BOE reconsidering the Virtual Academy, Leader in Me, and Innovative School Year Calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious what the cost differential would to farm out, the handful of kids who still want to do virtual out to k-12 or another virtual program.

Absolutely fine with getting rid of leader in me (majority of schools already quit the program). I would be curious to know if eSY calendar actually did anything impactful for the students at Arcola/Nix . I always thought it was bizarre that Rosco nix a primary school adopted a different calendar than its sister school Cresthaven

Arcola said it was very helpful and numbers improved. They want it. Nix doesn't want it. You should have paid attention.

Who would they far it out to?

K12 being the obvious answer. But I strongly suspect it would be more expensive. K12 would need to carve out a curriculum for MCPS, so it doesn't solve the current problem with lack of scale.

The only practical long-term solution is for the state to establish a program that would serve students across all the counties. They'd probably need to contract that out to K12, but then they might have enough students to make it scale.

K12 isn't an equal program to MCPS. They don't have live teaching and they don't have special education supports. And, the MVA could be expanded as it has a waitlist, which you seem to forget.

K12 does live teaching in the states where they've partnered to do so. They could do it, but yes, it would almost certainly be more expensive than MCPS doing it itself. As I said, the only path that makes sense is MSDE taking it on for the entire state, at which point it might be large enough to scale effectively. And since, as others have pointed out, MSDE doesn't operate schools, the natural implementation path would be contracting out operations to an entity like K12.

VA isn't even close to enrollment levels that scale. First and second grades have less than 40 kids a piece!

Why do you want a state school? It's bizarre and you post it everywhere.

They don't have the size as they don't have the funding. They don't have more teachers to let more students in and keep regular classroom numbers. There is a waitlist.

A state school would be more cost effective in terms of staffing. It’s sad that Maryland is one of the few states that doesn’t already have this. Why do you keep bullying the PP that keeps bringing this up? You seem insecure in Maryland’s education system and very defensive. Did you know Maryland is also behind states likes Mississippi in reading education? Stop pretending like our system is perfect

+1. So weird. A state school would also likely solve some of the issues people are complaining about- e.g. variety of classes, including APs, because it would draw from a bigger pool of students. MVA is not really that great when you compare it to state programs across the country.

I agree with the NAACP Parent Council reps who testified to the BOE that the MVA isn’t working as a replacement for full time in person school, especially with younger kids, and that virtual school by MCPS should at most be used to supplement in person schooling. Leave full time virtual to the state

They had no data or information to back up what they were saying and they were one of the original folks who started the MVA and group so if it is a failure to them, it's their failure. There is NO current data.

Gotta admit I’d didn’t have “MVA supporters blame NAACP for failure of program” on my bingo card.

No kidding. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

What did they decide in the hearing? (Or was it just for testimony and no decision was made?)

[Anonymous]

No decisions were made at the hearing. BOE made the decision this afternoon, however. MVA is continuing for the 2024-2025 school year.

[Anonymous]

We'll see. The Montgomery County Council is pretty fed up with the BoE's unwillingness to get spending under control. They still might be forced into cuts.

[Anonymous]

Based on the commentary from the board members it sounds like they’re letting it stay another year because the notice would have been so short to eliminate the program for next year, not because they think it’s a good program. They then said that staff has been tasked with coming back with additional data about the program but it would likely see the K-5 program being phased out completely, with the 6-12 maybe continuing in some form after they consider changes resulting from analyzing the new data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on the commentary from the board members it sounds like they’re letting it stay another year because the notice would have been so short to eliminate the program for next year, not because they think it’s a good program. They then said that staff has been tasked with coming back with additional data about the program but it would likely see the K-5 program being phased out completely, with the 6-12 maybe continuing in some form after they consider changes resulting from analyzing the new data.

That seems logical.

[Anonymous]

Where did they land on Leader in Me and innovative schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where did they land on Leader in Me and innovative schools?

Not sure on the leader in me but Arcola stays, Nix does not. Arcola very much wanted their to stay. They had a lot of parent and staff advocacy and did a great job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where did they land on Leader in Me and innovative schools?

They recommended Arcola's innovative calendar to stay in place, but to return Nix to the regular calendar. I didn't hear anything about LIM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious what the cost differential would to farm out, the handful of kids who still want to do virtual out to k-12 or another virtual program.

Absolutely fine with getting rid of leader in me (majority of schools already quit the program). I would be curious to know if eSY calendar actually did anything impactful for the students at Arcola/Nix . I always thought it was bizarre that Rosco nix a primary school adopted a different calendar than its sister school Cresthaven

Arcola said it was very helpful and numbers improved. They want it. Nix doesn't want it. You should have paid attention.

Who would they far it out to?

K12 being the obvious answer. But I strongly suspect it would be more expensive. K12 would need to carve out a curriculum for MCPS, so it doesn't solve the current problem with lack of scale.

The only practical long-term solution is for the state to establish a program that would serve students across all the counties. They'd probably need to contract that out to K12, but then they might have enough students to make it scale.

K12 isn't an equal program to MCPS. They don't have live teaching and they don't have special education supports. And, the MVA could be expanded as it has a waitlist, which you seem to forget.

K12 does live teaching in the states where they've partnered to do so. They could do it, but yes, it would almost certainly be more expensive than MCPS doing it itself. As I said, the only path that makes sense is MSDE taking it on for the entire state, at which point it might be large enough to scale effectively. And since, as others have pointed out, MSDE doesn't operate schools, the natural implementation path would be contracting out operations to an entity like K12.

VA isn't even close to enrollment levels that scale. First and second grades have less than 40 kids a piece!

Why do you want a state school? It's bizarre and you post it everywhere.

They don't have the size as they don't have the funding. They don't have more teachers to let more students in and keep regular classroom numbers. There is a waitlist.

A state school would be more cost effective in terms of staffing. It’s sad that Maryland is one of the few states that doesn’t already have this. Why do you keep bullying the PP that keeps bringing this up? You seem insecure in Maryland’s education system and very defensive. Did you know Maryland is also behind states likes Mississippi in reading education? Stop pretending like our system is perfect

+1. So weird. A state school would also likely solve some of the issues people are complaining about- e.g. variety of classes, including APs, because it would draw from a bigger pool of students. MVA is not really that great when you compare it to state programs across the country.

I agree with the NAACP Parent Council reps who testified to the BOE that the MVA isn’t working as a replacement for full time in person school, especially with younger kids, and that virtual school by MCPS should at most be used to supplement in person schooling. Leave full time virtual to the state

Agreed. Virtual does not work for elementary school kids

Actually it does for some. Listen to the testimony.

Testimony is opinions and feelings. Not data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious what the cost differential would to farm out, the handful of kids who still want to do virtual out to k-12 or another virtual program.

Absolutely fine with getting rid of leader in me (majority of schools already quit the program). I would be curious to know if eSY calendar actually did anything impactful for the students at Arcola/Nix . I always thought it was bizarre that Rosco nix a primary school adopted a different calendar than its sister school Cresthaven

Arcola said it was very helpful and numbers improved. They want it. Nix doesn't want it. You should have paid attention.

Who would they far it out to?

K12 being the obvious answer. But I strongly suspect it would be more expensive. K12 would need to carve out a curriculum for MCPS, so it doesn't solve the current problem with lack of scale.

The only practical long-term solution is for the state to establish a program that would serve students across all the counties. They'd probably need to contract that out to K12, but then they might have enough students to make it scale.

K12 isn't an equal program to MCPS. They don't have live teaching and they don't have special education supports. And, the MVA could be expanded as it has a waitlist, which you seem to forget.

K12 does live teaching in the states where they've partnered to do so. They could do it, but yes, it would almost certainly be more expensive than MCPS doing it itself. As I said, the only path that makes sense is MSDE taking it on for the entire state, at which point it might be large enough to scale effectively. And since, as others have pointed out, MSDE doesn't operate schools, the natural implementation path would be contracting out operations to an entity like K12.

VA isn't even close to enrollment levels that scale. First and second grades have less than 40 kids a piece!

Why do you want a state school? It's bizarre and you post it everywhere.

They don't have the size as they don't have the funding. They don't have more teachers to let more students in and keep regular classroom numbers. There is a waitlist.

A state school would be more cost effective in terms of staffing. It’s sad that Maryland is one of the few states that doesn’t already have this. Why do you keep bullying the PP that keeps bringing this up? You seem insecure in Maryland’s education system and very defensive. Did you know Maryland is also behind states likes Mississippi in reading education? Stop pretending like our system is perfect

+1. So weird. A state school would also likely solve some of the issues people are complaining about- e.g. variety of classes, including APs, because it would draw from a bigger pool of students. MVA is not really that great when you compare it to state programs across the country.

I agree with the NAACP Parent Council reps who testified to the BOE that the MVA isn’t working as a replacement for full time in person school, especially with younger kids, and that virtual school by MCPS should at most be used to supplement in person schooling. Leave full time virtual to the state

Agreed. Virtual does not work for elementary school kids

Actually it does for some. Listen to the testimony.

Testimony is opinions and feelings. Not data.

Scientist here. Qualitative data is still data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious what the cost differential would to farm out, the handful of kids who still want to do virtual out to k-12 or another virtual program.

Absolutely fine with getting rid of leader in me (majority of schools already quit the program). I would be curious to know if eSY calendar actually did anything impactful for the students at Arcola/Nix . I always thought it was bizarre that Rosco nix a primary school adopted a different calendar than its sister school Cresthaven

Arcola said it was very helpful and numbers improved. They want it. Nix doesn't want it. You should have paid attention.

Who would they far it out to?

K12 being the obvious answer. But I strongly suspect it would be more expensive. K12 would need to carve out a curriculum for MCPS, so it doesn't solve the current problem with lack of scale.

The only practical long-term solution is for the state to establish a program that would serve students across all the counties. They'd probably need to contract that out to K12, but then they might have enough students to make it scale.

K12 isn't an equal program to MCPS. They don't have live teaching and they don't have special education supports. And, the MVA could be expanded as it has a waitlist, which you seem to forget.

K12 does live teaching in the states where they've partnered to do so. They could do it, but yes, it would almost certainly be more expensive than MCPS doing it itself. As I said, the only path that makes sense is MSDE taking it on for the entire state, at which point it might be large enough to scale effectively. And since, as others have pointed out, MSDE doesn't operate schools, the natural implementation path would be contracting out operations to an entity like K12.

VA isn't even close to enrollment levels that scale. First and second grades have less than 40 kids a piece!

Why do you want a state school? It's bizarre and you post it everywhere.

They don't have the size as they don't have the funding. They don't have more teachers to let more students in and keep regular classroom numbers. There is a waitlist.

A state school would be more cost effective in terms of staffing. It’s sad that Maryland is one of the few states that doesn’t already have this. Why do you keep bullying the PP that keeps bringing this up? You seem insecure in Maryland’s education system and very defensive. Did you know Maryland is also behind states likes Mississippi in reading education? Stop pretending like our system is perfect

+1. So weird. A state school would also likely solve some of the issues people are complaining about- e.g. variety of classes, including APs, because it would draw from a bigger pool of students. MVA is not really that great when you compare it to state programs across the country.

I agree with the NAACP Parent Council reps who testified to the BOE that the MVA isn’t working as a replacement for full time in person school, especially with younger kids, and that virtual school by MCPS should at most be used to supplement in person schooling. Leave full time virtual to the state

Agreed. Virtual does not work for elementary school kids

Actually it does for some. Listen to the testimony.

Testimony is opinions and feelings. Not data.

Scientist here. Qualitative data is still data.

The testimony was anecdotes. Really moving ones at times, I give you that. Also as a scientist I’m sure you’d admit the attendees at the meeting were a self-selected, biased sample. My friend taught for the VA last year and she could provide other anecdotes of students who never turned their camera on and didn’t do their work. They weren’t sick, their parents plainly admitted that the kids just didn’t like going to school and would otherwise be skipping class. My understanding was that as long as they are logged on, they werent counted as absent, even if they logged on and walked away.

[Anonymous]

MCPS holds all the data there might be to analyze/present and is...um, how shall we say...not great about releasing it for that purpose. Looking down on folks coming to give testimony who don't present more than anecdotes is something of a let-them-eat-cake observation. It doesn't mean they are right, but it provides no weight to finding them wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious what the cost differential would to farm out, the handful of kids who still want to do virtual out to k-12 or another virtual program.

Absolutely fine with getting rid of leader in me (majority of schools already quit the program). I would be curious to know if eSY calendar actually did anything impactful for the students at Arcola/Nix . I always thought it was bizarre that Rosco nix a primary school adopted a different calendar than its sister school Cresthaven

Arcola said it was very helpful and numbers improved. They want it. Nix doesn't want it. You should have paid attention.

Who would they far it out to?

K12 being the obvious answer. But I strongly suspect it would be more expensive. K12 would need to carve out a curriculum for MCPS, so it doesn't solve the current problem with lack of scale.

The only practical long-term solution is for the state to establish a program that would serve students across all the counties. They'd probably need to contract that out to K12, but then they might have enough students to make it scale.

K12 isn't an equal program to MCPS. They don't have live teaching and they don't have special education supports. And, the MVA could be expanded as it has a waitlist, which you seem to forget.

K12 does live teaching in the states where they've partnered to do so. They could do it, but yes, it would almost certainly be more expensive than MCPS doing it itself. As I said, the only path that makes sense is MSDE taking it on for the entire state, at which point it might be large enough to scale effectively. And since, as others have pointed out, MSDE doesn't operate schools, the natural implementation path would be contracting out operations to an entity like K12.

VA isn't even close to enrollment levels that scale. First and second grades have less than 40 kids a piece!

Why do you want a state school? It's bizarre and you post it everywhere.

They don't have the size as they don't have the funding. They don't have more teachers to let more students in and keep regular classroom numbers. There is a waitlist.

A state school would be more cost effective in terms of staffing. It’s sad that Maryland is one of the few states that doesn’t already have this. Why do you keep bullying the PP that keeps bringing this up? You seem insecure in Maryland’s education system and very defensive. Did you know Maryland is also behind states likes Mississippi in reading education? Stop pretending like our system is perfect

+1. So weird. A state school would also likely solve some of the issues people are complaining about- e.g. variety of classes, including APs, because it would draw from a bigger pool of students. MVA is not really that great when you compare it to state programs across the country.

I agree with the NAACP Parent Council reps who testified to the BOE that the MVA isn’t working as a replacement for full time in person school, especially with younger kids, and that virtual school by MCPS should at most be used to supplement in person schooling. Leave full time virtual to the state

Agreed. Virtual does not work for elementary school kids

Actually it does for some. Listen to the testimony.

Testimony is opinions and feelings. Not data.

Scientist here. Qualitative data is still data.

The testimony was anecdotes. Really moving ones at times, I give you that. Also as a scientist I’m sure you’d admit the attendees at the meeting were a self-selected, biased sample. My friend taught for the VA last year and she could provide other anecdotes of students who never turned their camera on and didn’t do their work. They weren’t sick, their parents plainly admitted that the kids just didn’t like going to school and would otherwise be skipping class. My understanding was that as long as they are logged on, they werent counted as absent, even if they logged on and walked away.

You mean no different from in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS holds all the data there might be to analyze/present and is...um, how shall we say...not great about releasing it for that purpose. Looking down on folks coming to give testimony who don't present more than anecdotes is something of a let-them-eat-cake observation. It doesn't mean they are right, but it provides no weight to finding them wrong.

It is convenient they did not release new data and what they released was very limited.

Families and staff came out for two board meetings in full force. On little notice. That says a lot.