Reply to State set to keep MS math minutes requirement that will likely cut electives (but delaying it a year)

Forum Index » Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

Reply to "State set to keep MS math minutes requirement that will likely cut electives (but delaying it a year)"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What is wrong with 60 minutes of math?  Good Idea.[/quote]

Because the way that middle school schedules work, it would mean cutting a period out of the day for other subjects (probably electives)-- either going to a 6 period day or doing double-period math.[/quote]

That sounds good to me.  Math is important.  [/quote]

DP.

Sure.  But so is ELA.  And Social Studies.  And Science.  And foreign language.  And PE/Health.  And an ability to broaden/stretch into an elective at that age.

There's seven subjects, right there, not six.  And seven 60-minute periods with lunch and transition time is not compatible with any likely MS schedule.  As noted, before, an 8-period A/B block schedule might still work, especially with a presumption of a similar 60-minute English requirement being on its way, alternating one block between the two subjects to cover the extra instruction while preserving current timing for access to seven subjects, overall.

There are many, still, who are doing fine with current timing/pacing, if not always current instructional practice, which can vary with both teacher and peer group.  The data MCPS has provided in their charts leaves out analysis that would show this, and their verbally delivered conclusions with regard to eventual difficulty have been tenuous and self-serving.  MSDE has used similar state-wide observances, but even they don't take the conclusions as far as MCPS has.

Telling [i]everyone[/i] across the state, good at Math/quick on the uptake or not, that they should be instructed for 60 minutes through 8th grade in the subject was a poorly considered band-aid to underperformance on newer state tests, where fidelity to curricular compliance, on the one hand, and remedial identifications/directed intetventions, on the other, would be more effective.  However, they have deemed the latter to be inherently inequitable in practice, and LEAs such as MCPS, long having adopted the same philosophy, have been loath to dissuade the state from its current path, only now pushing back due to the clear operational difficulties that will ensue with MS scheduling.[/quote]

I would be fine with cutting time out of social studies and foreign language for more math time.[/quote]

Ugh.

Too many high school graduates would have a hard time finding a foreign country on a map.  People need to be aware of their world to be informed voters and active members of their communities.  Social studies is underrated.  I would argue that among math, science, ELA, and social studies — high school level social studies is of the most critical daily use (apart from career choices, which of course vary).[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics