Do you care about how semester grades will show up on your kids' transcript? Email the BOE ASAP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have they said when they will announce the decision?

BOE Meeting on 5/12.

MCPS is pushing for pass/no credit for the semester. Does BOE always go along with MCPS? I hope they take other perspectives into account.

[Anonymous]

Giving a choice for grades/no grades creates a winners/losers situation for high school course grades. Colleges could potentially compare students from the same school and say, "Why does Larla have an A, but Larlo has a Pass/Credit."

This is NOT a time to buy into the race to nowhere, this is a time to support kids. Leaving the grades on the table for everyone is the most egalitarian approach. It hurts no one. Of course, there will be some people who do not get credit, but that's a different problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

As usual, no matter what MCPS does, somebody on DCUM is criticizing it.

According to DCUM, middle-class parents in MCPS value education. It sure looks like what they actually value is grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

There was worry that parents would explode if MP 3 grades simply disappeared. The idea was to push them as high as possible although they wouldn’t matter for long.

My principal says MCOS is preparing for class action lawsuits over distance learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

There was worry that parents would explode if MP 3 grades simply disappeared. The idea was to push them as high as possible although they wouldn’t matter for long.

My principal says MCOS is preparing for class action lawsuits over distance learning.

Twisted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

There was worry that parents would explode if MP 3 grades simply disappeared. The idea was to push them as high as possible although they wouldn’t matter for long.

My principal says MCOS is preparing for class action lawsuits over distance learning.

I would like to transfer to the school that pushed the grades up for 3rd quarter. Where is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Giving a choice for grades/no grades creates a winners/losers situation for high school course grades. Colleges could potentially compare students from the same school and say, "Why does Larla have an A, but Larlo has a Pass/Credit."

This is NOT a time to buy into the race to nowhere, this is a time to support kids. Leaving the grades on the table for everyone is the most egalitarian approach. It hurts no one. Of course, there will be some people who do not get credit, but that's a different problem

And every single college would know that that's because of the coronavirus. And that different students from the same school had different issues to deal with this marking period. Their application essays can be used to tell about their challenges if they choose to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

As usual, no matter what MCPS does, somebody on DCUM is criticizing it.

According to DCUM, middle-class parents in MCPS value education. It sure looks like what they actually value is grades.

Yes, I value my HS student’s Q3 grades right now because I saw all of the hard work they already put in to achieve those grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

There was worry that parents would explode if MP 3 grades simply disappeared. The idea was to push them as high as possible although they wouldn’t matter for long.

My principal says MCOS is preparing for class action lawsuits over distance learning.

I would like to transfer to the school that pushed the grades up for 3rd quarter. Where is it?

You’d have an easier time finding the one school that didn’t. Teachers system wide were asked to excuse any Zs, including those pre-pandemic. Removing even a single Z will instantly boost grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

As usual, no matter what MCPS does, somebody on DCUM is criticizing it.

According to DCUM, middle-class parents in MCPS value education. It sure looks like what they actually value is grades.

Yes, I value my HS student’s Q3 grades right now because I saw all of the hard work they already put in to achieve those grades.

Well, there you go. The hard work is not an end in itself; the learning is not an end in itself; it's about the grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

As usual, no matter what MCPS does, somebody on DCUM is criticizing it.

According to DCUM, middle-class parents in MCPS value education. It sure looks like what they actually value is grades.

Yes, I value my HS student’s Q3 grades right now because I saw all of the hard work they already put in to achieve those grades.

Well, there you go. The hard work is not an end in itself; the learning is not an end in itself; it's about the grades.

Colleges use grades as one metric to judge Hard work and learning, whether we like it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As usual MCPS is operating reactively with no planning. If you are not going to have semester grade, why have a Q3 grade? Why were teachers told to give ample opportunities to get grades up after the shutdown? What was the point of it?

As usual, no matter what MCPS does, somebody on DCUM is criticizing it.

According to DCUM, middle-class parents in MCPS value education. It sure looks like what they actually value is grades.

Yes, I value my HS student’s Q3 grades right now because I saw all of the hard work they already put in to achieve those grades.

Well, there you go. The hard work is not an end in itself; the learning is not an end in itself; it's about the grades.

Colleges use grades as one metric to judge Hard work and learning, whether we like it or not.

In other words: what DCUM actually values is grades and college admissions, not education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give kids choice. 3rd quarter grade or Pass/Fail. How is that unfair to anyone? My straight A kid got B 3rd quarter was expecting to pull up 4th quarter as has done before. So I am not suggesting option to benefit my own kid. I am just not understanding how giving the kids a choice would disadvantage anyone. It seems to me that saying after the fact that the 3rd quarter grades do not count is a bad call. No problem telling now for 4th quarter that it is Pass/Fail, not opposed to either method but do not like the after the fact component of 3rd quarter. The whole thing seems like a no brainer.

Kids got 3rd quarter grades. They are hyper inflated, but they got them. It’s 4th quarter that won’t have a grade. I’d like there to be a choice for 4th quarter.

You are missing the point. 3rd qtr grades would not count if semester is pass fail. So retroactively you are making an entire quarter of work/grades meaningless. I don’t have a problem with your suggestion either, choice of grade for 4th quarter. That would benefit my kid the most. But my problem is that the kids who did the work at home have the same outcome as the kids who didn’t and are not being told that until after they did the work. The the semester grades are pass/fail my kid did a big disservice to himself by working to get grades up instead of spending all that time studying for AP Exams. It just bothers me that the information is not provided timely for students. If semester grades were not going to count, this should have been communicated sooner than 5 weeks and after the end of quarter.

I hope there is no choice; DC's friend is a very bright student but his family is going through a lot now since a family member came down with COVID. We also happen to know a family financially not doing well due to job loss; their kids are really smart, and one of them is in HS. So, DC knows we have been lucky so far, and though it would be an advantage for us, it would be unfair to many if there is a choice. If there is a choice, this semester's grades will reflect who was affected less and who was affected more; not necessarily who worked harder.

There, but the grace of God, go I ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give kids choice. 3rd quarter grade or Pass/Fail. How is that unfair to anyone? My straight A kid got B 3rd quarter was expecting to pull up 4th quarter as has done before. So I am not suggesting option to benefit my own kid. I am just not understanding how giving the kids a choice would disadvantage anyone. It seems to me that saying after the fact that the 3rd quarter grades do not count is a bad call. No problem telling now for 4th quarter that it is Pass/Fail, not opposed to either method but do not like the after the fact component of 3rd quarter. The whole thing seems like a no brainer.

Kids got 3rd quarter grades. They are hyper inflated, but they got them. It’s 4th quarter that won’t have a grade. I’d like there to be a choice for 4th quarter.

You are missing the point. 3rd qtr grades would not count if semester is pass fail. So retroactively you are making an entire quarter of work/grades meaningless. I don’t have a problem with your suggestion either, choice of grade for 4th quarter. That would benefit my kid the most. But my problem is that the kids who did the work at home have the same outcome as the kids who didn’t and are not being told that until after they did the work. The the semester grades are pass/fail my kid did a big disservice to himself by working to get grades up instead of spending all that time studying for AP Exams. It just bothers me that the information is not provided timely for students. If semester grades were not going to count, this should have been communicated sooner than 5 weeks and after the end of quarter.

I hope there is no choice; DC's friend is a very bright student but his family is going through a lot now since a family member came down with COVID. We also happen to know a family financially not doing well due to job loss; their kids are really smart, and one of them is in HS. So, DC knows we have been lucky so far, and though it would be an advantage for us, it would be unfair to many if there is a choice. If there is a choice, this semester's grades will reflect who was affected less and who was affected more; not necessarily who worked harder.

There, but the grace of God, go I ...

+1000, Did you see the notice in Bethesda Beat about the family that just lost their mother to Covid - 4 kids, 1 in HS and 1 a newborn, who the mother never got to hold before her passing because of the virus. It's tragic! That's one of many similar stories in the County; the rest we don't know about - equally tragic to the affected family. These children should not have to justify why s/he chose credit/no credit over 3rd Quarter grades during his/her college admissions cycle because having the choice advantages the hardworking children of the privileged and the lucky (again).

[Anonymous]

Why not do like Howard Co and county a P then as an A for GPA purposes?