Seniors and families: your MCPS experience

[Anonymous]

Try to get on a schedule to empty your bowels when you aren’t in school because nobody feels safe in the restrooms.

Accept the fact that your kid will leave school to use the restroom if they drive.

Pro tip: go to the nurse if you need a safe place to use the restroom.

Sigh.

Mcps has fallen so hard.

I have a senior and a recent grad, but I’m sending my youngest to private. Mcps super sucks…even the “good” schools.

And it’s not just the bathroom situation.

The curriculum is subpar, the teachers are lackluster, and there are literally no expectations or consequences. Your kid must be driven to succeed and even then they won’t be provided a rigorous education.

I cannot understand why education isn’t a priority for society.

[Anonymous]

Get out of public education. It’s a sinking ship and all the school board cares about is rearranging the deck chairs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try to get on a schedule to empty your bowels when you aren’t in school because nobody feels safe in the restrooms.

Accept the fact that your kid will leave school to use the restroom if they drive.

Pro tip: go to the nurse if you need a safe place to use the restroom.

Sigh.

Mcps has fallen so hard.

I have a senior and a recent grad, but I’m sending my youngest to private. Mcps super sucks…even the “good” schools.

And it’s not just the bathroom situation.

The curriculum is subpar, the teachers are lackluster, and there are literally no expectations or consequences. Your kid must be driven to succeed and even then they won’t be provided a rigorous education.

I cannot understand why education isn’t a priority for society.

And don't need to be a senior or senior family to know that bolded part. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also do not believe everything you read here. Many/Most kids leave MCPS with a solid education, do well in college, and have successful careers.

?Because they come from families who ensure those things for them or encourage them towards that path? Privileged families?

yes! My kid even came from a semi-privileged family and I thought my kid could bypass the rough edges of Gaithersburg high school as they were getting As and Bs in honors/advanced classes. Come to find out, they failed the SATS, and ended up at MC taking "0" level classes to catch up. $$$ that should have never been spent if there wasn't grade inflation going on. If I'd known they were doing this bad I would have paid for tutoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also do not believe everything you read here. Many/Most kids leave MCPS with a solid education, do well in college, and have successful careers.

?Because they come from families who ensure those things for them or encourage them towards that path? Privileged families?

yes! My kid even came from a semi-privileged family and I thought my kid could bypass the rough edges of Gaithersburg high school as they were getting As and Bs in honors/advanced classes. Come to find out, they failed the SATS, and ended up at MC taking "0" level classes to catch up. $$$ that should have never been spent if there wasn't grade inflation going on. If I'd known they were doing this bad I would have paid for tutoring.

This.

Your kid can have straight As yet graduate from mcps as a dolt.

[Anonymous]

What I’ve learned is that a lot of parents have anxiety disorders, and unsurprisingly many of their kids do too.

I have a recent grad and a current high schooler at a non-rich school. People on DCUM worry SO much, way out of proportion to reality.

[Anonymous]

Run your own race. There will plenty of people here and in their lives telling them what course to take or thing to do. Determine what is best for your kid and do that not what “everyone else is doing.”

Make kids get involved in something. School is more enjoyable when they learning is more than inside the classroom. Kids need to grow as people.

Have your kid get to know their counselor. They should make a point to see them at least once each year. In turn, you should meet with the counselor at least once a year starting in 10th. Even if you glean nothing for the meeting, involvement matters and is noticed.

Make sure they connect/trust at least one teacher in the building.

Push high standards and hold your kids to them. This means the child is turning assignment in on time, the child is following up on missed work when they are out, the child is bringing up needs related to 504/IEPs, etc. Your kid is the doer you are the advisor, support, and escalation.

Keep open lines of communication, encourage, get to know their friends (at minimum their names and what they’re up to).

Map out the 4 years and then revise each year. This is NOT set in stone. Leave room for flexibility and exploration.

Enjoy the journey. It’s really quick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Supplement and get tutors

After reading this thread and the other one here
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/585531.page

tutoring = mcps being a good school district

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's great if schools have the resources to get tutors for students who need them. Not all families have the resources for tutoring services even if they are not lower SES

Mcps used to offer free tutoring for all. Few used it. Our school has no resources for help. My kid is struggling, teachers don’t grade it respond, several are barely there this year, random curriculum and we were refused an iep. So what other option do we have but tutor?

lack of feedback. teachers in HS don't have time to give feedback to 160 students.

That’s their job and they teach 5 classes, some 4, so no where near 160 except arts teachers.

My neighbor teaches 142 students and not only does she do her job, she does the job of other teachers who have quit. She gets maybe 1-2 planning periods per week when she isn’t subbing or attending meetings. She takes days off to recover.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Supplement and get tutors

After reading this thread and the other one here
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/585531.page

tutoring = mcps being a good school district

MCPS has 160k+ students pre-k thru 12 inclusive of some 20+ HS. Do you believe that DCUM is a good representative sample of the number and type of students that attend? Of how have tutors? And have you compared that to the number of students in any other schools district or private school also have tutors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's great if schools have the resources to get tutors for students who need them. Not all families have the resources for tutoring services even if they are not lower SES

Mcps used to offer free tutoring for all. Few used it. Our school has no resources for help. My kid is struggling, teachers don’t grade it respond, several are barely there this year, random curriculum and we were refused an iep. So what other option do we have but tutor?

lack of feedback. teachers in HS don't have time to give feedback to 160 students.

That’s their job and they teach 5 classes, some 4, so no where near 160 except arts teachers.

My neighbor teaches 142 students and not only does she do her job, she does the job of other teachers who have quit. She gets maybe 1-2 planning periods per week when she isn’t subbing or attending meetings. She takes days off to recover.

This is real. You assume a teacher has 25 students and 5 classes that’s 125 students. Now assume an assignment takes 5mins to grade. 142*5=710mins \60mins =12 hours to completely grade 1 assignment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's great if schools have the resources to get tutors for students who need them. Not all families have the resources for tutoring services even if they are not lower SES

Mcps used to offer free tutoring for all. Few used it. Our school has no resources for help. My kid is struggling, teachers don’t grade it respond, several are barely there this year, random curriculum and we were refused an iep. So what other option do we have but tutor?

lack of feedback. teachers in HS don't have time to give feedback to 160 students.

That’s their job and they teach 5 classes, some 4, so no where near 160 except arts teachers.

My neighbor teaches 142 students and not only does she do her job, she does the job of other teachers who have quit. She gets maybe 1-2 planning periods per week when she isn’t subbing or attending meetings. She takes days off to recover.

This is real. You assume a teacher has 25 students and 5 classes that’s 125 students. Now assume an assignment takes 5mins to grade. 142*5=710mins \60mins =12 hours to completely grade 1 assignment.

Thank you for seeing this. I just finished hour six of grading today and I’ll put in another 3-4 before I quit. Spending weekends grading is the only way it can get done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try to get on a schedule to empty your bowels when you aren’t in school because nobody feels safe in the restrooms.

Accept the fact that your kid will leave school to use the restroom if they drive.

Pro tip: go to the nurse if you need a safe place to use the restroom.

Sigh.

Mcps has fallen so hard.

I have a senior and a recent grad, but I’m sending my youngest to private. Mcps super sucks…even the “good” schools.

And it’s not just the bathroom situation.

The curriculum is subpar, the teachers are lackluster, and there are literally no expectations or consequences. Your kid must be driven to succeed and even then they won’t be provided a rigorous education.

I cannot understand why education isn’t a priority for society.

The bathrooms are locked so going isn't an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's great if schools have the resources to get tutors for students who need them. Not all families have the resources for tutoring services even if they are not lower SES

Mcps used to offer free tutoring for all. Few used it. Our school has no resources for help. My kid is struggling, teachers don’t grade it respond, several are barely there this year, random curriculum and we were refused an iep. So what other option do we have but tutor?

lack of feedback. teachers in HS don't have time to give feedback to 160 students.

That’s their job and they teach 5 classes, some 4, so no where near 160 except arts teachers.

My neighbor teaches 142 students and not only does she do her job, she does the job of other teachers who have quit. She gets maybe 1-2 planning periods per week when she isn’t subbing or attending meetings. She takes days off to recover.

This is real. You assume a teacher has 25 students and 5 classes that’s 125 students. Now assume an assignment takes 5mins to grade. 142*5=710mins \60mins =12 hours to completely grade 1 assignment.

Thank you for seeing this. I just finished hour six of grading today and I’ll put in another 3-4 before I quit. Spending weekends grading is the only way it can get done.

It depends on the class. Our English teacher has lots of grading but other teachers don't actually look at the assignments or its unclear what they are doing or minimal assignments. Some are autograde online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I’ve learned is that a lot of parents have anxiety disorders, and unsurprisingly many of their kids do too.

I have a recent grad and a current high schooler at a non-rich school. People on DCUM worry SO much, way out of proportion to reality.

Being an involved parent and supporting your child isn't anxiety, its called parenting. Try it.