Town of Chevy Chase responsible for loss of CCES computer lab

[Anonymous]

Apparently the Town of Chevy Chase has the power to tell MCPS how many portables they can install on school property solely to protect their view of "open space. CCES was originally slated to have two portables, and now only one, with the understanding that Chevy Chase Elementary loses it's computer lab. The plans are to use a cart with laptops that roll from class to class for 540 children.

http://www.townofchevychase.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=62

In this posting above Kathy Strom states they never threatened to sue, but in the memorandum below Todd Hoffman states he consulted with the town attorney about this matter.


MEMORANDUM VII-B

TO: Town Council

FR: Todd Hoffman, Town Manager

RE: CCES Portable Classrooms

DATE: May 14, 2014

At the May meeting, Council is scheduled to discuss recently-announced plans by MCPS to install two portable classrooms at CCES for a period of three years, proposed to commence this fall. On May 2, Kathy Strom, Bridget Hartman and I met with MCPS officials to discuss these plans and possible alternatives to the placement of portables. Here is a summary of the key issues covered at the meeting:

1) There is a Joint Use Agreement between the Town, the MC Board of Education, the CCES PTA and the MD Department of Natural Resources regarding the construction, maintenance and use of CCES recreational facilities that were constructed with Program Open Space (POS) funds. The Town stated its belief that the joint use agreement prohibits the placement of the portable classrooms in their proposed location without the consent of certain state entities to change the intended use of recreational facilities in the same location.

2) MCPS officials would research the possible conversion of the CCES computer lab into a classroom and the deployment of WiFi in order to prevent the placement of
the portable classrooms.

3) The Town would determine whether it has permitting authority over the construction of portables at CCES.

Since this meeting, I have had some additional conversations with MCPS officials and the Town attorney, and I will update the Council at the May meeting. Attached are several documents that will guide our discussion of this issue.

[Anonymous]

Laptop carts are way better than computer labs.

Signed,

A teacher who would be thrilled that the kids are getting updated computers, that the computers are available in my classroom where I have my resources, and that I have more flexibility in how they're used (e.g. splitting a cart with another teacher when our kids are working on small group projects.

[Anonymous]

Another shout out for the rolling computer lab. Much better for the kids to be able to work in their own classroom.

[Anonymous]

Another shout out for the rolling computer lab. Much better for the kids to be able to work in their own classroom.

A computer lab is used for group instruction, to teach children how to use software programs, how to effectively research. Each child can work on reading and math websites/programs and work independently on their own projects. MCPS schools usually have either netbooks or classroom computers that kids can use in classrooms for groups. I doubt the previous posters have actual experience in public schools.

[Anonymous]

I feel so sorry for those 6th grade kids who are going to be so far behind their peers in computer skills when they matriculate to Westland. All the other feeder schools will have provided computer labs for their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Another shout out for the rolling computer lab. Much better for the kids to be able to work in their own classroom.

A computer lab is used for group instruction, to teach children how to use software programs, how to effectively research. Each child can work on reading and math websites/programs and work independently on their own projects. MCPS schools usually have either netbooks or classroom computers that kids can use in classrooms for groups. I doubt the previous posters have actual experience in public schools.

I'm the first PP, and I'm an actual teacher in an actual public school.

You can use a mobile computer lab to do anything you can do in a traditional computer lab. Reading and math websites/programs, and independent work on projects, and whatever else you want to do.

[Anonymous]

Yeah right...

You have enough outlets in your class room to safely plug in 30 laptops, connect mice, turn them on log into the schools insanely slow secured network, have kids sign on with passwords, which also takes a while with the authentication protocols, and assuming no hardware failures or broken laptops you have time for a meaningful lesson in that one hour time period? Just how much time would that take out of an hour lesson? You don't sound very computer literate or know what you are talking about.

I have more flexibility in how they're used (e.g. splitting a cart with another teacher when our kids are working on small group projects.

^This is strictly forbidden by MCPS, you sign it out for your class, you are responsible for providing those resources to your class. Your vision of the replacement of a computer lab is providing half of your computers to another teacher instead of providing a valid computer lab lesson to your entire class. Kids working in small groups with a laptop means no individual time to work on the computers themselves. It's a completely different method of teaching and instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Another shout out for the rolling computer lab. Much better for the kids to be able to work in their own classroom.

A computer lab is used for group instruction, to teach children how to use software programs, how to effectively research. Each child can work on reading and math websites/programs and work independently on their own projects. MCPS schools usually have either netbooks or classroom computers that kids can use in classrooms for groups. I doubt the previous posters have actual experience in public schools.

Why couldn't the same group instruction occur in the classroom? Seems like quite a bit of group instruction happens there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah right...

You have enough outlets in your class room to safely plug in 30 laptops, connect mice, turn them on log into the schools insanely slow secured network, have kids sign on with passwords, which also takes a while with the authentication protocols, and assuming no hardware failures or broken laptops you have time for a meaningful lesson in that one hour time period? Just how much time would that take out of an hour lesson? You don't sound very computer literate or know what you are talking about.

I have more flexibility in how they're used (e.g. splitting a cart with another teacher when our kids are working on small group projects.

^This is strictly forbidden by MCPS, you sign it out for your class, you are responsible for providing those resources to your class. Your vision of the replacement of a computer lab is providing half of your computers to another teacher instead of providing a valid computer lab lesson to your entire class. Kids working in small groups with a laptop means no individual time to work on the computers themselves. It's a completely different method of teaching and instruction.

No, we have a laptop cart with a docking station, so when I take the laptops out they are already charged. My kids use trackpads just fine, so there are no mice to attach.

My kids would have to sign in on desktop too, and desktops fail or break too. At least ours did.

If MCPS has that policy, then I don't know what to say. It seems like a ridiculous policy. We're more flexible in how we use them. Sometimes there's an activity where you want 1:1 laptops. Sometimes there are activities where you want kids to use computers individually at a certain point in the process (e.g. writer's workshop where you might have a couple kids with IEP/504's who use a laptop all the way through, but otherwise it's the kids who are researching or publishing who use the computers. At any given point that might be less than 1/2 so you can easily share. At other times, you want the kids in small groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel so sorry for those 6th grade kids who are going to be so far behind their peers in computer skills when they matriculate to Westland. All the other feeder schools will have provided computer labs for their kids.

Wa wa wa. If your kids don't have every last advantage then they are somehow being screwed.

Maybe you can sell off some of the school's television station that is used to broadcast "news" about the school to pay for some computers OP. Teach your kids to be resourceful instead of entitled.

[Anonymous]

Our private has a computer lab, but most of the computer instruction actually happens in the classrooms with laptops as described above. I think the classroom work is more effective.

[Anonymous]

In this case, it really appears that the Town Mayor and staff took all this action without including the CCES Principal. Instead, the Town contacted the MCPS people in charge of building/construction, and negotiated with them. As a result, decisions were made without considering the instructional impact. I think this is why parents are upset. There are also some differences between Town residents -- some see the public school as an intrusion and not as a benefit to the neighborhood since they send their kids to private schools. Others Town residents are highly supportive of public education, whether or not they send their children there. So there is some suspicion that the Mayor's actions reveal that she favors those residents who do not support the public school. Overall, I would say that the vast majority of neighbors still send their kids to public school. I think it's lame that the Town mayor would hold these meetings without consulting with the Principal and the broader community before working out a jointly agreeable plan both for trailer placement AND for communication of these issues to both the Town residents and CCES parent/student community. That seems like Governance 101 -- be transparent, coordinate with all the stakeholders, and announce compromises jointly to the public.

Due to the failure of the Mayor to coordinate properly, everyone has wasted a lot of time gossiping about what is going on and speculating about motives, etc. ( I should say the same for the Principal, who appears not to be coordinating very well herself if the CC community didn't know that the trailers were only going to be a temporary solution.)

FWIW, the computer lab was part of a deal that was made long ago when the community agreed to paired school arrangements linking CCES, NCC, BE and RHPS and splitting schools K-2 and 3-6. As part of that deal, community members argued that MCPS should provide increased academic support and programs to make the pairing successful. CCES and RHPS had special math/science/technology status with some increased academic and physical supports in these areas as well as the ability to retain the 6th grade at the elementary level. Over the years, these programs and funding have been eliminated although the pairing arrangement remains. Really, the only remnant of those times is the computer lab.

The original plan was to put the 2 6th grade classes in the trailers until they move to the newly constructed school. This actually seemed to be a sort of nice plan since the 6th graders will be leaving anyway.

As a broader Chevy Chase resident, I actually find it rather odd that the Town Council believes that the community's desire to use the "field" at CCES should carry so much weight. I am unaware of other schools where the community's desire to use school fields can actually impact the way the school runs. The school fields were never converted park property as far as I know, as it was with the Rock Creek Hills site. Now, knowing that both the State and the Town contributed money to the renovation of the field and playground, it seems clear that the Town essentially feels that they "bought" a share in these facilities and should have the ability to say what can and cannot be done with them.

[Anonymous]

Most people who live outside of Chevy Chase probably do not know this, but this effects more than just the children of the Town of Chevy Chase.

Chevy Chase MD is comprised of many small municipalities, Village of Chevy Chase, Section 3, Section 5, Village of Martin's Addition, plus FARMS kids that are integrated... without giving proper notice to the parents of these children or the PTA, these decisions were made by the Town of Chevy Chase and MCPS.

There is a TECH meeting at the school tonight that is being done AFTER the fact, with no notification given to any of the parents.

If MCPS thought that it would have been in the best interest of the children of CCES to install one portable and convert the computer lab to a classroom that would have been their original plan.

It's pretty poor that the Town of Chevy Chase has so much power to sway the educational decisions that will effect 500+ children that attend the school in their neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

correction to the above posting... Parents have been notified about the meeting tonight, but they are has been no direct notification of the compromise reached between MCPS and the Town of Chevy Chase and the loss of the computer lab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: it seems clear that the Town essentially feels that they "bought" a share in these facilities and should have the ability to say what can and cannot be done with them.

This seems to be the Town government's feeling about almost everything.