What happens if MCPS isn't staffed by the first day of school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our middle schoolers are allowed to use their phones during lunch and it has cut down on fighting then too. They are also a lot quieter and easier to deal with.

Because they’re essentially sedated.

That’s the only way people would agree to work with them. Would you want to break up fights for minimum wage?

Well, I heard schools did operate before cell phones. Maybe I’m wrong?

[Anonymous]

Clearly someone who hasn’t been in a school in the last 5-10 yrs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clearly someone who hasn’t been in a school in the last 5-10 yrs.

So I’m wrong that schools operated without cell phones?

Or have you all just concluded that kids have to be sedated? And you wonder why I would never send my kid to a public school.

[Anonymous]

There is zero discipline in school. Teachers have their hands tied and admin doesn’t want to deal with it so you’re left with lots of out of control kids. Unless something changes, this lack of staff will continue to get worse every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly someone who hasn’t been in a school in the last 5-10 yrs.

So I’m wrong that schools operated without cell phones?

Or have you all just concluded that kids have to be sedated? And you wonder why I would never send my kid to a public school.

DP. I don't wonder that. I don't think about it, one way or the other.

I do, occasionally, wonder why people who wouldn't touch public schools with a ten-foot pole nonetheless post on the MCPS forum, but that's a general mild curiosity, not specific to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I let kids know that if you want to become a teacher you will be attacked on the job regularly and the principals will blame the victim, further bully them if they run their mouths, and move to fire the teacher who sees how the schools are run. It's just not worth it. The schools are too corrupt and mismanaged to allow for healthy careers.

Again? If you were a competent teacher, given the demand you'd have a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly someone who hasn’t been in a school in the last 5-10 yrs.

So I’m wrong that schools operated without cell phones?

Or have you all just concluded that kids have to be sedated? And you wonder why I would never send my kid to a public school.

DP. I don't wonder that. I don't think about it, one way or the other.

I do, occasionally, wonder why people who wouldn't touch public schools with a ten-foot pole nonetheless post on the MCPS forum, but that's a general mild curiosity, not specific to you.

Probably for the same reason any post critical of the BOE and McKnight is locked? To make themselves look good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clearly someone who hasn’t been in a school in the last 5-10 yrs.

So I’m wrong that schools operated without cell phones?

Or have you all just concluded that kids have to be sedated? And you wonder why I would never send my kid to a public school.

DP. I don't wonder that. I don't think about it, one way or the other.

I do, occasionally, wonder why people who wouldn't touch public schools with a ten-foot pole nonetheless post on the MCPS forum, but that's a general mild curiosity, not specific to you.

Probably for the same reason any post critical of the BOE and McKnight is locked? To make themselves look good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teacher shortage situation is looking quite grim across the state of Maryland and specifically within MCPS. WJLA dug into this recently: https://wjla.com/news/local/education-maryland-school-districts-work-to-fill-vacant-teaching-positions-teacher-shortages-montgomery-county-public-schools-prince-georges-county-superintendent-millard-house#

According to MCPS, there are currently 289 full-time openings: 167 at the elementary level, 73 among middle schools, 48 at high schools and one at the county's Virtual Academy.

MCPS tells me 98 of those vacancies are special education positions and that the system is engaged in a variety of recruitment and marketing efforts to attract new employees.

So expect a lot of shortages at the elementary and middle school levels. Surprisingly, the high schools are not in that bad of a shape, considering how often the behavioral issues at that level make the news.

The teacher shortage looks quite grim across the nation. Salary is only part of the change that needs to happen. As a nation we need to look at what is required of the work and how many people in schools would best serve the needs of students. We need to look at whether all teachers should be 10 month or some should be 12 month. We need to look at teacher training programs and evaluate if they are providing teachers with all the necessary skills needed for a 21st century classroom. We need to look at how parents are experiencing schools and how they are being prepared for what to expect. We need to evaluate funding sources and determine if they are keeping pace with the expectations and demands of consumers and where not explain clearly what cannot happen or what is being cut. ETc. ETC.

Actually, the majority of the problem is parenting at home. Parents have no expectations for their kids at home-they expect schools to raise them without doing any heavy lifting themselves. That is why as a country, we are seeing huge behavioral problems in early childhood education that only getting worse.

Oh I absolutely agree that this “Gentle Parenting” with no boundaries, and taking technology everywhere is part of the problem. Like if you can’t even take your kid to a restaurant and eat a meal without a device, what do parents think is going to happen in school. This DEFINITELY needs to be addressed. But that doesn’t change my thoughts that some serious re-imaging of education and community is needed.

It's a combination of teachers/schools and parenting. Teachers expecting kids to come to K reading is absurd. We did teach our kids knowing how inadequate MCPS was and through ES supplemented but it's not reasonable to expect parents to do that. Give the kids real homework and actually teach them in school. Get back to the basics.

We regularly gave our kids devices when we go to restaurants. After spending 24/7 with them, we wanted to talk and have some time together and it was far cheaper than a babysitter. The restaurants weren't fancy and welcoming to kids. That is not why kids are acting as they do. Parents blame teachers, teachers blame parents and no one works together. We couldn't get our ES teachers to talk to us, or our child's SN therapists. The school would not provide adequate services and the curriculum was a joke. They don't teach reading any more, they don' teach spelling, grammar or vocabulary. They don't teach math facts. No wonder our kids are struggling in later years. They didn't get a good foundation early on.

That child the teacher talked about clearly had SN and both the school and parents failed the child. The child needed supports, therapies and much more and they aren't going to get that by pre-k/holding back.

[Anonymous]

Actually the child doesn’t have special needs. He was never potty trained because his parents never did it. There are plenty of kids raised on devices. If you want old school teaching, I’d recommend Catholic schools. What you will find there is very much like my public education in the 80s (grammar, spelling, handwriting, math facts, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually the child doesn’t have special needs. He was never potty trained because his parents never did it. There are plenty of kids raised on devices. If you want old school teaching, I’d recommend Catholic schools. What you will find there is very much like my public education in the 80s (grammar, spelling, handwriting, math facts, etc).

Are you the former kindergarten teacher? If so, then notwithstanding the teacher shortage, it might be a good thing for everyone that you retired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually the child doesn’t have special needs. He was never potty trained because his parents never did it. There are plenty of kids raised on devices. If you want old school teaching, I’d recommend Catholic schools. What you will find there is very much like my public education in the 80s (grammar, spelling, handwriting, math facts, etc).

I don’t want “old school teaching”. I want the current teaching with discipline and parents that understand school and home is a partnership. Meaning they can’t raise their kid with devices and no boundaries and then expect they are going to be successful in a classroom of 20-40 kids, half of who are raised the same way. Teachers can’t effectively teach math because they have to spend time teaching behavior. I want parents who understand that education doesn’t start and stop at the school door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually the child doesn’t have special needs. He was never potty trained because his parents never did it. There are plenty of kids raised on devices. If you want old school teaching, I’d recommend Catholic schools. What you will find there is very much like my public education in the 80s (grammar, spelling, handwriting, math facts, etc).

I don’t want “old school teaching”. I want the current teaching with discipline and parents that understand school and home is a partnership. Meaning they can’t raise their kid with devices and no boundaries and then expect they are going to be successful in a classroom of 20-40 kids, half of who are raised the same way. Teachers can’t effectively teach math because they have to spend time teaching behavior. I want parents who understand that education doesn’t start and stop at the school door.

You will never get that so maybe you can find it in Catholic school. That's why many parents send their kids there (or any private school). They want their kids to be in an environment with likeminded people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually the child doesn’t have special needs. He was never potty trained because his parents never did it. There are plenty of kids raised on devices. If you want old school teaching, I’d recommend Catholic schools. What you will find there is very much like my public education in the 80s (grammar, spelling, handwriting, math facts, etc).

Are you the former kindergarten teacher? If so, then notwithstanding the teacher shortage, it might be a good thing for everyone that you retired.

I'm the former K teacher (didn't retire, got a better job instead). But I didn't post the above. I was in a school once where a parent gave my grade level colleague a puppy pad so her kid could defecate there instead of the toilet cause that's how they did it at home. I kid you not. The nurse got involved and we all helped to properly potty train this child. He didn't have any special needs, but perhaps the parents did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually the child doesn’t have special needs. He was never potty trained because his parents never did it. There are plenty of kids raised on devices. If you want old school teaching, I’d recommend Catholic schools. What you will find there is very much like my public education in the 80s (grammar, spelling, handwriting, math facts, etc).

Are you the former kindergarten teacher? If so, then notwithstanding the teacher shortage, it might be a good thing for everyone that you retired.

I'm the former K teacher (didn't retire, got a better job instead). But I didn't post the above. I was in a school once where a parent gave my grade level colleague a puppy pad so her kid could defecate there instead of the toilet cause that's how they did it at home. I kid you not. The nurse got involved and we all helped to properly potty train this child. He didn't have any special needs, but perhaps the parents did.

Good for you all. Some kids need public school to act as a backstop when their parents don't/can't provide what they need. I'm glad that you were able to help.