Reply to Parents: please be kind & patient with MCPS (from a parent)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Superintendent Smith just sent this to all parents:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/allin-doing-the-best-20200329.html

Sounds like a bunch of excuses.

Meanwhile, here's a Wash Post article about what other schools are doing:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/plunging-into-remote-learning-families-find-stress-chaos-and-some-surprising-wins/2020/03/27/36429de4-6f90-11ea-aa80-c2470c6b2034_story.html

The best part is this:

[quote]
In Miami, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said he started [b]planning for this in January[/b] when he first heard about the coronavirus crisis in China. The Miami-Dade County Public Schools had already invested in digital technology, and the district began creating online curriculum, working with the FBI and the Secret Service on digital security.

As the crisis arrived to the United States, Carvalho negotiated an agreement with the teachers union for remote learning [b]weeks before the schools closed[/b]. The district surveyed families to find out who needed computers and distributed 60,000 devices. A plan to feed all 350,000 students was put in place.

“If we are going to persist, let’s do it right,” Carvalho said. “Let’s do it big.”

To be sure, there are complaints. But instruction across the district began two days after schools went dark.
[/quote]

Emphasis mine. Miami is a large school system just like MCPS, and they were able to plan ahead. Why not MCPS?

[/quote]

We moved to Frederick, MD.  (many decades in Mo Co)

I cannot believe the easy transition for both of my kids - ES and HS. They received their information last week, and they're continuing to use the system's LMS.  Online school begins Monday.  HS kid has different deadlines.  ES child was given a daily schedule (agenda with times and content areas) and all work is due by 4 pm Friday.

I'm no stranger to the LMS, as I've worked closely with one in particular.  All MCPS employees should have been trained in Canvas (or whatever platform chosen) and should have been required to use it with students.  As it stands now, many of these poor teachers will be scrambling to figure things out.  And if they're given a choice - Canvas or Google - kids and parents will be shifting back and forth between two platforms, which is very confusing.  Imagine having seven classes in secondary and having to use two different platforms.

Personally, I think it's about control and ego.  Technology should be integrated throughout the system - from "top" (central office) to "bottom" (classroom - which should be at the top!). Teachers are not respected as stakeholders. They are TOLD what to do, and they're ruled by fear.

Some people may disagree, but this has been my observation for many moons.

So yes, as OP stated, please be patient. Teachers are just guinea pigs in this experiment.  Parents, do what you can to support your kids. [/quote]

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