FCPS decline

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are fcps middle schoolers who got language arts textbooks!?? Wtf we don’t have any textbooks at our house ??

Perhaps thats a sign of equity not equality?

It is an online textbook.

Our middle school is using stories from the textbook, but the stories have been retype into Google because there were access issues the first few weeks of school.
Maybe they'll use the actual textbook later this year?

They are using the grammar program a lot, though.

[Anonymous]

An online textbook is not a textbook!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP is the least of FCPS’s problems. The district needs to invest in a science-based reading curriculum so that kids actually learn to read. Then it needs to buy textbooks and use them. My DS is in middle school and all his assignments are to watch videos and answer questions. So he isn’t “reading to learn” at all. They also need to reduce class sizes. There shouldn’t be 3rd grade classes with 30 kids in them. Maybe if Gen Ed were actually providing an education, families wouldn’t be so desperate to get their kids in AAP.

Your FCPS middle school student's assignments are to watch videos and answer questions? In what class?

Language Arts got brand-new textbooks this year and also an online grammar/writing program. Is your kid's school not using those?

DP but I've heard of kids being shown Flocabulary videos in social studies in lieu of an actual lesson.

I hate videos bu I have had to start using them more often to accommodate the kids with incredibly slow reading rates.

And this is why kids need to be either held back or put on separate tracks so we can fully serve the different needs. Assuming you mean they're not on grade level and not that they're just really slow at reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what's the solution besides venting on this forum? I'm not being snarky. What can be done?

A new school board. Unfortunately that is practically impossible at this point. The school board is political and they are all democrats. The school board would do better if it were a mix or independent. We live in an area where almost everyone votes democrat. (I’ve been guilty of doing that as well - not again.) So even people who don’t have kids or don’t care about the school board at all will go and vote and just vote for the democrats on the ballot. A lot of the school board members don’t really care about the school system - they are using it to further their political career. And that means they care less about education and more about social issues.

And so all we can really do is vent on forums like this.

see I asked the question. I am a Democrat and I believe in education. The idea that Republicans prioritize education is pretty ridiculous. To me social justice does not equal having mediocre expectations of students.

But that is what happens.

Look at DC public schools. Look at what happened to Montgomery County PS. Look at what is currently happening to Howard County public schools - they aren't too far behind us on tearing down their public schools in the name of social justice.

Democrats undoubtedly do better with handling education but there seems to be a tipping point when a school system or area goes too far to the liberal side.

Yeah, I am a liberal Democrat but I also may be a bit of an elitist and a snob. I DON’T think eradicating tracks for more and less advanced students ensures equity. It just makes teaching more difficult and frustrating, and the kids who end up getting shortchanged are the ones I would prefer to spend MORE time with!

Moderate Democrat here. I don't think that makes you an elitist or snob at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A better alternative might be to go back to a system where School Board members are appointed rather than elected. Perhaps that way the Board of Supervisors could give some thought to appointing members who have an appropriate cross-section of expertise and aren't so controlled by the special interest groups. 95% of the current agenda is dictated by teachers' groups and the NAACP.

This is it. Elected boards have to play a political game and their decisions are always subject to partisan criticism. Appointed boards can straight up do the right thing for schools, students, and staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An online textbook is not a textbook!!!!!

An online textbook usually means there is a print version that you can buy, an insane price because it’s a textbook, but it’s better than a stream of unstructured worksheets

[Anonymous]

Academics are not everything, you know.

Look at FFX schools amazing achievements in equity, diversity, inclusion, and their anti-racism curriculum, not to mention the new FLE / gender equality achievements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better alternative might be to go back to a system where School Board members are appointed rather than elected. Perhaps that way the Board of Supervisors could give some thought to appointing members who have an appropriate cross-section of expertise and aren't so controlled by the special interest groups. 95% of the current agenda is dictated by teachers' groups and the NAACP.

This is it. Elected boards have to play a political game and their decisions are always subject to partisan criticism. Appointed boards can straight up do the right thing for schools, students, and staff.

But don't you agree: social justice is far more important than academics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better alternative might be to go back to a system where School Board members are appointed rather than elected. Perhaps that way the Board of Supervisors could give some thought to appointing members who have an appropriate cross-section of expertise and aren't so controlled by the special interest groups. 95% of the current agenda is dictated by teachers' groups and the NAACP.

This is it. Elected boards have to play a political game and their decisions are always subject to partisan criticism. Appointed boards can straight up do the right thing for schools, students, and staff.

But don't you agree: social justice is far more important than academics?

Just ask Brabrand: “equity is at the bottomless pit of all we do.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Academics are not everything, you know.

Look at FFX schools amazing achievements in equity, diversity, inclusion, and their anti-racism curriculum, not to mention the new FLE / gender equality achievements.

Is this satire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics are not everything, you know.

Look at FFX schools amazing achievements in equity, diversity, inclusion, and their anti-racism curriculum, not to mention the new FLE / gender equality achievements.

Is this satire?

You know we're living in clown world when we can't tell the difference between satire and a genuine statement.

My guess is that it's satire; but there really are people out there in la-la-land who think that all of these political virtue signaling causes are more important than actual learning and academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better alternative might be to go back to a system where School Board members are appointed rather than elected. Perhaps that way the Board of Supervisors could give some thought to appointing members who have an appropriate cross-section of expertise and aren't so controlled by the special interest groups. 95% of the current agenda is dictated by teachers' groups and the NAACP.

This is it. Elected boards have to play a political game and their decisions are always subject to partisan criticism. Appointed boards can straight up do the right thing for schools, students, and staff.

No - that's not a solution. Ultimately, it is the citizens who are responsible for the school board -- either through direct elections, or through electing the person who "appoints" the school board. All that would do is create another level of separation between the citizens and their school board.

The fault lies with the voters -- you are all voting for this moronic school board and its non-academic based policies. You do it because it touches all your political buttons and it makes you feel good. You want to vote "Democrats" onto your school board to stop Drumpf or whatever inane political reason you tell yourself. You all get the schoolboard and the lowest common denominator school system you deserve.

[Anonymous]

Anybody who leaves a child in that hell hole is a horrible person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better alternative might be to go back to a system where School Board members are appointed rather than elected. Perhaps that way the Board of Supervisors could give some thought to appointing members who have an appropriate cross-section of expertise and aren't so controlled by the special interest groups. 95% of the current agenda is dictated by teachers' groups and the NAACP.

This is it. Elected boards have to play a political game and their decisions are always subject to partisan criticism. Appointed boards can straight up do the right thing for schools, students, and staff.

No - that's not a solution. Ultimately, it is the citizens who are responsible for the school board -- either through direct elections, or through electing the person who "appoints" the school board. All that would do is create another level of separation between the citizens and their school board.

The fault lies with the voters -- you are all voting for this moronic school board and its non-academic based policies. You do it because it touches all your political buttons and it makes you feel good. You want to vote "Democrats" onto your school board to stop Drumpf or whatever inane political reason you tell yourself. You all get the schoolboard and the lowest common denominator school system you deserve.

You want to crap all over the Democrats, as out-of-power Republicans always do on anonymous forums.

Too bad the candidates endorsed by Republicans in the 2019 School Board elections were largely right-wing hacks out of step with county residents. You should probably look in the mirror before you complain that voters somehow weren't savvy enough to elect people as nutty as Zia Tompkins, Andi Bayer, Vinson Palathingal or Steven Mosley, or re-elect someone as lazy as Tom Wilson, to the School Board. Of course they dragged down the few GOP-endorsed candidates who might not have been a total disaster (Buford, Drain, Karloutsos).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics are not everything, you know.

Look at FFX schools amazing achievements in equity, diversity, inclusion, and their anti-racism curriculum, not to mention the new FLE / gender equality achievements.

Is this satire?

You know we're living in clown world when we can't tell the difference between satire and a genuine statement.

My guess is that it's satire; but there really are people out there in la-la-land who think that all of these political virtue signaling causes are more important than actual learning and academics.

-And, free meals. New sites added everyday.

-Also, the PTA mailed masks to teachers in school colors.

-TJ discussions have been fast tracked

-school name changes have been enacted

- feminine products were available in all HS bathrooms

- FARMS students routinely get free school supplies, field trips paid for, free musical instruments, winter coats, holiday presents, eye exams, access to free pre natal checkups, weekend backpack food, free breakfast and lunch, free, free, free...

- new meal sites added daily