Is 2.0 bad enough that I should move to DC instead of Bethesda?

[Anonymous]

NP here. All our third graders are doing the same math, there are no acceleration materials. I don't know whether they are available through the county or not so I can't settle that argument. For sure they are not available at our ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. All our third graders are doing the same math, there are no acceleration materials. I don't know whether they are available through the county or not so I can't settle that argument. For sure they are not available at our ES.

I think it depends on the school. My 1st, 4th & 5th grader are in advanced math and reading even with 2.0. I feel they are more appropriately challenged this year than in years past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. All our third graders are doing the same math, there are no acceleration materials. I don't know whether they are available through the county or not so I can't settle that argument. For sure they are not available at our ES.

My second grader is in a math group just like she is in a reading group. Her math group actually gets more time with the teacher than her reading group does, as the reading group does not meet with the teacher every day, but the math group does. It is not an entirely separate class like it was in the past, but at least there is some differentiation. She also has a spelling group, but I think that is simply getting harder spelling words, no actual differentiated instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look OP, there is some small proportion of parents who are furious, literally up in arms about 2.0. You can see some of the commentary on this thread and lots on this board. As you see from the PPs, they disparage anyone who disagrees with their apocalyptic view of 2.0 and MCPS as unconcerned about their child's education and/or simply parenting a dunce (excuse me, "the weakest students.") Very classy by the way, PP, despite the fact that it happens not to be true.

I have no way to estimate whether this hysteria is shared by 2 percent or 20 percent. But I know from the fact that I spend a lot of time at my third grader's school that the outrage is not shared by the vast majority of parents. That's not to say everyone loves 2.0, not by a long shot, or everything else about the MCPS system. But my anecdotal experience as the parent of a kid who has been part of the 2.0 roll-out from the start is that we like, respect and trust the teachers and schools for the most part, and have found them responsive to our children's educational needs.

And my point about making the decision about where to buy over when your child may be able to take algebra was not to suggest that schools are unimportant to anyone's house buying decision -- but that the timing of algebra availability really isn't the best metric by which to assess school quality. I live in MoCo because I do "prioritize a better school system over other aspects" - whatever I may or may not like about 2.0 hasn't persuaded me that DCPS is a preferable option.

I went to a 2.0 instructional seminar for parents not long ago and I was prepared for entertainment from the wildness I see posted here... No such luck, no outrage at all and this was in a West MC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look OP, there is some small proportion of parents who are furious, literally up in arms about 2.0. You can see some of the commentary on this thread and lots on this board. As you see from the PPs, they disparage anyone who disagrees with their apocalyptic view of 2.0 and MCPS as unconcerned about their child's education and/or simply parenting a dunce (excuse me, "the weakest students.") Very classy by the way, PP, despite the fact that it happens not to be true.

I have no way to estimate whether this hysteria is shared by 2 percent or 20 percent. But I know from the fact that I spend a lot of time at my third grader's school that the outrage is not shared by the vast majority of parents. That's not to say everyone loves 2.0, not by a long shot, or everything else about the MCPS system. But my anecdotal experience as the parent of a kid who has been part of the 2.0 roll-out from the start is that we like, respect and trust the teachers and schools for the most part, and have found them responsive to our children's educational needs.

And my point about making the decision about where to buy over when your child may be able to take algebra was not to suggest that schools are unimportant to anyone's house buying decision -- but that the timing of algebra availability really isn't the best metric by which to assess school quality. I live in MoCo because I do "prioritize a better school system over other aspects" - whatever I may or may not like about 2.0 hasn't persuaded me that DCPS is a preferable option.

Thanks PP. This is very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Not everyone is having the same experience under 2.0 since implementation is being handled differently at different schools. I get tired of posters who think their experience is true throughout the county. In our east of the county ES, there has been a huge amount of dissatisfaction this year. All the parents are concerned with how it's been rolled out. And there's no need to attack me for that statement, I'm just stating my experience.

[Anonymous]

Do the PPs who are unhappy think the problem can be fixed with better administration of the program?

It sounds like those with kids in the first wave (guinea pigs) are in the toughest spot. If you are one of those parents, and have a younger sibling, do you have better hope for the younger one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone is having the same experience under 2.0 since implementation is being handled differently at different schools. I get tired of posters who think their experience is true throughout the county. In our east of the county ES, there has been a huge amount of dissatisfaction this year. All the parents are concerned with how it's been rolled out. And there's no need to attack me for that statement, I'm just stating my experience.

Then you need to speak to your principal. He/she is 100% responsible for what you have described. All schools have been afforded the same resources to implement the curriculum, and many are doing an exceptional job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone is having the same experience under 2.0 since implementation is being handled differently at different schools. I get tired of posters who think their experience is true throughout the county. In our east of the county ES, there has been a huge amount of dissatisfaction this year. All the parents are concerned with how it's been rolled out. And there's no need to attack me for that statement, I'm just stating my experience.

Then you need to speak to your principal. He/she is 100% responsible for what you have described. All schools have been afforded the same resources to implement the curriculum, and many are doing an exceptional job.

How do you know? How is it that you have experience at so many different schools? And what is your definition of exceptional (do the teachers get P or ES for that)? My kid in K is fine, although they dropped the unit assessments my older child received in K. Those were very informative. My kid in 3rd grade-ugh-they are flying by the seats of their pants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I understand 'Curriculum 2.0' is MCPS' changes to the curriculum which includes the Common Core. The Common Core is everywhere, it's a nationwide movement that 40/50 states have adopted so far.

The premise of the Common Core is a good thing, if implemented correctly it emphasizes teaching for understanding and a move away from test-based and mile wide inch deep instruction. It may take some time to work out the kinks though but I'm sure by the time OP's kids are in school it will be fine.

In terms of instruction, I'm not sure about MCPS but a lot of schools switch classes for math. So one 3rd grade teacher will teach the kids who need more hands-on skill instruction and the other teacher will teach more hands-on but accelerated math. Hopefully MCPS will adopt a model like that.

5 years from now, the kids in K now will be well off because they will have solid number sense which in turn will lead to better math understanding in higher level math. Also, all the parents complaining about their gifted kids, there is track for taking algebra earlier. Just remember, some kids developmentally aren't ready for algebra in 7th grade and if they don't have a firm understanding of concepts they will struggle in trigonometry and calculus.

Where are you getting the data to say "a lot of schools switch classes"? Which schools do you know switch for math in 3rd grade and below (above 3rd grade, C2.0 has not yet been introduced)? Our school (Rosemary Hills and Chevy Chase) used to group kids for math as you describe and switch classes for math, but has, as of this year, ended this practice for 3rd graders. All third graders stay with the same teacher all day long, and third grade classes are not grouped by skill level across the grade (although there may be some skill level grouping within the classroom). I don't know what Rosemary Hills is doing anymore about grouping, but would be interested in hearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not everyone is having the same experience under 2.0 since implementation is being handled differently at different schools. I get tired of posters who think their experience is true throughout the county. In our east of the county ES, there has been a huge amount of dissatisfaction this year. All the parents are concerned with how it's been rolled out. And there's no need to attack me for that statement, I'm just stating my experience.

Then you need to speak to your principal. He/she is 100% responsible for what you have described. All schools have been afforded the same resources to implement the curriculum, and many are doing an exceptional job.

I am in west county and would say the same about my school. Speaking to the principal does no good as she claims to have no "flexibility" and is basically following orders.

[Anonymous]

I realize that I'm posting on the Maryland Public Schools forum, so many of you will be biased, but -

Someone posted that DC schools, even the west of the park and charter schools, are not as good as Maryland schools. My children are too young to be in school yet, and I'm not sure where we'll live, but I had the impression that some of the DC charters, like LAMB and Yu Ying, were on par with some of the best Maryland schools.

Have I gotten misinformation? Or are some of the people posting here just misinformed or unaware of these charter schools? I'm trying to be objective here, and I have no stake in either side, but most of the parents that I know whose kids are at the best DC charters seem to be some of the smartest people around, with "resources" to go elsewhere, and I was assuming that the top DC charters could actually be better than some Maryland public schools, such as those around Silver Spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. All our third graders are doing the same math, there are no acceleration materials. I don't know whether they are available through the county or not so I can't settle that argument. For sure they are not available at our ES.

I think it depends on the school. My 1st, 4th & 5th grader are in advanced math and reading even with 2.0. I feel they are more appropriately challenged this year than in years past.

j

4th and 5th graders aren't being exposed to C2.0 yet. They are under the "old" curriculum and thus grouping is still allowed for 4th and 5th graders. That may change for your 4th grader next year.

Your 1st grader is in C2.0 now. Is he/she being grouped for math?

Reading grouping is irrelevant under C2.0 in the sense that kids were grouped for reading according to the old curriculum and are still grouped for reading in C2.0.

[Anonymous]

Are the people complaining about no differentiation really seeing none at all, not even within the classroom? Or is the complaint that children don't change classes for math or whatever? Do your kids' report cards not have the sentence about getting enriched/accelerated math instruction? Or is the complaint that it is not considered to be above grade level instruction?
Our DCC elementary school has math groups within the classroom, some kids switch classes for reading groups. They don't go to the net grade for reading group, but all the highest readers go to one teacher for reading group. I don't have a third grader, but I heard that one of the third grade teachers has developed some sort of enhanced instruction for the kids who were accelerated last year, and were repeating a lot at the beginning of the year. I don't think they are going a year ahead, but they are moving through the curriculum much faster. These changes were put in place by the principal after input from parents.
No, I won't name our school, because I don't want our principal getting flak if these sorts of changes are considered "going rogue."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realize that I'm posting on the Maryland Public Schools forum, so many of you will be biased, but -

Someone posted that DC schools, even the west of the park and charter schools, are not as good as Maryland schools. My children are too young to be in school yet, and I'm not sure where we'll live, but I had the impression that some of the DC charters, like LAMB and Yu Ying, were on par with some of the best Maryland schools.

Have I gotten misinformation? Or are some of the people posting here just misinformed or unaware of these charter schools? I'm trying to be objective here, and I have no stake in either side, but most of the parents that I know whose kids are at the best DC charters seem to be some of the smartest people around, with "resources" to go elsewhere, and I was assuming that the top DC charters could actually be better than some Maryland public schools, such as those around Silver Spring.

We are in Silver Spring, and have some friends with kids at Yu Ying. Sure, Yu Ying is a fine school, but its primary selling point is that children learn Mandarin. So no, our kids are not getting that benefit. But as for overall quality, I do not think Yu Ying is better than our local elementary school.