MCPS-Big fail!

[Anonymous]

First of all, there are several adults today that can't spell, a product of education from the 70's and 80's, and some 90's. This is especially true in STEM fields (which I am in). If you are a lawyer and want your kid to follow in your footsteps, I would agree. But in ES, not knowing how to spell well is not going to derail your kid's (or your) aspirations to becoming a lawyer.

Secondly, while I do think 2.0 has it's issues, I don't think it will be the end of education. Just because our generation learned something one way, and we turned out fine, successful, blah blah blah, it doesn't mean that if our kids don't learn exactly that same way, they will be dumb and educated.

There have been, are, and will always be parents who think that their kids' schools and teachers don't know what they are doing and the parent knows better. This isn't anything new.

[Anonymous]

[quote=And for those moaning about what's not happening in the *4th grade* for goodness sakes...lol. The county isn't "failing". MoCo produces college-ready kids. Trust me, you'll be the same parents complaining about the amount of homework they'll get in a few years. My child (not at W school btw) is a junior and has 3-4 hours of homework every night. You want rigor? Have no fear, it's coming.


Precisely! I teach in a W High School. We hear numerous parental complaints about the amount of homework their children receive and how much stress their children feel. I can post story after story of students whose parents forced them to enroll in multiple AP courses against the better judgment of these students' teachers and counselors.

Are there problems in MCPS? Absolutely! Is MCPS the crappy hell hole it's made out to be on DCUM and on other parent blogs? No way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is highly regarded in the country and "W" cluster schools are highest performing schools within MCPS. This is a fact.

But "highest performing" is not the same as "best".

That is precisely what I said if you read my full post.

The point I am making is that school education through out US sucks. If you find MCPS and "W" schools lacking - imagine how far below everyone else is in this country. Lets accommodate for the achievement gap where needed and let's accommodate also for the kids who are high achievers.

I don't find my kids' MCPS schools lacking. It's possible that the schools in Bethesda or Potomac are lacking, though. My kids don't go there, so I don't know.

Yes. Many parents are fine with the mediocrity of MCPS.

The Bethesda and Potomac parents (and I am not one of them) bought homes where the best schools in the nation are. I can understand why they are appalled at the low education standards - even if you are comfortable with what MCPS offers to your kid.

Our students are not competing against students from some other US state. They are competing against international students for both college seats as well as jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is highly regarded in the country and "W" cluster schools are highest performing schools within MCPS. This is a fact.

Many people in DMV area are highly educated. Many more are are from other countries where curriculum, rigor, expectations in top-notch schools are far above and beyond the "W" cluster schools in MCPS. People from other countries (including me) expected that school education will be far more superior in the US than in our own home countries. When we have found that it is not so - we have deemed MCPS to be a big fail.

The truth is that school education in the US is a big fail with a few spots of excellence here and there. This excellence has also come about with private tutoring and coaching and not with what the schools have taught.

MCPS is doing ok as compared to the rest of the nation. Private schools in US are also no better. Any student who is excelling - it is because of enrichment and tutoring outside of school.

Yes, that's what my mother told me in the 70s and what her mother told her in the 40s. What you teach at home matters much more than you think. You cannot depend on a school to do all the instruction.

Absolutely. And enrichment doesn't always take the form of summers in Costa Rica or involvement in the Math club. What really makes a difference is taking ordinary stuff that comes home and enriching it. Every teacher in the county will tell you that's what they would LOVE for every parent to do. There's no way they can do that by themselves. It has to be a partnership. Along the way, you develop your child's quest for knowledge, and when they are old enough, they'll seek enrichment on their own. That is when real learning occurs.

Of course. But there is a huge difference between this and having to fill in large gaps in the curriculum wholesale at home in the children's limited free time. That takes away from the enrichment you are talking about, and from what precious little time children have for physical fitness, practicing an instrument, chilling out.

Thank you for saying that. My kids are in magnet programs and have always exposed them to enrichment outside of school. However, since 2.0 I have actually had to fill in the gaps in the curriculum. This has required considerable time, effort, energy and money on the part of my family. How many MCPS families can afford to do this?

My kids are not preparing to compete against a person from Alabama. They are competing against students from other countries who are far ahead of the game.

[Anonymous]

I think the primary reason you see more complaints from Bethesda/Potomac parents is not because of their higher standards but there are likely more stay-at-home mothers in these schools with lots of idle time that is spent complaining. Schools in MCPS are by no means perfect but it is sill to criticize an entire school district based on the experiences in a single elementary school, likely with a single teacher.

[Anonymous]

I think what's going on with MCPS is less of an issue for HS kids/families. Those kids are almost out of MCPS (or soon will be) and it's business as usual for them. It is, however, much bigger issue for ES kids/families when kids have 10 or 15 more years of MCPS to deal with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is highly regarded in the country and "W" cluster schools are highest performing schools within MCPS. This is a fact.

Many people in DMV area are highly educated. Many more are are from other countries where curriculum, rigor, expectations in top-notch schools are far above and beyond the "W" cluster schools in MCPS. People from other countries (including me) expected that school education will be far more superior in the US than in our own home countries. When we have found that it is not so - we have deemed MCPS to be a big fail.

The truth is that school education in the US is a big fail with a few spots of excellence here and there. This excellence has also come about with private tutoring and coaching and not with what the schools have taught.

MCPS is doing ok as compared to the rest of the nation. Private schools in US are also no better. Any student who is excelling - it is because of enrichment and tutoring outside of school.

And I think the point has been made that given the level of college readiness among MoCo grads, your child is on a track to attend a highly competitive or Ivy League. Great! Nothing will ever satisfy your child's needs in MoCo. So saves some money, get some tutors or go private. That is how the game is played.

Yes, that's what my mother told me in the 70s and what her mother told her in the 40s. What you teach at home matters much more than you think. You cannot depend on a school to do all the instruction.

Absolutely. And enrichment doesn't always take the form of summers in Costa Rica or involvement in the Math club. What really makes a difference is taking ordinary stuff that comes home and enriching it. Every teacher in the county will tell you that's what they would LOVE for every parent to do. There's no way they can do that by themselves. It has to be a partnership. Along the way, you develop your child's quest for knowledge, and when they are old enough, they'll seek enrichment on their own. That is when real learning occurs.

Of course. But there is a huge difference between this and having to fill in large gaps in the curriculum wholesale at home in the children's limited free time. That takes away from the enrichment you are talking about, and from what precious little time children have for physical fitness, practicing an instrument, chilling out.

Thank you for saying that. My kids are in magnet programs and have always exposed them to enrichment outside of school. However, since 2.0 I have actually had to fill in the gaps in the curriculum. This has required considerable time, effort, energy and money on the part of my family. How many MCPS families can afford to do this?

My kids are not preparing to compete against a person from Alabama. They are competing against students from other countries who are far ahead of the game.

Great! If being college-ready is not enough for your child, MoCo may not be the best fit. Best to play the game like other elitists. Get a tutor, go private and save A LOT of money for college tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is highly regarded in the country and "W" cluster schools are highest performing schools within MCPS. This is a fact.

Many people in DMV area are highly educated. Many more are are from other countries where curriculum, rigor, expectations in top-notch schools are far above and beyond the "W" cluster schools in MCPS. People from other countries (including me) expected that school education will be far more superior in the US than in our own home countries. When we have found that it is not so - we have deemed MCPS to be a big fail.

The truth is that school education in the US is a big fail with a few spots of excellence here and there. This excellence has also come about with private tutoring and coaching and not with what the schools have taught.

MCPS is doing ok as compared to the rest of the nation. Private schools in US are also no better. Any student who is excelling - it is because of enrichment and tutoring outside of school.

And I think the point has been made that given the level of college readiness among MoCo grads, your child is on a track to attend a highly competitive or Ivy League. Great! Nothing will ever satisfy your child's needs in MoCo. So saves some money, get some tutors or go private. That is how the game is played.

Yes, that's what my mother told me in the 70s and what her mother told her in the 40s. What you teach at home matters much more than you think. You cannot depend on a school to do all the instruction.

Absolutely. And enrichment doesn't always take the form of summers in Costa Rica or involvement in the Math club. What really makes a difference is taking ordinary stuff that comes home and enriching it. Every teacher in the county will tell you that's what they would LOVE for every parent to do. There's no way they can do that by themselves. It has to be a partnership. Along the way, you develop your child's quest for knowledge, and when they are old enough, they'll seek enrichment on their own. That is when real learning occurs.

Of course. But there is a huge difference between this and having to fill in large gaps in the curriculum wholesale at home in the children's limited free time. That takes away from the enrichment you are talking about, and from what precious little time children have for physical fitness, practicing an instrument, chilling out.

Thank you for saying that. My kids are in magnet programs and have always exposed them to enrichment outside of school. However, since 2.0 I have actually had to fill in the gaps in the curriculum. This has required considerable time, effort, energy and money on the part of my family. How many MCPS families can afford to do this?

My kids are not preparing to compete against a person from Alabama. They are competing against students from other countries who are far ahead of the game.

Great! If being college-ready is not enough for your child, MoCo may not be the best fit. Best to play the game like other elitists. Get a tutor, go private and save A LOT of money for college tuition.

Wow. Not pp, but I expect my kids to be educated to their potential. Not some basic "college readiness" standard. That doesn't make me elitist. It means I love my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think what's going on with MCPS is less of an issue for HS kids/families. Those kids are almost out of MCPS (or soon will be) and it's business as usual for them. It is, however, much bigger issue for ES kids/families when kids have 10 or 15 more years of MCPS to deal with.

And those AP and IB classes will be waited for you, your child will be ready and both of you will be complaining about the homework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is highly regarded in the country and "W" cluster schools are highest performing schools within MCPS. This is a fact.

Many people in DMV area are highly educated. Many more are are from other countries where curriculum, rigor, expectations in top-notch schools are far above and beyond the "W" cluster schools in MCPS. People from other countries (including me) expected that school education will be far more superior in the US than in our own home countries. When we have found that it is not so - we have deemed MCPS to be a big fail.

The truth is that school education in the US is a big fail with a few spots of excellence here and there. This excellence has also come about with private tutoring and coaching and not with what the schools have taught.

MCPS is doing ok as compared to the rest of the nation. Private schools in US are also no better. Any student who is excelling - it is because of enrichment and tutoring outside of school.

And I think the point has been made that given the level of college readiness among MoCo grads, your child is on a track to attend a highly competitive or Ivy League. Great! Nothing will ever satisfy your child's needs in MoCo. So saves some money, get some tutors or go private. That is how the game is played.

Yes, that's what my mother told me in the 70s and what her mother told her in the 40s. What you teach at home matters much more than you think. You cannot depend on a school to do all the instruction.

Absolutely. And enrichment doesn't always take the form of summers in Costa Rica or involvement in the Math club. What really makes a difference is taking ordinary stuff that comes home and enriching it. Every teacher in the county will tell you that's what they would LOVE for every parent to do. There's no way they can do that by themselves. It has to be a partnership. Along the way, you develop your child's quest for knowledge, and when they are old enough, they'll seek enrichment on their own. That is when real learning occurs.

Of course. But there is a huge difference between this and having to fill in large gaps in the curriculum wholesale at home in the children's limited free time. That takes away from the enrichment you are talking about, and from what precious little time children have for physical fitness, practicing an instrument, chilling out.

Thank you for saying that. My kids are in magnet programs and have always exposed them to enrichment outside of school. However, since 2.0 I have actually had to fill in the gaps in the curriculum. This has required considerable time, effort, energy and money on the part of my family. How many MCPS families can afford to do this?

My kids are not preparing to compete against a person from Alabama. They are competing against students from other countries who are far ahead of the game.

Great! If being college-ready is not enough for your child, MoCo may not be the best fit. Best to play the game like other elitists. Get a tutor, go private and save A LOT of money for college tuition.

Wow. Not pp, but I expect my kids to be educated to their potential. Not some basic "college readiness" standard. That doesn't make me elitist. It means I love my kids.

Basic college readiness? Kids graduating from MoCo with 8-10 AP courses or a IB have basic college readiness? Lol..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what's going on with MCPS is less of an issue for HS kids/families. Those kids are almost out of MCPS (or soon will be) and it's business as usual for them. It is, however, much bigger issue for ES kids/families when kids have 10 or 15 more years of MCPS to deal with.

And those AP and IB classes will be waited for you, your child will be ready and both of you will be complaining about the homework.

Please do not talk about something you clearly do not know. You are making a fool of yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, there are several adults today that can't spell, a product of education from the 70's and 80's, and some 90's. This is especially true in STEM fields (which I am in). If you are a lawyer and want your kid to follow in your footsteps, I would agree. But in ES, not knowing how to spell well is not going to derail your kid's (or your) aspirations to becoming a lawyer.

Secondly, while I do think 2.0 has it's issues, I don't think it will be the end of education. Just because our generation learned something one way, and we turned out fine, successful, blah blah blah, it doesn't mean that if our kids don't learn exactly that same way, they will be dumb and educated.

There have been, are, and will always be parents who think that their kids' schools and teachers don't know what they are doing and the parent knows better. This isn't anything new.

Albert Einstein, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Winston Churchill were all bad spellers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is highly regarded in the country and "W" cluster schools are highest performing schools within MCPS. This is a fact.

Many people in DMV area are highly educated. Many more are are from other countries where curriculum, rigor, expectations in top-notch schools are far above and beyond the "W" cluster schools in MCPS. People from other countries (including me) expected that school education will be far more superior in the US than in our own home countries. When we have found that it is not so - we have deemed MCPS to be a big fail.

The truth is that school education in the US is a big fail with a few spots of excellence here and there. This excellence has also come about with private tutoring and coaching and not with what the schools have taught.

MCPS is doing ok as compared to the rest of the nation. Private schools in US are also no better. Any student who is excelling - it is because of enrichment and tutoring outside of school.

And I think the point has been made that given the level of college readiness among MoCo grads, your child is on a track to attend a highly competitive or Ivy League. Great! Nothing will ever satisfy your child's needs in MoCo. So saves some money, get some tutors or go private. That is how the game is played.

Yes, that's what my mother told me in the 70s and what her mother told her in the 40s. What you teach at home matters much more than you think. You cannot depend on a school to do all the instruction.

Absolutely. And enrichment doesn't always take the form of summers in Costa Rica or involvement in the Math club. What really makes a difference is taking ordinary stuff that comes home and enriching it. Every teacher in the county will tell you that's what they would LOVE for every parent to do. There's no way they can do that by themselves. It has to be a partnership. Along the way, you develop your child's quest for knowledge, and when they are old enough, they'll seek enrichment on their own. That is when real learning occurs.

Of course. But there is a huge difference between this and having to fill in large gaps in the curriculum wholesale at home in the children's limited free time. That takes away from the enrichment you are talking about, and from what precious little time children have for physical fitness, practicing an instrument, chilling out.

Thank you for saying that. My kids are in magnet programs and have always exposed them to enrichment outside of school. However, since 2.0 I have actually had to fill in the gaps in the curriculum. This has required considerable time, effort, energy and money on the part of my family. How many MCPS families can afford to do this?

My kids are not preparing to compete against a person from Alabama. They are competing against students from other countries who are far ahead of the game.

Great! If being college-ready is not enough for your child, MoCo may not be the best fit. Best to play the game like other elitists. Get a tutor, go private and save A LOT of money for college tuition.

Wow. Not pp, but I expect my kids to be educated to their potential. Not some basic "college readiness" standard. That doesn't make me elitist. It means I love my kids.

Basic college readiness? Kids graduating from MoCo with 8-10 AP courses or a IB have basic college readiness? Lol..

8-10 AP is not "that" impressive nowdays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what's going on with MCPS is less of an issue for HS kids/families. Those kids are almost out of MCPS (or soon will be) and it's business as usual for them. It is, however, much bigger issue for ES kids/families when kids have 10 or 15 more years of MCPS to deal with.

And those AP and IB classes will be waited for you, your child will be ready and both of you will be complaining about the homework.

Please do not talk about something you clearly do not know. You are making a fool of yourself.

Has your child matriculated through grade 12? Are you aware of all the different tracks and opportunities available for kids along the way? Are you familiar with the transitions from elementary --->middle -----> high school, what is done to prepare kids for college 9-12 and have evidence that things are surely broken and your child is most definitely doomed? If not, there is no basis for your argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is highly regarded in the country and "W" cluster schools are highest performing schools within MCPS. This is a fact.

Many people in DMV area are highly educated. Many more are are from other countries where curriculum, rigor, expectations in top-notch schools are far above and beyond the "W" cluster schools in MCPS. People from other countries (including me) expected that school education will be far more superior in the US than in our own home countries. When we have found that it is not so - we have deemed MCPS to be a big fail.

The truth is that school education in the US is a big fail with a few spots of excellence here and there. This excellence has also come about with private tutoring and coaching and not with what the schools have taught.

MCPS is doing ok as compared to the rest of the nation. Private schools in US are also no better. Any student who is excelling - it is because of enrichment and tutoring outside of school.

And I think the point has been made that given the level of college readiness among MoCo grads, your child is on a track to attend a highly competitive or Ivy League. Great! Nothing will ever satisfy your child's needs in MoCo. So saves some money, get some tutors or go private. That is how the game is played.

Yes, that's what my mother told me in the 70s and what her mother told her in the 40s. What you teach at home matters much more than you think. You cannot depend on a school to do all the instruction.

Absolutely. And enrichment doesn't always take the form of summers in Costa Rica or involvement in the Math club. What really makes a difference is taking ordinary stuff that comes home and enriching it. Every teacher in the county will tell you that's what they would LOVE for every parent to do. There's no way they can do that by themselves. It has to be a partnership. Along the way, you develop your child's quest for knowledge, and when they are old enough, they'll seek enrichment on their own. That is when real learning occurs.

Of course. But there is a huge difference between this and having to fill in large gaps in the curriculum wholesale at home in the children's limited free time. That takes away from the enrichment you are talking about, and from what precious little time children have for physical fitness, practicing an instrument, chilling out.

Thank you for saying that. My kids are in magnet programs and have always exposed them to enrichment outside of school. However, since 2.0 I have actually had to fill in the gaps in the curriculum. This has required considerable time, effort, energy and money on the part of my family. How many MCPS families can afford to do this?

My kids are not preparing to compete against a person from Alabama. They are competing against students from other countries who are far ahead of the game.

Great! If being college-ready is not enough for your child, MoCo may not be the best fit. Best to play the game like other elitists. Get a tutor, go private and save A LOT of money for college tuition.

Wow. Not pp, but I expect my kids to be educated to their potential. Not some basic "college readiness" standard. That doesn't make me elitist. It means I love my kids.

Basic college readiness? Kids graduating from MoCo with 8-10 AP courses or a IB have basic college readiness? Lol..

8-10 AP is not "that" impressive nowdays.

And this is exactly the point. MoCo is not a good fit for your child.