What is MoCo Good at Doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoiding accountability. MCPS has no independent auditor.

Can't the state do that through the MD State Education IG?

It's a $2bln budget, so at that level they should do it in-house and have at least one full-time positino. This is waht Fairfax County does, and they are a similar size.

+1

[Anonymous]

My kid is at RICA. I think MCPS does behavioral SN well IF the parents want it. It’s when the parents won’t discuss teacher concerns that behavior issues take much longer to resolve and impact the other students learning. There are so many levels of scaffolded support: High functioning autism, SESES, ESESES, and RICA. If the teachers, parents, and administration are all in agreement that a change in placement is necessary, then the process is pretty easy, but still not quick.

MCPS is one of the few school systems in the country that offers a therapeutic, on par curriculum. I have friends in my support group that have to send their kid out of state to get the help I get locally. Fairfax has Keller and Phillips but they don’t use the FCPS curriculum; it’s similar to SP-Rockville or Foundation. If the goal is to provide the child the skills necessary to mainstream, then how can you expect that to happen if you are not providing as rigorous curriculum as your neighborhood students are receiving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've read through several dozen fascinating pages of MoCo talk. I realize and understand the issues, but as an outsider looking in, what would you say they do or execute well?

Not sure how to answer this but as someone who graduated from a W 30 years ago, I feel my kids are getting a much better education today than I did back then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have amazing opportunities available (immersion, magnet, etc.), but it is largely up to parents to seek those out and the supply is less than the demand.

I was impressed by the level of art instruction in elementary. They seem to teach techniques, as opposed to the art classes I grew up with that were just random craft projects.

I understand they’re replacing the standard curriculum, so I am hopeful that will become something good, but I don’t yet have enough specifics to know rither way.

OP here. I'm in DC, but as the kids get older we are wondering if we should stay. After I read for hours on this site about the 2.0 debacle I told my spouse that there was no way I'd move to MoCo now. I understood that 2.0 was going away as of the 2018 JHI report. Is it still in place? Or what curriculum is in place?

C2.0 been gone and it was implemented in ES and MS, not HS.

To be replaced with the ‘outstanding’ (sarcasm) Benchmark curricula…the problem for MCPS is it is too big and the part time school board a major target for Texas based textbook sales companies peddling mediocre curricula. They must simply give small donations for these campaigns and get their votes - quite a good business strategy.

Can’t blame it al on the board. The state should have laws that n place about the quality of curriculum used in public schools. Even states like Mississippi are ahead of MD in this regard.

[Anonymous]

The high school plays and musicals I've attended have been really great. Kudos to the talented students and dedicated teachers, staff members, and volunteers!

[Anonymous]

Music instruction is very good.

Foreign language instruction is excellent. There are lots of choices, immersion programs and an emphasis on communication.

There are some amazing special educators in MCPS although it really requires the parents pushing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have amazing opportunities available (immersion, magnet, etc.), but it is largely up to parents to seek those out and the supply is less than the demand.

I was impressed by the level of art instruction in elementary. They seem to teach techniques, as opposed to the art classes I grew up with that were just random craft projects.

I understand they’re replacing the standard curriculum, so I am hopeful that will become something good, but I don’t yet have enough specifics to know rither way.

OP here. I'm in DC, but as the kids get older we are wondering if we should stay. After I read for hours on this site about the 2.0 debacle I told my spouse that there was no way I'd move to MoCo now. I understood that 2.0 was going away as of the 2018 JHI report. Is it still in place? Or what curriculum is in place?

C2.0 been gone and it was implemented in ES and MS, not HS.

To be replaced with the ‘outstanding’ (sarcasm) Benchmark curricula…the problem for MCPS is it is too big and the part time school board a major target for Texas based textbook sales companies peddling mediocre curricula. They must simply give small donations for these campaigns and get their votes - quite a good business strategy.

Can’t blame it al on the board. The state should have laws that n place about the quality of curriculum used in public schools. Even states like Mississippi are ahead of MD in this regard.

Yeah and Louisiana and Florida. The Louisiana Believes site rates curricula and the state will back a parish if it picks a tier 1 course. I am so amazed at how DMV can have all these PhDs and yet friggin’ Louisiana does something brilliant like this. Apparently they even raised ACT scores by 10 points by doing this and offering more teacher guidance. Then I researched it a little bit and realized it was a private school grad from DMV - St. Albans’ Jon White, now at Harvard. We get second and third tier education leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Music instruction is very good.

Foreign language instruction is excellent. There are lots of choices, immersion programs and an emphasis on communication.

There are some amazing special educators in MCPS although it really requires the parents pushing.

Have to disagree with last statement. Three years, two schools in W cluster - never saw it on spec Ed side. Actually complete opposite. This was a decade ago for context - but I think I’m more likely to be correct now since there are like 400 MCPS jobs open and most of them are Spec Ed. All the best folks left long, long ago.

[Anonymous]

OP- The school district has 150k+ students and over 13k staff. There’s going to be pluses and minuses and people with differing opinions on both. The district can’t please everyone though try their best.

Generally if they did the following: improved MS academics; hired enough paras such that there was a para in every K-2 class (at least part time); increased the number of counselors both for mental health and academics; and increased the number of assistant teachers in classes with large sizes they be an excellent school district.

And note even if they did all of the above there would still be rabid complaints on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have amazing opportunities available (immersion, magnet, etc.), but it is largely up to parents to seek those out and the supply is less than the demand.

I was impressed by the level of art instruction in elementary. They seem to teach techniques, as opposed to the art classes I grew up with that were just random craft projects.

I understand they’re replacing the standard curriculum, so I am hopeful that will become something good, but I don’t yet have enough specifics to know rither way.

OP here. I'm in DC, but as the kids get older we are wondering if we should stay. After I read for hours on this site about the 2.0 debacle I told my spouse that there was no way I'd move to MoCo now. I understood that 2.0 was going away as of the 2018 JHI report. Is it still in place? Or what curriculum is in place?

C2.0 been gone and it was implemented in ES and MS, not HS.

To be replaced with the ‘outstanding’ (sarcasm) Benchmark curricula…the problem for MCPS is it is too big and the part time school board a major target for Texas based textbook sales companies peddling mediocre curricula. They must simply give small donations for these campaigns and get their votes - quite a good business strategy.

Can’t blame it al on the board. The state should have laws that n place about the quality of curriculum used in public schools. Even states like Mississippi are ahead of MD in this regard.

Yeah and Louisiana and Florida. The Louisiana Believes site rates curricula and the state will back a parish if it picks a tier 1 course. I am so amazed at how DMV can have all these PhDs and yet friggin’ Louisiana does something brilliant like this. Apparently they even raised ACT scores by 10 points by doing this and offering more teacher guidance. Then I researched it a little bit and realized it was a private school grad from DMV - St. Albans’ Jon White, now at Harvard. We get second and third tier education leadership.

Yeah I've been really disappointed by the lack of leadership at the state level on education issues across the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach in DC but live in MoCo and my kids go to MCPS. I’m very happy with their experience so far (2nd and 4th grades). They’ve had amazing teachers who have been responsive and nurturing. Both kids have learned a ton and love school. We don’t live in a high-performing area of the county either. Both of my kids have been adequately challenged though they have been at the top of their classes. So far I just don’t get all of the bellyaching I hear on this forum!

I agree. I honestly feel that people expect far too much of the public school system--whether it is addressing the needs of children who have challenging home lives that affect their ability to learn (there is only so much the school system can do) or addressing the desires of wealthier parents who want a private school experience without the price tag.

I do think the teacher shortage is going to have an effect on our children, but I completely understand why some teachers are leaving the profession (and why some people are not considering the profession as a viable career). My plan is to support my child's teacher and provide a lot of support and enrichment at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at RICA. I think MCPS does behavioral SN well IF the parents want it. It’s when the parents won’t discuss teacher concerns that behavior issues take much longer to resolve and impact the other students learning. There are so many levels of scaffolded support: High functioning autism, SESES, ESESES, and RICA. If the teachers, parents, and administration are all in agreement that a change in placement is necessary, then the process is pretty easy, but still not quick.

MCPS is one of the few school systems in the country that offers a therapeutic, on par curriculum. I have friends in my support group that have to send their kid out of state to get the help I get locally. Fairfax has Keller and Phillips but they don’t use the FCPS curriculum; it’s similar to SP-Rockville or Foundation. If the goal is to provide the child the skills necessary to mainstream, then how can you expect that to happen if you are not providing as rigorous curriculum as your neighborhood students are receiving.

You forget to mention kids have to be severely impacted or parents have to hire an attorney or sue to get those placements.

[Anonymous]

I like the fact that MCPS takes in to account the economic diversity of the students. I have a relative from another area who just had a HS grad. They spent $100s of on a private photographer for the senior yearbook pictures. It is the norm to submit your own rather than use the standard school shot. Graduation sign for your lawn...$50 a kid, So many cost prohibitive things like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Music instruction is very good.

Foreign language instruction is excellent. There are lots of choices, immersion programs and an emphasis on communication.

There are some amazing special educators in MCPS although it really requires the parents pushing.

Have to disagree with last statement. Three years, two schools in W cluster - never saw it on spec Ed side. Actually complete opposite. This was a decade ago for context - but I think I’m more likely to be correct now since there are like 400 MCPS jobs open and most of them are Spec Ed. All the best folks left long, long ago.

Our speech therapy was 30 minutes a week for a child really struggling in a group with 6-8 kids with unrelated needs. Thankfully we could do private but completely unacceptable. The special education team ignored my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Music instruction is very good.

Foreign language instruction is excellent. There are lots of choices, immersion programs and an emphasis on communication.

There are some amazing special educators in MCPS although it really requires the parents pushing.

Have to disagree with last statement. Three years, two schools in W cluster - never saw it on spec Ed side. Actually complete opposite. This was a decade ago for context - but I think I’m more likely to be correct now since there are like 400 MCPS jobs open and most of them are Spec Ed. All the best folks left long, long ago.

Our speech therapy was 30 minutes a week for a child really struggling in a group with 6-8 kids with unrelated needs. Thankfully we could do private but completely unacceptable. The special education team ignored my kid.

There is a shortage of special ed teachers here and across the board. MCPS has many openings for them.

What district around here with this many SN kids does special ed well?