away in these affluent areas as the majority have local level programs. It irritates me beyond belief that every school going into our center has a LL4 program that is well established and we bus kids to the center. It us a waste of money and resources.

I'm the PP--I said "many" not "most." Which is true. The LL4 programs have undermined many centers--but in many schools there are not robust enough local programs and the center is the most cost-effective way to serve advanced students (less teacher training, more centralized resources--bussing is often not much of a cost compared to these). I think it's a bad idea to have both local programs and centers because they have diffused the role of advanced academics and added costs in multiple places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

I had to ask my rising 5th grade (general Ed) kid if they wrote the elusive five paragraph paper. Yes, he did. We found them first on Google Drive and then the hard copies that came home.

One was a persuasive essay (he wrote about the importance of being on an team) and the other essay was focused on reasons so many colonists died during the Jamestown Settlement.

Same poster. We found a third essay. Looks to be a persuasive review on Panera.

DP, 3rd grade teacher
Our students take many pieces of writing through the writing process. I don’t know if we would consider them “essays”, but their “All About…”, persuasive review and content area research writings are all developed using paragraphs.

Essays have a specific format. If you’re teach an essay, you’d know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

I had to ask my rising 5th grade (general Ed) kid if they wrote the elusive five paragraph paper. Yes, he did. We found them first on Google Drive and then the hard copies that came home.

One was a persuasive essay (he wrote about the importance of being on an team) and the other essay was focused on reasons so many colonists died during the Jamestown Settlement.

Same poster. We found a third essay. Looks to be a persuasive review on Panera.

DP, 3rd grade teacher
Our students take many pieces of writing through the writing process. I don’t know if we would consider them “essays”, but their “All About…”, persuasive review and content area research writings are all developed using paragraphs.

Essays have a specific format. If you’re teach an essay, you’d know it.

DP. Five paragraph essays have a specific format but in general, essays don't. A persuasive review and a research writing using paragraphs are essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

I had to ask my rising 5th grade (general Ed) kid if they wrote the elusive five paragraph paper. Yes, he did. We found them first on Google Drive and then the hard copies that came home.

One was a persuasive essay (he wrote about the importance of being on an team) and the other essay was focused on reasons so many colonists died during the Jamestown Settlement.

Same poster. We found a third essay. Looks to be a persuasive review on Panera.

DP, 3rd grade teacher
Our students take many pieces of writing through the writing process. I don’t know if we would consider them “essays”, but their “All About…”, persuasive review and content area research writings are all developed using paragraphs.

Essays have a specific format. If you’re teach an essay, you’d know it.

Essays do not have a specific format. You might consider stepping back from critiquing the teacher on their writing instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

That's not a good thing. The center in our pyramid is the only thing keeping the school from being title 1 and getting extra resources. Not being title 1 has no effect on the kids bussed into the center, but it does hurt the gen ed population who would otherwise get title 1 resources

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are always parents on here that claim the five paragraph essay has gone away and it’s one of the reasons FCPS and our children’s education is declining. The five paragraph essay has not gone away. It is still the expected/desired outcome for multiple language arts units in 4-6th grade. If your students are not writing a five paragraph essay, there are probably three reasons for that.

1) their individual ELL or SPED level is not at a place where they can manage a five paragraph essay.
2) the teacher did not do it because they ran out of time in the unit.
3) the student complained and procrastinated needlessly and never got beyond paragraph two or three.

My FCPS AAP student was not assigned a five paragraph essay in 4-6th grade (and in fact was not given any formal writing instruction--or punctuation, or grammar, or spelling instruction--until we moved them out of FCPS for 7th grade). This was a well regarded albeit overcrowded LIV AAP center. The emphasis was math, math, math.

And my AAP student did get those things… at an average school.

I think this does happen. Lower performing school teachers know they can’t get away with cutting stuff. More affluent schools think they can get away with it and the parents will just teach the kids instead.

This is why I never understand why parents think the center is better. Our AAP kid at a Local Level 4 got spelling, grammar and writing instruction.

The center is less affluent than the local schools in many cases.

Not necessarily true.

Following Centers are not less affluent…
Lemon Road
Westbriar
Churchill Road
Haycock
Louise Archer
Sunrise Valley
Willow Springs
White Oaks
Oak Hill
Poplar Tree
Greenbrier West
Navy
Mosaic
Mantua

I can keep going…

I think you’re missing PP’s point. There are AAP centers in affluent areas but they were often placed in schools less affluent than the neighboring schools. In other cases they were placed in schools that just had more capacity.

I am looking holistically. There are AAP centers in every pyramid. The pyramids that are less affluent have centers that are less affluent. The PP stated most centers were less affluent than the surrounding schools and that is not true if you look at the list of centers.

I personally wish centers would go away in these affluent areas as the majority have local level programs. It irritates me beyond belief that every school going into our center has a LL4 program that is well established and we bus kids to the center. It us a waste of money and resources.

I'm the PP--I said "many" not "most." Which is true. The LL4 programs have undermined many centers--but in many schools there are not robust enough local programs and the center is the most cost-effective way to serve advanced students (less teacher training, more centralized resources--bussing is often not much of a cost compared to these). I think it's a bad idea to have both local programs and centers because they have diffused the role of advanced academics and added costs in multiple places.

That is why centers should go away. I feel they will in the next 5-10 years.