Bad review about FCPS first grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The science is so clear about how handwriting helps the brain learn. Typing does not have anywhere near the same effect. I'm very unhappy with how little my kids are writing by hand. My 4th grader brings home worksheets but they are all just multiple choice questions. I guess they are easier to grade?

Sooner or later parents will understand that by and large, government school is government school.

If you want handwriting for helping the brain, crafts that help fine motor schools, lots of outside time and physical activity (important for all but especially boys), fresh food, and so on and so forth-- research and pony up for a good private or homeschool.

It's especially important at the elementary ages.

Smaller school districts, think parts of New England where each town has its own, often are more successful than jumbo districts. This mainly is because (1) they cannot afford to have a large central office like Gatehouse and (2) there is no place to hide from parents/taxpayers because each district will be inwardly focused on that community’s needs. In a jumbo district, they justify not teaching students at school X by pointing at student needs of school Y way across the county. A jumbo school districts gives administrators a place to hide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The science is so clear about how handwriting helps the brain learn. Typing does not have anywhere near the same effect. I'm very unhappy with how little my kids are writing by hand. My 4th grader brings home worksheets but they are all just multiple choice questions. I guess they are easier to grade?

Sooner or later parents will understand that by and large, government school is government school.

If you want handwriting for helping the brain, crafts that help fine motor schools, lots of outside time and physical activity (important for all but especially boys), fresh food, and so on and so forth-- research and pony up for a good private or homeschool.

It's especially important at the elementary ages.

I went to government (California) school and this is what I got - lots of outside time, lots of writing and a really good education. It shouldn't be only the wealthy that can learn and be healthy. FCPS has lost its way - shocking that one of the wealthiest areas in the country is content with a crappy school district.

[Anonymous]

FCPS elementary schools are the worst part of the entire district. We had a terrible experience in two different elementaries. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, and plenty of kids who will succeed no matter how bad the school is, but I would strongly recommend private for elementary for any student that is not highly motivated and outgoing.

[Anonymous]

FCPS is a joke. We are in Langley pyramid. Class size 28 kids, 2 part time teachers lots of screen time. Movies when there are subs. Lots of extra half days. Maybe 2hrs learning each day tops. Very little parent involvement then really push the parents out.

[Anonymous]

I think it is very teacher dependent about how much the computer used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is a joke. We are in Langley pyramid. Class size 28 kids, 2 part time teachers lots of screen time. Movies when there are subs. Lots of extra half days. Maybe 2hrs learning each day tops. Very little parent involvement then really push the parents out.

I'm not sure why any parents that can afford to live in the Langley pyramid would send their child to public school? How stupid are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is a joke. We are in Langley pyramid. Class size 28 kids, 2 part time teachers lots of screen time. Movies when there are subs. Lots of extra half days. Maybe 2hrs learning each day tops. Very little parent involvement then really push the parents out.

I'm not sure why any parents that can afford to live in the Langley pyramid would send their child to public school? How stupid are you?

Stupid enough to think our tax $$$$ might actually be put to good use. Not everyone has $40k/child extra cash flow annually

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is a joke. We are in Langley pyramid. Class size 28 kids, 2 part time teachers lots of screen time. Movies when there are subs. Lots of extra half days. Maybe 2hrs learning each day tops. Very little parent involvement then really push the parents out.

Movies on sub days? I have never heard of this from a classroom teacher. How is there 2 hours of learning? Benchmark in itself is 2 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is very teacher dependent about how much the computer used.

Also varies with the Principal. Some require lots of computer use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is a joke. We are in Langley pyramid. Class size 28 kids, 2 part time teachers lots of screen time. Movies when there are subs. Lots of extra half days. Maybe 2hrs learning each day tops. Very little parent involvement then really push the parents out.

Movies on sub days? I have never heard of this from a classroom teacher. How is there 2 hours of learning? Benchmark in itself is 2 hours.

I was a teacher and a parent. Not sure that I would expect the kids to know how much time is spent in learning.

As for the movies on sub days, that is not ideal. But, as a teacher, I would prefer that to having the sub mess up something that I had planned.
I always left very detailed plans. (My first principal had a rule: you left your plan book open on top of your desk and a "sub folder" full of busy work in case the sub was confused. This was a very good rule.)

However, in spite of this, I had a sub once who told the kids to open their workbooks and work in them. The workbooks were useless after that. They required direction--definitely not independent busy work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is a joke. We are in Langley pyramid. Class size 28 kids, 2 part time teachers lots of screen time. Movies when there are subs. Lots of extra half days. Maybe 2hrs learning each day tops. Very little parent involvement then really push the parents out.

Movies on sub days? I have never heard of this from a classroom teacher. How is there 2 hours of learning? Benchmark in itself is 2 hours.

I was a teacher and a parent. Not sure that I would expect the kids to know how much time is spent in learning.

As for the movies on sub days, that is not ideal. But, as a teacher, I would prefer that to having the sub mess up something that I had planned.
I always left very detailed plans. (My first principal had a rule: you left your plan book open on top of your desk and a "sub folder" full of busy work in case the sub was confused. This was a very good rule.)

However, in spite of this, I had a sub once who told the kids to open their workbooks and work in them. The workbooks were useless after that. They required direction--definitely not independent busy work.

I have never left a movie for sub plans in my career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is a joke. We are in Langley pyramid. Class size 28 kids, 2 part time teachers lots of screen time. Movies when there are subs. Lots of extra half days. Maybe 2hrs learning each day tops. Very little parent involvement then really push the parents out.

Movies on sub days? I have never heard of this from a classroom teacher. How is there 2 hours of learning? Benchmark in itself is 2 hours.

I was a teacher and a parent. Not sure that I would expect the kids to know how much time is spent in learning.

As for the movies on sub days, that is not ideal. But, as a teacher, I would prefer that to having the sub mess up something that I had planned.
I always left very detailed plans. (My first principal had a rule: you left your plan book open on top of your desk and a "sub folder" full of busy work in case the sub was confused. This was a very good rule.)

However, in spite of this, I had a sub once who told the kids to open their workbooks and work in them. The workbooks were useless after that. They required direction--definitely not independent busy work.

I have never left a movie for sub plans in my career.

I am the teacher above. I never left a movie either. My point was that a movie is better than a sub who does not know what she/he is doing. When a sub messes up materials for a teacher who has left detailed plans and "busy work for "just in case you need it," a movie would be better.