Increased class sizes--what can I do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go private - they do not care what you think.

DH and I both graduated MCPS. The school district has changed so much. Our kids are now in private due to class sizes. I just don't understand how one adult can be expected to teach at differentiated levels, monitor behavior, document for IEPs, tie shoes and help with bathroom accidents, plan, grade, and meet with parents for 26-38 kids.

26-38 kids per class?!!!! That's crazy. Wow. I can understand why you're upset. Those poor teachers and those poor kids.

As far as I know, nobody in MCPS is teaching a class of 38 students of the age that needs help with tying shoes.

My K student had 28 by the end of the year. My 3rd grader had 34 in their math class. So yeah, it is indeed THAT crazy.

[Anonymous]

In what school in MCPS are there separate classes for math in third grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Development is fine, but it should be managed to mesh with traffic, schools, etc. That isn't happening.

In other words, mobility and school capacity should improve as population increases.

Nobody disagrees with this idea.

Except MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In what school in MCPS are there separate classes for math in third grade?

Every school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In what school in MCPS are there separate classes for math in third grade?

Every school

No, not every school. My third-grader had math in her third-grade class with her third-grade classroom teacher. That's what she did in second grade and first grade, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Development is fine, but it should be managed to mesh with traffic, schools, etc. That isn't happening.

In other words, mobility and school capacity should improve as population increases.

Nobody disagrees with this idea.

Except MCPS

Does MCPS make decisions about development? No, the Planning Board does that. Does MCPS make decisions about mobility? No, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, the State Highway Admiinistration, and the Maryland Transit Administration do that. Does MCPS make decisions about school construction? Yes. Would MCPS like to have more capital funding for school construction? Yes. Is there anything that MCPS can do about this? No.

[Anonymous]

I love the topic of this thread---what can we do? We can stop complaining and start being activists. I am very upset by the actions of our governor and county council. I have written to the governor almost weekly since the cuts were announced in March and he never sent a response. I emailed our state legislator and got letters as well as our county council, they all responded.

Tomorrow the school board votes. Write to them. Tell them what you think. All emails are available on the web. Do more than just complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the topic of this thread---what can we do? We can stop complaining and start being activists. I am very upset by the actions of our governor and county council. I have written to the governor almost weekly since the cuts were announced in March and he never sent a response. I emailed our state legislator and got letters as well as our county council, they all responded.

Tomorrow the school board votes. Write to them. Tell them what you think. All emails are available on the web. Do more than just complain.

The School Board sets the class size limits. That is the proper place to complain to.

[Anonymous]

I got an email yesterday asking me to fight against stopping the roll out of more chromebooks. I would rather have more teachers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got an email yesterday asking me to fight against stopping the roll out of more chromebooks. I would rather have more teachers...

Teachers come out of the operating budget. Chromebooks come out of the capital budget. (Or at least the previous Chromebooks did.) You usually can't use capital money for operating costs, and it's almost never a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the topic of this thread---what can we do? We can stop complaining and start being activists. I am very upset by the actions of our governor and county council. I have written to the governor almost weekly since the cuts were announced in March and he never sent a response. I emailed our state legislator and got letters as well as our county council, they all responded.

Tomorrow the school board votes. Write to them. Tell them what you think. All emails are available on the web. Do more than just complain.

You can't keep spending the money you don't have. At some point you have to pay the consequences as we are doing it now.

[Anonymous]

MCPS often pays for capital costs out of the operating budget, and yes it is always a bad idea. (They just transfer the $$)
Would you rather have smaller class sizes? Go back in time and complain to the board that committed millions of future dollars to Promethean Boards. We are still paying the long term lease payments on those. Courtesy of Pat ONeill!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go private - they do not care what you think.

DH and I both graduated MCPS. The school district has changed so much. Our kids are now in private due to class sizes. I just don't understand how one adult can be expected to teach at differentiated levels, monitor behavior, document for IEPs, tie shoes and help with bathroom accidents, plan, grade, and meet with parents for 26-38 kids.

26-38 kids per class?!!!! That's crazy. Wow. I can understand why you're upset. Those poor teachers and those poor kids.

As far as I know, nobody in MCPS is teaching a class of 38 students of the age that needs help with tying shoes.

Maybe not, but there were 26 kids in my kid's kindergarten class this year. No aid. It was horrible. Turned a kid who loved preschool into a kid who every day said "I hate school." MCPS blows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got an email yesterday asking me to fight against stopping the roll out of more chromebooks. I would rather have more teachers...

Teachers come out of the operating budget. Chromebooks come out of the capital budget. (Or at least the previous Chromebooks did.) You usually can't use capital money for operating costs, and it's almost never a good idea.

Why? You absolutely can use capital money for operating costs. And in some circumstances, you should.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I got an email yesterday asking me to fight against stopping the roll out of more chromebooks. I would rather have more teachers...

Teachers come out of the operating budget. Chromebooks come out of the capital budget. (Or at least the previous Chromebooks did.) You usually can't use capital money for operating costs, and it's almost never a good idea.

Why? You absolutely can use capital money for operating costs. And in some circumstances, you should.

How?

In any case, MCPS is already recommending a delay in the Chromebook roll-out.

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/Montgomery-County-Public-Schools-Prepares-to-Cut-380-Staff-Positions-Delay-Chromebook-Rollout/