New principal will lead with equity

[Anonymous]

I had students in class today figuring out which assessment to blow off and take the 50% and which to take seriously to pass a class at a specific grade. This was from general A/B students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had students in class today figuring out which assessment to blow off and take the 50% and which to take seriously to pass a class at a specific grade. This was from general A/B students.

That will work out badly since they eliminated the 50% rule a while ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our high school will be getting a new principal. One of the requirements is to appoint a principal who will lead with equity. What does that mean?

Which school is this?

[Anonymous]

How is it “equitable” to make my kid (98% MAP R, qualified for magnet pool but not selected by lottery) sit bored and wasting time in “Honors for All” English? This failed policy needs to go, along with Monifa McKnight!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our high school will be getting a new principal. One of the requirements is to appoint a principal who will lead with equity. What does that mean?

It means closing the gap. Typically by lowering the ceiling as opposing to raising the bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:There's a lot going on in this thread, and the result is that real concerns are getting jumbled up with imaginary issues. As a long-time MCPS parent, here are my thoughts:

Real Problems

Lack of meaningful consequences for bad behavior. While there is some justification for restorative justice practices when properly implemented at the appropriate grade levels, MCPS has not followed best practices here. Instead of properly training teachers/administrators and resourcing restorative justice (which is expensive when done correctly), MCPS took the easy way out, throwing a one-day training at folks while removing any ability to use the previous tools. This has lead to chaos.

Over-reliance on external EdTheory types with no or limited classroom experience. This is very similar to the RJ problem above. Instead of listening to classroom teachers about what works, MCPS has lurched from EdTheory trend to EdTheory trend, forcing teachers and administrators to sit through PD trainings about how disregulated kids who stab each other with pencils are basically Rosa Parks.

Removal of differentiated instruction at MS and HS levels. The "Honors for All" approach is a massive failure, and contributes to a lot of downstream effects within MCPS. By refusing to acknowledge that some kids are better-prepared than others, and meeting kids where they are, MCPS has instead thrown every kid into one big undifferentiated mass. This ends up poorly serving everyone, but it also fuels flight from integrated schools and raises the stakes for magnet admissions as the only way for kids to get above-grade-level instruction until 11th grade.

Averaging out semester grades. Unlike the 50 Percent Rule, this is an actual issue in terms of grade inflation and student motivation. In MCPS, a child only needs an A in one quarter to get an A for the semester. This is demoralizing for even the most motivated kids, and ought to be re-examined.

Not Real Problems

Period products in bathrooms. This is fine. I have no idea why someone would find this upsetting. Historically, key teachers have stocked their classroom with period supplies for kids in need, and this just skips that step.

Books about controversial topics. I can't believe the example cited in this thread (One Crazy Summer) is so anodyne. That book is a Newberry award winner and has been around for more than a decade.

Elective English Classes. The gender/race in Shakespeare class breathlessly described in this thread is an elective. If your child doesn't think that's interesting, or you don't think it is appropriately rigorous, just don't let them take it. High schools and colleges always have a selection of electives to meet different needs/interests.

The 50 Percent Rule. This "rule" is wildly misunderstood on DCUM. It is still possible to earn a 0, but the "floor" is 50% if you put in some effort to do the task. If your child is slacking because of the 50 Percent Rule, that's a problem for your family since a 50 is still an F. It has no bearing on the trajectory of motivated students.

Agreed.

There is a little nuance with the 50 rule though. Kids know how to calculate what they need to stay at the 89.5 or even 79.5 to get an A for the semester. They can basically opt out of assignments if the penalty for doing so is minimized.

Moving to an A, A-, B+, B etc system and restoring midterms and finals might help too.

I definitely think +/- grading would be good. I don't think midterms are needed but I can get on board with bringing finals back.

Finals took up a lot of time and had kids coming and going from school at all hours. Right after APs, which did the same. I feel like AP exams ably take the place of cumulative exams. My DC’s calc class also has a cumulative first semester exam now. So for those who want to prepare for college exams, the opportunities are there. For those who don’t, having smaller, more frequent exams can be helpful.

Just wave the final for kids who take the AP exam but for all of the other classes there should be a cumulative exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had students in class today figuring out which assessment to blow off and take the 50% and which to take seriously to pass a class at a specific grade. This was from general A/B students.

That will work out badly since they eliminated the 50% rule a while ago.

The rule is modified but not game. Don’t worry. The kids can figure that out too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also means my RMIB kid has had THREE books assigned in all 12th grade for her IB HL English class. One was a short play.

One of my kids had to do a feminist analysis of a Shel Silverstein kids book in high school english. I am not even kidding.

H English 10 only 2 books total first semester. The teacher has to give time to read or listen to the book in class because the assumption is, based on experience, the kids won’t read even those 2 slowly paced books as homework.

How many books do you think an honors English 10 class should conquer? You do realize th have to cover other stuff in these classes besides the assigned book.

I went to a rigoles private school for HS and even we only did 1-2 full books per quarter. And my kids class did one of the same books I did in 10th say back then.

When I graduated from MCPS I had read as many books as any well read adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had students in class today figuring out which assessment to blow off and take the 50% and which to take seriously to pass a class at a specific grade. This was from general A/B students.

That will work out badly since they eliminated the 50% rule a while ago.

The rule is modified but not game. Don’t worry. The kids can figure that out too.

What modifications were made to the rule?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also means my RMIB kid has had THREE books assigned in all 12th grade for her IB HL English class. One was a short play.

One of my kids had to do a feminist analysis of a Shel Silverstein kids book in high school english. I am not even kidding.

H English 10 only 2 books total first semester. The teacher has to give time to read or listen to the book in class because the assumption is, based on experience, the kids won’t read even those 2 slowly paced books as homework.

How many books do you think an honors English 10 class should conquer? You do realize th have to cover other stuff in these classes besides the assigned book.

I went to a rigoles private school for HS and even we only did 1-2 full books per quarter. And my kids class did one of the same books I did in 10th say back then.

When I graduated from MCPS I had read as many books as any well read adult.

This did not answer the PPs question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Equity has become meaningless jibber jabber. It’s sad.

Disagree. It’s not meaningless. It has profound meaning and is extreme damaging. It’s a violation of the Civil Rights Act too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Equity has become meaningless jibber jabber. It’s sad.

Disagree. It’s not meaningless. It has profound meaning and is extreme damaging. It’s a violation of the Civil Rights Act too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our high school will be getting a new principal. One of the requirements is to appoint a principal who will lead with equity. What does that mean?

It simply means wasting tax payers money on doing political propoganda. Just a bad news.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had students in class today figuring out which assessment to blow off and take the 50% and which to take seriously to pass a class at a specific grade. This was from general A/B students.

That will work out badly since they eliminated the 50% rule a while ago.

Unfortunately some schools are still using it

[Anonymous]

When some students get one good grade one semester to galvanize the to pass the class it's bye bye trying for the rest of the year. When admin reviews you as kids go back to their phone addictions and ignoring class....yada yada yada...teacher is unemployed against their will.