interesting discussion regarding abysmal decline of MoCo schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is way, way too big. It should be broken down to the level where each high school is its own school district.

This is Maryland. It doesn't work that way. You can try working on amending the state constitution.

I am not a legal expert but surprised to hear this. Is there a section in MD state constitution, stating that public schools system in each county has to remain one, and cannot be divided into smaller units with separate funding?

All of the school districts in Maryland are administered at the county level.

I'm not a fan of township level school districts. In new Jersey there are 600 School districts. That creates so much redundancies and inefficiency

[Anonymous]

I still don't understand how anyone could get a minimum of 50% for turning in zero HW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still don't understand how anyone could get a minimum of 50% for turning in zero HW.

Because it makes no sense. It's a ridiculous policy. But, anyone who is paying attention knows that MCPS loves to implement poorly thought out initiatives in the name of 'equity'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is way, way too big. It should be broken down to the level where each high school is its own school district.

This is Maryland. It doesn't work that way. You can try working on amending the state constitution.

I am not a legal expert but surprised to hear this. Is there a section in MD state constitution, stating that public schools system in each county has to remain one, and cannot be divided into smaller units with separate funding?

All of the school districts in Maryland are administered at the county level.

I'm not a fan of township level school districts. In new Jersey there are 600 School districts. That creates so much redundancies and inefficiency

I know the school districts in Maryland are administered at the county level. I am not for or against that. I am simply confused about the PP's implying that this was a MD constitution issue.
Does it have anything to do with state constitution? Or does it even have anything to do with the state? Can't the counties make their own decisions on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still don't understand how anyone could get a minimum of 50% for turning in zero HW.

That's not the policy. The policy is that you get 50% until the end of the quarter, and THEN a 0% can be given. So, you can't get 0% without multiple opportunities to submit. It is meant to allow some grace to kids who experience a bad couple of weeks, and give them a chance to achieve a passing grade if they do the work to catch up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is way, way too big. It should be broken down to the level where each high school is its own school district.

This is Maryland. It doesn't work that way. You can try working on amending the state constitution.

I am not a legal expert but surprised to hear this. Is there a section in MD state constitution, stating that public schools system in each county has to remain one, and cannot be divided into smaller units with separate funding?

All of the school districts in Maryland are administered at the county level.

I'm not a fan of township level school districts. In new Jersey there are 600 School districts. That creates so much redundancies and inefficiency

I know the school districts in Maryland are administered at the county level. I am not for or against that. I am simply confused about the PP's implying that this was a MD constitution issue.
Does it have anything to do with state constitution? Or does it even have anything to do with the state? Can't the counties make their own decisions on this?

I don't know if it is literally in the Maryland constitution itself, but there are state laws regulating the creation and functioning of county school districts/boards, with the exception of Baltimore city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ex-mcps teacher here. I taught here 15 yrs ago, coming from a top private school in Westchester County NY that served the kids of hedge fund managers. When I got here, hands down, everything we did blew away that expensive private school. Teachers were able to individualize and use creativity but we had high standards to meet. Now, with kids in the system, I’m desperate to get out. Haters, don’t tell me to enroll in private bc I can’t afford it. We are trapped in pathetic schools with no standard of excellence.

This is the best description I've read. (I added the bold). Teachers need to be paid more, too. Now many ppl who would have been teachers 20-30-40 years ago get better paying jobs. The pay is absolutely atrocious and cannot meet living costs (that have hugely escalated) here in MoCo.

I never thought I'd be desperate to get out of MCPS but had no choice it was that. bad. The level of incoompetence, unethical stuff, and pure burnout I saw was just beyond belief.

Teachers in MoCo are well-compensated. The reality is that higher pay is not the only problem. The problem is large classes, lack of discipline options, hours spent handling paperwork vs. teaching, and a complete lack of ability to be creative in the classroom along with micromanaging administrators (and central office) who have many mandates, but provide very little support in the classrooms.

[Anonymous]

I think that MCPS is still a strong agency for teaching, I just think the upper-class is simply bitter as the once nationally elite upper middle class test scores start to reflect the county's shift to a poorer system. They think that the lower output by the current crop of residents takes the shine off of their kid's accomplishments in terms of national recognition from institutes of higher learning. Bottom Line a much poorer and immigrant heavy system will never produce up to previous national levels no matter the curriculum, funding, discipline or teacher quality. I don't think it really effects the upper-class students unless they are emersed in a school with a lower class culture and the kid makes a few bad decisions which kids are known to do. That said the opposite is true too that the poorer immigrant heavy population will never produce statistically on par with upper-class expectations no matter the curriculum, funding, discipline or teacher quality. Exceptions of course, moving the avgs a few points here and there... sure but Kids for New Hampshire Estates will never be competitive with schools like Westbrook. Merging those two statistically will always make the county look mediocre even though Westbook kids get a great head start to life and many NHE kids make up some ground to their deficiencies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good discussion going on the local sub reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/comments/102jg8a/parents_of_mcps_students_do_you_guys_have_a/

MCPS sound like an absolute disaster. Zero accountability. Zero standards. Rapid decline of quality. How long until people with money stop moving to this county to flee all of the progressivism ruining the schools and county? The only reason property values maintained value in MoCo was always because of the schools. The discussion going on now with messages from insiders is truly shocking. MoCo looks like it is in rapid decline and once the schools go, what reason will there be to stay?

So completely and thoroughly f'ed up. MCPS's been in rapid decline for many years. But if you say anything, then you are a racist. God help us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good discussion going on the local sub reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/comments/102jg8a/parents_of_mcps_students_do_you_guys_have_a/

MCPS sound like an absolute disaster. Zero accountability. Zero standards. Rapid decline of quality. How long until people with money stop moving to this county to flee all of the progressivism ruining the schools and county? The only reason property values maintained value in MoCo was always because of the schools. The discussion going on now with messages from insiders is truly shocking. MoCo looks like it is in rapid decline and once the schools go, what reason will there be to stay?

So completely and thoroughly f'ed up. MCPS's been in rapid decline for many years. But if you say anything, then you are a racist. God help us.

LOL, I love these crocodile tears. There is ABSOLUTELY NO DECLINE. What has changed are the demographics of the county. You may have noticed. This means some things are different, but you can get a better education today than in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't understand how anyone could get a minimum of 50% for turning in zero HW.

That's not the policy. The policy is that you get 50% until the end of the quarter, and THEN a 0% can be given. So, you can't get 0% without multiple opportunities to submit. It is meant to allow some grace to kids who experience a bad couple of weeks, and give them a chance to achieve a passing grade if they do the work to catch up.

You are incorrect. At my school, we are not allowed to give zeroes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good discussion going on the local sub reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/comments/102jg8a/parents_of_mcps_students_do_you_guys_have_a/

MCPS sound like an absolute disaster. Zero accountability. Zero standards. Rapid decline of quality. How long until people with money stop moving to this county to flee all of the progressivism ruining the schools and county? The only reason property values maintained value in MoCo was always because of the schools. The discussion going on now with messages from insiders is truly shocking. MoCo looks like it is in rapid decline and once the schools go, what reason will there be to stay?

So completely and thoroughly f'ed up. MCPS's been in rapid decline for many years. But if you say anything, then you are a racist. God help us.

LOL, I love these crocodile tears. There is ABSOLUTELY NO DECLINE. What has changed are the demographics of the county. You may have noticed. This means some things are different, but you can get a better education today than in the past.

What a complete idiot. If your kid is a bottom feeder, of course, there is no decline. Can't go any lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good discussion going on the local sub reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MontgomeryCountyMD/comments/102jg8a/parents_of_mcps_students_do_you_guys_have_a/

MCPS sound like an absolute disaster. Zero accountability. Zero standards. Rapid decline of quality. How long until people with money stop moving to this county to flee all of the progressivism ruining the schools and county? The only reason property values maintained value in MoCo was always because of the schools. The discussion going on now with messages from insiders is truly shocking. MoCo looks like it is in rapid decline and once the schools go, what reason will there be to stay?

So completely and thoroughly f'ed up. MCPS's been in rapid decline for many years. But if you say anything, then you are a racist. God help us.

LOL, I love these crocodile tears. There is ABSOLUTELY NO DECLINE. What has changed are the demographics of the county. You may have noticed. This means some things are different, but you can get a better education today than in the past.

It's not demographics. Its the curriculum, teaching style and no homework... all things we had prior to the decline.

[Anonymous]

According to published county policy The 50% rule only applies to all task/assessments. Therefore Practice/prep can be given 0% if no work is turned in.

Teachers can give 0% in all task/assessments if the teacher makes contact and gets a response from parents.

-a teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we moved to bethesda for the schools (in advance of kids). Then we had a kid and realized the decline and chose the private/independent route.

how did you "realize the decline?"

They read DCUM naturally.