Middle School Tech Requirement?

[Anonymous]

My MSer came home with course registration info for next year. Counselors told her that she's required to take a Tech class elective to get through Middle School. Is this the case at every middle school?

She has been taking French and plays the cello, so her electives have been Language and Orchestra. Hate to give those up for one semester!

[Anonymous]

She needs the tech class to graduate from high school but has the option to get it out of the way in middle school. She can wait until high school to take it.

[Anonymous]

The state requirement for HS graduation is for one credit of tech = one year, not one semester.

[Anonymous]

I just heard this too.

Does anyone with older kids have a recommendation either way—getting it over with in MS or waiting till HS? My dd loves her electives and will be sad to give one up.

[Anonymous]

The MS counselors are pushing the kids at our MS to take it in MS.

But for kids who play an instrument (and enjoy it), it’s a tough decision to give it up.

Plus, won’t that decimate the HS music programs?

Unlikely that a kid will take a year off from their instrument and then pick it back up in HS.

And the tech class is only a semester, I believe.

Seems like a poorly thought out initiative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The state requirement for HS graduation is for one credit of tech = one year, not one semester.

According to our 7th grade Counselor, the kids are required to take a MS tech class.

My kid came home and told me this. And I called the Counselor to verify.

I also thought it was a HS requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She needs the tech class to graduate from high school but has the option to get it out of the way in middle school. She can wait until high school to take it.

Do you have a link to this? I tried searching the MCPS website but came up empty.

Would like to have this info to show our MS Counselor!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The MS counselors are pushing the kids at our MS to take it in MS.

But for kids who play an instrument (and enjoy it), it’s a tough decision to give it up.

Plus, won’t that decimate the HS music programs?

Unlikely that a kid will take a year off from their instrument and then pick it back up in HS.

And the tech class is only a semester, I believe.

Seems like a poorly thought out initiative.

It is MCPS. Did you expect any common sense thought to it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MS counselors are pushing the kids at our MS to take it in MS.

But for kids who play an instrument (and enjoy it), it’s a tough decision to give it up.

Plus, won’t that decimate the HS music programs?

Unlikely that a kid will take a year off from their instrument and then pick it back up in HS.

And the tech class is only a semester, I believe.

Seems like a poorly thought out initiative.

It is MCPS. Did you expect any common sense thought to it?

Fair enough. Poorly designed initiatives are the hallmark of MCPS.

[Anonymous]

I have never heard of this before. When did this tech requirement initiative start?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard of this before. When did this tech requirement initiative start?

My MSer just learned about it this week when the Counselors came to talk about registering for next year.

[Anonymous]

It is a Maryland state requirement for high school graduation. There is no middle school requirement.

"Technology Education – one credit that includes the application of knowledge, tools, and skills to solve practical problems and extend human capabilities"

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Testing/GraduationsRequirements2018.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a Maryland state requirement for high school graduation. There is no middle school requirement.

"Technology Education – one credit that includes the application of knowledge, tools, and skills to solve practical problems and extend human capabilities"

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Documents/Testing/GraduationsRequirements2018.pdf

What middle school class could be taken to fulfill this tech requirement?

[Anonymous]

This sounds more like a local school requirement than a county wide requirement. It's not a thing in the three middle schools I'm familiar with. Sometimes a school may pair electives together for scheduling purposes- 1 semester of X and one semester of Y, and the entire grade level rakes it.

[Anonymous]

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.