2.0

[Anonymous]

I am much like the OP. I have a 1st grader who has been under this curriculum since kindergarten and it all seems fine to me. He seems to be adept at math and is doing the more challenging of the worksheets that come home -- in fact, doing things I don't remember doing until later grades. He likes school and he comes home with lots of reports of interesting work. What is all this talk of disaster and betrayal and corrupt politicians? Some of these posters really need to relax.

If your kid loves math and knows more than the teacher, then bring them home and give them your own worksheets from 3:30-8:00 and chill out

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I agee this is an outlier opinion at best or a minority opinion at the least. If you are satisfied with what your child is getting you should be happy. You should be eternally grateful MCPS is meeting your child's needs to your satisfaction but recognise you do not live in the shoes or head of other children.

What is heaven and nirvana for your child may be hell and a disaster for others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am much like the OP. I have a 1st grader who has been under this curriculum since kindergarten and it all seems fine to me. He seems to be adept at math and is doing the more challenging of the worksheets that come home -- in fact, doing things I don't remember doing until later grades. He likes school and he comes home with lots of reports of interesting work. What is all this talk of disaster and betrayal and corrupt politicians? Some of these posters really need to relax.

If your kid loves math and knows more than the teacher, then bring them home and give them your own worksheets from 3:30-8:00 and chill out.

Most parents I talk with don't feel like you PP. Some of us older parents know what came before 2.0, even what came before Everyday Math, so we have seen the decline in the curriculum over a wider period of time than the two years your child has vested in the system. You may not realize how much the current system sucks because you and your child have nothing to compare it to.

Good luck. See where your child is at graduation. I am using Singapore Math with my child at home so my child will be prepared for the real world. Some parents don't have the time, energy, and resources to supplement privately and frankly, since kids spend 6 hours of day at school, private supplementation shouldn't be necessary. But supplementation at this stage in the game is necessary because MCPS is failing our kids.

OK, thanks for the warnings and honest opinions. Though I would like people to consider the possibility that overenthusiastic acceleration also has significant risks. I went to a highly ranked liberal arts college that was full of very burnt out young people whose parents likely thought that they had done right by their children. Also, your "see where your child is at graduation" betrays your own competitive streak. Perhaps this is just about parents wanting to win.

[Anonymous]

OK, thanks for the warnings and honest opinions. Though I would like people to consider the possibility that overenthusiastic acceleration also has significant risks. I went to a highly ranked liberal arts college that was full of very burnt out young people whose parents likely thought that they had done right by their children. Also, your "see where your child is at graduation" betrays your own competitive streak. Perhaps this is just about parents wanting to win.

Your experience in a highly ranked (or lowly) ranked liberal arts institutions is absolutely irrelevant to MCPS children today (e.g., in K, 1, 2, and 3 rd grades) who have already mastered the content and concepts for mathematics in their grade level and above. "Overenthusiastic acceleration" has absolutely nothing to do with MCPS providing these kids with appropriate challenge to meet demonstrated needs. This is not happening for many in MCPS. Families and parents who asked for appropriate challenge are doing right for their children.

[Anonymous]

Giving up on waiting for MCPS to come to reason, I have started supplementing my child at home using the Singapore math system. Just went to a teacher store in Rockville and bought it. My third grader loves it, actually was excited to learn some new math skills. Yesterday being a day off, he sat down and did 44 pages of the initial workbook I bought. Honestly, he independently spent several hours working on it. Came and got me when he had questions then sat and worked at the problems. Chose that activity instead of video games and TV time. He was absolutely starving for the material. I am going out this afternoon to buy the next level.

[Anonymous]

Good for you, 11:58. It's really depressing however to see that the accelerated children who thrive will do so in spite of 2.0 not because of it. Parents should not be having to take on the equivalent of another part-time job just to make sure their kids have their educational needs met. One of the best school districts in the country, my ass.

[Anonymous]

I am much like the OP. I have a 1st grader who has been under this curriculum since kindergarten and it all seems fine to me. He seems to be adept at math and is doing the more challenging of the worksheets that come home -- in fact, doing things I don't remember doing until later grades. He likes school and he comes home with lots of reports of interesting work. What is all this talk of disaster and betrayal and corrupt politicians? Some of these posters really need to relax.

If your kid loves math and knows more than the teacher, then bring them home and give them your own worksheets from 3:30-8:00 and chill out.

Reducing the arguments of parents who are concerned about 2.0 math to a caricature of parents wanting to cram worksheets down their kids' throats for 5.5 hours is pretty simplistic.

No one is saying that your child should not enjoy the new curriculum, or that he may benefit from it. But applying a curriculum in a way that prevents any acceleration, and that says that practically no children need math acceleration, is a problem. Having kids in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade go backwards is a problem. Having no plans for what will happen in middle school math is a problem.

Have you talked to other parents in your school, particularly those who have 1st graders AND older children? How do they feel about it? What I've heard so far is "easy" and "boring."

[Anonymous]

I'm curious - as my child has not yet entered school - is the problem with 2.0 just math - or is it everything? Most of the criticism I have heard is about the math curriculum. Are the other subjects equally concerning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what we parents can do to get rid of 2.0?

My husband and I are contacting our representatives in Annapolis. We are also going to throw our votes to anyone running for office who does not support 2.0 no matter what their position is on any other issue. I'm not sure if 2.0 is getting funding from Annapolis but if so it should be eliminated.

Look at who the Maryland governor has appointed to serve on the State Board of Education. Almost none have any background or formal training in education. Total crap. This decision to go with a system like 2.0 ultimately rests with the Governor, the State Board of Education, Starr, and the MCPS Board of Education. You want change, they all have to go.

Life long Democrat here. I feel totally railroaded and disenfranchised over this issue. Will through my money, time, effort, and vote to anyone willing to challenge 2.0. As I see it, that is our only option.

I'm not sure that state policymakers can do anything to help here. Yes, Maryland has adopted the common core state standrards, like most other states, but this is really an issue regarding implementation at the local level. Local advocacy seems like it would be most useful and perhaps media attention with stories re: kids who are no longer being challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious - as my child has not yet entered school - is the problem with 2.0 just math - or is it everything? Most of the criticism I have heard is about the math curriculum. Are the other subjects equally concerning?

You raise a very important question: is it only math? Is it because these kids have had exposure to math at home or is it because the curriculum has been watered down?

Has anyone written to MCPS with their stories?? The media?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious - as my child has not yet entered school - is the problem with 2.0 just math - or is it everything? Most of the criticism I have heard is about the math curriculum. Are the other subjects equally concerning?

NCPS decided to stop the policy of math pathways and acceleration as they introduced curriculum 2.0. I assume MCPS are under the impression curriculum 2.0 will take away the need for math pathways and acceleration for capable and willing students since it will provide all the necessary challenge for the student in a single grade level (e.g., age, height, weight) classroom taught by a single teacher.

It is unclear whether the effectiveness and efficacy of curriculum 2.0 has been validated in an independent elementary school student population.

It is unclear whether MCPS teachers are familiar with curriculum 2.0.

It is unclear whether MCPS teachers are effective in teaching curriculum 2.0 and how to evaluate or assess this?

It is unclear whether there are any assessment instruments for curriculum 2.0.

It is unclear what curriulum 2.0 is (at least for math education in K through 12)?

Where can an educator (or tax paying citizen get their hands on the curriculum)?

Is curriculum 2.0 proprietary information?

Rumor has it most aspect of the curriculum are still on the drawing board.

Implementation and roll out of curriculum 2.0 was accompanied with misinformation, deception and evasion (up and down, trickle up and trickle down the rank and file)

There are many children and parents (particularly in math) that are disatisfied with curriculum 2.0 following all the hope and hype accompanying the roll out

MCPS shot themselves in the foot with an implementation strategy not well developed and thought out. This is further compounded by their decision to simultaneously do away with math pathways. It appears arrogance and pride is preventing MCPS (leadership and principals) from re-instituting some form of transparent math pathways to compensate for the inability of a single teacher to reach ability levels of the high performers (as once hoped for).


Curriculum 2.0 was not ready for prime time when it was rolled out by MCPS

One only wonders whether the diagnosis of buyer's remorse is seeting in with the MCPS leadership.

[Anonymous]

Funniest thing I've heard about 2.0 was a comment made by a teacher:

It's no longer leave no child behind...with 2.0 it's "let's all hold hands and jump off this cliff together."