A class with a mix of first and second graders

[Anonymous]

Our ES has decided to have one class with half first and half second graders. This is to make the numbers but not have to add a teacher to both first and second grade (which helps all other classes in that grade by diluting the numbers).

Is this something new to MoCo?

[Anonymous]

No. When I was a kid in moco I was in a 3/4 combo class. It was fine. I have fond memories of that teacher. This was 31 years ago.

[Anonymous]

It's not new but has not been done regularly for many years. The resurgence of this is due to the economy and the fact that teacher positions have been cut due to the budget yet the number of students continue to rise.

[Anonymous]

No teachers positions have been cut.

[Anonymous]

Individual teacher positions have not been cut, but teacher allocations have most certainly been cut and teachers who left the county were not replaced.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like heresy since many here are adamant about kids in rooms with older and younger children.

[Anonymous]

this is definitely being done more frequently due to the economic restrictions in hiring in moco. and i think generally parents don't like it.

[Anonymous]

our school had a 1/2 combo last year and will have a 4/5 combo this year. It is become more common as the class sizes go up. Back in the mid -2000s they also had a 4/5 combo for a few years. As with everything, it all comes back to the teacher and the composition of the class. A great teacher and an high functioning class can make this a cool opportunity for cooperative learning. A disorganized teacher or an especially challenging class and this can be a disaster.

OP - I would consider the teacher and the other kids in the class before making any judgement.

[Anonymous]

Our school did this last year. DC was in a 1/2 split class. I think it worked out okay for everyone involved. The teacher was extremely well organized and had a assistance from a teacher's aide (full-time, I believe) and other specialists.

[Anonymous]

My child was in a combo 1/2 class last year and it worked out really well. I give a lot of credit to the teacher who did a great job. I also think it helped that the school seemed to have put in the class better behaved kids with involved families.

[Anonymous]

This can work well if kids are tracked and the class is picked based off of abilities.

[Anonymous]

New? They had one at Potomac Elem. School in 1965

[Anonymous]

14:26--you are correct, it was common in MCPS in the 60s and 70s and early 80s. But my understanding is that in the late 80s and 90s it was not as common in MCPS due to flush budgets. Well, it is coming back...

[Anonymous]

This can work well if kids are tracked and the class is picked based off of abilities.

Not true. I taught at a public school that had blended classrooms at every level from K-8. It was no more difficult than teaching in a single graded classroom. The school was highly sought after by families in our school system, so, apparently, we were doing something right.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is in such a class currently. I have noticed the teacher is highly skilled at asking slightly more difficult questions of the twosies than the onesies, and the homework is different. It's amazing how she teaches a lesson to both classes but pitches the lesson differently to the age groups. Really good teacher.