Virtual Learning - Why Not MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few reasons:

State doesn’t allow virtual days to count as part of the minimum 180 day requirement.

Only HS students have individual chromebooks. Most MS and ES schools have Chromebooks on carts and cannot be taken home. The software is not set up for it.

Something, something equity.

It does if school districts submit a virtual learning plan in advance, but MCPS opted not to submit one for this year.

I can’t understand why they didn’t. It just does not make any sense to me that when a viable back up plan is available why it would not be utilized.

Is this a decision the superintendent, board of Education, or teachers union make?

MSDE had a rule that public comments had to be allowed on the plan. Looking at DCUM, why would MCPS want to do that?

What a bizarre comment. In Maryland, Baltimore county and Anne Arundel have virtual learning going on today and tomorrow. They also have more than one snow day built into their calendar unlike McPS . Somehow their central offices managed to get through the MSDE requirement and put together a functional plan to deal with the snow.

Outside of Maryland but nearby, Alexandria VA and DC Public Schools both had virtual learning going on yesterday (DC is back in person today.).

Why is it that MCPS is the one which has so many excuses for why it can’t do anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pro-virtual learning people just need to admit that they have anxiety about not seeing their kids doing SOMETHING that looks academic.

They don't care if the worksheets are busy work that doesn't lead to genuine learning.

They don't care if the kids' eyes glaze over from staring at the screen on Zoom for hours at a time.

Forcing their kids to perform school-like activities is more important than impact and outcome.

I disagree, obviously, but those parents should be honest that their panic is more about assuaging their own anxieties and not their kids' development and well-being.

It’s unfortunate you don’t prioritize academics. This is why kids are failing and struggling.

I prioritize GENUINE and EFFECTIVE instruction and learning. Which data thus far says happens best with in-person, face-to-face instruction.

Synthetic, virtual “learning” is not real education. It’s a crude imitation that yields weak academic results at best, and many emotional and developmental harms at worst.

Snow day virtual learning doesn't need to be comparitive to a real full day of instruction. It need to be compared to the alternative of a day tacked on to the end of the school year, which is notoriously just a daycare day. Both are subpar to a true instructional day, but those are the options for make up currently. So those are the options to compare and decide between.

There is another option though which I think is superior. Begin the school year earlier in August (no sense in adding those days on at the end of the year since time prior to state testing and AP testing is more useful). Then we can keep our breaks and have built in snow days, plus the students will have less of a gap in learning. 7 weeks of summer vacation is enough.

I don’t think you’re gonna have a lot of company in supporting a 7 week summer. In Georgia and other places that start in early August, students finish before Memorial Day.

Students in McPS currently have a 9 week summer vacation. In nearby Virginia, FCPS starts a week earlier in August, has more snow days built into the calendar, celebrates similar holidays as MCPS and its community didn’t die of horror over having 8 weeks of summer vacation.

Or you just accept that your child is unlikely to get 180 full days of school per year as required because even next year, MCPS only put 1 snow day into the calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few reasons:

State doesn’t allow virtual days to count as part of the minimum 180 day requirement.

Only HS students have individual chromebooks. Most MS and ES schools have Chromebooks on carts and cannot be taken home. The software is not set up for it.

Something, something equity.

It does if school districts submit a virtual learning plan in advance, but MCPS opted not to submit one for this year.

I can’t understand why they didn’t. It just does not make any sense to me that when a viable back up plan is available why it would not be utilized.

Is this a decision the superintendent, board of Education, or teachers union make?

It's not that complicated. We all know virtual doesn't work well for many students and families. And teachers don't have lesson plans for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pro-virtual learning people just need to admit that they have anxiety about not seeing their kids doing SOMETHING that looks academic.

They don't care if the worksheets are busy work that doesn't lead to genuine learning.

They don't care if the kids' eyes glaze over from staring at the screen on Zoom for hours at a time.

Forcing their kids to perform school-like activities is more important than impact and outcome.

I disagree, obviously, but those parents should be honest that their panic is more about assuaging their own anxieties and not their kids' development and well-being.

It’s unfortunate you don’t prioritize academics. This is why kids are failing and struggling.

I prioritize GENUINE and EFFECTIVE instruction and learning. Which data thus far says happens best with in-person, face-to-face instruction.

Synthetic, virtual “learning” is not real education. It’s a crude imitation that yields weak academic results at best, and many emotional and developmental harms at worst.

Snow day virtual learning doesn't need to be comparitive to a real full day of instruction. It need to be compared to the alternative of a day tacked on to the end of the school year, which is notoriously just a daycare day. Both are subpar to a true instructional day, but those are the options for make up currently. So those are the options to compare and decide between.

There is another option though which I think is superior. Begin the school year earlier in August (no sense in adding those days on at the end of the year since time prior to state testing and AP testing is more useful). Then we can keep our breaks and have built in snow days, plus the students will have less of a gap in learning. 7 weeks of summer vacation is enough.

I don’t think you’re gonna have a lot of company in supporting a 7 week summer. In Georgia and other places that start in early August, students finish before Memorial Day.

Students in McPS currently have a 9 week summer vacation. In nearby Virginia, FCPS starts a week earlier in August, has more snow days built into the calendar, celebrates similar holidays as MCPS and its community didn’t die of horror over having 8 weeks of summer vacation.

Or you just accept that your child is unlikely to get 180 full days of school per year as required because even next year, MCPS only put 1 snow day into the calendar.

Parents in FCPS hate that calendar. It's full of 1-2 off days that are disruptive. Like MCPS but worse. I posted this elsewhere, but Baltimore City, subject to the same mandates as us, goes from 8/25 - 6/13 this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pro-virtual learning people just need to admit that they have anxiety about not seeing their kids doing SOMETHING that looks academic.

They don't care if the worksheets are busy work that doesn't lead to genuine learning.

They don't care if the kids' eyes glaze over from staring at the screen on Zoom for hours at a time.

Forcing their kids to perform school-like activities is more important than impact and outcome.

I disagree, obviously, but those parents should be honest that their panic is more about assuaging their own anxieties and not their kids' development and well-being.

It’s unfortunate you don’t prioritize academics. This is why kids are failing and struggling.

I prioritize GENUINE and EFFECTIVE instruction and learning. Which data thus far says happens best with in-person, face-to-face instruction.

Synthetic, virtual “learning” is not real education. It’s a crude imitation that yields weak academic results at best, and many emotional and developmental harms at worst.

Snow day virtual learning doesn't need to be comparitive to a real full day of instruction. It need to be compared to the alternative of a day tacked on to the end of the school year, which is notoriously just a daycare day. Both are subpar to a true instructional day, but those are the options for make up currently. So those are the options to compare and decide between.

There is another option though which I think is superior. Begin the school year earlier in August (no sense in adding those days on at the end of the year since time prior to state testing and AP testing is more useful). Then we can keep our breaks and have built in snow days, plus the students will have less of a gap in learning. 7 weeks of summer vacation is enough.

I don’t think you’re gonna have a lot of company in supporting a 7 week summer. In Georgia and other places that start in early August, students finish before Memorial Day.

Students in McPS currently have a 9 week summer vacation. In nearby Virginia, FCPS starts a week earlier in August, has more snow days built into the calendar, celebrates similar holidays as MCPS and its community didn’t die of horror over having 8 weeks of summer vacation.

Or you just accept that your child is unlikely to get 180 full days of school per year as required because even next year, MCPS only put 1 snow day into the calendar.

Parents in FCPS hate that calendar. It's full of 1-2 off days that are disruptive. Like MCPS but worse. I posted this elsewhere, but Baltimore City, subject to the same mandates as us, goes from 8/25 - 6/13 this year.

Actually, Aug 25 - June 11.
https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3843/Bcps/59743d86-e8ac-4f57-8a49-32f392e68695/One_Page_Calendar_2025_final_v3_2.pdf?disposition=inline

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pro-virtual learning people just need to admit that they have anxiety about not seeing their kids doing SOMETHING that looks academic.

They don't care if the worksheets are busy work that doesn't lead to genuine learning.

They don't care if the kids' eyes glaze over from staring at the screen on Zoom for hours at a time.

Forcing their kids to perform school-like activities is more important than impact and outcome.

I disagree, obviously, but those parents should be honest that their panic is more about assuaging their own anxieties and not their kids' development and well-being.

It’s unfortunate you don’t prioritize academics. This is why kids are failing and struggling.

I prioritize GENUINE and EFFECTIVE instruction and learning. Which data thus far says happens best with in-person, face-to-face instruction.

Synthetic, virtual “learning” is not real education. It’s a crude imitation that yields weak academic results at best, and many emotional and developmental harms at worst.

Snow day virtual learning doesn't need to be comparitive to a real full day of instruction. It need to be compared to the alternative of a day tacked on to the end of the school year, which is notoriously just a daycare day. Both are subpar to a true instructional day, but those are the options for make up currently. So those are the options to compare and decide between.

There is another option though which I think is superior. Begin the school year earlier in August (no sense in adding those days on at the end of the year since time prior to state testing and AP testing is more useful). Then we can keep our breaks and have built in snow days, plus the students will have less of a gap in learning. 7 weeks of summer vacation is enough.

Those aren't the only options. MCPS doesn't need to select the absolute worst way to implement make-up days. We can and should have full days. We can and should use the contingency days before June that are in the calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pro-virtual learning people just need to admit that they have anxiety about not seeing their kids doing SOMETHING that looks academic.

They don't care if the worksheets are busy work that doesn't lead to genuine learning.

They don't care if the kids' eyes glaze over from staring at the screen on Zoom for hours at a time.

Forcing their kids to perform school-like activities is more important than impact and outcome.

I disagree, obviously, but those parents should be honest that their panic is more about assuaging their own anxieties and not their kids' development and well-being.

It’s unfortunate you don’t prioritize academics. This is why kids are failing and struggling.

I prioritize GENUINE and EFFECTIVE instruction and learning. Which data thus far says happens best with in-person, face-to-face instruction.

Synthetic, virtual “learning” is not real education. It’s a crude imitation that yields weak academic results at best, and many emotional and developmental harms at worst.

Not to mention virtual learning probably pissed off a different contingent of parents who were too busy working to supervise their kids for virtual learning

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few reasons:

State doesn’t allow virtual days to count as part of the minimum 180 day requirement.

Only HS students have individual chromebooks. Most MS and ES schools have Chromebooks on carts and cannot be taken home. The software is not set up for it.

Something, something equity.

It does if school districts submit a virtual learning plan in advance, but MCPS opted not to submit one for this year.

I can’t understand why they didn’t. It just does not make any sense to me that when a viable back up plan is available why it would not be utilized.

Is this a decision the superintendent, board of Education, or teachers union make?

All decisions regarding the calendar and inclement weather policy are up to the Board of Education and the Superintendent. In this case, the union has absolutely nothing to do with it. I'm an MCPS teacher, and I've contacted union leaders including the president and that's the answer I get every time.

Check the CBA again. There are provisions that impact this. I think they're fair provisions, but let's not pretend MCEA doesn't influence the policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pro-virtual learning people just need to admit that they have anxiety about not seeing their kids doing SOMETHING that looks academic.

They don't care if the worksheets are busy work that doesn't lead to genuine learning.

They don't care if the kids' eyes glaze over from staring at the screen on Zoom for hours at a time.

Forcing their kids to perform school-like activities is more important than impact and outcome.

I disagree, obviously, but those parents should be honest that their panic is more about assuaging their own anxieties and not their kids' development and well-being.

It’s unfortunate you don’t prioritize academics. This is why kids are failing and struggling.

I prioritize GENUINE and EFFECTIVE instruction and learning. Which data thus far says happens best with in-person, face-to-face instruction.

Synthetic, virtual “learning” is not real education. It’s a crude imitation that yields weak academic results at best, and many emotional and developmental harms at worst.

Snow day virtual learning doesn't need to be comparitive to a real full day of instruction. It need to be compared to the alternative of a day tacked on to the end of the school year, which is notoriously just a daycare day. Both are subpar to a true instructional day, but those are the options for make up currently. So those are the options to compare and decide between.

There is another option though which I think is superior. Begin the school year earlier in August (no sense in adding those days on at the end of the year since time prior to state testing and AP testing is more useful). Then we can keep our breaks and have built in snow days, plus the students will have less of a gap in learning. 7 weeks of summer vacation is enough.

Those aren't the only options. MCPS doesn't need to select the absolute worst way to implement make-up days. We can and should have full days. We can and should use the contingency days before June that are in the calendar.

I don’t work for MCPS but people keep posting that the contingency days in the calendar aren’t ones that they intend to actually use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be honest, the virtual learning schools provide on snow days is really just busy work. Schools are not doing it because they actually care about the students missing too much learning time, it is done so admin doesn’t need to figure out making up the missed school day by taking away a teacher workday or adding to the end of the year.

+1 The pro virtual learning parents on here refuse to admit this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few reasons:

State doesn’t allow virtual days to count as part of the minimum 180 day requirement.

Only HS students have individual chromebooks. Most MS and ES schools have Chromebooks on carts and cannot be taken home. The software is not set up for it.

Something, something equity.

It does if school districts submit a virtual learning plan in advance, but MCPS opted not to submit one for this year.

I can’t understand why they didn’t. It just does not make any sense to me that when a viable back up plan is available why it would not be utilized.

Is this a decision the superintendent, board of Education, or teachers union make?

MSDE had a rule that public comments had to be allowed on the plan. Looking at DCUM, why would MCPS want to do that?

What a bizarre comment. In Maryland, Baltimore county and Anne Arundel have virtual learning going on today and tomorrow. They also have more than one snow day built into their calendar unlike McPS . Somehow their central offices managed to get through the MSDE requirement and put together a functional plan to deal with the snow.

Outside of Maryland but nearby, Alexandria VA and DC Public Schools both had virtual learning going on yesterday (DC is back in person today.).

Why is it that MCPS is the one which has so many excuses for why it can’t do anything?

And there are school districts that aren't. You're making an assumption that virtual is a good idea when our actual experience with it demonstrates otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be honest, the virtual learning schools provide on snow days is really just busy work. Schools are not doing it because they actually care about the students missing too much learning time, it is done so admin doesn’t need to figure out making up the missed school day by taking away a teacher workday or adding to the end of the year.

+1 The pro virtual learning parents on here refuse to admit this.

They don't care if it's just busy work as long as it doesn't impact their summer vacation that was poorly planned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be honest, the virtual learning schools provide on snow days is really just busy work. Schools are not doing it because they actually care about the students missing too much learning time, it is done so admin doesn’t need to figure out making up the missed school day by taking away a teacher workday or adding to the end of the year.

+1 The pro virtual learning parents on here refuse to admit this.

They don't care if it's just busy work as long as it doesn't impact their summer vacation that was poorly planned.

+1

I don’t find the “something is better than nothing” argument particularly compelling.

Really, we just need fewer school holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s be honest, the virtual learning schools provide on snow days is really just busy work. Schools are not doing it because they actually care about the students missing too much learning time, it is done so admin doesn’t need to figure out making up the missed school day by taking away a teacher workday or adding to the end of the year.

+1 The pro virtual learning parents on here refuse to admit this.

They don't care if it's just busy work as long as it doesn't impact their summer vacation that was poorly planned.

+1

I don’t find the “something is better than nothing” argument particularly compelling.

Really, we just need fewer school holidays.

"Something is better than nothing" isn't even accurate. "Nothing" isn't on the table. There are a spectrum of options, some better than others. They should choose the better ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few reasons:

State doesn’t allow virtual days to count as part of the minimum 180 day requirement.

Only HS students have individual chromebooks. Most MS and ES schools have Chromebooks on carts and cannot be taken home. The software is not set up for it.

Something, something equity.

It does if school districts submit a virtual learning plan in advance, but MCPS opted not to submit one for this year.

I can’t understand why they didn’t. It just does not make any sense to me that when a viable back up plan is available why it would not be utilized.

Is this a decision the superintendent, board of Education, or teachers union make?

MSDE had a rule that public comments had to be allowed on the plan. Looking at DCUM, why would MCPS want to do that?

What a bizarre comment. In Maryland, Baltimore county and Anne Arundel have virtual learning going on today and tomorrow. They also have more than one snow day built into their calendar unlike McPS . Somehow their central offices managed to get through the MSDE requirement and put together a functional plan to deal with the snow.

Outside of Maryland but nearby, Alexandria VA and DC Public Schools both had virtual learning going on yesterday (DC is back in person today.).

Why is it that MCPS is the one which has so many excuses for why it can’t do anything?

MCPS has some insane parents who would hold up the process for months and still not be satisfied.