Reply to Compacted Math- FYI

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]They'd told us they'd send a letter at the Tuesfay distribution. So literally the day before the end of the school year. Which, I get from their perspective, but still kind of frustrating as a parent.[/quote]

Principals are there all summer, folks!  [/quote]

But the teachers who could provide the best additional context to support a child's appeal -- or help a family see otherwise -- may not be.  Meanwhile, the administrators presently will be making decisions on cohorts for the fall, and it might be difficult to unwind and reorganize the associated staffing, etc., if considerable flexibility is not built in.

MCPS has espoused, but not guaranteed, at least one class at each ES. 
 Though they now have released significant documentation about the recovery plan, they have remained mute on the specifics of their determination of ability/readiness.  They are required by statute to provide enrichment, but that does not mean they are required to provide acceleration, and the amount of on-grade-level enrichment offered and its delivery vary from school to school, or even class to class, possibly dependent on the ability of teachers, but more likely dependent on the needs of other students.  Those who were able to demonstrate readiness for CM next year might not have classmates identified by MCPS/their school in the proper numbers to ensure the offering of CM (or of an additional class, depending on the numbers).

This leaves parents/guardians uncertain not only about the assessment of their children, but also about whether identified needs properly will be met. 
Avenues of advocacy & appeal are, at best, unfamiliar (*), and might be hampered not only by the limited access to teachers over the summer, but also by the greater difficulty during this time in coordinating with other parents/guardians if, for example, a group effort is required to open a CM cohort in the first place.  With MCPS considering a smaller population in Compacted Math classes due to learning loss, parents/guardians rightly might be concerned.

At the same time, families should be cognizant of the considerable effort both MCPS, local schools and teachers are dedicating not only to this, which is not a trivial nut to crack, but to other matters made pressing by the pandemic - greater-than-normal staffing changes, fall reopening and a summer school aimed at recovery.

* -- It is recommended first to speak with the current teacher, then with the school administration (GT Liaison or Principal), then with the MCPS Office of Accelerated and Enriched Instruction (AEI).[/quote]

Thank you PP, but of course, in the land of non-communication that is MCPS, no parent actually has been given the instructions you cite! This is a plan they shared with "interest groups" to get those groups off their backs.

Let's face it folks: MCPS wants to get rid of acceleration that will lead to Algebra in 7th.  Parents got upset when they forthrightly stated this plan, so they chose death by 1000 cuts, instead.  Cowardly; if they had the evidence to support the change they seek, they should have presented it and stood by it.  MCPS wants to go with a model that acceleration is Algebra in 8th.  The basis for this is an unsubstantiated claim that a lot of 7th graders don't pass the Algebra MCAP.  (When you compare MS to HS numbers, the MS kids rock the MCAP). [/quote]

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