How is first day going for DCPS kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First day of PK was an unmitigated disaster for my kid this morning. She is getting absolutely nothing out of this. DL is a joke for this age group. Why won’t our worthless mayor close bars so we can open schools for small children?

If I remember correctly, the original plan did not include ANY distance learning for PK, but parents were demanding it, so here we are. Just another reminder that you can't please everyone.

In fact you will never please this kind of parent. No DL for PK so they demanded it and got. Now they have DL for PK and they hate it and want in-person. They might get in-person, but it won't be enough. When they get full-time in-person, they will then complain the teacher isn't meeting the needs of their child genius and isn't differentiating. Notice a pattern? Please remember that PK is optional. OPTIONAL means your child does not need to be there and nor do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m trying to wait a few more weeks but I just sent my first complaint. My second graders “math class” is “who knows what 2 + 2 equals?” Seriously? That’s was covered in K. I feel like online does not all for any differentiation and the classes are definitely getting dumbed down. Looks like another 3 months of wasted class time. I now understand why people are paying thousands of dollars for tutors and pods.

I have a 3rd grader and 5th grader and am noticing the same problem. Maybe just review the first week of school? About half the screen time seems like overkill to me. I've started taking the kids off some of the Zoom meetings to read and do challenging pencil and paper math I assign them. I'm also looking at more challenging on-line work to substitute for what DCPS is feeding us, e.g. on Out School and math web sites. At a bad moment, I feel like minimal differentiation online is going to sink public school for many of us eventually.

+1, I’ve never been one to scream about differentiation as I believe it’s ok that kids learn at different paces. But the varying abilities seems magnified online in my youngest DC’s class (1st grade). I see some of the kids appearing bored as the teacher spends time explaining very basic concepts to other children. I’m hoping groups can be rearranged in the next few months based on ability. This is the pits.

We are having the same problem with DD’s K. Content is similar to DS’ PL K3 class. Repeating back compound words (literally just repeating) and identifying differences between objects as math? I understand ramping up, but kids are tuning out entirely after 4 days of this.

Teacher here. Will you just listen to yourselves. You really are pathetic parents. Your kids have been out of school for more than 3 months. They have not seen most of their friends for that long and you all want to start with content like a rocketship to Mars? This is why you all need to leave the educating to us teachers. SEL is for the first two weeks. Some kids don't even know how to submit an assignment. I bet you would be the first parent to complain that their child never submitted their assignment due to a bad teacher. I listen to this garbage and just laugh. Lastly there are no zoom calls. It is all on Teams.

I know the difference between Zoom and Teams. My DCPS kids’ classes are all Zoom.

That should NOT be happening. DCPS has been explicit this fall about using Teams. No one is supposed to be using zoom. I know you won’t say what school but that principal is leaving his/her staff out to dry if something happens. DCPS will not support schools that go against the rule to use Teams.

[Anonymous]

All the parents complaining about not starting content....you should attend Stanton! They started content day two. No wasted time on how to use the technology or reviewing. Check twitter out. They were working hard all week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That should NOT be happening. DCPS has been explicit this fall about using Teams. No one is supposed to be using zoom. I know you won’t say what school but that principal is leaving his/her staff out to dry if something happens. DCPS will not support schools that go against the rule to use Teams.

Agree your principal isn’t doing you any favors. Signed, a teacher whose principal has been strict about Teams from the jump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m trying to wait a few more weeks but I just sent my first complaint. My second graders “math class” is “who knows what 2 + 2 equals?” Seriously? That’s was covered in K. I feel like online does not all for any differentiation and the classes are definitely getting dumbed down. Looks like another 3 months of wasted class time. I now understand why people are paying thousands of dollars for tutors and pods.

I have a 3rd grader and 5th grader and am noticing the same problem. Maybe just review the first week of school? About half the screen time seems like overkill to me. I've started taking the kids off some of the Zoom meetings to read and do challenging pencil and paper math I assign them. I'm also looking at more challenging on-line work to substitute for what DCPS is feeding us, e.g. on Out School and math web sites. At a bad moment, I feel like minimal differentiation online is going to sink public school for many of us eventually.

+1, I’ve never been one to scream about differentiation as I believe it’s ok that kids learn at different paces. But the varying abilities seems magnified online in my youngest DC’s class (1st grade). I see some of the kids appearing bored as the teacher spends time explaining very basic concepts to other children. I’m hoping groups can be rearranged in the next few months based on ability. This is the pits.

We are having the same problem with DD’s K. Content is similar to DS’ PL K3 class. Repeating back compound words (literally just repeating) and identifying differences between objects as math? I understand ramping up, but kids are tuning out entirely after 4 days of this.

Teacher here. Will you just listen to yourselves. You really are pathetic parents. Your kids have been out of school for more than 3 months. They have not seen most of their friends for that long and you all want to start with content like a rocketship to Mars? This is why you all need to leave the educating to us teachers. SEL is for the first two weeks. Some kids don't even know how to submit an assignment. I bet you would be the first parent to complain that their child never submitted their assignment due to a bad teacher. I listen to this garbage and just laugh. Lastly there are no zoom calls. It is all on Teams.

I know the difference between Zoom and Teams. My DCPS kids’ classes are all Zoom.

That should NOT be happening. DCPS has been explicit this fall about using Teams. No one is supposed to be using zoom. I know you won’t say what school but that principal is leaving his/her staff out to dry if something happens. DCPS will not support schools that go against the rule to use Teams.

Our entire Capitol Hill DCPS is on zoom for the first two weeks, because they accurately predicted that all of the bugs/changes getting Teams up would make it worth avoid for the first two weeks. Our neighbors are at a different CH DCPS and also using zoom, so I think your admin might be unusual in not allowing any leeway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m trying to wait a few more weeks but I just sent my first complaint. My second graders “math class” is “who knows what 2 + 2 equals?” Seriously? That’s was covered in K. I feel like online does not all for any differentiation and the classes are definitely getting dumbed down. Looks like another 3 months of wasted class time. I now understand why people are paying thousands of dollars for tutors and pods.

I have a 3rd grader and 5th grader and am noticing the same problem. Maybe just review the first week of school? About half the screen time seems like overkill to me. I've started taking the kids off some of the Zoom meetings to read and do challenging pencil and paper math I assign them. I'm also looking at more challenging on-line work to substitute for what DCPS is feeding us, e.g. on Out School and math web sites. At a bad moment, I feel like minimal differentiation online is going to sink public school for many of us eventually.

+1, I’ve never been one to scream about differentiation as I believe it’s ok that kids learn at different paces. But the varying abilities seems magnified online in my youngest DC’s class (1st grade). I see some of the kids appearing bored as the teacher spends time explaining very basic concepts to other children. I’m hoping groups can be rearranged in the next few months based on ability. This is the pits.

We are having the same problem with DD’s K. Content is similar to DS’ PL K3 class. Repeating back compound words (literally just repeating) and identifying differences between objects as math? I understand ramping up, but kids are tuning out entirely after 4 days of this.

Teacher here. Will you just listen to yourselves. You really are pathetic parents. Your kids have been out of school for more than 3 months. They have not seen most of their friends for that long and you all want to start with content like a rocketship to Mars? This is why you all need to leave the educating to us teachers. SEL is for the first two weeks. Some kids don't even know how to submit an assignment. I bet you would be the first parent to complain that their child never submitted their assignment due to a bad teacher. I listen to this garbage and just laugh. Lastly there are no zoom calls. It is all on Teams.

PP you’re responding to. DD’s class is on Zoom. You contempt for parents is evident in your post. Did you really think that all of these parents didn’t know the difference between zoom and teams? Give me a break. I’d actually be totally fine with games and am fine with the SEL/get to know classmates aspects. But they are teaching actual content too and that content is way too easy. They’re not learning Teams or Canvas yet and they haven’t submitted assignments, so that’s not the issue. Teacher is doing actual mini lessons and the content is way too easy. Getting taught letter sounds when you can read isn’t engaging. You *must* engage kids on DL from the get go or you will lose them. I genuinely think the class is too easy for at least 90% of the class. It is also identical in some respects to my PK3 DS’ content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m trying to wait a few more weeks but I just sent my first complaint. My second graders “math class” is “who knows what 2 + 2 equals?” Seriously? That’s was covered in K. I feel like online does not all for any differentiation and the classes are definitely getting dumbed down. Looks like another 3 months of wasted class time. I now understand why people are paying thousands of dollars for tutors and pods.

I have a 3rd grader and 5th grader and am noticing the same problem. Maybe just review the first week of school? About half the screen time seems like overkill to me. I've started taking the kids off some of the Zoom meetings to read and do challenging pencil and paper math I assign them. I'm also looking at more challenging on-line work to substitute for what DCPS is feeding us, e.g. on Out School and math web sites. At a bad moment, I feel like minimal differentiation online is going to sink public school for many of us eventually.

+1, I’ve never been one to scream about differentiation as I believe it’s ok that kids learn at different paces. But the varying abilities seems magnified online in my youngest DC’s class (1st grade). I see some of the kids appearing bored as the teacher spends time explaining very basic concepts to other children. I’m hoping groups can be rearranged in the next few months based on ability. This is the pits.

We are having the same problem with DD’s K. Content is similar to DS’ PL K3 class. Repeating back compound words (literally just repeating) and identifying differences between objects as math? I understand ramping up, but kids are tuning out entirely after 4 days of this.

Teacher here. Will you just listen to yourselves. You really are pathetic parents. Your kids have been out of school for more than 3 months. They have not seen most of their friends for that long and you all want to start with content like a rocketship to Mars? This is why you all need to leave the educating to us teachers. SEL is for the first two weeks. Some kids don't even know how to submit an assignment. I bet you would be the first parent to complain that their child never submitted their assignment due to a bad teacher. I listen to this garbage and just laugh. Lastly there are no zoom calls. It is all on Teams.

PP you’re responding to. DD’s class is on Zoom. You contempt for parents is evident in your post. Did you really think that all of these parents didn’t know the difference between zoom and teams? Give me a break. I’d actually be totally fine with games and am fine with the SEL/get to know classmates aspects. But they are teaching actual content too and that content is way too easy. They’re not learning Teams or Canvas yet and they haven’t submitted assignments, so that’s not the issue. Teacher is doing actual mini lessons and the content is way too easy. Getting taught letter sounds when you can read isn’t engaging. You *must* engage kids on DL from the get go or you will lose them. I genuinely think the class is too easy for at least 90% of the class. It is also identical in some respects to my PK3 DS’ content.

all the hostility is unfortunate, but agree with this parent -- the kids need to be learning. My kid did virtual summer classes and camps (one through DCPS) this summer and they were engaging and challenging from day 1, and that is why he loved it. I'm really surprised by what is going on in his 1st grade, it is so easy that it is actually depressing the kids. Please expect more of them -- they will love it. my kid who loves school, and you are losing him.

-- a DCPS parent, also a former teacher

[Anonymous]

I agree that starting the year with SEL is ideal *in normal circumstances.*

But it doesn’t work well online, which add to the kids’ frustrations. If I head one more discussion asking for kids thoughts on how to manage change and deal with frustration — or worse, where to click — I will scream. The best way to help kids’ deal with hard, pandemic times is to not make it worse by dragging out slow-moving online conversations!

My kids did a virtual camp this summer that they loved because it was interesting content. In a virtual world, they need some substance to keep them engaged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m trying to wait a few more weeks but I just sent my first complaint. My second graders “math class” is “who knows what 2 + 2 equals?” Seriously? That’s was covered in K. I feel like online does not all for any differentiation and the classes are definitely getting dumbed down. Looks like another 3 months of wasted class time. I now understand why people are paying thousands of dollars for tutors and pods.

I have a 3rd grader and 5th grader and am noticing the same problem. Maybe just review the first week of school? About half the screen time seems like overkill to me. I've started taking the kids off some of the Zoom meetings to read and do challenging pencil and paper math I assign them. I'm also looking at more challenging on-line work to substitute for what DCPS is feeding us, e.g. on Out School and math web sites. At a bad moment, I feel like minimal differentiation online is going to sink public school for many of us eventually.

+1, I’ve never been one to scream about differentiation as I believe it’s ok that kids learn at different paces. But the varying abilities seems magnified online in my youngest DC’s class (1st grade). I see some of the kids appearing bored as the teacher spends time explaining very basic concepts to other children. I’m hoping groups can be rearranged in the next few months based on ability. This is the pits.

We are having the same problem with DD’s K. Content is similar to DS’ PL K3 class. Repeating back compound words (literally just repeating) and identifying differences between objects as math? I understand ramping up, but kids are tuning out entirely after 4 days of this.

Teacher here. Will you just listen to yourselves. You really are pathetic parents. Your kids have been out of school for more than 3 months. They have not seen most of their friends for that long and you all want to start with content like a rocketship to Mars? This is why you all need to leave the educating to us teachers. SEL is for the first two weeks. Some kids don't even know how to submit an assignment. I bet you would be the first parent to complain that their child never submitted their assignment due to a bad teacher. I listen to this garbage and just laugh. Lastly there are no zoom calls. It is all on Teams.

I know the difference between Zoom and Teams. My DCPS kids’ classes are all Zoom.

That should NOT be happening. DCPS has been explicit this fall about using Teams. No one is supposed to be using zoom. I know you won’t say what school but that principal is leaving his/her staff out to dry if something happens. DCPS will not support schools that go against the rule to use Teams.

Our entire Capitol Hill DCPS is on zoom for the first two weeks, because they accurately predicted that all of the bugs/changes getting Teams up would make it worth avoid for the first two weeks. Our neighbors are at a different CH DCPS and also using zoom, so I think your admin might be unusual in not allowing any leeway.

Your school and the other CH school are flagrantly violating DCPS policy. Your school, by not following this policy is probably also violating FERPA since your leadership gets to make up polices at will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Your school and the other CH school are flagrantly violating DCPS policy. Your school, by not following this policy is probably also violating FERPA since your leadership gets to make up polices at will.

What in the hell are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10th grade Walls. Going fine. Teachers not adept at Microsoft teams yet. Think Zoom worked better (and allowed small group meetings).

To be fair it’s hard to know Teams well without practicing with actual groups of people in meetings. And Teams just sucks for classes, and DCPs keeps changing the settings without alerting teachers. You can do group meetings on Teams, it’s just a pain to set up.

All that is to say, Zoom is infinitely better for virtual classes.

I’m a teacher and got a notice today that the IT changes the settings so kids are only attendees. Now people not familiar with Teams only have to set the meeting or press the “meet now” button. I’m glad I used teams in the spring. Teams does have an update now to allow for breakout room which should help. In regard to differentiation, we will make our small groups. I teach ES. We will start content in a week.

The breakout room feature should help once it’s actually up and running. Right now I have the feature but there are lots of bugs to be worked out. I won’t be using it until it is officially unveiled in October.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That should NOT be happening. DCPS has been explicit this fall about using Teams. No one is supposed to be using zoom. I know you won’t say what school but that principal is leaving his/her staff out to dry if something happens. DCPS will not support schools that go against the rule to use Teams.

Agree your principal isn’t doing you any favors. Signed, a teacher whose principal has been strict about Teams from the jump.

Amidon Bowen is all zoom. It’s going to suck when they have to switch over. The principal really set up those teachers to fail

[Anonymous]

An observation about this thread and others on DCUM. It is really interesting to watch parents both complain about wasted time in the early week(s) and also about how poor the technology deployment and teacher performance is in the early week(s). Similarly, it is interesting to watch parents complain about how much technological intervention is required on their part at the same time they complain that everything in week one was way behind grade level and too focused on technology.

Is it possible that the abundance of caution that has schools doing technology intros is intended to close the technology knowledge gap so that all kids are on an even footing once rigorous work begins in week 2 or 3? And further that by trying to create a baseline of technology skills and knowledge, the goal is to minimize wasted time and resources spent by teachers in helping kids log in, find work, use available technology in Week 3 and beyond? Is it possible that some of the teachers may be new to this and/or uncomfortable with the technology and they themselves have a steep learning curve?

Maybe it is unnecessary and overkill. Maybe one week is enough but two is too many? Maybe your kid is comfortable but 50% of the class isn't so these early weeks are important to their learning and ability to remain engaged going forward. Maybe it is all a waste and your kid will be shortchanged two whole weeks of school. Maybe your kid's teacher is fluent in Teams and spent time and energy to get comfortable and maximize their teaching methods more so than entrenched tenured WTU dinosaurs who couldn't be bothered to lift a finger until the day and hour that the contract started.

But can you get outside yourself and your experience for just a moment to consider the experience or background of others such that maybe, just maybe, there are benefits to others that you won't realize, and the aggregate cost to your "wasted" two weeks is significantly less than the cost of losing kids who just quit (emotionally, academically, or actually physically quitting) because the hurdle of on-line learning is too much to overcome without someone giving them the tools that your kids already possess, or because their teacher needed a week or two to figure out how to make this all useful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An observation about this thread and others on DCUM. It is really interesting to watch parents both complain about wasted time in the early week(s) and also about how poor the technology deployment and teacher performance is in the early week(s). Similarly, it is interesting to watch parents complain about how much technological intervention is required on their part at the same time they complain that everything in week one was way behind grade level and too focused on technology.

Is it possible that the abundance of caution that has schools doing technology intros is intended to close the technology knowledge gap so that all kids are on an even footing once rigorous work begins in week 2 or 3? And further that by trying to create a baseline of technology skills and knowledge, the goal is to minimize wasted time and resources spent by teachers in helping kids log in, find work, use available technology in Week 3 and beyond? Is it possible that some of the teachers may be new to this and/or uncomfortable with the technology and they themselves have a steep learning curve?

Maybe it is unnecessary and overkill. Maybe one week is enough but two is too many? Maybe your kid is comfortable but 50% of the class isn't so these early weeks are important to their learning and ability to remain engaged going forward. Maybe it is all a waste and your kid will be shortchanged two whole weeks of school. Maybe your kid's teacher is fluent in Teams and spent time and energy to get comfortable and maximize their teaching methods more so than entrenched tenured WTU dinosaurs who couldn't be bothered to lift a finger until the day and hour that the contract started.

But can you get outside yourself and your experience for just a moment to consider the experience or background of others such that maybe, just maybe, there are benefits to others that you won't realize, and the aggregate cost to your "wasted" two weeks is significantly less than the cost of losing kids who just quit (emotionally, academically, or actually physically quitting) because the hurdle of on-line learning is too much to overcome without someone giving them the tools that your kids already possess, or because their teacher needed a week or two to figure out how to make this all useful?

OP asked how it was going. Not everyone wants sugarcoating for something that clearly sucks. This will be a gap year for too many students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10th grade Walls. Going fine. Teachers not adept at Microsoft teams yet. Think Zoom worked better (and allowed small group meetings).

To be fair it’s hard to know Teams well without practicing with actual groups of people in meetings. And Teams just sucks for classes, and DCPs keeps changing the settings without alerting teachers. You can do group meetings on Teams, it’s just a pain to set up.

All that is to say, Zoom is infinitely better for virtual classes.

I’m a teacher and got a notice today that the IT changes the settings so kids are only attendees. Now people not familiar with Teams only have to set the meeting or press the “meet now” button. I’m glad I used teams in the spring. Teams does have an update now to allow for breakout room which should help. In regard to differentiation, we will make our small groups. I teach ES. We will start content in a week.

The breakout room feature should help once it’s actually up and running. Right now I have the feature but there are lots of bugs to be worked out. I won’t be using it until it is officially unveiled in October.

My version of Teams already has breakout rooms but we aren’t supposed to use them unless we have an adult to supervise each group.