Lack of content in schools

[Anonymous]

With all the talk of Lucy Calkins / Units of Study, can we also talk about the shocking lack of content in schools? Our very highly rated elementary school seems to teach almost no science, geography, history, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, ...

[Anonymous]

Teach your kids what you want them to know. There are a million free resources out there. You can complain all you want, but any change will be far too late for your child to benefit. You don’t have to stay at home or homeschool, but, if it is really important to you for your child to know a thing, you teach it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With all the talk of Lucy Calkins / Units of Study, can we also talk about the shocking lack of content in schools? Our very highly rated elementary school seems to teach almost no science, geography, history, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, ...

They aren't on the tests.

[Anonymous]

I don’t talk of Lucy calkins, but someone sure has a bee in their bonnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teach your kids what you want them to know. There are a million free resources out there. You can complain all you want, but any change will be far too late for your child to benefit. You don’t have to stay at home or homeschool, but, if it is really important to you for your child to know a thing, you teach it.

We can advocate change and improvement for other children. We can want a better education, even if our children do not directly benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teach your kids what you want them to know. There are a million free resources out there. You can complain all you want, but any change will be far too late for your child to benefit. You don’t have to stay at home or homeschool, but, if it is really important to you for your child to know a thing, you teach it.

We can advocate change and improvement for other children. We can want a better education, even if our children do not directly benefit.

Exactly. I can supplement at home, but it’s ridiculous to assume everyone will or can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teach your kids what you want them to know. There are a million free resources out there. You can complain all you want, but any change will be far too late for your child to benefit. You don’t have to stay at home or homeschool, but, if it is really important to you for your child to know a thing, you teach it.

We can advocate change and improvement for other children. We can want a better education, even if our children do not directly benefit.

Exactly. I can supplement at home, but it’s ridiculous to assume everyone will or can.

You can advocate anything you like, but my practical defeatist self will still not assume it will happen. Just a suggestion if you actually care what happens for your kids right now, don't rely on the school. It isn't like it was when you or I were kids, the teachers have very little autonomy now and the state and district level leadership is pretty slow to respond.

[Anonymous]

I plan to write a letter to my school board members, my superintendent and elementary principals.

They are all behind Lucy Calkins, but they’re removed from the classroom and they really don’t understand what he program looks like in practice. Parents need to educate them, and clue them in.

Also, there isn’t no standardized testing this year or last year, so they don’t have a way to measure progress or lack there of. 2019 was the last year and Units of Study is fairly new to my school (2018?).

Also, it’s an expensive program from what I understand? Anyone know how much? I doing they’ll just back away from such a big investment.

I agree we all have to teach our kids on the side. But let’s face it. Only a small percentage of parents will do that.

[Anonymous]

^^ sorry for typos!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With all the talk of Lucy Calkins / Units of Study, can we also talk about the shocking lack of content in schools? Our very highly rated elementary school seems to teach almost no science, geography, history, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, ...

I think it was my 4th year of teaching in Fairfax County when the VA SOLs were rolled out, and students were actually going to be tested on mastery of basic knowledge of facts in Science and Social Studies, including geography, civics and economics. It was incredible! We were expected to teach students all sorts of facts and skills in the content area; not just how to read and do math. It was hard, but these kids LEARNED.

I taught ESL students, and the changed benefitted them greatly. Yes, it was hard to learn more content and be tested on it and no they didn't always pass their tests. But their reading comprehension in non fiction text increased significantly because they had so much more background knowledge.

It's been many years since I left VA and I know that they do still have SOLs but I think they have changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With all the talk of Lucy Calkins / Units of Study, can we also talk about the shocking lack of content in schools? Our very highly rated elementary school seems to teach almost no science, geography, history, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, ...

They are connected. Schools who have not adopted Units of Study still have *some* social studies/geography, science, grammar/spelling.

[Anonymous]

“ They aren't on the tests.”

+1
If we hate the lack of content - and I do in LA - the answer is a need to lobby Richmond to change the SOLs go cover the info we want taught. It will never happen without that stick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teach your kids what you want them to know. There are a million free resources out there. You can complain all you want, but any change will be far too late for your child to benefit. You don’t have to stay at home or homeschool, but, if it is really important to you for your child to know a thing, you teach it.

I love this answer. “Teach your kid geography/history/social science on your own! What’s wrong with you, expecting that school will teach your kid any of that!”

Ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teach your kids what you want them to know. There are a million free resources out there. You can complain all you want, but any change will be far too late for your child to benefit. You don’t have to stay at home or homeschool, but, if it is really important to you for your child to know a thing, you teach it.

I love this answer. “Teach your kid geography/history/social science on your own! What’s wrong with you, expecting that school will teach your kid any of that!”

Ridiculous.

It is practical advice, you just want some SJW kudos as you feign outrage and continually fail to actually accomplish anything. Carry on pissing into the wind, the rest of have stuff to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teach your kids what you want them to know. There are a million free resources out there. You can complain all you want, but any change will be far too late for your child to benefit. You don’t have to stay at home or homeschool, but, if it is really important to you for your child to know a thing, you teach it.

We can advocate change and improvement for other children. We can want a better education, even if our children do not directly benefit.

Exactly. I can supplement at home, but it’s ridiculous to assume everyone will or can.

There is no time to supplement! I would love to. My kid is online for 6 hours a day and when 3pm comes he is DONE. no way i could supplement at that point, but i agree very much that its sad they are missing out on so much.