APS Lucy Calkins- how does this happen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sorry can you explain what all this means? Especially tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3. Is Fundations and Wilson structured literacy? I have a kindergartener at ATS so we have very little experience with the school system. We picked ATS because my coworker kept raving about it so I figured why not tour it. I did, liked it, applied and DD got in. Definitely have no idea who Calkins was before this week lol though now I’m glad we are in a school that doesn’t use it.

Google “apsva ATSS”

Google “Fundations” “Wilson reading”

Do your own research.

Yeah. Pp you’re basically asking someone to distill for you the science of reading and all the approaches and the merits and downsides of each. People get actual degrees and do research in this. Nobody is going to break it down in one message board comment for you and tbh, if you don’t know what any of this means, you’re not really in a position to be advocating for schools to take any certain approach. It’s just not your lane.

Yeah PP, teachers get actual degrees in education! (Yet please see previous post explaining how many teachers don’t understand how Lucy Calkins is bad.)

I will say, there are several articles and even a few books that have been mentioned/linked in this post and the Spelling and Grammar post. I’d give those a shot if you care about education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sorry can you explain what all this means? Especially tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3. Is Fundations and Wilson structured literacy? I have a kindergartener at ATS so we have very little experience with the school system. We picked ATS because my coworker kept raving about it so I figured why not tour it. I did, liked it, applied and DD got in. Definitely have no idea who Calkins was before this week lol though now I’m glad we are in a school that doesn’t use it.

Google “apsva ATSS”

Google “Fundations” “Wilson reading”

Do your own research.

Yeah. Pp you’re basically asking someone to distill for you the science of reading and all the approaches and the merits and downsides of each. People get actual degrees and do research in this. Nobody is going to break it down in one message board comment for you and tbh, if you don’t know what any of this means, you’re not really in a position to be advocating for schools to take any certain approach. It’s just not your lane.

Don’t pay attention to these nasty teachers. If you read The Knowledge Gap, you’ll understand that teachers don’t understand the science of reading at all. They make up theories and go with them. The Cognitive Scientists have actually broken down how to teach different subjects in the best way, yet most teachers are completely unaware.

I don’t completely blame the teachers though. Schools of Education (even in top universities!) teach the teachers faulty theory and methods, so they don’t stand a chance.

People in other developed nations are totally confused with our education system.

[Anonymous]

We are barely a developed nation at this point in any way, including education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THEY DO KNOW. You have no idea what teachers have or have not said to their reps and admin about this. We push back/ they don’t care. You have no idea what curriculum *we* have asked for or what modifications we make against policy and with our own money to teach effectively. So quit acting like just because nobody listens to us either that we aren’t doing or saying anything. It’s literally stupid that you all believe teachers have so much control over return to school, curriculum, etc oh yeah but somehow we also stay giving ourselves low salaries with all this power we have.

+1,000,000,000

I believe you. Why are Administrators so devoted to this philosophy? I don’t get it.

Are most teachers in agreement that the curriculum is terrible? If so, how can parents and teachers join forces to change it? I want to help, but don’t know where to start!

If APS cares so much about equity (and they should!), they need to fix the curriculum problem. Low SES kids aren’t getting the tutoring and other supplementation that wealthier kids get. It is making the gap even worse! We need a quality curriculum for ALL!

This. It’s not fair.

The first thing that needs to be done in regular classrooms at the early elementary level is to get rid of the kids who can't sit still and behave. Put them in separate classes and stop hiding behind IEPs - They literally take up time that could be used for literacy or any other subject. I don't know how much time is literally wasted because one or more kids consistently distract the rest of the class every day. Parents, you know who you are because these kids obviously live with you and I know of many cases that ate junk food all day, watched tv or played video games for hours at a time, and had very few rules to follow in their life. This is probably the single biggest complaint parents with kids in disruptive classes have and I know of more than a few teachers who couldn't stand these kids either because their parents won't allow teachers to punish them or remove them from the class.

Yes. Inclusion classrooms are a huge problem. My sin has been subjected to a classroom terrorist since elementary school and they are in high-school together and now she is just an overgrown classroom terrorist. She is one kid of 25 and takes up 25% of the teachers time and attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The first thing that needs to be done in regular classrooms at the early elementary level is to get rid of the kids who can't sit still and behave. Put them in separate classes and stop hiding behind IEPs - They literally take up time that could be used for literacy or any other subject. I don't know how much time is literally wasted because one or more kids consistently distract the rest of the class every day. Parents, you know who you are because these kids obviously live with you and I know of many cases that ate junk food all day, watched tv or played video games for hours at a time, and had very few rules to follow in their life. This is probably the single biggest complaint parents with kids in disruptive classes have and I know of more than a few teachers who couldn't stand these kids either because their parents won't allow teachers to punish them or remove them from the class.

You are truly an awful person. I hope you leave for private school.

Do you enjoy going to a movie theater and while watching a movie have 3 other patrons running around the theater, making noise, flicking the lights on and off and screaming? Because that is basically what it is like trying to learn with these mentally disturbed kids in the classroom.

Last year I was in my sons classroom helping and this crazy kid flipped his desk over in a rage. Do you have any clue how much chaos this caused in a 4th grade classroom? A loud bang and supplies and crap everywhere and a 9yr old having a tantrum. It ruined the entire lesson.

Pathetic. These kids need to head back to the special ed classes.

[Anonymous]

^ this is why parents don’t belong volunteering in classrooms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are barely a developed nation at this point in any way, including education.

We are barely a developed nation BECAUSE our education system sucks. It all starts there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are barely a developed nation at this point in any way, including education.

We are barely a developed nation BECAUSE our education system sucks. It all starts there.

Would be nice if our country funded education the way it funds the pentagon, huh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are barely a developed nation at this point in any way, including education.

We are barely a developed nation BECAUSE our education system sucks. It all starts there.

Would be nice if our country funded education the way it funds the pentagon, huh.

When our schools choose expensive curricula that fails our children, I’m hesitant to offer more funding.

[Anonymous]

The fact is, we need teachers to be told WHAT to teach, with general guidelines of how to teach it. The selected curriculum needs to be proven to actually work. There are many options out there. Having teachers decide what to teach is a nightmare.

Good teachers are energetic, engaging, and know how to manage a classroom well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are barely a developed nation at this point in any way, including education.

We are barely a developed nation BECAUSE our education system sucks. It all starts there.

Would be nice if our country funded education the way it funds the pentagon, huh.

Schools are failing our kids by wasting the money we give them, but sure! Let’s give them more!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please read “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Lucy Calkins is HORRIBLE. I can’t believe teachers go along with this.

Omg don’t blame the curriculum a whole district buys and says teachers have to use on the teachers. How much say do you have over how your leadership tells you to do elements of your job?

I’m a nurse and you’d better believe that if my coworkers and I were instructed to do things that consistently led to bad outcomes, we would speak up and demand change.

WTH?? You’re ok with accepting the failing state of education? I seriously have to question your integrity if you’re ok with continuing to operate this way. Jesus.

Calm down Drama Queen. The problem is this is also what’s taught in teaching programs. It’s been reading instruction for a LONG time. A lot of teachers honestly don’t know it’s not “the best” way to teach reading. I don’t teach elementary but you can also stop acting like teachers are killing children by using curriculum they learned on and are told to use by their district. By all means go lobby the district to abandon it and tell them what reading program you prefer.(you don’t know any.)

I don’t know which is worse, knowing the curriculum you follow is terrible yet choosing not to speak up, or being completely unaware that the curriculum is terrible in the first place. It means you’re either lazy or stupid.

Yes, there are many better options for the chosen curriculum. Many posters have linked specific examples. Children need to be taught to decode. Spelling, phonics, and grammar instruction are critical. A curriculum focused on building knowledge, rather than general comprehension strategies, is much more effective.

How do I, as a nurse, understand this better than you?!

The Calkins curriculum is not terrible. It works wonders for many students in helping them to think deeply and comprehend at advanced levels (granted, I’ve only taught Calkins in upper elementary grades). In the lower grades, it needs to be coupled with phonics instruction. A phonics only curriculum would bore the early readers to tears. My kids’ K-1 teachers (ACPS) did a good job balancing Calkins with phonics instruction. The dramatics of calling the curriculum “terrible” don’t help. What we had before (NO language arts curriculum for my first 12 years of teaching) was much worse. Each teacher had to create her own lessons based on the standards.—Fine, if you had an outstanding teacher, but not great in many cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are barely a developed nation at this point in any way, including education.

We are barely a developed nation BECAUSE our education system sucks. It all starts there.

Would be nice if our country funded education the way it funds the pentagon, huh.

Schools are failing our kids by wasting the money we give them, but sure! Let’s give them more!

Yes, we give schools too much money.

JFC. Are you a troll?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The first thing that needs to be done in regular classrooms at the early elementary level is to get rid of the kids who can't sit still and behave. Put them in separate classes and stop hiding behind IEPs - They literally take up time that could be used for literacy or any other subject. I don't know how much time is literally wasted because one or more kids consistently distract the rest of the class every day. Parents, you know who you are because these kids obviously live with you and I know of many cases that ate junk food all day, watched tv or played video games for hours at a time, and had very few rules to follow in their life. This is probably the single biggest complaint parents with kids in disruptive classes have and I know of more than a few teachers who couldn't stand these kids either because their parents won't allow teachers to punish them or remove them from the class.

You are truly an awful person. I hope you leave for private school.

Do you enjoy going to a movie theater and while watching a movie have 3 other patrons running around the theater, making noise, flicking the lights on and off and screaming? Because that is basically what it is like trying to learn with these mentally disturbed kids in the classroom.

Last year I was in my sons classroom helping and this crazy kid flipped his desk over in a rage. Do you have any clue how much chaos this caused in a 4th grade classroom? A loud bang and supplies and crap everywhere and a 9yr old having a tantrum. It ruined the entire lesson.

Pathetic. These kids need to head back to the special ed classes.

You should start with yourself. How did you become such a shitty, uninformed person? Time for some self-reflection.

Start at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please read “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Lucy Calkins is HORRIBLE. I can’t believe teachers go along with this.

Omg don’t blame the curriculum a whole district buys and says teachers have to use on the teachers. How much say do you have over how your leadership tells you to do elements of your job?

I’m a nurse and you’d better believe that if my coworkers and I were instructed to do things that consistently led to bad outcomes, we would speak up and demand change.

WTH?? You’re ok with accepting the failing state of education? I seriously have to question your integrity if you’re ok with continuing to operate this way. Jesus.

Calm down Drama Queen. The problem is this is also what’s taught in teaching programs. It’s been reading instruction for a LONG time. A lot of teachers honestly don’t know it’s not “the best” way to teach reading. I don’t teach elementary but you can also stop acting like teachers are killing children by using curriculum they learned on and are told to use by their district. By all means go lobby the district to abandon it and tell them what reading program you prefer.(you don’t know any.)

I don’t know which is worse, knowing the curriculum you follow is terrible yet choosing not to speak up, or being completely unaware that the curriculum is terrible in the first place. It means you’re either lazy or stupid.

Yes, there are many better options for the chosen curriculum. Many posters have linked specific examples. Children need to be taught to decode. Spelling, phonics, and grammar instruction are critical. A curriculum focused on building knowledge, rather than general comprehension strategies, is much more effective.

How do I, as a nurse, understand this better than you?!

The Calkins curriculum is not terrible. It works wonders for many students in helping them to think deeply and comprehend at advanced levels (granted, I’ve only taught Calkins in upper elementary grades). In the lower grades, it needs to be coupled with phonics instruction. A phonics only curriculum would bore the early readers to tears. My kids’ K-1 teachers (ACPS) did a good job balancing Calkins with phonics instruction. The dramatics of calling the curriculum “terrible” don’t help. What we had before (NO language arts curriculum for my first 12 years of teaching) was much worse. Each teacher had to create her own lessons based on the standards.—Fine, if you had an outstanding teacher, but not great in many cases.

THIS is the problem. We have educators that don’t understand how awful the LC curriculum is.

“It works wonders!” Um, why are kids so grossly underprepared for middle and high school then? Why are test scores getting worse and worse?

The only kids that are doing well are those that come from privileged homes. This is because their parents make sure they have the basic knowledge they need (they supplement at home or hire tutors). Not everyone can do this.

THIS is why the solution isn’t just handing more money over. When our “educators” don’t even understand the problem, we are in deep trouble.