I’m an MCPS Teacher Who Has Taught at All Three Levels AMA!!

[Anonymous]

is grade inflation real over the years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the OP, but another elementary teacher. MCPS is moving away from balanced literacy and towards structured literacy for next year. What does that mean? That means more phonemic awareness, phonics and reading decodable books that include words the kids can sound out. Less reading predictable texts in early years, such as "I see the horse... I see the elephant..." which the kids need to use pictures to solve and guess the words on the page. I just finished 2 full-day trainings on structured literacy and the science of reading.

Can you say more about what the training is? I haven’t heard anything (also mcps elementary teacher).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't the kids read more actual books?

My kids are assigned lots of actual books by their teachers. Do you mean books you like personally or ones that you read as a child?

NP here. My senior only read like 3-4 books in AP Lit this year. It was shocking.

I should have done Dual Enrollment for him. I really regret not pursuing that.

Dual enrollment at MC where at least nearly half of enrollees need remediation? Yeah, you really missed out on the rigor!

Where did the MC students go to high school? Oh, yeah, MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn’t MCPS teach phonics in early elementary? Is benchmark as bad as it seems to parents?

Having a one size fits all curriculum doesn’t work when the country is as diverse as our county is.

How does this answer either question?

You know what’s also diverse, OP? The 20+ years or scientific research showing how kids actually learn to read. Phonemic awareness is a HUGE part of that. This is what’s wrong with MCPS! Well tenured teachers have no clue of the outside world and are brainwashed by MCPS dogma.

Not OP here, I’m beginning to wonder if OP is coming back.

I agree with you that phonics is vital and agree that in the past MCPS has been resistant to it. (I don’t know about the new curriculum that was selected after the audit, I was hoping that use a phonics approach). I think, however, the brainwashing goes back to teacher training and ed schools. It’s been called by different names, but balanced literacy, whole language, look-say, etc., has been promoted for years as the enlightened way to teach reading. Years ago, the state of Maryland mandated the state colleges of education teach phonics, and professors protested the requirement.

https://cnsmaryland.org/2003/12/05/phonics-mandate-angers-teachers-of-teachers/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading (History of Learning to Read)

Further, I think that MCPS has generally de-emphasized content, across all subjects, especially in early grades. Again, I hope that the new curriculum will address this shortcoming but have no data on the matter.

Benchmark is terrible and the current elementary ELA director for MCPS flat out told parents that MCPS has been teaching reading incorrectly for at least 10 years. They are looking to PG and Baltimore for advice on how to teach kids to read based on science! Unfortunately, there are still many years left in the contract with Benchmark. We need to advocate the state to adopt policies like Mississippi that limit school districts to spending public money only on curriculums that support the science of reading.

You can’t give any good argument about the brainwashing of MCPS. The largest reading tutor training center on the east coast is in Rockville, yet MCPS REFUSES to send teachers to train in methods based on the science of reading. Their answer is to send a handful of staff to get ISME training and have those people train MCPS teachers. We know this will be a shit show.

PP here

Oh, I agree that MCPS is brainwashed. I was on the reading curriculum committee years ago and the level of anti-phonics zealotry was unbelievable. What made it worse was when asked about phonics, they would insist they taught phonics. This, in spite of the fact that kids were given texts to read that they hadn’t been taught all the letter/sounds correspondences for yet, and when they were confronted with an unknown word, were taught a number of strategies to apply, with actually sounding it out being the strategy of last resort.

The tutor training doesn’t surprise me a bit. I’ve long contended that tge reputation of MCPS being “one of the best school systems in the nation” is based largely on the efforts of a well-educated population either supplementing at home or hiring professional tutors to compensate for educational deficiencies. I think many of the positive experiences parents report are the result if teachers teaching material they know kids need, in spite of (rather than because of) the curriculum, possibly at professional risk. Although phonics is a critical piece, I think MCPS is generally biased against content. I also feel there have been deficiencies in instruction in handwriting, grammar, spelling, science, history, and mathematics.

I simply think that while MCPS is thoroughly brainwashed, the source of the brainwashing goes back to the ed schools and the broader educational establishment.

That's strange both my kids who are still in ES were taught to read through phonics at MCPS.

My first grader did so much phonics with this year. She really blossomed as a reader

[Anonymous]

Can you say more about what the training is? I haven’t heard anything (also mcps elementary teacher).

One day was shifting to structured literacy- a good intro to the general science of reading by MPCS staff. The second training was Day 1 of LETRS- it will be a more intense class as it is 4 days spread over a semester with several extra hours of work between sessions. LETRS is optional, but everyone I know who has taken it says it is excellent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't the kids read more actual books?

My kids are assigned lots of actual books by their teachers. Do you mean books you like personally or ones that you read as a child?

NP here. My senior only read like 3-4 books in AP Lit this year. It was shocking.

I should have done Dual Enrollment for him. I really regret not pursuing that.

Dual enrollment at MC where at least nearly half of enrollees need remediation? Yeah, you really missed out on the rigor!

The great thing about higher-ed is you can sign up for classes that are appropriate for your level.

Not in high school. There are pre-reqs.[/quote

Yes exactly people sign up for appropriate classes. Sometimes there are prereqs. More often it's deciding between honors or AP rigor.]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't the kids read more actual books?

My kids are assigned lots of actual books by their teachers. Do you mean books you like personally or ones that you read as a child?

NP here. My senior only read like 3-4 books in AP Lit this year. It was shocking.

I should have done Dual Enrollment for him. I really regret not pursuing that.

Dual enrollment at MC where at least nearly half of enrollees need remediation? Yeah, you really missed out on the rigor!

The great thing about higher-ed is you can sign up for classes that are appropriate for your level.

Not in high school. There are pre-reqs.[/quote

Yes exactly people sign up for appropriate classes. Sometimes there are prereqs. More often it's deciding between honors or AP rigor.]

I don't think you read the above before posting. We are talking about MC, and high school students don't have free rein to sign up for just any class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn’t MCPS teach phonics in early elementary? Is benchmark as bad as it seems to parents?

Having a one size fits all curriculum doesn’t work when the country is as diverse as our county is.

What does this mean OP?

OP you never answered this question. I'd like to know what diversity and "a one size fits all curriculum" mean to you in light of the question about early elementary phonics and your MCPS experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you say more about what the training is? I haven’t heard anything (also mcps elementary teacher).

One day was shifting to structured literacy- a good intro to the general science of reading by MPCS staff. The second training was Day 1 of LETRS- it will be a more intense class as it is 4 days spread over a semester with several extra hours of work between sessions. LETRS is optional, but everyone I know who has taken it says it is excellent.


LETRS is the best PD I've ever attended. Every teacher should have to take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LETRS is the best PD I've ever attended. Every teacher should have to take it.

NP here. I have heard exactly this from many teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LETRS is the best PD I've ever attended. Every teacher should have to take it.

NP here. I have heard exactly this from many teachers.

Sounds like McKnight's people selected a great program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LETRS is the best PD I've ever attended. Every teacher should have to take it.

NP here. I have heard exactly this from many teachers.

Sounds like McKnight's people selected a great program.

Except for schools that are piloting the new Benchmark don't get the new program - and I have no faith that the new Benchmark will follow science of reading. Of course, my kid is at one of the new Benchmark schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn’t MCPS teach phonics in early elementary? Is benchmark as bad as it seems to parents?

Having a one size fits all curriculum doesn’t work when the country is as diverse as our county is.

How does this answer either question?

You know what’s also diverse, OP? The 20+ years or scientific research showing how kids actually learn to read. Phonemic awareness is a HUGE part of that. This is what’s wrong with MCPS! Well tenured teachers have no clue of the outside world and are brainwashed by MCPS dogma.

Not OP here, I’m beginning to wonder if OP is coming back.

I agree with you that phonics is vital and agree that in the past MCPS has been resistant to it. (I don’t know about the new curriculum that was selected after the audit, I was hoping that use a phonics approach). I think, however, the brainwashing goes back to teacher training and ed schools. It’s been called by different names, but balanced literacy, whole language, look-say, etc., has been promoted for years as the enlightened way to teach reading. Years ago, the state of Maryland mandated the state colleges of education teach phonics, and professors protested the requirement.

https://cnsmaryland.org/2003/12/05/phonics-mandate-angers-teachers-of-teachers/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading (History of Learning to Read)

Further, I think that MCPS has generally de-emphasized content, across all subjects, especially in early grades. Again, I hope that the new curriculum will address this shortcoming but have no data on the matter.

Benchmark is terrible and the current elementary ELA director for MCPS flat out told parents that MCPS has been teaching reading incorrectly for at least 10 years. They are looking to PG and Baltimore for advice on how to teach kids to read based on science! Unfortunately, there are still many years left in the contract with Benchmark. We need to advocate the state to adopt policies like Mississippi that limit school districts to spending public money only on curriculums that support the science of reading.

You can’t give any good argument about the brainwashing of MCPS. The largest reading tutor training center on the east coast is in Rockville, yet MCPS REFUSES to send teachers to train in methods based on the science of reading. Their answer is to send a handful of staff to get ISME training and have those people train MCPS teachers. We know this will be a shit show.

You lost me at Mississippi. Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn’t MCPS teach phonics in early elementary? Is benchmark as bad as it seems to parents?

Having a one size fits all curriculum doesn’t work when the country is as diverse as our county is.

How does this answer either question?

You know what’s also diverse, OP? The 20+ years or scientific research showing how kids actually learn to read. Phonemic awareness is a HUGE part of that. This is what’s wrong with MCPS! Well tenured teachers have no clue of the outside world and are brainwashed by MCPS dogma.

Not OP here, I’m beginning to wonder if OP is coming back.

I agree with you that phonics is vital and agree that in the past MCPS has been resistant to it. (I don’t know about the new curriculum that was selected after the audit, I was hoping that use a phonics approach). I think, however, the brainwashing goes back to teacher training and ed schools. It’s been called by different names, but balanced literacy, whole language, look-say, etc., has been promoted for years as the enlightened way to teach reading. Years ago, the state of Maryland mandated the state colleges of education teach phonics, and professors protested the requirement.

https://cnsmaryland.org/2003/12/05/phonics-mandate-angers-teachers-of-teachers/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading (History of Learning to Read)

Further, I think that MCPS has generally de-emphasized content, across all subjects, especially in early grades. Again, I hope that the new curriculum will address this shortcoming but have no data on the matter.

Benchmark is terrible and the current elementary ELA director for MCPS flat out told parents that MCPS has been teaching reading incorrectly for at least 10 years. They are looking to PG and Baltimore for advice on how to teach kids to read based on science! Unfortunately, there are still many years left in the contract with Benchmark. We need to advocate the state to adopt policies like Mississippi that limit school districts to spending public money only on curriculums that support the science of reading.

You can’t give any good argument about the brainwashing of MCPS. The largest reading tutor training center on the east coast is in Rockville, yet MCPS REFUSES to send teachers to train in methods based on the science of reading. Their answer is to send a handful of staff to get ISME training and have those people train MCPS teachers. We know this will be a shit show.

You lost me at Mississippi. Nope.

My kids never used Benchmark. I think they mainly use Rigby Readers by HMH.