Would free Pre-K in East and North Moco improve the school system?

[Anonymous]

No, I do not think "free" Pre-k in "East and North MoCo" would improve the school system. amounts to free childcare anyways. Besides, never-schooled students keep showing up annually at every age and grade in the east and north in large numbers so wouldn't do anything there.

I like what a PP said: free birth control, no more citizenship by birth, and higher expectations from the students would improve the school system. Make the students rise up to the expectations, instead of constantly lower our expectations to the lowest students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am 22:12 and while I agree with what you said, I just want to make it clear that this was not my response.

Another PP thinks there is just one person who thinks that Universal free Pre-K will not solve all the county’s problems.

It seems there are actually 3 different posters who are saying basically the same thing.

Nobody has said that universal free pre-K will solve all of the county's problems. I doubt anyone thinks it, either. It might, nonetheless, be a good thing.

It *might* be a good thing. Maybe. Possibly. So do we spend millions of dollars on a program that has not been shown to make a huge difference?

When there is barely enough money for MCPS to educate the students it already has?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I do not think "free" Pre-k in "East and North MoCo" would improve the school system. amounts to free childcare anyways. Besides, never-schooled students keep showing up annually at every age and grade in the east and north in large numbers so wouldn't do anything there.

I like what a PP said: free birth control, no more citizenship by birth, and higher expectations from the students would improve the school system. Make the students rise up to the expectations, instead of constantly lower our expectations to the lowest students.

This is exactly what MCPS has been doing over the past decade and it has absolutely led to a decline in the school system as a whole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I do not think "free" Pre-k in "East and North MoCo" would improve the school system. amounts to free childcare anyways. Besides, never-schooled students keep showing up annually at every age and grade in the east and north in large numbers so wouldn't do anything there.

I like what a PP said: free birth control, no more citizenship by birth, and higher expectations from the students would improve the school system. Make the students rise up to the expectations, instead of constantly lower our expectations to the lowest students.

Good point. Our school has Spanish-speaking counselors, testers and aides at the ready the whole entire first month of school due to the number of unregistered kids that walk in with their friends. They literally walk in and don't even speak English, they just keep following their friend around until an ESOL aide nabs them for counseling and testing. In Spanish of course. Then some in English and that's where the huge mishmash of ages versus grades start happening. 8 yo testing three grades below their supposed English-speaking peer set.

It's a real mess.

This county has a lot of other terrible issues to fix before it starts funding an entire new P-K level in its over-crowded schools and trailor classrooms. Are 4 yos even potty-trained nowadays? What's the MD-mandated teacher/student ratio at age 4?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I do not think "free" Pre-k in "East and North MoCo" would improve the school system. amounts to free childcare anyways. Besides, never-schooled students keep showing up annually at every age and grade in the east and north in large numbers so wouldn't do anything there.

I like what a PP said: free birth control, no more citizenship by birth, and higher expectations from the students would improve the school system. Make the students rise up to the expectations, instead of constantly lower our expectations to the lowest students.

Good point. Our school has Spanish-speaking counselors, testers and aides at the ready the whole entire first month of school due to the number of unregistered kids that walk in with their friends. They literally walk in and don't even speak English, they just keep following their friend around until an ESOL aide nabs them for counseling and testing. In Spanish of course. Then some in English and that's where the huge mishmash of ages versus grades start happening. 8 yo testing three grades below their supposed English-speaking peer set.

It's a real mess.

This county has a lot of other terrible issues to fix before it starts funding an entire new P-K level in its over-crowded schools and trailor classrooms. Are 4 yos even potty-trained nowadays? What's the MD-mandated teacher/student ratio at age 4?

People come on here and flip out if a parent wants a COSA or wants to attend a school out of boundary.

[Anonymous]

PP - didn’t finish

Was saying that people complain about parents who want to send their students to a school out of boundary. And say that MCPS will come after them for not meeting residency requirements. Ha!

MCPS has no idea where many of it’s studetns live! When the Rockville HS incdent occurred, MCPS has residency info for one student but none on the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP - didn’t finish

Was saying that people complain about parents who want to send their students to a school out of boundary. And say that MCPS will come after them for not meeting residency requirements. Ha!

MCPS has no idea where many of it’s studetns live! When the Rockville HS incdent occurred, MCPS has residency info for one student but none on the other.

MoCo is too scared to question the illegals on anything. But they are the ones most abusing the residency requirements. They are constantly moving from one group house to another and don't even understand school pyramids or catchement areas.

[Anonymous]

But yes, students out of boundaries is something MoCo needs to fix before it starts up or considers a Pre=K program. it is very disruptive, tough on kids and not fair to those following the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
As a French woman, I don't understand why there isn't one unified federal program for subsidized daycare all over the country. This is the case for many European nations. That way parents can go to work, be productive, and rest easy that daycares have government oversight for safety and education, daycare workers are adequately paid, and they only need to pay a reasonable portion of the costs, depending on their income.

Because Republicans. Because unadulterated, greedy 'free-market' ideology. Because some 75-year-old fart, sitting on his inherited millions somewhere in Florida, will inevitably scream 'Government handouts! Budget deficit!'.

I'm willing to bet you haven't lived here long enough, PP, otherwise you wouldn't be asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
As a French woman, I don't understand why there isn't one unified federal program for subsidized daycare all over the country. This is the case for many European nations. That way parents can go to work, be productive, and rest easy that daycares have government oversight for safety and education, daycare workers are adequately paid, and they only need to pay a reasonable portion of the costs, depending on their income.

Because Republicans. Because unadulterated, greedy 'free-market' ideology. Because some 75-year-old fart, sitting on his inherited millions somewhere in Florida, will inevitably scream 'Government handouts! Budget deficit!'.

I'm willing to bet you haven't lived here long enough, PP, otherwise you wouldn't be asking.

We almost had that, one time, top PP. https://www.npr.org/2016/10/13/497850292/how-politics-killed-universal-childcare-in-the-1970s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am 22:12 and while I agree with what you said, I just want to make it clear that this was not my response.

Another PP thinks there is just one person who thinks that Universal free Pre-K will not solve all the county’s problems.

It seems there are actually 3 different posters who are saying basically the same thing.

Nobody has said that universal free pre-K will solve all of the county's problems. I doubt anyone thinks it, either. It might, nonetheless, be a good thing.

It *might* be a good thing. Maybe. Possibly. So do we spend millions of dollars on a program that has not been shown to make a huge difference?

When there is barely enough money for MCPS to educate the students it already has?

What do you suggest instead, PP? What programs do make a big difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am 22:12 and while I agree with what you said, I just want to make it clear that this was not my response.

Another PP thinks there is just one person who thinks that Universal free Pre-K will not solve all the county’s problems.

It seems there are actually 3 different posters who are saying basically the same thing.

Nobody has said that universal free pre-K will solve all of the county's problems. I doubt anyone thinks it, either. It might, nonetheless, be a good thing.

It *might* be a good thing. Maybe. Possibly. So do we spend millions of dollars on a program that has not been shown to make a huge difference?

When there is barely enough money for MCPS to educate the students it already has?

What do you suggest instead, PP? What programs do make a big difference?

None of them! Ask teachers who work in these schools what they think will make a difference if you really want to know.

I can't speak for everyone, but I'd guess that most of them do NOT want any more money spent on useless initiatives. We do NOT need more Chromebooks in the classroom. We don't need more Promethean boards. We don't need ridiculous programs like the BS Kindergarten Readiness program they rolled out last summer for incoming Kindergartners. Huge waste of time and money and resources for very little benefit.

Take the money the county spends on that BS and put it towards more teachers and more aides for the students who are already in school. That benefits students directly and in a big way.

Bring back some sort of enforceable disciplinary measures. Quit the ridiculous PBIS system which leads to horrible behavior and disruptive students, making the entire school environment shitty for students and a crappy work environment for staff/teachers/admin.

It's not PC, but stem the tide of illegal immigration in this county. Like it or not, illegal immigration has led to some major issues in this county. Change immigration policy to make it easier for people to immigrate here legally, but expanding illegal immigration is just leading to more problems - increased gang activity in schools, tlack of planning ability for the school system, etc. Every year, our school gets budgeted for 4 K classrooms. Every year, a boat load of kids register that last week of summer, and the school has to scramble to hire a new K teacher, who has little time to plan her classroom and get settled. There is no way around this, because we're not allowed to have an 'extra' classroom until the kids actually show up.

I could go on, and I'm sure other teachers/staff can chime in.

[Anonymous]

I think its interesting how many people here bash immigrants and spanish speaking families. Most of our relatives were immigrants at one point. Many forget that.

I also find it interesting on here how many people push play based preschools with no academics and they are the same ones complaining about the other kids being behind when their kids are equally behind if they don't know the basics and are pre-reading or reading before going to K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am 22:12 and while I agree with what you said, I just want to make it clear that this was not my response.

Another PP thinks there is just one person who thinks that Universal free Pre-K will not solve all the county’s problems.

It seems there are actually 3 different posters who are saying basically the same thing.

Nobody has said that universal free pre-K will solve all of the county's problems. I doubt anyone thinks it, either. It might, nonetheless, be a good thing.

It *might* be a good thing. Maybe. Possibly. So do we spend millions of dollars on a program that has not been shown to make a huge difference?

When there is barely enough money for MCPS to educate the students it already has?

What do you suggest instead, PP? What programs do make a big difference?

Parents actually being parents to their kids. Unfortunately, there’s really not much the schools can do in that department.

It sounds cynical but it’s true. Until the home situations change, we’re not going to see significant improvement.

-teacher of 28 years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[/b]I think its interesting how many people here bash immigrants and spanish speaking families. Most of our relatives were immigrants at one point. Many forget that. [b]

I also find it interesting on here how many people push play based preschools with no academics and they are the same ones complaining about the other kids being behind when their kids are equally behind if they don't know the basics and are pre-reading or reading before going to K.

Yes, you’re right. And I’m going to guess that when most of our relatives immigrated here there was no free breakfast and lunch, no universal PreK, no “kindergarten readiness programs” or free school supplies or anything like that. Parents were just expected to you know, do their job.