Reply to Roughly 25% of MCPS students are chronically absent, and absenteeism response plan delayed

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]And now MCPS teachers are chiming in and DIRECTLY attributing the 50% rule to absenteeism problem: https://moco360.media/2023/07/24/some-mcps-grading-policies-incentivize-absenteeism-teachers-say/

[QUOTE] While educators are encouraged to demonstrate grace and flexibility in their grading practices, [b]some teachers suggest an overemphasis on leniency disincentivizes students from staying engaged with their education. [/b]

“These kids are smart. They know how to game the system,” said one MCPS high school teacher, who asked to remain anonymous due to retaliation concerns. “If they get half credit for everything whether they do it or not, they’re not going to do it. So it’s a question of how we get kids to come to class when they know they really don’t have to do anything at all.”[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Montgomery Blair High School teacher Danny Cole, a seven-year veteran MCPS educator, reiterated Saeed’s concerns.

“Because a lot of the kids know the system, the kids with lower standards who just want to pass will play that game,” he said. “You’ll have a kid who does nothing for the whole semester, and then last two weeks of May or June, they’ll do a couple assignments and bump themselves up to a D.”

He added that the policy also effectively “punishes” parents for communicating with their students’ school, because “they know if they pick up the phone, it might mean their kid gets a worse grade.”

“I just think it’s a terrible example,” he said. “I want my students to leave school with the life skills to do something. [b]If they think they can get 50% for not doing anything and they go to work at Chipotle and don’t show up, they’re going to get fired. I see this as a real disservice to the purpose of school[/b].”[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Cole said he hopes the school district will consider reevaluating its grading and attendance policies to place greater emphasis on keeping students in class and engaged with their studies.

“My wife and I love teaching. We get paid well. We really appreciate the County Council and Dr. [Monifa] McKnight fully funding our raises. This is not saying ‘woe is us,’” he said. “But I would personally be willing to trade some of that new raise if it meant I had kids who are in class, care about coming and are interested in doing the work. I just think we’re not doing right by our students.”[/QUOTE]

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Why would you trade a raise for something that is expected? Makes no sense. Students need to be responsible for the work. The raises have nothing to do with that so it makes no sense. [/quote]

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