What should MCPS' virtual learning plan be ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When are they going to make this a priority to get the plan submitted?

At the rate they move, I doubt they'll even have it approved by winter 2027. They have to do public consultations, and if one parent complains, they'll say they had parental opposition and won't do anything. Because that's their preference anyway.

Are you saying that no parents complain in the other counties, such as in Anne Arundel?

Of course they do. And I'm sure they have kids younger than grade 3 and with special needs in Anne Arundel, Baltimore and PG County, yet somehow the state of Maryland approved the virtual learning plans they submitted.

But these are all the excuses DCUM gives as to why MCPS can't have a virtual learning plan for snow emergencies, and MCPS does like to make a lot of excuses for its inaction.

The lack of 1:1 devices in all schools is not an excuse DCUM came up with. It's straight from the horse's mouth: https://mocoshow.com/2026/01/29/mcps-explains-why-snow-days-are-not-virtual-learning-days/

According to MCPS, virtual instruction is not an option during these closures for several key reasons tied to access, timing, and state requirements. First, the school system does not currently have one to one remote devices available for every student. Without universal access to devices, MCPS says moving to virtual learning would create inequities and prevent many students from participating fully in instruction.

Mcps has enough devices.

Mcps media specialist here. Mcps has really screwed up their entire approach to Chromebooks. There have been so many issues with bad record keeping, backlogs on broken Chromebooks, not doing inventory of Chromebooks. I could rant about it for a while. It's been terribly mismanaged. Whenever a child damages their Chromebook we are supposed to Bill them but there's no way to actually compel the parents to pay, they just don't get a new one. Theoretically these kids will not be able to a diploma in a decade or whatever they still owe the school money but my guess is that bill will get waived.

You're up late ! Responding to each post to defend mcps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Virtual school is a joke, what’s wrong with giving the kids a week off? The sledding was great. The days off were great for on our family. No day is make it break in school, and it doesn’t matter if they extend the school year either since we already have commitments the sat school is supposed to end anyway with plane tickets bought. Somehow I think my kids will remember how to read.

Yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

+1

This is pretty much how I feel. Even if there is some value to virtual learning, it is likely only in the form of review.

I’m not terribly compelled by the arguments around worksheet packets.

The truth is, if kids could teach themselves with workbooks and packets, we wouldn’t need schools and teachers.

For most kids, true education comes from engaging with human instruction, not just the material because they are still learning how to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

+1

This is pretty much how I feel. Even if there is some value to virtual learning, it is likely only in the form of review.

I’m not terribly compelled by the arguments around worksheet packets.

The truth is, if kids could teach themselves with workbooks and packets, we wouldn’t need schools and teachers.

For most kids, true education comes from engaging with human instruction, not just the material because they are still learning how to learn.

Totally agree.

[Anonymous]

From MCPS' email about tomorrow's opening status: "We are developing an extended closure learning plan (that may involve virtual learning), where your children have academic engagement during prolonged closures. This plan will have to meet some state requirements before being approved as a substitution for losing a school day without it counting against our required number of school days/hours."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question, here is a rough outline of what the MCPS virtual learning plan could look like:

1) At the start of the year, MCPS provides the Virtual Learning Schedule to students. It should probably start on a 2-hour delayed schedule.
2) At the start of the year, teachers provide students with a virtual learning day packet of lessons (5 days' perhaps) focused on course-related skills. This ensures that the lessons could be completed and beneficial at any point in the year (ie. grammar in Language Arts, fractions in math, important figures in history in Social Studies - skills could relate to School Improvement Plans or help to prepare for standardized testing). Teachers are usually required to have 5 days' of emergency plans on file anyway in case of an unexpected plan where the teacher cannot provide plans).
3) Virtual learning commences on the day following the use of MCPS's last 'inclement weather day'.

Option 1: Students log into synchronous virtual classes using their Chromebooks. Lessons focus on the packets received earlier in the year.
Option 2: Students without Chromebooks may log into virtual classes using personal devices. Lessons focus on the packets received earlier in the year.
Option 3: Students without devices, internet, or electricity complete packets at home.

**Due dates for all Virtual Learning lessons are ONE WEEK AFTER RETURN TO IN-PERSON SCHOOL. This insures that students may gain clarification on anything that happened during virtual learning.

This is roughly what Anne Arundel County does.
As we all know, this is not an ideal learning situation. However, it is far superior than the learning that takes place in late June, three weeks after seniors have left the building and when the majority of other students are at camp or on vacation. We only need a solution that is better than the alternative.

Again, that doesn't work for elementary students or students with special needs. "Worksheet" style lessons only work for things like math and writing, and the curriculum changes/advances too much throughout the year to have meaningful lessons that could be picked up at any time of the year. No learning would occur. None.

They also can't cover the regular curriculum because the materials they have to send home don't actually cover the lessons.

And your plan completely ignores students with special needs, as usual for this forum and district.

Yes, because Anne Arundel county famously has no elementary students or students with special needs.

And school systems famously never fail their students.

Your argument here is rather weak. Someone does it, but you haven't provided much in the way of details about what they do or how well it works for different student groups. Maybe we shouldn't entirely dismiss it, but it is certainly something that would require additional discussion, planning, and resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question, here is a rough outline of what the MCPS virtual learning plan could look like:

1) At the start of the year, MCPS provides the Virtual Learning Schedule to students. It should probably start on a 2-hour delayed schedule.
2) At the start of the year, teachers provide students with a virtual learning day packet of lessons (5 days' perhaps) focused on course-related skills. This ensures that the lessons could be completed and beneficial at any point in the year (ie. grammar in Language Arts, fractions in math, important figures in history in Social Studies - skills could relate to School Improvement Plans or help to prepare for standardized testing). Teachers are usually required to have 5 days' of emergency plans on file anyway in case of an unexpected plan where the teacher cannot provide plans).
3) Virtual learning commences on the day following the use of MCPS's last 'inclement weather day'.

Option 1: Students log into synchronous virtual classes using their Chromebooks. Lessons focus on the packets received earlier in the year.
Option 2: Students without Chromebooks may log into virtual classes using personal devices. Lessons focus on the packets received earlier in the year.
Option 3: Students without devices, internet, or electricity complete packets at home.

**Due dates for all Virtual Learning lessons are ONE WEEK AFTER RETURN TO IN-PERSON SCHOOL. This insures that students may gain clarification on anything that happened during virtual learning.

This is roughly what Anne Arundel County does.
As we all know, this is not an ideal learning situation. However, it is far superior than the learning that takes place in late June, three weeks after seniors have left the building and when the majority of other students are at camp or on vacation. We only need a solution that is better than the alternative.

Again, that doesn't work for elementary students or students with special needs. "Worksheet" style lessons only work for things like math and writing, and the curriculum changes/advances too much throughout the year to have meaningful lessons that could be picked up at any time of the year. No learning would occur. None.

They also can't cover the regular curriculum because the materials they have to send home don't actually cover the lessons.

And your plan completely ignores students with special needs, as usual for this forum and district.

Yes, because Anne Arundel county famously has no elementary students or students with special needs.

And school systems famously never fail their students.

Your argument here is rather weak. Someone does it, but you haven't provided much in the way of details about what they do or how well it works for different student groups. Maybe we shouldn't entirely dismiss it, but it is certainly something that would require additional discussion, planning, and resources.

I haven't looked at it, but presumably MSDE is fine with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question, here is a rough outline of what the MCPS virtual learning plan could look like:

1) At the start of the year, MCPS provides the Virtual Learning Schedule to students. It should probably start on a 2-hour delayed schedule.
2) At the start of the year, teachers provide students with a virtual learning day packet of lessons (5 days' perhaps) focused on course-related skills. This ensures that the lessons could be completed and beneficial at any point in the year (ie. grammar in Language Arts, fractions in math, important figures in history in Social Studies - skills could relate to School Improvement Plans or help to prepare for standardized testing). Teachers are usually required to have 5 days' of emergency plans on file anyway in case of an unexpected plan where the teacher cannot provide plans).
3) Virtual learning commences on the day following the use of MCPS's last 'inclement weather day'.

Option 1: Students log into synchronous virtual classes using their Chromebooks. Lessons focus on the packets received earlier in the year.
Option 2: Students without Chromebooks may log into virtual classes using personal devices. Lessons focus on the packets received earlier in the year.
Option 3: Students without devices, internet, or electricity complete packets at home.

**Due dates for all Virtual Learning lessons are ONE WEEK AFTER RETURN TO IN-PERSON SCHOOL. This insures that students may gain clarification on anything that happened during virtual learning.

This is roughly what Anne Arundel County does.
As we all know, this is not an ideal learning situation. However, it is far superior than the learning that takes place in late June, three weeks after seniors have left the building and when the majority of other students are at camp or on vacation. We only need a solution that is better than the alternative.

Again, that doesn't work for elementary students or students with special needs. "Worksheet" style lessons only work for things like math and writing, and the curriculum changes/advances too much throughout the year to have meaningful lessons that could be picked up at any time of the year. No learning would occur. None.

They also can't cover the regular curriculum because the materials they have to send home don't actually cover the lessons.

And your plan completely ignores students with special needs, as usual for this forum and district.

Yes, because Anne Arundel county famously has no elementary students or students with special needs.

And school systems famously never fail their students.

Your argument here is rather weak. Someone does it, but you haven't provided much in the way of details about what they do or how well it works for different student groups. Maybe we shouldn't entirely dismiss it, but it is certainly something that would require additional discussion, planning, and resources.

I haven't looked at it, but presumably MSDE is fine with it.

Again, that's rather weak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

Oh come on. Just because most kids don't learn as much virtually as they do in person doesn't mean no one is learning anything. Most kids learn some stuff and some learn just as much as they would in person.

That is clearly better than pushing the calendar in June into half days in the following week, which is truly zero learning. Most kids don't even go and there is absolutely no educational activity going on for the ones who do come because everything got wrapped up the week before or even earlier.

It is also clearly nett

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

Oh come on. Just because most kids don't learn as much virtually as they do in person doesn't mean no one is learning anything. Most kids learn some stuff and some learn just as much as they would in person.

That is clearly better than pushing the calendar in June into half days in the following week, which is truly zero learning. Most kids don't even go and there is absolutely no educational activity going on for the ones who do come because everything got wrapped up the week before or even earlier.

It is also clearly nett

So someone might learn something. Maybe.

What high standards you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

Oh come on. Just because most kids don't learn as much virtually as they do in person doesn't mean no one is learning anything. Most kids learn some stuff, and some learn just as much as they would in person. Even many kindergarteners can learn a decent amount virtually, let alone middle and high schoolers.

That is clearly better than pushing the calendar in June into half days in the following week, which is truly zero learning. Most kids don't even go and there is absolutely no educational activity going on for the ones who do come because everything got wrapped up the week before or even earlier.

It is also clearly better than getting an MSDE waiver for the days, which is very literally zero learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

Oh come on. Just because most kids don't learn as much virtually as they do in person doesn't mean no one is learning anything. Most kids learn some stuff and some learn just as much as they would in person.

That is clearly better than pushing the calendar in June into half days in the following week, which is truly zero learning. Most kids don't even go and there is absolutely no educational activity going on for the ones who do come because everything got wrapped up the week before or even earlier.

It is also clearly nett

So someone might learn something. Maybe.

What high standards you have.

Yes, I think virtual "many or most kids will probably learn something" days are superior to "no kids will learn anything" days. You prefer the "no kids will learn anything" days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

Oh come on. Just because most kids don't learn as much virtually as they do in person doesn't mean no one is learning anything. Most kids learn some stuff and some learn just as much as they would in person.

That is clearly better than pushing the calendar in June into half days in the following week, which is truly zero learning. Most kids don't even go and there is absolutely no educational activity going on for the ones who do come because everything got wrapped up the week before or even earlier.

It is also clearly nett

So someone might learn something. Maybe.

What high standards you have.

Yes, I think virtual "many or most kids will probably learn something" days are superior to "no kids will learn anything" days. You prefer the "no kids will learn anything" days?

Those aren't the only two options.

[Anonymous]

This bit from MCPS's email today is a blatant lie

We are not in a climate that routinely deals with this type of weather event and our reaction to this type of weather event may feel exaggerated at times.

I don't know why Taylor would say this. While we are not Boston or New York, we're also not Atlanta. Having a few snow events each winter in Montgomery County IS NORMAL. The fact that the last few winters have been milder than most doesn't mean MCPS should not plan for snow events in the winter months. What a gross misstatement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing is, the virtual learning would just be "check the box, we did it" like the days at the end of the school calendar. It would put an extra burden on teachers and parents (and even more on the many teachers who are parents), extra expense for more devices for MCPS, and it would make 99% of the kids miserable and not really amount to any additional learning. So why?

Oh come on. Just because most kids don't learn as much virtually as they do in person doesn't mean no one is learning anything. Most kids learn some stuff and some learn just as much as they would in person.

That is clearly better than pushing the calendar in June into half days in the following week, which is truly zero learning. Most kids don't even go and there is absolutely no educational activity going on for the ones who do come because everything got wrapped up the week before or even earlier.

It is also clearly nett

So someone might learn something. Maybe.

What high standards you have.

Yes, I think virtual "many or most kids will probably learn something" days are superior to "no kids will learn anything" days. You prefer the "no kids will learn anything" days?

You're overly optimistic. The statement is more accurately written as "some kids might learn something."

Also, some subjects done virtually are pointless. Like PE.