Three half-days in a row: Why?

[Anonymous]

MCPS has had two half-day conference days in November for at least 20 years; do you really think they are going to change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, MCPS does not have conferences in high school? Why

Probably because class sizes are too large and MCPS is afraid teachers won't be able to meet with everyone who wants a conference. When my high schooler was in middle school, the conference day was absolutely jam-packed, and it must have been very tiring for teachers. I still think it's important to encourage parents to meet with teachers. Without a dedicated meeting date, a lot of parents don't dare to schedule a private conference.
And high school is when students need the most guidance, and when their brains are sometimes not mature enough to take responsibility for themselves entirely.

I know people with kids in several local counties and have never heard of hs conferences..nor did I have them growing up. If you need to talk to a teacher schedule a conference at a mutually convenient time.

My oldest is the only one in private and they have conferences. You schedule yourself in a 2hr time slot and you go to whatever teachers you want. Conferences per teacher is 12min max. We have only waited a few minutes for each teacher and get out of there in 90min. I think they are absolutely necessary. We learned a lot and it was nice to get to know the teachers more than the back to school night.

[Anonymous]

So if they are not doing conferences in HS, why don’t HS kids have two full days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, MCPS does not have conferences in high school? Why

Probably because class sizes are too large and MCPS is afraid teachers won't be able to meet with everyone who wants a conference. When my high schooler was in middle school, the conference day was absolutely jam-packed, and it must have been very tiring for teachers. I still think it's important to encourage parents to meet with teachers. Without a dedicated meeting date, a lot of parents don't dare to schedule a private conference.
And high school is when students need the most guidance, and when their brains are sometimes not mature enough to take responsibility for themselves entirely.

I know people with kids in several local counties and have never heard of hs conferences..nor did I have them growing up. If you need to talk to a teacher schedule a conference at a mutually convenient time.

My oldest is the only one in private and they have conferences. You schedule yourself in a 2hr time slot and you go to whatever teachers you want. Conferences per teacher is 12min max. We have only waited a few minutes for each teacher and get out of there in 90min. I think they are absolutely necessary. We learned a lot and it was nice to get to know the teachers more than the back to school night.

Not disagreeing, but does your private have 35 kids per class? The logistics might not be feasible for public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can then count them as school days to get in the required amount of days. It does not make sense and a hassle.

+1 They are for school conferences.

High school doesn't have conferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, MCPS does not have conferences in high school? Why

With 130 to 150 students per teacher? lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High schools in MCPS do not have conferences which is why they didn't used to have these half days in November. Middle schools usually offer these ridiculous stand in line events that are a complete waste of time. There is nothing private about them and you certainly can't learn anything substantive about your child in that environment. FYI parents, you can schedule a "conference" with your child's teacher any time you want during the school year. If they can't meet in person, they can arrange a phone call which I've done and works just fine. Some high school and middle school teachers may schedule private conferences on these half days for students who are having difficulty in their class.

It's so crowded, nobody goes there anymore.

(I, personally, have learned substantive things at those events.)

+1
Just got back from middle school conferences and it was useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing you to be a county teacher. Stop with the martyr syndrome. You don’t even actually do direct instruction anymore. You have incredible benefits. We actually don’t even have kids in the schools anymore (they weren’t being educated - just introduced to topics). Just surrounded by MCPS employee-neighbors who just won’t stop complaining about how trapped they are due to having to have to work for their too generous pension.

Why don't parents understand that teachers do not make the decisions. If there is no direct instruction happening, it is because this is a mandate from above. Place blame where blame is due.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because the teachers need their "me" time, it's in their contracts.

You're right, that's totally it. I enjoy all the "me" time I get teaching until 1:00 pm and then holding conferences until 8:00 pm on Monday, and then doing it again on Tuesday until 6:00 pm. I have lunch from 10:45-11:15 on both days and then don't have a break long enough to eat again until I leave in the evening. Who knows, maybe I'll even get a chance to pee a few times on those days! Whoo hoooo!!! Loving the "me" time!!

Same here.

I did not get a pee break and ate a not-intentionally cold dinner off a paper plate in my lap during conferences tonight. So luxurious. #selfcare4teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I searched and didn't see anything on this. Can someone explain the logic of having three half days in a row: last friday, then tomorrow and Tuesday. Why wouldn't they just give kids a full day off for veteran's day, and a half day friday? I don't want to open a huge can of worms, I'm just genuinely perplexed.

Why have one day off when two half-days would suffice? It's one way to blow tax dollars since half-days require just as much bussing as whole days. This is why I'm against tax hikes for education since they don't use what they have with any restraint.

Half days count as full days legally. If we had one full day, we’d be at 179 and still need another full day.

[Anonymous]

The HS kids used to go to school full day on the conference days and it was just a half day for K-5 or K-8 (I forget which). I think parents complained about kids having different schedules and they switched to everyone having the half days.

[Anonymous]

The majority of these comments were made by “W” types who treat teachers, police officers, and firefighters as necessary evils that have to get paid out of the property taxes that they so vehemently hate.

But God forbid that if they give your precious brat a grade beneath your family’s standing or take more than a minute to respond if you are a public safety employee.

Don’t worry. We hate you too.

[Anonymous]

Reading a lot of these comments, I wish I could bring them to my school’s ILT to reopen our process for conferences. We used to do invite only. That mean 30-60 min conferences with the whole team and parents discussing a struggling student. I hear you, DCUM parents, when you say we have nothing you consider worth waiting to hear. Better to structure meaningful blocks of time with fewer people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The HS kids used to go to school full day on the conference days and it was just a half day for K-5 or K-8 (I forget which). I think parents complained about kids having different schedules and they switched to everyone having the half days.

With the former August start, 1st quarter use to end near the start of the first week of November with a full day off for grading and planning 2nd quarter. The conferences were K-8 half days on Veterans day, because with the government closed, more parents are available for conferences. High school was a full day. There were complaints by parents over confusion of different schedules and more importantly to many, the need to have the high school students home to watch the younger students in the afternoon.

With the Hogan executive order forcing a start after labor day, the end of first quarter is pushed later into November. The full planning and grading day was converted to a half day, and the actual day grades were due was pushed out a couple days so that teachers can finish grading on their own time at home. The teacher conference days were changed to 1/2 days for high school also to create some time for 2nd quarter planning and to help families. This year it just happens that the end of quarter is right before Veterans day, which is why the three half days are in a row.

Elementary conferences are scheduled, usually 15 minute time slots, - on the half days, before school, and after school. A teacher with 18 students will spend 4.5 hours in conferences. A teacher with 30 students will spend 7.5 hours in conferences.

Middle schools do a variety of things depending on the needs of the community. They may have all the teachers in the gym at tables and parents float as desired. They may have sign-ups. They may have a block of time for "team" conferences set up by admin/counseling for students with significant challenges. They may do a mix of those things. At the school I teach at, we are in the gym from ~2:30p-8:00p. If I speak to parents for 5 minutes each, I can talk to 12 parents an hour, or 60 parents in 5 hours. My max one year was 72 parents, with only a 15 minute break. I teach 150 kids. There is no way to talk to everyone. Also there is no need. While I enjoy talking to all the parents, I really wish the ones whose children have straight As and just want to discuss their child's chance of getting into a magnet program or what careers they should think about would ask for a separate meeting. I really need to spend time with parents whose children are struggling in my class. My own kids were in a magnet middle school, and the principal would directly tell the magnet parents to not come to conferences. If they wanted to talk to the teachers to please, please just make a separate meeting time, so that teachers could focus on struggling students on that day. I really appreciated that as a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is forcing you to be a county teacher. Stop with the martyr syndrome. You don’t even actually do direct instruction anymore. You have incredible benefits. We actually don’t even have kids in the schools anymore (they weren’t being educated - just introduced to topics). Just surrounded by MCPS employee-neighbors who just won’t stop complaining about how trapped they are due to having to have to work for their too generous pension.

Love this!

+1 9th grader has 3 teachers who don't teach in W school She teachers herself English, Math and Biology. We are horrified. English teacher gives busy work and doesn't lecture. They do the work in class while he gmails his wife on the computer (DD saw it when she went up to ask him a question) Bio teachers is nasty and yells at the kids if they dare ask a questions - she should be the last resort for questions and they should ask their friends first. handouts worksheets also to work on during class. DH and I are horrified and want to find a school where the teachers do direct instruction and where she can learn...
Pitiful. Just pitiful.

What in the world are you talking about?

I have no doubt that this is a ridiculous exaggeration -- your 9th grader is teaching herself English, Math & Biology? Riiiiiight.

If it is the truth, what have YOU done to address it (besides complaining on an anonymous message board, of course)?

You should probably think about getting yourself back into school, because your proficiency of the English language and your grammar is pitiful.

Just pitiful.