3rd grade Gen Ed Math/LA FCPS-

[Anonymous]

What is your 3rd grader doing this year?

Our school breezed thru multiplication, never did the tests 1-12. No division. Very very simple geometry. My son can't subtract unless by regrouping- was never taught otherwise.

IN Language arts- they were doing spelling but eliminated any vocab or spelling tests in Nov, because the teacher said "no one is doing the studying at home, so we will do it in school"- this translated to working on stuff at school with no accountability.

Have not seen any writing come home at all.

And my kids teacher or principal don't care. My saying something will only blackball my DC. That is why I don't do anything. Parents have complained about this cohort for years with no change.

I am so disappointed with the curriculum and how far behind I feel my DC is getting.

[Anonymous]

I guess that's why it's so easy for advanced/compact math to skip 3rd grade math entirely and go straight to 4th grade math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is your 3rd grader doing this year?

Our school breezed thru multiplication, never did the tests 1-12. No division. Very very simple geometry. My son can't subtract unless by regrouping- was never taught otherwise.

IN Language arts- they were doing spelling but eliminated any vocab or spelling tests in Nov, because the teacher said "no one is doing the studying at home, so we will do it in school"- this translated to working on stuff at school with no accountability.

Have not seen any writing come home at all.

And my kids teacher or principal don't care. My saying something will only blackball my DC. That is why I don't do anything. Parents have complained about this cohort for years with no change.

I am so disappointed with the curriculum and how far behind I feel my DC is getting.

Yep. Same experience. FCPS has no standard curriculum. It's a mess.

[Anonymous]

3rd grade has 3 multiplication and division units throughout the year. The students spend time understanding the strategies behind multiplication and division, and do not simply memorize facts. The second unit is when they start to build fact fluency. At my school, 3rd graders don’t leave knowing every fact fluently, but have a good foundation. Some students are better than others, mainly due to practicing at home. We also do math workshop and they practice fact fluency through games.

[Anonymous]

If you have a strong math kid, third grade is easy. They don’t have to pick up too much new stuff. There is too much emphasis on finding strategies and not memorizing facts. FCPS has to follow the Virginia state curriculum. It’s the same statewide. They emphasize problem solving more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have a strong math kid, third grade is easy. They don’t have to pick up too much new stuff. There is too much emphasis on finding strategies and not memorizing facts. FCPS has to follow the Virginia state curriculum. It’s the same statewide. They emphasize problem solving more.

I guess I'm worried (I'm OP) because my 6th grader did not have the same experience in 3rd- has something radically changed in FCPS in 3 years? . I even went back and looked at the work I've saved. It is striking the difference, especially in math.

[Anonymous]

You can thank the "no homework" supporters for the lack of enrichment and deep learning these days. When parents aren't involved anymore, it makes the teacher more responsible but less accountable. Combined with the increase in ESOL and FARM students, FCPS has no reason to provide more than the bare minimum.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are very accountable. It all depends on the administration and the grade level team. We are supposed to follow the Standards of Learning. If your kid's teacher isn't, then find out why. Don't assume it is every teacher in the county. There is no research that says homework makes much difference in elementary school. Some kids may benefit, but just reading and practicing math facts or spelling words is plenty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are very accountable. It all depends on the administration and the grade level team. We are supposed to follow the Standards of Learning. If your kid's teacher isn't, then find out why. Don't assume it is every teacher in the county. There is no research that says homework makes much difference in elementary school. Some kids may benefit, but just reading and practicing math facts or spelling words is plenty.

I'm OP, am happy if there isn't any or much homework. What I don't like is that my older child learned so much more in FCPS. I don't think it is every teacher in the county- but it is ours.

They have never had a spelling test, or vocab test this year. Not one. Maybe she's given them and kept them, but none to be studied for. No math tests to study for. Only 2 science tests that had a one sheeter come home to study and 2 social studies tests. All year. We are at the end of the 3rd q.

I know I should tell Admin, but I know they know and it will not change and as I said before, my kid and I will be labeled. It isn't as simple as me expressing concern and this 20+year teacher deciding I'm right. That is what is frustrating. She will retire soon and is done.

[Anonymous]

OP, it isn't just your DC's teacher. I confirmed with my 4th grader's teacher that her students had never had much experience writing paragraphs, and they're struggling to rite their first 1-pagers this quarter. I'm livid as my DC get some all to mostly all 4s on report cards. What they are doing in class is not 4th grade work. Don't get me started on math.

I have a DC in AAP, and even there the system doesn't care about spelling or grammar.

And what's making me more annoyed is hearing about the same crap happening at MS level. No homework policies are coming there's too. If subjects aren't reinforced in school or at home, how the heck are students expected to learn anything? They aren't learning anything rushing through e.g. DreamBox to get the games. No wonder parents are writing college applications for their DCs.

[Anonymous]

21:28 Teachers are very accountable to whatever their boss (the principal) makes them accountable for. Which varies widely in the county and is including less advanced work as the years go by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are very accountable. It all depends on the administration and the grade level team. We are supposed to follow the Standards of Learning. If your kid's teacher isn't, then find out why. Don't assume it is every teacher in the county. There is no research that says homework makes much difference in elementary school. Some kids may benefit, but just reading and practicing math facts or spelling words is plenty.

I'm OP, am happy if there isn't any or much homework. What I don't like is that my older child learned so much more in FCPS. I don't think it is every teacher in the county- but it is ours.

They have never had a spelling test, or vocab test this year. Not one. Maybe she's given them and kept them, but none to be studied for. No math tests to study for. Only 2 science tests that had a one sheeter come home to study and 2 social studies tests. All year. We are at the end of the 3rd q.

I know I should tell Admin, but I know they know and it will not change and as I said before, my kid and I will be labeled. It isn't as simple as me expressing concern and this 20+year teacher deciding I'm right. That is what is frustrating. She will retire soon and is done.

Students don’t need to take a test to be assessed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are very accountable. It all depends on the administration and the grade level team. We are supposed to follow the Standards of Learning. If your kid's teacher isn't, then find out why. Don't assume it is every teacher in the county. There is no research that says homework makes much difference in elementary school. Some kids may benefit, but just reading and practicing math facts or spelling words is plenty.

I'm OP, am happy if there isn't any or much homework. What I don't like is that my older child learned so much more in FCPS. I don't think it is every teacher in the county- but it is ours.

They have never had a spelling test, or vocab test this year. Not one. Maybe she's given them and kept them, but none to be studied for. No math tests to study for. Only 2 science tests that had a one sheeter come home to study and 2 social studies tests. All year. We are at the end of the 3rd q.

I know I should tell Admin, but I know they know and it will not change and as I said before, my kid and I will be labeled. It isn't as simple as me expressing concern and this 20+year teacher deciding I'm right. That is what is frustrating. She will retire soon and is done.

Students don’t need to take a test to be assessed.

13:33. Children in my child's grade came home at the end of the year with one of those blank notebooks used for language arts on a DAILY basis with only about 20 pages even slightly filled in. It is very clear that whatever assessment and teaching is being used beyond testing also has inefficiencies and deficiencies, not just testing.

[Anonymous]

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/695956.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are very accountable. It all depends on the administration and the grade level team. We are supposed to follow the Standards of Learning. If your kid's teacher isn't, then find out why. Don't assume it is every teacher in the county. There is no research that says homework makes much difference in elementary school. Some kids may benefit, but just reading and practicing math facts or spelling words is plenty.

I'm OP, am happy if there isn't any or much homework. What I don't like is that my older child learned so much more in FCPS. I don't think it is every teacher in the county- but it is ours.

They have never had a spelling test, or vocab test this year. Not one. Maybe she's given them and kept them, but none to be studied for. No math tests to study for. Only 2 science tests that had a one sheeter come home to study and 2 social studies tests. All year. We are at the end of the 3rd q.

I know I should tell Admin, but I know they know and it will not change and as I said before, my kid and I will be labeled. It isn't as simple as me expressing concern and this 20+year teacher deciding I'm right. That is what is frustrating. She will retire soon and is done.

Students don’t need to take a test to be assessed.

13:33. Children in my child's grade came home at the end of the year with one of those blank notebooks used for language arts on a DAILY basis with only about 20 pages even slightly filled in. It is very clear that whatever assessment and teaching is being used beyond testing also has inefficiencies and deficiencies, not just testing.

Your school.