Why is fcps making elementary kids drag laptops to/from school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to all the carts schools had pre covid? Thats where the grade level laptops were stored/out of sight, iut of mind and plugged in

Many of those carts are in the rooms holding/charging the kids laptops. At least that been the case for my class for the past 2 years.

My cart only holds 26 and I have 29 kids!!

I’m sure you can charge 3 extra laptops in the actual classroom.

Tell me you have no idea how tight classroom space is without telling me.

Just like central office, people who aren’t in classrooms always have all the answers.

StandSteady brand has carts with capacity of 32 (and that is just from a random search). I bet there are many other brands and options.

I do agree that parents are not aware of all the classroom limitations, but how about we try to find a solution that will work for you and not hurt our kids? I promise parents are not out trying to spite teachers. On the contrary, if you say what you need to do your job well, we will happily help. However, please keep in mind that parents have valid health concerns for their kids when it comes to carrying heavy loads.

Sweet, you gonna pony up for that $1200 StandSteady cart?

Take a closer look, many are in $400 to $600 range. Also, generosity of parents might just surprise you. With sarcastic attitude, you might alienate parents.

If the parents would split the cost, yes I would donate so my kids don’t have to carry the laptops back and forth. I would donate extra to cover families that can’t afford it.

The issue is kids have homework that needs to be completed on the laptops. They need to take the laptops home to work on them. Many kids don’t have their own computer in order to check schoology at home or what not. Last year our teachers all posted homework online and even worksheets that had to be printed. I hated it.

I wouldn't participate in this inappropriate BS. Spend all day at school staring at the laptop and then come home and do it some more? Nope.
Any laptop coming home to charge will stay home for the duration. Win win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no need for a k-6 student to have a charged laptop every day. A quality teacher will be using them sparingly,
If at all.

Another parent here … amount of time kids spend on laptops is a separate topic.

Personally, I am looking for a good advice from teachers and principals how to avoid having kids carry laptops to and from schools. I don’t want to go and complain at our school since I am very well aware how much everyone has on their plate as it is. I would rather approach our school with a potential solution than bother them with a complaint. Would a PTA meeting be a good place to talk this out and find a compromise?

Do you have a device they can login to at home? If that’s the case, then you’re set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no need for a k-6 student to have a charged laptop every day. A quality teacher will be using them sparingly,
If at all.

Another parent here … amount of time kids spend on laptops is a separate topic.

Personally, I am looking for a good advice from teachers and principals how to avoid having kids carry laptops to and from schools. I don’t want to go and complain at our school since I am very well aware how much everyone has on their plate as it is. I would rather approach our school with a potential solution than bother them with a complaint. Would a PTA meeting be a good place to talk this out and find a compromise?

Do you have a device they can login to at home? If that’s the case, then you’re set.

We do have our own laptops and we don’t need FCPS laptops at home, but teachers sent emails to parents that all students (3rd and 4th grade) have to take school laptops home to charge them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to all the carts schools had pre covid? Thats where the grade level laptops were stored/out of sight, iut of mind and plugged in

Many of those carts are in the rooms holding/charging the kids laptops. At least that been the case for my class for the past 2 years.

My cart only holds 26 and I have 29 kids!!

I’m sure you can charge 3 extra laptops in the actual classroom.

Tell me you have no idea how tight classroom space is without telling me.

Just like central office, people who aren’t in classrooms always have all the answers.

StandSteady brand has carts with capacity of 32 (and that is just from a random search). I bet there are many other brands and options.

I do agree that parents are not aware of all the classroom limitations, but how about we try to find a solution that will work for you and not hurt our kids? I promise parents are not out trying to spite teachers. On the contrary, if you say what you need to do your job well, we will happily help. However, please keep in mind that parents have valid health concerns for their kids when it comes to carrying heavy loads.

Sweet, you gonna pony up for that $1200 StandSteady cart?

Take a closer look, many are in $400 to $600 range. Also, generosity of parents might just surprise you. With sarcastic attitude, you might alienate parents.

Ok so let’s say $400. I have 24 grade-level home rooms but I don’t have $10k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the vast majority of FCPS ES schools are NOT requiring this. So its clearly not necessary.

I spoke to both the teacher and principal and they seemed to think it was a countywide laptop policy, not a school decision. There aren’t enough carts/outlets at our school to charge at school.

It’s not a countywide policy and anyone who told you it was is either misinformed or lying.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t all of you just opt your kids out of the 1:1 program and get on with your lives instead of complaining online?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t all of you just opt your kids out of the 1:1 program and get on with your lives instead of complaining online?

What is 1:1 program? Using laptops at school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to all the carts schools had pre covid? Thats where the grade level laptops were stored/out of sight, iut of mind and plugged in

Many of those carts are in the rooms holding/charging the kids laptops. At least that been the case for my class for the past 2 years.

My cart only holds 26 and I have 29 kids!!

I’m sure you can charge 3 extra laptops in the actual classroom.

Tell me you have no idea how tight classroom space is without telling me.

Just like central office, people who aren’t in classrooms always have all the answers.

StandSteady brand has carts with capacity of 32 (and that is just from a random search). I bet there are many other brands and options.

I do agree that parents are not aware of all the classroom limitations, but how about we try to find a solution that will work for you and not hurt our kids? I promise parents are not out trying to spite teachers. On the contrary, if you say what you need to do your job well, we will happily help. However, please keep in mind that parents have valid health concerns for their kids when it comes to carrying heavy loads.

Sweet, you gonna pony up for that $1200 StandSteady cart?

Take a closer look, many are in $400 to $600 range. Also, generosity of parents might just surprise you. With sarcastic attitude, you might alienate parents.

Ok so let’s say $400. I have 24 grade-level home rooms but I don’t have $10k.

I did not propose for the school to purchase anything, but work with parents to help with what teachers need. Also, if FCPS does not have ability to charge their own devices in school buildings, laptop use should be limited not expanded. Especially not at the price of student health and safety. Again, I am a parent trying to find a win-win and my question is for principals and teachers on how parents can help so that kids don’t have to carry laptops. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

We were told many times in written communication that the laptops must come home every night and be charged for the next day. The school simply does not have enough outlets to charge 22 laptops at the same time. The teachers at our elementary school use the laptops during the day. Yes, the book bags are heavy, especially with the lunchbox, snack box, and water bottles, plus, a heavy laptop. The students are pitched forward with their bags.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were told many times in written communication that the laptops must come home every night and be charged for the next day. The school simply does not have enough outlets to charge 22 laptops at the same time. The teachers at our elementary school use the laptops during the day. Yes, the book bags are heavy, especially with the lunchbox, snack box, and water bottles, plus, a heavy laptop. The students are pitched forward with their bags.

Why not just find out what all the other school are doing and...do that?

Any kid who is too small to carry a laptop is too small to be doing work on a laptop during the school day anyway. Hence, no need to charge daily. Voila!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to all the carts schools had pre covid? Thats where the grade level laptops were stored/out of sight, iut of mind and plugged in

Many of those carts are in the rooms holding/charging the kids laptops. At least that been the case for my class for the past 2 years.

My cart only holds 26 and I have 29 kids!!

I’m sure you can charge 3 extra laptops in the actual classroom.

Tell me you have no idea how tight classroom space is without telling me.

Just like central office, people who aren’t in classrooms always have all the answers.

StandSteady brand has carts with capacity of 32 (and that is just from a random search). I bet there are many other brands and options.

I do agree that parents are not aware of all the classroom limitations, but how about we try to find a solution that will work for you and not hurt our kids? I promise parents are not out trying to spite teachers. On the contrary, if you say what you need to do your job well, we will happily help. However, please keep in mind that parents have valid health concerns for their kids when it comes to carrying heavy loads.

Sweet, you gonna pony up for that $1200 StandSteady cart?

Take a closer look, many are in $400 to $600 range. Also, generosity of parents might just surprise you. With sarcastic attitude, you might alienate parents.

If the parents would split the cost, yes I would donate so my kids don’t have to carry the laptops back and forth. I would donate extra to cover families that can’t afford it.

The issue is kids have homework that needs to be completed on the laptops. They need to take the laptops home to work on them. Many kids don’t have their own computer in order to check schoology at home or what not. Last year our teachers all posted homework online and even worksheets that had to be printed. I hated it.

A lot of elementary schools have a no homework policy. What school are your children at?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t all of you just opt your kids out of the 1:1 program and get on with your lives instead of complaining online?

And how does one do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t all of you just opt your kids out of the 1:1 program and get on with your lives instead of complaining online?

And how does one do that?

It’s not an optional program, it’s a county initiative. 1 device for every student.

[Anonymous]

Yeah. You can’t opt your kid out of using computers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t all of you just opt your kids out of the 1:1 program and get on with your lives instead of complaining online?

And how does one do that?

It’s not an optional program, it’s a county initiative. 1 device for every student.

My point exactly. PP is full of shit.