Bring Back Loss of Credit for Skipping Class!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a majority-brown-black high school. If we did not implement the 50% rule very few students would actually graduate.

I taught before the 50% rule went into effect in a school with high minority population / high FARMS rate. My students were successful. I believe all students can learn.

+1000 The original comment insinuatingly that “majority-brown-black” kids can only graduate if we give them 50% is RACIST.

Is the original poster suggesting that the 50% rule was started because minority student's can't do the work? I thought it was put into place to motivate students.

Did Loss of Credit for skipping class motivate students to attend class? What type of evidence would be needed to prove that loss of credit is helpful / harmful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a majority-brown-black high school. If we did not implement the 50% rule very few students would actually graduate.

I taught before the 50% rule went into effect in a school with high minority population / high FARMS rate. My students were successful. I believe all students can learn.

+1000 The original comment insinuatingly that “majority-brown-black” kids can only graduate if we give them 50% is RACIST.

Is the original poster suggesting that the 50% rule was started because minority student's can't do the work? I thought it was put into place to motivate students.

Did Loss of Credit for skipping class motivate students to attend class? What type of evidence would be needed to prove that loss of credit is helpful / harmful?

As a teacher who lived through both loss of credit and no consequences, I can assure you that kids are motivated by loss of credit.

I taught summer school and kids were “shook” as they say that would not earn credit if they were absent for X amount of days. They actually came….

[Anonymous]

If kids skip class enough they get unenrolled so don't see the problem. I mean you can't make people who don't care to want an education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If kids skip class enough they get unenrolled so don't see the problem. I mean you can't make people who don't care to want an education.

They only get unenrolled if they miss X amount of days in a row. Kids are smart. Will skip for 9 and then come back on the 10th day so it restarts. Also, this does not solve the solution of kids coming the last week of the quarter and turning in 3 assignments to pass. Admin makes us accept work regardless if it is excused or unexcused absences.

[Anonymous]

Do high school teachers of core content classes think loss of credit policy was helpful? I am assuming there was some sort of appeal process for students who were sick / had to travel / had to work etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a majority-brown-black high school. If we did not implement the 50% rule very few students would actually graduate.

Well, better to not graduate people who haven't met the standard then to socially promote and have them continue to flounder and fail in the post-high school world.

Poor graduation rates in a school district tanks real estate prices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would support if I’d they give us a number of personal days for kids. I feel like I should be able to take my kids to see their grandparents or to their siblings graduation or leave a day early for winter break or something without lying and saying they are sick.

But I agree that kids just hanging out in the hallway or bathroom is ridiculous and I would be furious if my kids were doing this and McPS didn’t tell me.

They already go to school less than half of the year. You can’t schedule your visits when there are actual breaks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn't about MCPS. This is about the fact that there is no place for all these kids to go who aren't interested in studying. If you fail them for skipping, then they are back in the class next year being disruptive and disrespectful to a new set of students and teachers. If you fail them out entirely, they won't be able to get jobs.

If a kid is skipping or vaping all day, that's on the parents. They haven't done their job. They haven't instilled a hard work ethic. Schools have the unfortunate responsibility of playing babysitter to society's wastrels and reprobates.

Offer an alternative. Something like JobCorp or the CCC for youth ages 14-17. Pay the minimum wage, a transportation stipend, and provide 3 meals a day. Offer eight week night courses for those interested, academic or vocational. Allow participants to cycle back to public school each quarter if they want. If students successfully complete a quarter, they can re-up with a raise.

Great proposal, but have a second cohort for ages 18-21 who have not graduated…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a CTE teacher it’s amusing that people think we should have students that can’t read or do math in our programs. Most careers are technical with exams to pass. Kids absolutely need to be close to grade level in basic reading and math skills. Most of what these courses do is not hands-on. It’s prep for career exams.

Yes, so we graduate illiterate kids with absolutely no job skills. And then we wonder why we support so many able bodied adults with taxpayer funds OR we have crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This isn't about MCPS. This is about the fact that there is no place for all these kids to go who aren't interested in studying. If you fail them for skipping, then they are back in the class next year being disruptive and disrespectful to a new set of students and teachers. If you fail them out entirely, they won't be able to get jobs.

If a kid is skipping or vaping all day, that's on the parents. They haven't done their job. They haven't instilled a hard work ethic. Schools have the unfortunate responsibility of playing babysitter to society's wastrels and reprobates.

Offer an alternative. Something like JobCorp or the CCC for youth ages 14-17. Pay the minimum wage, a transportation stipend, and provide 3 meals a day. Offer eight week night courses for those interested, academic or vocational. Allow participants to cycle back to public school each quarter if they want. If students successfully complete a quarter, they can re-up with a raise.

Great proposal, but have a second cohort for ages 18-21 who have not graduated…

I like these ideas. What if they could start in the summer time (sort of like summer school), to see if it was a good fit? For some kids, it might give them the motivation to go back to traditional school and for others it might give them the motivation to really focus on a specific job skill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a CTE teacher it’s amusing that people think we should have students that can’t read or do math in our programs. Most careers are technical with exams to pass. Kids absolutely need to be close to grade level in basic reading and math skills. Most of what these courses do is not hands-on. It’s prep for career exams.

Yes, so we graduate illiterate kids with absolutely no job skills. And then we wonder why we support so many able bodied adults with taxpayer funds OR we have crime.

I know those programs require hard core skills. My son did one of them, and loved it. The difference was he now saw the need for the math and reading skills and therefore was willing to complete the lessons.


I think we have two (at least) different types of students to consider. Those who want to do traditional school but have difficulty with the concepts and those who just don't see the need for traditional school because it is not preparing them for the career they want to have.

[Anonymous]

What has mcps done this school year to mitigate students skipping class? When driving to work mid morning, will see students outside or they'll be gathered at a local coffee place. Not sure if those days happen to be a different schedule at school or it's a regular for students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What has mcps done this school year to mitigate students skipping class? When driving to work mid morning, will see students outside or they'll be gathered at a local coffee place. Not sure if those days happen to be a different schedule at school or it's a regular for students

Nothing. MCPS has done nothing. At my school, the problem is as bad as ever. We end up just passing the kids because no one knows what to do with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What has mcps done this school year to mitigate students skipping class? When driving to work mid morning, will see students outside or they'll be gathered at a local coffee place. Not sure if those days happen to be a different schedule at school or it's a regular for students

Nothing. MCPS has done nothing. At my school, the problem is as bad as ever. We end up just passing the kids because no one knows what to do with them.

Do they still send out "your kid was absent today" calls or messages? If they still do, can they continually send those messages to guardians until guardian excuses student for that day?

[Anonymous]

There was a small move in the right direction when Taylor said teachers could assign zeros for assignments with only one way communication. You used to have to have two-way communication with parents to assign zeros which encouraged disengaged parents to further disengage.

Bringing back LC would really help raise standards, but I’m not sure Taylor wants the reduced graduation rates to be blamed on him as kids and families adjust after so much mismanagement.