8-periods (block schedule, three electives) in middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How big are MS core classes (math, science, English, social studies) in block schedule schools vs 45min class schools? Do teachers really get to know your kids? I felt like in ES my kid was basically a number and it’s just getting worse.

They are the same size. Most kids are just numbers except if they stand out in good or bad ways.

I’m a MCPS teacher at a block schedule school. I teach a core subject and my 5 classes had 25+ kids last year. Specials classes averaged 35 students per section. It’s not sustainable. The model needs to shift to 6 sections (which I believe TPMS used to have).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class sizes are smaller at Title 1 middle schools same as Title 1 ES. The DCC MS programs are meant to attract certain kids into the schools. That’s why they reserve something like 80 seats per grade for kids who live outside the consortium boundary

The reduced class size guidelines for Title I schools apply to elementary schools only, not middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Block scheduling is terrible. Kids these days don't have an attention span longer than 10 minutes let alone 80 minute periods. 45 minute shorter classes daily is much better.

Completely agree. Plus from the Loiderman poster, it sounds like block scheduling means they do all their work in class and have no homework. I’d rather have my kid get instruction each day and be expected to do homework on her own. That is how it is in my school and it works well.

Curriculum is the same. 7 period schools schedule work in class too, and homework is for kids who don't finish, and review for exams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:8-periods (block schedule, three electives) in middle school- that is an example of things that are available for some kids in this county but not all. Three electives is wonderful. Why isn’t this available everywhere not just in the DCC?

I don’t know where this is/is not available but I wish my kid could’ve had 3 electives so we could’ve gotten the tech credit out of the way while still taking foreign language and instrumental music in 8th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Block scheduling is terrible. Kids these days don't have an attention span longer than 10 minutes let alone 80 minute periods. 45 minute shorter classes daily is much better.

Completely agree. Plus from the Loiderman poster, it sounds like block scheduling means they do all their work in class and have no homework. I’d rather have my kid get instruction each day and be expected to do homework on her own. That is how it is in my school and it works well.

Loiederman PP here. I think some of DC's friends do bring work home or make progress on projects or reading outside of class. DC gets everything done at school, which is fine with us. It lets them lean into extracurriculars that they take very seriously and makes for a less frenetic family life at home. HS homework will hit soon enough, so I'm glad to have these MS years downgraded on the stress levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8-periods (block schedule, three electives) in middle school- that is an example of things that are available for some kids in this county but not all. Three electives is wonderful. Why isn’t this available everywhere not just in the DCC?

I don’t know where this is/is not available but I wish my kid could’ve had 3 electives so we could’ve gotten the tech credit out of the way while still taking foreign language and instrumental music in 8th.

They can do the tech credit and health ed in summer school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Block scheduling is terrible. Kids these days don't have an attention span longer than 10 minutes let alone 80 minute periods. 45 minute shorter classes daily is much better.

Completely agree. Plus from the Loiderman poster, it sounds like block scheduling means they do all their work in class and have no homework. I’d rather have my kid get instruction each day and be expected to do homework on her own. That is how it is in my school and it works well.

Loiederman PP here. I think some of DC's friends do bring work home or make progress on projects or reading outside of class. DC gets everything done at school, which is fine with us. It lets them lean into extracurriculars that they take very seriously and makes for a less frenetic family life at home. HS homework will hit soon enough, so I'm glad to have these MS years downgraded on the stress levels.

Its better to have it all along as its a huge shock to kids to go from no homework to a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8-periods (block schedule, three electives) in middle school- that is an example of things that are available for some kids in this county but not all. Three electives is wonderful. Why isn’t this available everywhere not just in the DCC?

I don’t know where this is/is not available but I wish my kid could’ve had 3 electives so we could’ve gotten the tech credit out of the way while still taking foreign language and instrumental music in 8th.

They can do the tech credit and health ed in summer school.

I know, but it would have been much better to have had it done and not have to earmark summer weeks for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Westland magnet and the upcounty criteria-based magnets have 7 periods, not 8.

There is a Westland magnet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Westland magnet and the upcounty criteria-based magnets have 7 periods, not 8.

There is a Westland magnet?

PP probably means Spanish immersion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Class sizes are smaller at Title 1 middle schools same as Title 1 ES. The DCC MS programs are meant to attract certain kids into the schools. That’s why they reserve something like 80 seats per grade for kids who live outside the consortium boundary

The reduced class size guidelines for Title I schools apply to elementary schools only, not middle schools.

Correct. However the staffing allocation for Title 1 Middle Schools are higher than non-Title 1 schools, which often result in smaller class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class sizes are smaller at Title 1 middle schools same as Title 1 ES. The DCC MS programs are meant to attract certain kids into the schools. That’s why they reserve something like 80 seats per grade for kids who live outside the consortium boundary

Only 1 DCC middle school is Title I (Odessa Shannon), and it doesn't have a block schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Westland magnet and the upcounty criteria-based magnets have 7 periods, not 8.

There is a Westland magnet?

PP probably means Spanish immersion

Yes, immersion is a kind of magnet.

[Anonymous]

I asked about this in the program survey MCPS just sent out: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fCkz2b1rVr60QIatOoSPXCLD7f1YlRRDCn3VbHrBx-o/viewform?edit_requested=true

Why is this survey so weak compared to the boundary survey? Why aren’t there office hours for the Program Analysis? Access or lack of access to programs within your neighborhood can make or break a child’s motivation and effort in school. It feels pointless to fill out, but I hope many people respond demanding more input

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked about this in the program survey MCPS just sent out: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fCkz2b1rVr60QIatOoSPXCLD7f1YlRRDCn3VbHrBx-o/viewform?edit_requested=true

Why is this survey so weak compared to the boundary survey? Why aren’t there office hours for the Program Analysis? Access or lack of access to programs within your neighborhood can make or break a child’s motivation and effort in school. It feels pointless to fill out, but I hope many people respond demanding more input

Because MCPS is trying to make major changes to the programs they offer without input from students, parents, teachers, and community members.