Reply to "Is MCPS losing its edge?"

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Reply to ""Is MCPS losing its edge?""

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]To answer the title question: yes.
However, 
if you talk to MCPS students who have met and talked to students from other parts of the country, let's say at camp, youth group, cousins etc.. they will tell you they are doing well and better off in the Montgomery County school system. As Board of Education member Harris said something along the lines of - people don't know how good they have it until they go elsewhere - could be true. (And no this is not someone from the Harris campaign nor is it Harris herself).[/quote]

This is true.

My kids are thriving compared to similarly situated peers in neighboring states. [/quote]

Sure.

But they aren’t thriving when compared to kids at dc metro area privates.

^^^
And that’s the problem imho.

As a parent with a handful of kids—including mcps graduates all the way down to current elementary students (and everything in between)—I can report things have gotten worse.

I can also report a dramatic increase in mcps families trying to get their kids into area private schools. Sadly, there are a very limited number of seats so most will be left in mcps.

I’m sick of it.

Raise the standards, focus on core subjects, use well established methods rather than chasing after the silver bullet that simply doesn’t exist, etc. [/quote]

Since when are DC-area private schools a reasonable comparison for MCPS?  There are so many differences between those students before they even enter school that it's a laughable comparison.  Your "reports" are your personal observations, nothing more.  They're not relevant, particularly not when you think DC-area private schools are the standard against which MCPS should be compared.[/quote]

Why?

Parochial schools have a long history of taking everyone and successfully operating in very low income areas.

The difference largely stems from expectations. And what I’ve observed as a lifetime resident of MoCo and a longtime mcps parent (my oldest is wrapping up college and my youngest is in elementary school; I also have kids in MS and HS) is a dumbing down of the curriculum and setting the bar lower in terms of expectations and personal responsibility. Public schools in other communities actually set expectations high and enforce discipline. ICYMI: mcps does not.

Having attended multiple open houses at area privates this year, I’m seeing lots of disgruntled mcps parents who feel the same way.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

[/quote]

The only reason those schools can “set the bar higher” and enforce discipline is that they can kick students out. We have students at our school who have hurt others, brought weapons, threatened students and teachers… and I work at an elementary. According to our administration, there is nothing to be done other than brief in-school suspensions (sitting in the office or the counselor’s office for a day). There can be do discipline if there are no possible consequences the students care about.[/quote]

This is what needs to change.

Have multiple parents write letters to the principal and the community superintendent asking for a meeting. Detail the situation with the problematic student(s) and the impact to the class (evacuations).

It took a while, but we had the problem child removed from the school.

The county needs to invest in more alternative schools for kids who can’t be in a traditional classroom. They do exist, but the process is a lift…and principals need to be pushed. You must provide visibility to their boss. It works. [/quote]

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