Lack of content in schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, if you're in the DC area, the only way to have your kids learn grammar, spelling, geography, history, and science is to leave the public school system. We did, and it's so much better. My kids learned more in the first month of school this year than they did for the entire year last year.

Not even remotely the case for my kids. One of whom is a millennial. Two in MCPS HS now.

Then you are not in a position to speak.
Go to an elementary school. See what they’re doing (remotely). You will not recognize any of it. You will be shocked at how different it is than what your own kids experienced. In a short amount of time, educators have dramatically changed how they teach. They focus on strategies, and don’t try to pass on knowledge or information. So, no social studies, science, geography, no grammar or spelling or vocabulary work. It’s completely bizarre.

This is bizarre to me, because I'm a teacher and you just list it off all the things that we do on a regular basis. So is this your teacher, the school, or the district?

May I ask where you teach? If you do teach those subjects, that’s quite rare and kudos to your district. But please know it’s no longer the norm

I'm in FCPS. We are beginning our 5th unit in Social Studies with Geography being the 3rd, but it is also covered in units 4, 5, 6 and 7. We just finished a big unit on grammar, but it is always embedded in writing. We do less spelling in 6th grade than when I taught 4th (so I will give you that one.). Vocab is only done about once a month, but we do a lot with those words: variations, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, oral presentations, finding it in reading and using it in writing. It takes a while. Lastly, in science, we are starting our 13th or so lesson, but the lessons always take a couple days. Long story short, in DL, we alternate between science and social studies daily.

I should mention, that I have worked in a few districts in my 20 years of teaching. I will admit FCPS has more complacent teachers than I've ever worked with before...I'm not sure why. But, as with everything, there are some amazing teachers in FCPS. (As a side note, I'm a product of the FCPS system, but I have taught in MA, NH and VA including LCPS.

[Anonymous]

I know for a fact that DCPS develops and prepares curriculum/content for things like science and social studies. But, by the time it is filtered through the individual schools and teachers, it is nothing like what was originally created. For instance, a school might be told they have to spend a certain number of hours per week on Science, and maybe they schedule it... but things like testing, birthday celebrations, extra recess, assemblies, etc..... happen more frequently than you realize. And where does the time come from... typically, science and social studies. Then, lets look at the classroom. A teacher sees the Social Studies work for the day. Likes the story being read and the topic, but decides to write their own questions. The questions end up being comprehension questions, which basically makes the Social Studies lesson a reading comprehension activity. Some people still think reading a history story or a story about plants is sufficient to be called science/social studies. They don't understand the nuance of teaching scientific thinking, or social studies skills.

This is happening throughout DCPS. It is happening all over the country. As parents. you need to advocate the city, the school, the classrooms, the teachers. All levels. Dedicated time for these subjects, actual content, robust teaching, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know for a fact that DCPS develops and prepares curriculum/content for things like science and social studies. But, by the time it is filtered through the individual schools and teachers, it is nothing like what was originally created. For instance, a school might be told they have to spend a certain number of hours per week on Science, and maybe they schedule it... but things like testing, birthday celebrations, extra recess, assemblies, etc..... happen more frequently than you realize. And where does the time come from... typically, science and social studies. Then, lets look at the classroom. A teacher sees the Social Studies work for the day. Likes the story being read and the topic, but decides to write their own questions. The questions end up being comprehension questions, which basically makes the Social Studies lesson a reading comprehension activity. Some people still think reading a history story or a story about plants is sufficient to be called science/social studies. They don't understand the nuance of teaching scientific thinking, or social studies skills.

This is happening throughout DCPS. It is happening all over the country. As parents. you need to advocate the city, the school, the classrooms, the teachers. All levels. Dedicated time for these subjects, actual content, robust teaching, etc.

Very true. Science and Social studies are most likely to be an afterthought. I've worked in three different districts in the DMV and that was always the truth, with the exception of when it was being covered by the SOLs in Virginia.