Another wasted day of school at MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well, MCPS has destroyed math with 2.0 so rest assured PP that math is no longer king in MCPS. It barely exists. The large class sizes are hurting the writing education. Students need good models, feedback and practice to learn how to write. This just isn't possible with the huge class sizes and teacher time spent collecting data that is for the school not the student. In the 2.0 world of anything you do is a P, students are hustled along thing that whatever they did was just great.

What superpowers MCPS must have!

No, MCPS has not destroyed math. Also, it's not true that everybody gets a P for everything.

[Anonymous]

Pay more taxes so we can have smaller class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fifth grader, pp? I do. And it's a struggle for him to write two coherent paragraphs. When I raised my concerns with his teacher, she told me that most of the kids struggle with it and that his writing skills are above average. Bottom line: the bar is set very low in elementary school...but not in MS. Next year will be a rude awakening. It's ridiculous that mcps can't prepare students for success.

I'm not a tiger mom...I'm a slacker mom. I'm not overreacting.

Question: What's the longest essay your fifth grader has written without assistance from his teacher or a parent? At our school, it's two paragraphs. And the content is crummy. I was writing reports by fifth grade. My fifth grader hasn't written one single report in elementary school. I think that's shocking. My nephews in other states are receiving a far better education than my kid. It's pathetic.

Three pages sometimes four. Outlining first, with research, and then revision. but that's HGC 4th grade, and why we chose HGC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 in private and 1 in public and I have to say that the differences are vast and significant. While we have had great teachers in both private and MCPS, the quality of what is being taught is far better at private.

Which is why people are willing to pay for their kids to attend private. So for all those people who keep asking me why we are spending all that money on private, you now have your answer.

If you want to spend all that money on private school, that is your choice, and none of my business.

Yes it is my choice...and you seem upset enough about it to respond. That is what I mean!! People with kids in public school get all in a tizzy when they find out someone is leaving to go to private. Some sort of insecurity or perhaps a realization that they should do the same.

I don't. My kids are in public and I'm moving them as soon as I can afford to. What private are you happy with? Because that's my fear -- I move them to a private and find out it's not really better.

[Anonymous]

I know people in our (non-W) neighborhood that left private for public and have not looked back. I am sure there are privates that are far superior and some kids really click in a particular environment but I have never been convinced the tuition money would guarentee us good value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fifth grader, pp? I do. And it's a struggle for him to write two coherent paragraphs. When I raised my concerns with his teacher, she told me that most of the kids struggle with it and that his writing skills are above average. Bottom line: the bar is set very low in elementary school...but not in MS. Next year will be a rude awakening. It's ridiculous that mcps can't prepare students for success.

I'm not a tiger mom...I'm a slacker mom. I'm not overreacting.

Question: What's the longest essay your fifth grader has written without assistance from his teacher or a parent? At our school, it's two paragraphs. And the content is crummy. I was writing reports by fifth grade. My fifth grader hasn't written one single report in elementary school. I think that's shocking. My nephews in other states are receiving a far better education than my kid. It's pathetic.

Three pages sometimes four. Outlining first, with research, and then revision. but that's HGC 4th grade, and why we chose HGC.

Same here in HGC. My 5th grader had a five page typed story this fall. In 4th grade they were taught how to write a 5 paragraph essay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fifth grader, pp? I do. And it's a struggle for him to write two coherent paragraphs. When I raised my concerns with his teacher, she told me that most of the kids struggle with it and that his writing skills are above average. Bottom line: the bar is set very low in elementary school...but not in MS. Next year will be a rude awakening. It's ridiculous that mcps can't prepare students for success.

I'm not a tiger mom...I'm a slacker mom. I'm not overreacting.

Question: What's the longest essay your fifth grader has written without assistance from his teacher or a parent? At our school, it's two paragraphs. And the content is crummy. I was writing reports by fifth grade. My fifth grader hasn't written one single report in elementary school. I think that's shocking. My nephews in other states are receiving a far better education than my kid. It's pathetic.

Three pages sometimes four. Outlining first, with research, and then revision. but that's HGC 4th grade, and why we chose HGC.

Huh. Didn't realize you can "choose" HGC (rolling my eyes, pp).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids in HGCs and magnets being taught how to write?

Yes. My HGC kid is now at Eastern. As a seventh grader, he is a much better writer than his sister, who is a HS junior. (She did not go to the HGC.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fifth grader, pp? I do. And it's a struggle for him to write two coherent paragraphs. When I raised my concerns with his teacher, she told me that most of the kids struggle with it and that his writing skills are above average. Bottom line: the bar is set very low in elementary school...but not in MS. Next year will be a rude awakening. It's ridiculous that mcps can't prepare students for success.

I'm not a tiger mom...I'm a slacker mom. I'm not overreacting.

Question: What's the longest essay your fifth grader has written without assistance from his teacher or a parent? At our school, it's two paragraphs. And the content is crummy. I was writing reports by fifth grade. My fifth grader hasn't written one single report in elementary school. I think that's shocking. My nephews in other states are receiving a far better education than my kid. It's pathetic.

Three pages sometimes four. Outlining first, with research, and then revision. but that's HGC 4th grade, and why we chose HGC.

Huh. Didn't realize you can "choose" HGC (rolling my eyes, pp).

Well, yes. You can "choose" to go to the school or stay at the home school. They don't force you to go once you get in, obviously. And it was a choice that I allowed my child to make because I was confident that his home school would have been fine - not the same, but fine. My child wanted the challenge of HGC, but some want to stay with friends, or the commute is not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a fifth grader, pp? I do. And it's a struggle for him to write two coherent paragraphs. When I raised my concerns with his teacher, she told me that most of the kids struggle with it and that his writing skills are above average. Bottom line: the bar is set very low in elementary school...but not in MS. Next year will be a rude awakening. It's ridiculous that mcps can't prepare students for success.

I'm not a tiger mom...I'm a slacker mom. I'm not overreacting.

Question: What's the longest essay your fifth grader has written without assistance from his teacher or a parent? At our school, it's two paragraphs. And the content is crummy. I was writing reports by fifth grade. My fifth grader hasn't written one single report in elementary school. I think that's shocking. My nephews in other states are receiving a far better education than my kid. It's pathetic.

Three pages sometimes four. Outlining first, with research, and then revision. but that's HGC 4th grade, and why we chose HGC.

Huh. Didn't realize you can "choose" HGC (rolling my eyes, pp).

Well, yes. You can "choose" to go to the school or stay at the home school. They don't force you to go once you get in, obviously. And it was a choice that I allowed my child to make because I was confident that his home school would have been fine - not the same, but fine. My child wanted the challenge of HGC, but some want to stay with friends, or the commute is not worth it.

Geez, you're dense. Your kid has to get into the HGC...you can't just choose to send them there.

And this thread has underscored the fact that mcps isn't teaching kids how to write...unless your kid is one of the few anointed ones who are privileged to attend an HGC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Geez, you're dense. Your kid has to get into the HGC...you can't just choose to send them there.

And this thread has underscored the fact that mcps isn't teaching kids how to write...unless your kid is one of the few anointed ones who are privileged to attend an HGC.

Yes, your kid has to get into the HGC -- and then you can choose whether or not the kid will go.

And actually, no, this thread has not underscored that "fact". My third-grade kid does a lot more writing than I did when I was in third grade. It has, however, underscored the fact that there are a lot of complaints about MCPS on DCUM, many of which are mutually contradictory.