Increase Absenteeism in Midle/Upper SES students not due to illness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

New to FCPS?

It was 2 full years, plus 2-3 years of recovery here.

Maybe not in your red state, but blue FCPS,was all in on covid school for years.

It was NOT one full year. March - June 2020 = 3 months. Many schools went back in for optional hybrid in February 2021- June 2021. Everyone in this entire state was back in person August 2021. Some families CHOSE to remain online but even then it was NOT in any realm two full years.

optional hybrid was still entirely online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole "I have nothing going on in classes" is a complete lie. I don't know why parents accept this. The fact that they don't have a quiz or test means they are learning something new. I would much rather my student miss a testing day compared to a learning day

This skips over a hard truth - some kids learn faster and better than others. The 2nd day of a concept in math might be new to some kids and agonizingly boring to others. You can be mad that the kids who pick things up quicker skip school but the pattern continues. People at work get their stuff done and then surf the internet or walk around chatting (or do other things if working from home). That's just how life works.

There are things FCPS could do to address this but it would mean greater differentiation and accepting that not everyone should be able to take honors classes. They won't do that so things will keep going the way they are.

Absolutely and if the kids who get it want to be on their device or playing a game, reading, whatever I am okay with that. But I need maybe 30 minutes to catch the other kids up. Not an entire period, so they missed an hour of class.

You are missing the point. There are kids that can read the notes and absorb the material without the class time. It's not all students and even for those students who can, it's probably not for all material. But if my high schooler comes to me and says "this is a waste of time" I'm probably going to believe them and let them use the time in a better way. If grades slip we will revisit but if the kid can achieve the results in half the time, why should I punish him by making him sit and do nothing?

Public school and especially FCPS isn't designed for these kids but there are ways to adapt the system so those kids can also get a free an appropriate education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole "I have nothing going on in classes" is a complete lie. I don't know why parents accept this. The fact that they don't have a quiz or test means they are learning something new. I would much rather my student miss a testing day compared to a learning day

This skips over a hard truth - some kids learn faster and better than others. The 2nd day of a concept in math might be new to some kids and agonizingly boring to others. You can be mad that the kids who pick things up quicker skip school but the pattern continues. People at work get their stuff done and then surf the internet or walk around chatting (or do other things if working from home). That's just how life works.

There are things FCPS could do to address this but it would mean greater differentiation and accepting that not everyone should be able to take honors classes. They won't do that so things will keep going the way they are.

Yes. This is what it's like for my kids. We are a high SES family in a low SES high school. Both kids skip a TON of school. I gave up caring a few years ago. Kid #1 graduated 1st in his class and is currently at a T20 and barely went to school. His common experience was that he would show up on test day or a day when a project was due and half the class would not have their projects done so the teacher would give the entire class period so that those kids could finish, or postpone the test to another day and let the kids use the entire class period to study. Meanwhile, my kid is sitting with his thumb up his ass bored to death. Half the kids in his AP classes didn't belong there. And because FCPS does block scheduling, every wasted period is 90 agonizing minutes.

Not every kid who skips school is bound to fail. Some are ready for a higher level of challenge that is not readily available in every FCPS school. I support my kids to know how much school they need to go to in order to get the results they want from their education. So far, FCPS hasn't cared how much school they attend. Neither of my kids has ever been flagged by the school or any individual teacher for absenteeism.

Glad to hear you made the system work for you!

[Anonymous]

My child doesn't go regularly and turns in all homework and assignments on their own. The teachers arent teaching or doing much except for grading papers and taking attendance there is no reason to go in. My children learn in their own through a combination of ai and tutoring. The teachers grade the submissions , total scam school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

New to FCPS?

It was 2 full years, plus 2-3 years of recovery here.

Maybe not in your red state, but blue FCPS,was all in on covid school for years.

It was NOT one full year. March - June 2020 = 3 months. Many schools went back in for optional hybrid in February 2021- June 2021. Everyone in this entire state was back in person August 2021. Some families CHOSE to remain online but even then it was NOT in any realm two full years.

optional hybrid was still entirely online.

My kid and his entire ES had the option of returning for 4 days a week, most of the school took that option. PLenty of HS and MS had 4 days a week as an option, mainly because so few kids took the initial hybrid option, 2 days in school, 2 days at home. Teachers reported kids in MS who ended up taking the ybrid option, which turned into 4 days a week, caught up on all grade level material and did quite well in school. Plenty of ES were able to offer 4 days a week in school. If you chose not to take the hybrid option and stayed online for the entire week, that is on you. Kids who went in 2days a week seemed happy and a good number of kids had 4 days a week in class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes we practically have to beg them to come to practice every day and they think it’s unfair when we bench them or don’t start them when they miss practice. Everything is more important than school or sport. They just have this idea that everything is optional and if they are not feeing it that day the don’t come. Furthermore most of them don’t really even enjoy playing, they get more joy about posting a win on social media than actually playing.

Why not kick them off the team so the kids you cut who really wanted to be there can have a shot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

It clearly sent a message that in person education was not a priority and parents and students remember that. Kids who were in kindergarten when it started as still in elementary school so most kids in the school system remember the experience of a short google meet and then "go ask your parents what to do now".

My youngest kid was was in K when it started. Did half of first grade online before hybrid began. Is now a 6th grader on the all A honor roll because she isn’t a moron who somehow thinks school will never matter in her life because she had to do Google meets for a total of 6 months ever. Get it together!

Why you are choosing to spend your Sunday morning name-calling on the Internet is an interesting question.

You missed the point. Kids are missing school and still doing fine. They get good grades, go to good colleges l, and get good jobs. They don't need too be in school because instruction is so dumbed down for the least capable.

Name calling who? I said MY daughter isn’t a moron, I didn’t call you anything. And no? Kids are not missing school and doing fine. I have 10th graders who have failed 3 quarters of the year: that’s not “doing fine.” I have seniors in my 10th grade class taking it for the 3rd time and haven’t passed some of the tests for graduation- they’re not “doing fine.”

Touch grass and control your emotions.

I really hope you are a troll and not a teacher because if you are a teacher and bring this overreaction to your class, I'd let my kid skip any day to avoid your outburst.

DP but what outburst? I'm not seeing any outbursts except for your drastic overreaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

Omg covid was ONE year of school. One. Many of the kids in school now weren’t even in school when covid happened!

New to FCPS?

It was 2 full years, plus 2-3 years of recovery here.

Maybe not in your red state, but blue FCPS,was all in on covid school for years.

It was NOT one full year. March - June 2020 = 3 months. Many schools went back in for optional hybrid in February 2021- June 2021. Everyone in this entire state was back in person August 2021. Some families CHOSE to remain online but even then it was NOT in any realm two full years.

optional hybrid was still entirely online.

My kid and his entire ES had the option of returning for 4 days a week, most of the school took that option. PLenty of HS and MS had 4 days a week as an option, mainly because so few kids took the initial hybrid option, 2 days in school, 2 days at home. Teachers reported kids in MS who ended up taking the ybrid option, which turned into 4 days a week, caught up on all grade level material and did quite well in school. Plenty of ES were able to offer 4 days a week in school. If you chose not to take the hybrid option and stayed online for the entire week, that is on you. Kids who went in 2days a week seemed happy and a good number of kids had 4 days a week in class.

Every school was different. My dc went back to school, but their teachers and some of their classmates stayed home and their classes were taught entirely online with laptops in the classroom with "monitors". This was for 3rd and 5th grade so wildly inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes we practically have to beg them to come to practice every day and they think it’s unfair when we bench them or don’t start them when they miss practice. Everything is more important than school or sport. They just have this idea that everything is optional and if they are not feeing it that day the don’t come. Furthermore most of them don’t really even enjoy playing, they get more joy about posting a win on social media than actually playing.

Why not kick them off the team so the kids you cut who really wanted to be there can have a shot?

Agree. My kids basketball coaches do not have this issue. Kids who don't show up are kicked off the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also I teach primarily 10th graders, the 11th and especially 12 graders at our school attendance is horrific.

Same. I think this is true across all income levels because I’m at a title 1 school but many here are posting about their higher SES schools. Parents do not make kids come. It’s way too comfortable for kids to stay home - think about when we were kids. If you stayed home, tv sucked, you had nobody talk to. They stay home and have streaming, tiktok, and can snap their friends all day. The students also on the whole care less about academics and about thinks like sports, for which they would need to be in school. This is true just comparing my students now to my pre Covid students: they generally are much, much less motivated or driven by almost anything, and have zero sense of school community.

Anyway, it’s bad.

We had 5 day school weeks and got out for summer vacation by Memorial Day.

Our kids have a pathetic mishmash of 3 and 4 day weeks, random half days, and are stuck in school almost until July.

Apples and oranges.

What are you talking about? I grew up in the 80s and we started school in August and ended in June. Maybe `1-2 weeks less school than they have now. You need to calm down.

[Anonymous]

For us it's the calendar with random days, but not full weeks off. We only see family over Christmas holiday, so we can't travel. Spring break is tied to Easter, so we can't travel and instead celebrate it religiously and with family. If it was separated we would be able to travel. Summer is not an ideal time for us to travel to the place we need to visit. So we just take the kids out of school. If there were full week breaks in the fall and spring, we would use those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also I teach primarily 10th graders, the 11th and especially 12 graders at our school attendance is horrific.

Same. I think this is true across all income levels because I’m at a title 1 school but many here are posting about their higher SES schools. Parents do not make kids come. It’s way too comfortable for kids to stay home - think about when we were kids. If you stayed home, tv sucked, you had nobody talk to. They stay home and have streaming, tiktok, and can snap their friends all day. The students also on the whole care less about academics and about thinks like sports, for which they would need to be in school. This is true just comparing my students now to my pre Covid students: they generally are much, much less motivated or driven by almost anything, and have zero sense of school community.

Anyway, it’s bad.

We had 5 day school weeks and got out for summer vacation by Memorial Day.

Our kids have a pathetic mishmash of 3 and 4 day weeks, random half days, and are stuck in school almost until July.

Apples and oranges.

What are you talking about? I grew up in the 80s and we started school in August and ended in June. Maybe `1-2 weeks less school than they have now. You need to calm down.

NP. I grew up in another area. We started in late August and ended in May. DH says that growing up in the northeast that he started school after labor day and ended before Memorial day every yera.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also I teach primarily 10th graders, the 11th and especially 12 graders at our school attendance is horrific.

Same. I think this is true across all income levels because I’m at a title 1 school but many here are posting about their higher SES schools. Parents do not make kids come. It’s way too comfortable for kids to stay home - think about when we were kids. If you stayed home, tv sucked, you had nobody talk to. They stay home and have streaming, tiktok, and can snap their friends all day. The students also on the whole care less about academics and about thinks like sports, for which they would need to be in school. This is true just comparing my students now to my pre Covid students: they generally are much, much less motivated or driven by almost anything, and have zero sense of school community.

Anyway, it’s bad.

We had 5 day school weeks and got out for summer vacation by Memorial Day.

Our kids have a pathetic mishmash of 3 and 4 day weeks, random half days, and are stuck in school almost until July.

Apples and oranges.

What are you talking about? I grew up in the 80s and we started school in August and ended in June. Maybe `1-2 weeks less school than they have now. You need to calm down.

NP. I grew up in another area. We started in late August and ended in May. DH says that growing up in the northeast that he started school after labor day and ended before Memorial day every yera.

Sorry, but he is definitely misremembering. I am from CT, my DH is from NY, and our family is from NJ and MA. We always started the Monday after Labor Day and went well into June. Usually around the 21st. My NJ family still has that calendar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a combination of parents remembering how schools handled covid-it was hey kids teach yourself, you don't need to be in person, and the calendar. For years the schools have sent the message that regular attendance doesn't matter.

I think there is a true lack of educating happening at FCPS schools and kids and parents know it. If students have to teach themself and teachers shrug shoulder at students learning...well expect families to quietly quit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child doesn't go regularly and turns in all homework and assignments on their own. The teachers arent teaching or doing much except for grading papers and taking attendance there is no reason to go in. My children learn in their own through a combination of ai and tutoring. The teachers grade the submissions , total scam school system.

This....and if they don't like your kids it's easy to fail the kids they don't like. There is no transparency on grading-no accountability with schools and teachers. FCPS is a scam. We also have tutors