My response to APS 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I made all my feedback about listening to teachers and working on teacher retention. I am friends withy many APS teachers and the last 5 years have been brutal. Many skilled teachers are looking for the exits. That's not going to help our children learn.

Teachers who have extra band width and are well compensated are going to be better at teaching our kids.

See, that is helpful

here's a problem I have observed
here is something actionable that APS can do that I believe will address the problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm angry at APS for monopolizing and wasting so much of the children's time. Answered the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey. Sharing my answers to vent.


----
Question - What do you hope for the students?
Answer: I hope that students move through school knowing well how to read, write, speak, count, think, debate, value truth and knowledge. I hope that their curiosity would be encouraged, that they would ask many questions and learn how to find meaningful answers. I hope what they would be taught in a way that they value the lessons, and look forward to growing their skills and understanding.

Question - What are the school's opportunities and challenges?
Opportunities - you have the attention of most of the county's children age 5-18 for 7 hrs a day/ 5 days a week. This is a tremendous opportunity. You're playing a huge role in their development.

The challenge is that the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children. My daughter is in 4th grade. Apparently, learning spelling, sentence structure and punctuation aren't taught. Her writing had at least 1-2 errors per line, and the teacher didn't mark any mistakes. Put a "likes it" stamp on the page. Shame on you for wasting children's time and potential, making them sit through "CKLA" to learn that that spelling and grammar don't matter. My daughter and I looked at her writing, with all the errors that the teacher ignored. We looked at our poster of "Writing Systems of the World" and we agreed that writing and reading are forms of magic. And that the school failing to teach how to write is severing a person's connection to the past and present and robs them of their human heritage.

---

I'm your neighbor, another APS parent and longtime Arlington homeowner...and I dismissed you as soon as I saw "rotten to the core." Get a grip, and get over yourself. You are at least half of why things have gotten as bad as you think they have, and I probably disagree with you on whether they're that bad.

I'm another neighbor, another APS parent and another longtime Arlington homeowner. Perhaps the intensity of some of the OP's wording is a bit excessive; but I've re-read the statements multiple times and cannot disagree with any of the foundational points. Even my oldest child who graduated last year has made the same complaints about spelling and grammar instruction, as well as lacking confidence in their writing and ability to do college level work. Take out the "rotten to the core" and the "writing systems of the world being magic" sentences and what is there really to discredit this person for?

I’d be fine if he/she criticized the curriculum choices of APS, which do leave a lot to be desired. But I’m tired of teacher blaming. And I also doubt that one piece of paper is enough evidence to fault the teacher — or even the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

NP here… I have so many questions about the "writing systems of the world being magic.” Huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Probably you have valid points. When you communicate the way you're communicating you're points, it is easy to ignore you. It's fine that you're "angry". If you want to be taken seriously, less sweeping hysteria and broad generalizations and more constructive criticism and specifics. They aren't going to read past "the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children". Starting out that way, you are not a person to be taken seriously.

+1 she lost me at “rotten to the core”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm angry at APS for monopolizing and wasting so much of the children's time. Answered the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey. Sharing my answers to vent.


----
Question - What do you hope for the students?
Answer: I hope that students move through school knowing well how to read, write, speak, count, think, debate, value truth and knowledge. I hope that their curiosity would be encouraged, that they would ask many questions and learn how to find meaningful answers. I hope what they would be taught in a way that they value the lessons, and look forward to growing their skills and understanding.

Question - What are the school's opportunities and challenges?
Opportunities - you have the attention of most of the county's children age 5-18 for 7 hrs a day/ 5 days a week. This is a tremendous opportunity. You're playing a huge role in their development.

The challenge is that the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children. My daughter is in 4th grade. Apparently, learning spelling, sentence structure and punctuation aren't taught. Her writing had at least 1-2 errors per line, and the teacher didn't mark any mistakes. Put a "likes it" stamp on the page. Shame on you for wasting children's time and potential, making them sit through "CKLA" to learn that that spelling and grammar don't matter. My daughter and I looked at her writing, with all the errors that the teacher ignored. We looked at our poster of "Writing Systems of the World" and we agreed that writing and reading are forms of magic. And that the school failing to teach how to write is severing a person's connection to the past and present and robs them of their human heritage.

---

I'm your neighbor, another APS parent and longtime Arlington homeowner...and I dismissed you as soon as I saw "rotten to the core." Get a grip, and get over yourself. You are at least half of why things have gotten as bad as you think they have, and I probably disagree with you on whether they're that bad.

I'm another neighbor, another APS parent and another longtime Arlington homeowner. Perhaps the intensity of some of the OP's wording is a bit excessive; but I've re-read the statements multiple times and cannot disagree with any of the foundational points. Even my oldest child who graduated last year has made the same complaints about spelling and grammar instruction, as well as lacking confidence in their writing and ability to do college level work. Take out the "rotten to the core" and the "writing systems of the world being magic" sentences and what is there really to discredit this person for?

I’d be fine if he/she criticized the curriculum choices of APS, which do leave a lot to be desired. But I’m tired of teacher blaming. And I also doubt that one piece of paper is enough evidence to fault the teacher — or even the curriculum.

Well, I've put two kids through APS - one out and one a junior in high school. I can tell you that it is not likely the comments and extreme level of passion behind them were from one paper. When these things are not "taught" or "corrected" or "graded" or "expected" year after year after year, I blame APS. Curriculum or teachers, doesn't matter. At some point along the way, the TEACHERS need to TEACH how to write. No Red Ink is not a teacher. If I were a teacher, I would be holding my students' grammar accountable whether it's part of the curriculum or not. I don't take the same message from the comments that you did - that it's only the teacher's fault. They cite both the curriculum and the teacher. And I tend to agree. Maybe it was one assignment that wasn't focusing on grammar and is an outlier - maybe the teacher makes the corrections on other assignments. But that's not been my family's experience through the entire APS system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm angry at APS for monopolizing and wasting so much of the children's time. Answered the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey. Sharing my answers to vent.


----
Question - What do you hope for the students?
Answer: I hope that students move through school knowing well how to read, write, speak, count, think, debate, value truth and knowledge. I hope that their curiosity would be encouraged, that they would ask many questions and learn how to find meaningful answers. I hope what they would be taught in a way that they value the lessons, and look forward to growing their skills and understanding.

Question - What are the school's opportunities and challenges?
Opportunities - you have the attention of most of the county's children age 5-18 for 7 hrs a day/ 5 days a week. This is a tremendous opportunity. You're playing a huge role in their development.

The challenge is that the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children. My daughter is in 4th grade. Apparently, learning spelling, sentence structure and punctuation aren't taught. Her writing had at least 1-2 errors per line, and the teacher didn't mark any mistakes. Put a "likes it" stamp on the page. Shame on you for wasting children's time and potential, making them sit through "CKLA" to learn that that spelling and grammar don't matter. My daughter and I looked at her writing, with all the errors that the teacher ignored. We looked at our poster of "Writing Systems of the World" and we agreed that writing and reading are forms of magic. And that the school failing to teach how to write is severing a person's connection to the past and present and robs them of their human heritage.

---

I'm your neighbor, another APS parent and longtime Arlington homeowner...and I dismissed you as soon as I saw "rotten to the core." Get a grip, and get over yourself. You are at least half of why things have gotten as bad as you think they have, and I probably disagree with you on whether they're that bad.

I'm another neighbor, another APS parent and another longtime Arlington homeowner. Perhaps the intensity of some of the OP's wording is a bit excessive; but I've re-read the statements multiple times and cannot disagree with any of the foundational points. Even my oldest child who graduated last year has made the same complaints about spelling and grammar instruction, as well as lacking confidence in their writing and ability to do college level work. Take out the "rotten to the core" and the "writing systems of the world being magic" sentences and what is there really to discredit this person for?

I’d be fine if he/she criticized the curriculum choices of APS, which do leave a lot to be desired. But I’m tired of teacher blaming. And I also doubt that one piece of paper is enough evidence to fault the teacher — or even the curriculum.

Well, I've put two kids through APS - one out and one a junior in high school. I can tell you that it is not likely the comments and extreme level of passion behind them were from one paper. When these things are not "taught" or "corrected" or "graded" or "expected" year after year after year, I blame APS. Curriculum or teachers, doesn't matter. At some point along the way, the TEACHERS need to TEACH how to write. No Red Ink is not a teacher. If I were a teacher, I would be holding my students' grammar accountable whether it's part of the curriculum or not. I don't take the same message from the comments that you did - that it's only the teacher's fault. They cite both the curriculum and the teacher. And I tend to agree. Maybe it was one assignment that wasn't focusing on grammar and is an outlier - maybe the teacher makes the corrections on other assignments. But that's not been my family's experience through the entire APS system.

You expect the teachers to teach things that are outside of the curriculum they are directed to use? Come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm angry at APS for monopolizing and wasting so much of the children's time. Answered the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey. Sharing my answers to vent.


----
Question - What do you hope for the students?
Answer: I hope that students move through school knowing well how to read, write, speak, count, think, debate, value truth and knowledge. I hope that their curiosity would be encouraged, that they would ask many questions and learn how to find meaningful answers. I hope what they would be taught in a way that they value the lessons, and look forward to growing their skills and understanding.

Question - What are the school's opportunities and challenges?
Opportunities - you have the attention of most of the county's children age 5-18 for 7 hrs a day/ 5 days a week. This is a tremendous opportunity. You're playing a huge role in their development.

The challenge is that the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children. My daughter is in 4th grade. Apparently, learning spelling, sentence structure and punctuation aren't taught. Her writing had at least 1-2 errors per line, and the teacher didn't mark any mistakes. Put a "likes it" stamp on the page. Shame on you for wasting children's time and potential, making them sit through "CKLA" to learn that that spelling and grammar don't matter. My daughter and I looked at her writing, with all the errors that the teacher ignored. We looked at our poster of "Writing Systems of the World" and we agreed that writing and reading are forms of magic. And that the school failing to teach how to write is severing a person's connection to the past and present and robs them of their human heritage.

---

I'm your neighbor, another APS parent and longtime Arlington homeowner...and I dismissed you as soon as I saw "rotten to the core." Get a grip, and get over yourself. You are at least half of why things have gotten as bad as you think they have, and I probably disagree with you on whether they're that bad.

I'm another neighbor, another APS parent and another longtime Arlington homeowner. Perhaps the intensity of some of the OP's wording is a bit excessive; but I've re-read the statements multiple times and cannot disagree with any of the foundational points. Even my oldest child who graduated last year has made the same complaints about spelling and grammar instruction, as well as lacking confidence in their writing and ability to do college level work. Take out the "rotten to the core" and the "writing systems of the world being magic" sentences and what is there really to discredit this person for?

I’d be fine if he/she criticized the curriculum choices of APS, which do leave a lot to be desired. But I’m tired of teacher blaming. And I also doubt that one piece of paper is enough evidence to fault the teacher — or even the curriculum.

Well, I've put two kids through APS - one out and one a junior in high school. I can tell you that it is not likely the comments and extreme level of passion behind them were from one paper. When these things are not "taught" or "corrected" or "graded" or "expected" year after year after year, I blame APS. Curriculum or teachers, doesn't matter. At some point along the way, the TEACHERS need to TEACH how to write. No Red Ink is not a teacher. If I were a teacher, I would be holding my students' grammar accountable whether it's part of the curriculum or not. I don't take the same message from the comments that you did - that it's only the teacher's fault. They cite both the curriculum and the teacher. And I tend to agree. Maybe it was one assignment that wasn't focusing on grammar and is an outlier - maybe the teacher makes the corrections on other assignments. But that's not been my family's experience through the entire APS system.

You expect the teachers to teach things that are outside of the curriculum they are directed to use? Come on.

When it's basic educational stuff like grammar? Yeah.
I expect grammar to be IN the curriculum AND I expect teachers to teach it. I guess you're fine with it not being taught or enforced, and the subsequent poor writing skills pervading our graduates and workforce. I'm not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm angry at APS for monopolizing and wasting so much of the children's time. Answered the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey. Sharing my answers to vent.


----
Question - What do you hope for the students?
Answer: I hope that students move through school knowing well how to read, write, speak, count, think, debate, value truth and knowledge. I hope that their curiosity would be encouraged, that they would ask many questions and learn how to find meaningful answers. I hope what they would be taught in a way that they value the lessons, and look forward to growing their skills and understanding.

Question - What are the school's opportunities and challenges?
Opportunities - you have the attention of most of the county's children age 5-18 for 7 hrs a day/ 5 days a week. This is a tremendous opportunity. You're playing a huge role in their development.

The challenge is that the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children. My daughter is in 4th grade. Apparently, learning spelling, sentence structure and punctuation aren't taught. Her writing had at least 1-2 errors per line, and the teacher didn't mark any mistakes. Put a "likes it" stamp on the page. Shame on you for wasting children's time and potential, making them sit through "CKLA" to learn that that spelling and grammar don't matter. My daughter and I looked at her writing, with all the errors that the teacher ignored. We looked at our poster of "Writing Systems of the World" and we agreed that writing and reading are forms of magic. And that the school failing to teach how to write is severing a person's connection to the past and present and robs them of their human heritage.

---

I'm your neighbor, another APS parent and longtime Arlington homeowner...and I dismissed you as soon as I saw "rotten to the core." Get a grip, and get over yourself. You are at least half of why things have gotten as bad as you think they have, and I probably disagree with you on whether they're that bad.

I'm another neighbor, another APS parent and another longtime Arlington homeowner. Perhaps the intensity of some of the OP's wording is a bit excessive; but I've re-read the statements multiple times and cannot disagree with any of the foundational points. Even my oldest child who graduated last year has made the same complaints about spelling and grammar instruction, as well as lacking confidence in their writing and ability to do college level work. Take out the "rotten to the core" and the "writing systems of the world being magic" sentences and what is there really to discredit this person for?

I’d be fine if he/she criticized the curriculum choices of APS, which do leave a lot to be desired. But I’m tired of teacher blaming. And I also doubt that one piece of paper is enough evidence to fault the teacher — or even the curriculum.

Well, I've put two kids through APS - one out and one a junior in high school. I can tell you that it is not likely the comments and extreme level of passion behind them were from one paper. When these things are not "taught" or "corrected" or "graded" or "expected" year after year after year, I blame APS. Curriculum or teachers, doesn't matter. At some point along the way, the TEACHERS need to TEACH how to write. No Red Ink is not a teacher. If I were a teacher, I would be holding my students' grammar accountable whether it's part of the curriculum or not. I don't take the same message from the comments that you did - that it's only the teacher's fault. They cite both the curriculum and the teacher. And I tend to agree. Maybe it was one assignment that wasn't focusing on grammar and is an outlier - maybe the teacher makes the corrections on other assignments. But that's not been my family's experience through the entire APS system.

You expect the teachers to teach things that are outside of the curriculum they are directed to use? Come on.

When it's basic educational stuff like grammar? Yeah.
I expect grammar to be IN the curriculum AND I expect teachers to teach it. I guess you're fine with it not being taught or enforced, and the subsequent poor writing skills pervading our graduates and workforce. I'm not.

No I'm not fine with this at all, but I don't blame the individual teachers. I think it's unreasonable to expect teacher to defy direction and to teach outside of the prescribed curriculum. There is a teacher on AEM who posted that teachers were instructed not to teacher grammar in APS. That's horrendous, but it's not the fault of the teachers. We need to stop teacher blaming and look at where the problem really is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm angry at APS for monopolizing and wasting so much of the children's time. Answered the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey. Sharing my answers to vent.


----
Question - What do you hope for the students?
Answer: I hope that students move through school knowing well how to read, write, speak, count, think, debate, value truth and knowledge. I hope that their curiosity would be encouraged, that they would ask many questions and learn how to find meaningful answers. I hope what they would be taught in a way that they value the lessons, and look forward to growing their skills and understanding.

Question - What are the school's opportunities and challenges?
Opportunities - you have the attention of most of the county's children age 5-18 for 7 hrs a day/ 5 days a week. This is a tremendous opportunity. You're playing a huge role in their development.

The challenge is that the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children. My daughter is in 4th grade. Apparently, learning spelling, sentence structure and punctuation aren't taught. Her writing had at least 1-2 errors per line, and the teacher didn't mark any mistakes. Put a "likes it" stamp on the page. Shame on you for wasting children's time and potential, making them sit through "CKLA" to learn that that spelling and grammar don't matter. My daughter and I looked at her writing, with all the errors that the teacher ignored. We looked at our poster of "Writing Systems of the World" and we agreed that writing and reading are forms of magic. And that the school failing to teach how to write is severing a person's connection to the past and present and robs them of their human heritage.

---

I'm your neighbor, another APS parent and longtime Arlington homeowner...and I dismissed you as soon as I saw "rotten to the core." Get a grip, and get over yourself. You are at least half of why things have gotten as bad as you think they have, and I probably disagree with you on whether they're that bad.

I'm another neighbor, another APS parent and another longtime Arlington homeowner. Perhaps the intensity of some of the OP's wording is a bit excessive; but I've re-read the statements multiple times and cannot disagree with any of the foundational points. Even my oldest child who graduated last year has made the same complaints about spelling and grammar instruction, as well as lacking confidence in their writing and ability to do college level work. Take out the "rotten to the core" and the "writing systems of the world being magic" sentences and what is there really to discredit this person for?

I’d be fine if he/she criticized the curriculum choices of APS, which do leave a lot to be desired. But I’m tired of teacher blaming. And I also doubt that one piece of paper is enough evidence to fault the teacher — or even the curriculum.

Well, I've put two kids through APS - one out and one a junior in high school. I can tell you that it is not likely the comments and extreme level of passion behind them were from one paper. When these things are not "taught" or "corrected" or "graded" or "expected" year after year after year, I blame APS. Curriculum or teachers, doesn't matter. At some point along the way, the TEACHERS need to TEACH how to write. No Red Ink is not a teacher. If I were a teacher, I would be holding my students' grammar accountable whether it's part of the curriculum or not. I don't take the same message from the comments that you did - that it's only the teacher's fault. They cite both the curriculum and the teacher. And I tend to agree. Maybe it was one assignment that wasn't focusing on grammar and is an outlier - maybe the teacher makes the corrections on other assignments. But that's not been my family's experience through the entire APS system.

You expect the teachers to teach things that are outside of the curriculum they are directed to use? Come on.

When it's basic educational stuff like grammar? Yeah.
I expect grammar to be IN the curriculum AND I expect teachers to teach it. I guess you're fine with it not being taught or enforced, and the subsequent poor writing skills pervading our graduates and workforce. I'm not.

It's really messed up when APS isn't teaching grammar in school but you can pay them to go to an after-school class at Syphax.

[Anonymous]

Hey OP,

Responses to this survey don't have to be so personal and nasty. Don't make sweeping comments that indicate you think you know everything that is going on or all the factors that go into running a school system. You're not credible and will not be taken seriously and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Speak politely and kindly as if you're speaking to someone's face and it's a human being. You can say anything that needs to be said in this world in a way that isn't rude and unkind. Speak to your personal experience and observations and always acknowledge there are things you might not know or fully understand. Assume people have good intentions until proven otherwise.

People like OP are why the way people interact with each other online and too often in real life has turned into a toxic dumpster fire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm angry at APS for monopolizing and wasting so much of the children's time. Answered the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan survey. Sharing my answers to vent.


----
Question - What do you hope for the students?
Answer: I hope that students move through school knowing well how to read, write, speak, count, think, debate, value truth and knowledge. I hope that their curiosity would be encouraged, that they would ask many questions and learn how to find meaningful answers. I hope what they would be taught in a way that they value the lessons, and look forward to growing their skills and understanding.

Question - What are the school's opportunities and challenges?
Opportunities - you have the attention of most of the county's children age 5-18 for 7 hrs a day/ 5 days a week. This is a tremendous opportunity. You're playing a huge role in their development.

The challenge is that the schools seem rotten to the core and are stunting the children. My daughter is in 4th grade. Apparently, learning spelling, sentence structure and punctuation aren't taught. Her writing had at least 1-2 errors per line, and the teacher didn't mark any mistakes. Put a "likes it" stamp on the page. Shame on you for wasting children's time and potential, making them sit through "CKLA" to learn that that spelling and grammar don't matter. My daughter and I looked at her writing, with all the errors that the teacher ignored. We looked at our poster of "Writing Systems of the World" and we agreed that writing and reading are forms of magic. And that the school failing to teach how to write is severing a person's connection to the past and present and robs them of their human heritage.

---

I'm your neighbor, another APS parent and longtime Arlington homeowner...and I dismissed you as soon as I saw "rotten to the core." Get a grip, and get over yourself. You are at least half of why things have gotten as bad as you think they have, and I probably disagree with you on whether they're that bad.

I'm another neighbor, another APS parent and another longtime Arlington homeowner. Perhaps the intensity of some of the OP's wording is a bit excessive; but I've re-read the statements multiple times and cannot disagree with any of the foundational points. Even my oldest child who graduated last year has made the same complaints about spelling and grammar instruction, as well as lacking confidence in their writing and ability to do college level work. Take out the "rotten to the core" and the "writing systems of the world being magic" sentences and what is there really to discredit this person for?

I’d be fine if he/she criticized the curriculum choices of APS, which do leave a lot to be desired. But I’m tired of teacher blaming. And I also doubt that one piece of paper is enough evidence to fault the teacher — or even the curriculum.

Well, I've put two kids through APS - one out and one a junior in high school. I can tell you that it is not likely the comments and extreme level of passion behind them were from one paper. When these things are not "taught" or "corrected" or "graded" or "expected" year after year after year, I blame APS. Curriculum or teachers, doesn't matter. At some point along the way, the TEACHERS need to TEACH how to write. No Red Ink is not a teacher. If I were a teacher, I would be holding my students' grammar accountable whether it's part of the curriculum or not. I don't take the same message from the comments that you did - that it's only the teacher's fault. They cite both the curriculum and the teacher. And I tend to agree. Maybe it was one assignment that wasn't focusing on grammar and is an outlier - maybe the teacher makes the corrections on other assignments. But that's not been my family's experience through the entire APS system.

You expect the teachers to teach things that are outside of the curriculum they are directed to use? Come on.

When it's basic educational stuff like grammar? Yeah.
I expect grammar to be IN the curriculum AND I expect teachers to teach it. I guess you're fine with it not being taught or enforced, and the subsequent poor writing skills pervading our graduates and workforce. I'm not.

It's really messed up when APS isn't teaching grammar in school but you can pay them to go to an after-school class at Syphax.

I always think the people who really need to go to grammar enrichment are the people who make signs. Drove by this yesterday and thought "Bail Bond's" WHAT?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/RZeDEDL6o3c9AkxX6