Honors English 9A, MP1: What is your child reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All American Boys
But they will also be reading Of Mice and Men

Of Mice & Men is a choice in MP2. And it's super short. Why couldn't they read both of these in MP1?

Totally agree. My HS English class in 1986 probably read twice as many books. I remember we read Great Expectations, catcher in the rye, Frankenstein, a Shakespeare play, the Iliad, and I’m sure there were a couple more I’m forgetting now (maybe Huck Finn?) And I went to public school in a random state so I feel like it’s achievable for McPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All American Boys
But they will also be reading Of Mice and Men

Of Mice & Men is a choice in MP2. And it's super short. Why couldn't they read both of these in MP1?

Totally agree. My HS English class in 1986 probably read twice as many books. I remember we read Great Expectations, catcher in the rye, Frankenstein, a Shakespeare play, the Iliad, and I’m sure there were a couple more I’m forgetting now (maybe Huck Finn?) And I went to public school in a random state so I feel like it’s achievable for McPS.

Note that Shakespeare and poetry are covered in the English classes but its usually not listed as the quarterly novel or reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone appalled by the state of ELA instruction in MCPS needs to reach out to these folks to let them know how you feel:

Chief Academic Officer Niki Porter
Chief of Schools Peter Moran
Superintendent Thomas Taylor

I would focus on the Board of Ed, not these guys. I mean, it probably doesn't hurt, but it's not like they don't know what's going on already

These guys have more power to do more to change things than the BOE. All the BOE can do is vote on the curriculum. They are completely reliant on Taylor and his team for implementation.

Taylor, Moran and Porter can make changes that show up in the classroom ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone appalled by the state of ELA instruction in MCPS needs to reach out to these folks to let them know how you feel:

Chief Academic Officer Niki Porter
Chief of Schools Peter Moran
Superintendent Thomas Taylor

Porter has architected this as much as anyone.
Moran doesn't care.
Taylor was snowed into promoting them and others to fill the lead positions early in his tenure, and has few options to get out of it quickly enough -- none without upturning the apple cart.

Taylor wasn't snowed into promoting anyone. Let's be serious. He certainly choose other people in other positions and remove others from CO all together.

Right. The idea that Taylor was duped or a victim, when he literally had the chance to wipe the slate clean and didn't, is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone appalled by the state of ELA instruction in MCPS needs to reach out to these folks to let them know how you feel:

Chief Academic Officer Niki Porter
Chief of Schools Peter Moran
Superintendent Thomas Taylor

I would focus on the Board of Ed, not these guys. I mean, it probably doesn't hurt, but it's not like they don't know what's going on already

These guys have more power to do more to change things than the BOE. All the BOE can do is vote on the curriculum. They are completely reliant on Taylor and his team for implementation.

Taylor, Moran and Porter can make changes that show up in the classroom ASAP.

The Board can do whatever they want. They can absolutely fund and prioritize an audit to ensure that only rigorous honors-level classes get the "honors" title, and they can also require that all schools offer honors classes at that level. No, they're not going to be micromanaging exactly which books are offered in each class, but they are at the top of the food chain and have the most power, even if they don't always like to use it.

Things are the way they are because the central office staff like it that way. If you want it to change, you have to take it to their bosses, the Board of Ed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That audit for whether "honors" English/lit courses in MS & HS are actually rigorous enough to keep the honors designation cannot come soon enough. If you care about that too, I would suggest contacting the Board of Ed members about it ASAP to make sure it gets funded, prioritized, and implemented this year, and/or planning to testify about it (there will be a vote that includes this at the 9/25 board meeting, I believe: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1290553.page)

They approved the Evaluations for the coming year already and the Honor English was not part of it. There was one from last year called HS Programs and it was cancelled for the Boundary Study. I don't understand why. I was waiting for a thorough evaluation and honestly it should have been done to include as part of the new Program Analysis/change and implementation.

U don't think this is true-- there was a presentation on the evaluations last week but the vote is not until the 25th, and the Board sounded like they were considering asking for changes (although this specific issue about the honors audit was not mentioned.). Did you hear something different from somewhere else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine is reading Mice and Men.
I’m confused by OPs post — is she saying these are the only options for honors English 9? That’s what mine is taking.

I wish I never read Of Mice and Men. It's gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it typical of English curricula across the country to read one book per quarter and for that book to potentially be 3-4 grade levels below grade level?

No it’s not typical. It varies widely. We are not in DMV. 9th graders at our school read 6-7 book during the school year. They are the traditional ones - Romeo & Juliet, Of Mice & Men, Catcher in the Rye, and so on. There is no “personal choice” book either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it typical of English curricula across the country to read one book per quarter and for that book to potentially be 3-4 grade levels below grade level?

No it’s not typical. It varies widely. We are not in DMV. 9th graders at our school read 6-7 book during the school year. They are the traditional ones - Romeo & Juliet, Of Mice & Men, Catcher in the Rye, and so on. There is no “personal choice” book either.

My kid got a video, no book of Romeo and Juliet in class. Not even a pdf. We had to buy one. MCPS reads 2-4 books a year at best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That audit for whether "honors" English/lit courses in MS & HS are actually rigorous enough to keep the honors designation cannot come soon enough. If you care about that too, I would suggest contacting the Board of Ed members about it ASAP to make sure it gets funded, prioritized, and implemented this year, and/or planning to testify about it (there will be a vote that includes this at the 9/25 board meeting, I believe: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1290553.page)

They approved the Evaluations for the coming year already and the Honor English was not part of it. There was one from last year called HS Programs and it was cancelled for the Boundary Study. I don't understand why. I was waiting for a thorough evaluation and honestly it should have been done to include as part of the new Program Analysis/change and implementation.

U don't think this is true-- there was a presentation on the evaluations last week but the vote is not until the 25th, and the Board sounded like they were considering asking for changes (although this specific issue about the honors audit was not mentioned.). Did you hear something different from somewhere else?

DP. I think the secondary English one is ongoing from the prior year and the list they showed for approval is for projects to begin this year. Can't be certain. Might get clarification at next BOE meeting where they are set to approve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All American Boys
But they will also be reading Of Mice and Men

Of Mice & Men is a choice in MP2. And it's super short. Why couldn't they read both of these in MP1?

Totally agree. My HS English class in 1986 probably read twice as many books. I remember we read Great Expectations, catcher in the rye, Frankenstein, a Shakespeare play, the Iliad, and I’m sure there were a couple more I’m forgetting now (maybe Huck Finn?) And I went to public school in a random state so I feel like it’s achievable for McPS.

Note that Shakespeare and poetry are covered in the English classes but its usually not listed as the quarterly novel or reading.

Romeo and a Juliet is an option (not a requirement) in Q4. There is no other Shakespeare in 9th grade English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it typical of English curricula across the country to read one book per quarter and for that book to potentially be 3-4 grade levels below grade level?

No it’s not typical. It varies widely. We are not in DMV. 9th graders at our school read 6-7 book during the school year. They are the traditional ones - Romeo & Juliet, Of Mice & Men, Catcher in the Rye, and so on. There is no “personal choice” book either.

My kid got a video, no book of Romeo and Juliet in class. Not even a pdf. We had to buy one. MCPS reads 2-4 books a year at best.

That MCPS has students watch a Shakespeare movie and then counts that as the full-length text for the quarter tells you all you need to know about the HS English curriculum. This is why we are supplementing with an MCPS teacher as an em English enrichment tutor — to make sure our kid is reading grade-level texts and completing appropriate tasks so he will be ready for AP English. The tutor says she is offering enrichment, and it is compared with the HS English curriculum, but it is actually focused on grade-level readings and tasks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All American Boys
But they will also be reading Of Mice and Men

Of Mice & Men is a choice in MP2. And it's super short. Why couldn't they read both of these in MP1?

Totally agree. My HS English class in 1986 probably read twice as many books. I remember we read Great Expectations, catcher in the rye, Frankenstein, a Shakespeare play, the Iliad, and I’m sure there were a couple more I’m forgetting now (maybe Huck Finn?) And I went to public school in a random state so I feel like it’s achievable for McPS.

Note that Shakespeare and poetry are covered in the English classes but its usually not listed as the quarterly novel or reading.

Whole play or just passages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are reading all American boys.

Quoting myself. From back to school night I remember: All American boys, Mice and Men and Romeo and Juliet. I don’t remember if there is a fourth book it might come to me later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach 9th grade honors english at a HS. Half my classes are reading The Magic Fish. The other half All American Boys

Is this just because there are too few copies of the book for every student to get the same one?

It may be due to English Learners in their class. If you are just learning English, the Magic Fish would be appropriate. All American Boy isn't honors reading level. Consider that this teacher has to divide their time between two student cohorts in one class.

Magic Fish is HL (400L), aimed at older students (interest level / content themes) with elementary school technical reading level

All American Boys is also HL (770K), aimed at upper high school students interst level, with middle school technical reading level.

Both may be fine books for readers at their level, but absolutely substandard challenge for high school honors English.