Why are the field trips so underwhelming?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a parent chaperone for my kids field trip since I was a SAHM and was available (and wanted to attend) all trips.

I absolutely agree that the field trips are underwhelming and poorly thought out, for the following reasons -

- Horrible school buses. These have extremely uncomfortable seating, no AC/heat, very small windos, and all the smoke of the gas and pollution from the road comes inside the bus through the bus. The few times that the parents pooled in the money (and also donated generously) to get private buses, it was a really great experience. Still the school administration would not allow parents to fund better busses.

- Not enough chaperones. Especially when we had several special needs students with behavioral issues. There needs to be S.Ed teachers accompanying them as well as they need to understand how much does the sensory overload impacts these students.

- Kids not geared properly. Parents were not informed or given a checklist of what the kids would need to wear/carry, what lunch or snacks they would carry, why not to let kids who are sick join in, if gift shops would be visited.

- No curriculum. There was no reason to go to many of the field trips. Some of them were just DEI initiatives because otherwise some poor kids would never get to enjoy such outings. Case in point - utterly worthless and dumb "Medieval Times" which cost the school a bundle. The teachers did not have a plan, or a curriculum that connected with what the museum or field trip contained.

Since I am an immigrant and a SAHM, over the years, I have made sure that I have taken my kids to different museums and historical sites in and near DMV and we have never gone without reading about them, watching documentaries and having a clear idea of what we were going to learn. I wish I could make these packets for each museum for our public schools to follow.

Private busses are expensive and hard to reserve, hence the use of county busses.

There aren’t enough Sped teachers in the building to start with. They can’t leave their responsibilities behind to be extra chaperones on a field trip.

If you look at this thread, it doesn’t appear that parents want curricula-tied trips as much as they simply want experiences. Teachers who are already overworked are simply trying to provide that.

I’m grateful you were able to provide the opportunities you wanted for your children. It can’t become the school system’s responsibility to do that for you. If you want to get involved in providing these experiences for others, consider starting a site of resources to help the region’s busy parents provide these opportunities, too.

DP.
Why can’t it become the school responsibility? Aren’t fields trips part of the curriculum? This is ridiculous

Field trips are an expected, normal part of school curriculum. Have always been. Of course providing them is the school system's responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents ideally would want curricula-tied experiences. But FCPS doesn't seem able to provide that, so the parents will settle for any kind of experiences outside the classroom and away from the screens and mindless drudgery.

But the screens are so much easier.

[Anonymous]

Our school used to do Jamestown and a trip in 6th grade as well. We stopped for several reasons…

Prices skyrocketed. Parents would routinely come late to pickup which meant teachers were staying later and not getting paid extra to make sure all kids got home. Honestly, the behavior of kids is way worse as well.

As for trios in this area, the bussing is the major problem. I would love to do a trip to a museum and eat lunch on the mall. Not possible to do it well with tome constraints.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Appropriated funds cannot be used for field trips. This means parents have to fund buses and any entrance fees. Or there have to be fundraisers and/or PTA subsidies. There are some grant funded trips such as all the fourth graders going to the Kennedy Center and all sixth graders going to the Portrait Gallery.

Different grade levels at different schools go on different trips that are connected to the curriculum. Our 4th grade visits Jamestown and 6th grade goes to Gettysburg. First grade studies animals and visits the National Zoo.

My kid's elementary doesn’t do Jamestown anymore. They went to Luray Caverns, which returned an hour after school got out. My kid is really into history so I was telling my kid that some schools do still go there for a field trip. My kid said the teacher said they can't go anymore because Jamestown has a gift shop. What?!

I thought that fcps dropped Jamestown and a lot of other cool historical fieldtrips when the school board decided the district was anti founding fathers and anti colonialism.

They used to do cool field trips like Jamestown and Richmond to see statuary row, the Virginia history museum, and the church where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech. But those field trips preesented the founding fathers and early settlers in a positive light, which doesn't align with fcps values, so they were nixed.

You are a MAGA POS.this is not true and you know it you disgusting pig.

Those were the reasons given by fcps at the time.

Your ire is misplaced.

DP
Someone from FCPS said, “field trips presented the founding fathers and early settlers in a positive light, which doesn't align with fcps values”? Who from FCPS told you that?

I’ve taught 33 years for FCPS and those types of field trips have never been put on hold for those reasons.

[Anonymous]

My 4th grader in the Lake Braddock pyramid went to Jamestown last month. I have no idea how it was funded. I think we paid $65. I believe all the elementary schools near us have went or will go.

The farm trips are appropriate for little kids, imo. I agree the art museum trip is pretty bad (chaperoned a few years ago).

[Anonymous]

Do you think teachers want to supervise all of these bratty kids out in public? Hell no. And sometimes the chaperones are just more kids. One screamed at me for calling/texting her that the bus was waiting for her and her kid. I should’ve left them but was giving her the benefit of the doubt. They were in line at the gift shop and couldn’t get to the bus on time. Jesus. Some of these poor kids are doomed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Appropriated funds cannot be used for field trips. This means parents have to fund buses and any entrance fees. Or there have to be fundraisers and/or PTA subsidies. There are some grant funded trips such as all the fourth graders going to the Kennedy Center and all sixth graders going to the Portrait Gallery.

Different grade levels at different schools go on different trips that are connected to the curriculum. Our 4th grade visits Jamestown and 6th grade goes to Gettysburg. First grade studies animals and visits the National Zoo.

My kid's elementary doesn’t do Jamestown anymore. They went to Luray Caverns, which returned an hour after school got out. My kid is really into history so I was telling my kid that some schools do still go there for a field trip. My kid said the teacher said they can't go anymore because Jamestown has a gift shop. What?!

I thought that fcps dropped Jamestown and a lot of other cool historical fieldtrips when the school board decided the district was anti founding fathers and anti colonialism.

They used to do cool field trips like Jamestown and Richmond to see statuary row, the Virginia history museum, and the church where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech. But those field trips preesented the founding fathers and early settlers in a positive light, which doesn't align with fcps values, so they were nixed.

You are a MAGA POS.this is not true and you know it you disgusting pig.

Those were the reasons given by fcps at the time.

Your ire is misplaced.

No you are wrong. A lt of schools still go to Jamestown and Gettysburg. Many go to Philadelphia.

[Anonymous]

Where is the Lewis HS program getting their funds for field trips? They've gone on probably 100 trips by now. In 2024 they published 59 destinations since inception in SY 2022.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is the Lewis HS program getting their funds for field trips? They've gone on probably 100 trips by now. In 2024 they published 59 destinations since inception in SY 2022.

I'm sure the 500K they receive a year helps.

[Anonymous]

My kid went to the udvar hazy center two years in a row 🙄. And before that he went to Frying Pan park two years in a row

[Anonymous]

At least you aren’t in MCPS. My kids rarely got to go on field trips at all. I don’t know how it is today but they only went to a concert at Strathmore in 2nd grade and to a historic school house and on a boat trip in 4th. In 5th they took one trip (destination varied by year). No field trips in K, 1st or 3rd at all. When I was in elementary school, we had multiple field trips every year. It was a highlight.

[Anonymous]

Our history major said the grade school field trips to Mount Vernon, battlefields, and other places inspired the decision to major in history (with a complimentary science minor). Kid plans to get a Ph.D. in history and become a professor and historian. Kid has rocked their college classes and got into honors college. I can say the choice of destination can and does make a difference.

[Anonymous]

After having three kids go on the Jamestown field trip in 4th grade, I can honestly say that trip is a complete waste of time. It takes three hours there and three hours back, leaving only a small window to actually see the site. Everything is so rushed, it's absurd. The only way to make that trip really work is to do an overnight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Field trips are supposed to be a basic part of the public school curriculum. Its not asking for above and beyond. Its basic. We live in an area with a million free activities and events.

Yes, thank you! I'm the OP and that's exactly my point. And yes, I take my kids to the Smithsonians and aquarium and Huntley meadows but there's something unique about doing it with your classmates and friends! Kids in other states have a DC trip as the BIG TRIP in high school, and we don't even take our kids to see anything there in field trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After having three kids go on the Jamestown field trip in 4th grade, I can honestly say that trip is a complete waste of time. It takes three hours there and three hours back, leaving only a small window to actually see the site. Everything is so rushed, it's absurd. The only way to make that trip really work is to do an overnight.

Our school used todo an overnight. Geriatric principal nixed it. He and granny AP need to go. We need to oust boomer administrators.