Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

I'd be more inclined to keep the requirement if service was actually community service. Instead, though, students can get hours automatically in class or (looking at a recent email) attending a zoom where they "have the opportunity to engage in a youth town hall with Montgomery County councilmembers".

Exactly! Actual volunteer service. Not this bs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.

If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.

Here’s how this happens:

1) Teenagers are lazy. They procrastinate and ignore multiple reminders and opportunities to earn SSL hours because they’d rather blow off the obligation to spend time on TikTok or Instagram.

2) Teenagers are irresponsible. They do the SSL hours but fail to fill and/or turn in the required paperwork to get the credit.

Yes. My kids only have their SSL hours because, I, the parent, am keeping track and reminding them to take advantage of SSL opportunities. One was done in middle school, the other is sure to have enough by the time she graduates high school. Left to their own devices, most teens, even intelligent, hard-working ones, will not juggle all the balls they need to juggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not equitable. Well to do parents set up non profits for their kids and have them do programs like "bake muffins for sad athletes". The kids look amazing for having spearheaded and ran a non profit while the kids of working parents cant find a ride to do roadside cleanup.

You do not get more SSL hours for establishing a nonprofit versus volunteering at an established one. You are complaining about the wrong thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.

If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.

Here’s how this happens:

1) Teenagers are lazy. They procrastinate and ignore multiple reminders and opportunities to earn SSL hours because they’d rather blow off the obligation to spend time on TikTok or Instagram.

2) Teenagers are irresponsible. They do the SSL hours but fail to fill and/or turn in the required paperwork to get the credit.

Yes. My kids only have their SSL hours because, I, the parent, am keeping track and reminding them to take advantage of SSL opportunities. One was done in middle school, the other is sure to have enough by the time she graduates high school. Left to their own devices, most teens, even intelligent, hard-working ones, will not juggle all the balls they need to juggle.

Which is why we need things like service learning, so that kids learn to juggle balls so that they are employable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

[Anonymous]

I think it is worth rethinking required SSL hours. While MCPS needs to be cutting budget, cutting SSL as a requirement will help. I love the idea of required SSL hours but enforcing and tracking these may not be a good use of MCPS limited resources. It also seems accessibility to meaningful SSL hours is limited and lots of kids are going through the motions in basically time wasting ways. I think as a society there are better ways to encourage kids to volunteer and be charitable than school enforced SSL. Plus, our area now has many kids who work to help support their families or who are leaning English and so will have limited volunteer access. At a time when schools are struggling with the basics of teaching academics at all, I think focusing their efforts there as well as on strengthening in school programs like music, theater, art to athletics as well as clubs like year book or newspaper is a better use of staff hours and will provide more direct and consistent value to students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

Agreed. ELD (ESOL) students have historically had a difficult time with this requirement. Why make this a graduation requirement? Reassign SSL staff to teach.

Do you have evidence to back that up, or are you making it up?

In my experience, teaching in a different district with a similar requirement, low income kids are comfortable with public transportation, and they are more likely to live in areas that aren't car dependent. MCPS offers opportunities at school, and at organizations in all neighborhoods, like public elementary schools, libraries, community based organizations, churches that operate food pantries etc . . . If anything, they are more opportunities in lower income neighborhoods, because those neighborhoods are denser housing.

The argument that a kid can't do SSL hours without someone driving applies to affluent kids who are overscheduled and picky about what they do, and whose parents don't expect them to walk or take public transportation. A kid who is willing to do a variety of work, and can get places by themself, can find opportunities.

My kids have been taking public buses since they were 11. They are very skilled at the system. There are very few opportunities that are accessible by public transportation, which kids can do without a parent accompanying them, and which give you more than an hour or two at a time. For instance, my kid did one where she went to a community center in Gaithersburg to help the elderly with their phones….it was 90 minutes of service for which I had to drive her about 40 minutes each way. There was no way to get there by bus in less than about 3 hours with multiple transfers. I really do read these emails every week and there are very few options that don’t require a parent to attend, drive or shell out money (eg buy supplies for the kid to make something at home). One year we went to the County MLK day of service and it was soooooo overcrowded — a lot of the events ran out of supplies before the kids even got a chance to do them. Ans that required an adult (I brought 6 kids as a favor to other parents). And even then was booked up very early so you had to sign up right away.

The idea that there are thousands and thousands of hours of meaningful service in the county that these kids can do on their own is just not realistic. I think. In large party because no one really wants unsupervised kids — unless it is part of a scouting program or a camp where you have parental permissions, waivers and insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.

It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.

There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.

Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.

+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps

I would also like to know. —middle school mom debating whether to risk the storm so her kid can get 1 SSL hour volunteering this evening a half hour away from where we live.

I wonder if the opportunities or norms are different across the schools? I haven't read the whole threads but was surprised to see this comment. I had three kids go through and all three got all SSLs in MS and I wasn't involved in almost any of it. Two of them asked their 4th and 5th grade teachers if they could help out after school (which they walked to once a week). I kind of recall them helping with earlier grades in the days before school began (putting up bulletin boards and such.) They seemed to get a lot AT school (They told me they got them for, like I think Outdoor Ed? And some things like that?0. I think, like reshelving books in the library or something? honestly, I don't know). One did some educational programs online (this was during Covid so not sure if those opportunities are still available-- I think it was like watching videos and taking quizzes about MLK or something like that?) The one time I was slightly involved, it was just driving one of them to a CIT gig in the summer-- she didn't do it for the reason of getting SSLs but did get them, and it added up to a lot over 2 weeks.

Honestly, even with 3 kids going through, I don't even know how many they needed or how they got them. They just took care of it, themselves. That's what makes me think that some schools are kind of more set up for kids to earn them (like, advertise the opportunities and have things available in or near the building) than others are?

You’re proving the point of those who say SSL hours are difficult for many to access. Your kids asked prior teachers to create an SSL opportunity for them that didn’t exist and wasn’t advertised to anyone. CIT jobs usually go to kids who have been campers in the past or kids whose parents pay for them to be campers. And great that your kids live within walking distance from their school so you didn’t need to drive them, but that isn’t the case for a lot of families.

I'm not sure why you're saying the ES opportunities didn't exist. You're right that they weren't posted on a website, but they didn't have some special relationship with the ES teachers. They just asked 'hey, do you need after school help' and the teachers said, 'sure!' Lots of kids at their ES did the same thing. But it's quite possibly true that there are different norms across elementary schools-- some might expect the volunteers or even mention it to the fifth graders as they finished up and others might find it unusual/not like to participate.

But if you're looking for posted opportunities, I just did a search on the SSL website and about a dozen virtual opportunities came up. Writing letters to cancer patients. Attending a virtual leadership academy, etc.

[Anonymous]

75 hours is such a low bar, though. Especially since students have seven years to pull it off, that I'm surprised that we're even arguing about it. My child did an hour a week, after school, and got it all by the seventh grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids had done over 130 hours by the end of 7th grade.

It is pathetic that this has not been completed by so many high school students.

There are still about 4 or 5 states where this is mandatory.

Great for you. But you also have free time to waste on DCUM so presumably you’ve got time and income to spare. A lot of MCPS parents don’t have the resources to shuffle their kids around to get SSL hours or to pay to get them done at summer camp. Check your privilege.

+1 not sure exactly how one’s kids get 130 hours so “easily” in middle school. Do enlighten us but I suspect it involves quite a bit of parental chauffeuring for an activity the kid was already involved in or some major money for SSL approved camps

I would also like to know. —middle school mom debating whether to risk the storm so her kid can get 1 SSL hour volunteering this evening a half hour away from where we live.

I wonder if the opportunities or norms are different across the schools? I haven't read the whole threads but was surprised to see this comment. I had three kids go through and all three got all SSLs in MS and I wasn't involved in almost any of it. Two of them asked their 4th and 5th grade teachers if they could help out after school (which they walked to once a week). I kind of recall them helping with earlier grades in the days before school began (putting up bulletin boards and such.) They seemed to get a lot AT school (They told me they got them for, like I think Outdoor Ed? And some things like that?0. I think, like reshelving books in the library or something? honestly, I don't know). One did some educational programs online (this was during Covid so not sure if those opportunities are still available-- I think it was like watching videos and taking quizzes about MLK or something like that?) The one time I was slightly involved, it was just driving one of them to a CIT gig in the summer-- she didn't do it for the reason of getting SSLs but did get them, and it added up to a lot over 2 weeks.

Honestly, even with 3 kids going through, I don't even know how many they needed or how they got them. They just took care of it, themselves. That's what makes me think that some schools are kind of more set up for kids to earn them (like, advertise the opportunities and have things available in or near the building) than others are?

You’re proving the point of those who say SSL hours are difficult for many to access. Your kids asked prior teachers to create an SSL opportunity for them that didn’t exist and wasn’t advertised to anyone. CIT jobs usually go to kids who have been campers in the past or kids whose parents pay for them to be campers. And great that your kids live within walking distance from their school so you didn’t need to drive them, but that isn’t the case for a lot of families.

I'm not sure why you're saying the ES opportunities didn't exist. You're right that they weren't posted on a website, but they didn't have some special relationship with the ES teachers. They just asked 'hey, do you need after school help' and the teachers said, 'sure!' Lots of kids at their ES did the same thing. But it's quite possibly true that there are different norms across elementary schools-- some might expect the volunteers or even mention it to the fifth graders as they finished up and others might find it unusual/not like to participate.

But if you're looking for posted opportunities, I just did a search on the SSL website and about a dozen virtual opportunities came up. Writing letters to cancer patients. Attending a virtual leadership academy, etc.

How is this community service? I'm really asking, not trying to be a jerk.

[Anonymous]

I am curious kids with special needs , like those with IEP, do some of them get exempted for SSL requirements due to certain disabilities? Like a kid who has emotional outburst or need 1:1 support, how could those kid do volunteering to serve other people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

I'd be more inclined to keep the requirement if service was actually community service. Instead, though, students can get hours automatically in class or (looking at a recent email) attending a zoom where they "have the opportunity to engage in a youth town hall with Montgomery County councilmembers".

Exactly! Actual volunteer service. Not this bs.

It’s not volunteer service if it’s mandatory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.

I'd be more inclined to keep the requirement if service was actually community service. Instead, though, students can get hours automatically in class or (looking at a recent email) attending a zoom where they "have the opportunity to engage in a youth town hall with Montgomery County councilmembers".

Exactly! Actual volunteer service. Not this bs.

It’s not volunteer service if it’s mandatory.

Child Labor Loophole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.

If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.

Here’s how this happens:

1) Teenagers are lazy. They procrastinate and ignore multiple reminders and opportunities to earn SSL hours because they’d rather blow off the obligation to spend time on TikTok or Instagram.

2) Teenagers are irresponsible. They do the SSL hours but fail to fill and/or turn in the required paperwork to get the credit.

3) Admin is incompetent, and they lose submitted SSL forms.