Middle School Tech Requirement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not an MCPS requirement - maybe it's a requirement at your particular school? My child's school does not have any tech classes as electives.

See my 17:53 post- it said MSDE requirement.

Still, it is not an MSDE requirement. It is an element of what MSDE uses to rate schools. If schools are to achieve the highest possible ratings, then this needs to be included within their curriculum. As opposed to the high school tech requirement, meaning a student must have one tech credit in order to graduate high school.

Do you think they are playing around with the word "requires" vs "requirement"? (Not asking in a snarky way)

DP

Seems that way to me.

I specifically asked it it was a ‘requirement’ to pass MS and got no answer.

There's no way it's an actual requirement. There are NO classes that would fulfill this requirement at my child's middle school - they just completed registration. Nothing was mentioned by counselors about it either. Your school is trying to force students into a particular class - maybe because of the ratings listed above, but it is NOT an MCPS requirement - otherwise none of the children at my child's school would "pass" middle school LOL

[Anonymous]

So basically some middle schools are pushing this for the school's own report card grade? The more kids that just take music and language, the less kids that take a tech class, the less stars they get on the MSDE report card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So basically some middle schools are pushing this for the school's own report card grade? The more kids that just take music and language, the less kids that take a tech class, the less stars they get on the MSDE report card.

Honestly this is very concerning. If the school is lying to you about this, what else are they lying to parents about?!

[Anonymous]

https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/HelpGuides/MSDE_ReportCard_UserGuide_2019_v5.pdf

In order to earn a perfect score in the “access to well rounded curriculum” category, students must take at least one quarter of a fine arts and a computational learning course at some point during middle school. This is NOT requirement for kids to be promoted but rather a way for schools to make themselves look good. If your kid is being forced to take an inane required “rotation” course instead of having the opportunity to participate in chorus/band or study a language, put pressure on your principal. Tell them that you want your kid to take the course that interests him, not the course that will make the principal look good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So basically some middle schools are pushing this for the school's own report card grade? The more kids that just take music and language, the less kids that take a tech class, the less stars they get on the MSDE report card.

Honestly this is very concerning. If the school is lying to you about this, what else are they lying to parents about?!

LOL! Are you new to MCPS? MCPS admin and MCPS leadership lies to parents all the time. It’s part of the MCPS culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/HelpGuides/MSDE_ReportCard_UserGuide_2019_v5.pdf

In order to earn a perfect score in the “access to well rounded curriculum” category, students must take at least one quarter of a fine arts and a computational learning course at some point during middle school. This is NOT requirement for kids to be promoted but rather a way for schools to make themselves look good. If your kid is being forced to take an inane required “rotation” course instead of having the opportunity to participate in chorus/band or study a language, put pressure on your principal. Tell them that you want your kid to take the course that interests him, not the course that will make the principal look good.

Thank you very much for this. I will be bringing it up if they continue to push for this bogus tech requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/HelpGuides/MSDE_ReportCard_UserGuide_2019_v5.pdf

In order to earn a perfect score in the “access to well rounded curriculum” category, students must take at least one quarter of a fine arts and a computational learning course at some point during middle school. This is NOT requirement for kids to be promoted but rather a way for schools to make themselves look good. If your kid is being forced to take an inane required “rotation” course instead of having the opportunity to participate in chorus/band or study a language, put pressure on your principal. Tell them that you want your kid to take the course that interests him, not the course that will make the principal look good.

Thank you very much for this. I will be bringing it up if they continue to push for this bogus tech requirement.

Hi! Elective teacher here. Personally, I think being in band, chorus, or a language for a year is a good thing. But there are loads of students who would hate it. Many of these students are just looking for a break from the classroom grind. They want to develop their passions or try different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/HelpGuides/MSDE_ReportCard_UserGuide_2019_v5.pdf

In order to earn a perfect score in the “access to well rounded curriculum” category, students must take at least one quarter of a fine arts and a computational learning course at some point during middle school. This is NOT requirement for kids to be promoted but rather a way for schools to make themselves look good. If your kid is being forced to take an inane required “rotation” course instead of having the opportunity to participate in chorus/band or study a language, put pressure on your principal. Tell them that you want your kid to take the course that interests him, not the course that will make the principal look good.

Thank you very much for this. I will be bringing it up if they continue to push for this bogus tech requirement.

Hi! Elective teacher here. Personally, I think being in band, chorus, or a language for a year is a good thing. But there are loads of students who would hate it. Many of these students are just looking for a break from the classroom grind. They want to develop their passions or try different things.

So it should be an option! But definitely not mandatory for the kids who do like music.0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a middle school tech requirement in the 80s. It is important. If your kid wants to do music, wait until 7th grade to start a foreign language.

In the 80s? “Tech” requirement? What were you working on—a Wang?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/HelpGuides/MSDE_ReportCard_UserGuide_2019_v5.pdf

In order to earn a perfect score in the “access to well rounded curriculum” category, students must take at least one quarter of a fine arts and a computational learning course at some point during middle school. This is NOT requirement for kids to be promoted but rather a way for schools to make themselves look good. If your kid is being forced to take an inane required “rotation” course instead of having the opportunity to participate in chorus/band or study a language, put pressure on your principal. Tell them that you want your kid to take the course that interests him, not the course that will make the principal look good.

Thank you very much for this. I will be bringing it up if they continue to push for this bogus tech requirement.

Hi! Elective teacher here. Personally, I think being in band, chorus, or a language for a year is a good thing. But there are loads of students who would hate it. Many of these students are just looking for a break from the classroom grind. They want to develop their passions or try different things.

That's not what is being discussed here. The issue is the school lying to the parent and saying the child can't take the elective they want because they are required to take a tech class. As an elective teacher, you should know this is false, and lying to families is wrong

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/HelpGuides/MSDE_ReportCard_UserGuide_2019_v5.pdf

In order to earn a perfect score in the “access to well rounded curriculum” category, students must take at least one quarter of a fine arts and a computational learning course at some point during middle school. This is NOT requirement for kids to be promoted but rather a way for schools to make themselves look good. If your kid is being forced to take an inane required “rotation” course instead of having the opportunity to participate in chorus/band or study a language, put pressure on your principal. Tell them that you want your kid to take the course that interests him, not the course that will make the principal look good.

Thank you very much for this. I will be bringing it up if they continue to push for this bogus tech requirement.

Hi! Elective teacher here. Personally, I think being in band, chorus, or a language for a year is a good thing. But there are loads of students who would hate it. Many of these students are just looking for a break from the classroom grind. They want to develop their passions or try different things.

That's not what is being discussed here. The issue is the school lying to the parent and saying the child can't take the elective they want because they are required to take a tech class. As an elective teacher, you should know this is false, and lying to families is wrong

In my school this was not presented as the school having much of a choice. Every school needs a plan to make this happen. State requirements or guidelines aren’t up for much debate.

[Anonymous]

Basically keep taking whatever classes you want regardless of school threats because they can’t keep you from passing 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basically keep taking whatever classes you want regardless of school threats because they can’t keep you from passing 8th grade.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Digital Literacy count as a tech class? DD #1 is taking her tech class as a senior in HS.

No, Digital Literacy is not tech. It is a language arts class (when DS took it a few years ago).

[Anonymous]

“Tech” rotation in MS in the 1980s was shop. I still have my wooden bookends