Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. Some parents do t want their kids viewing the eclipse without supervision. They can’t necessarily take off work to pull their kids. School should be business as usual and if you want to take your kid to the eclipse, do it.

I’d be fine with them watching it on tv like a moon landing. But that doesn’t require mcps to dictate anything.

Ok, MCPS administrator. Explain why watching an eclipse with correct eyewear is an issue for parents. You don’t want them to physically experience a once in a lifetime event happening in the sky because watching it on the tv is what - safer? Better? I think you have lost the plot about the purpose of education. If we don’t inspire kids by taking advantage of things like this, what’s the point at all?

I’m not an administrator and I don’t personally care. I’m just explaining the obvious. Parents and teachers should just ask their teacher or principal about this kind of stuff and not expect a centralized authority to cater to your eclipse preferences. If you don’t like the answer, pull your kid for a half day.

So much breath is wasted on things that have minimal impact on the kids’ educational outcomes.

Can't win either way with whatever decision they make. Should have been a day off from school or a work day for teachers, yes, in addition to Wed and Mon 4/22.

You know if MCPS gave all the kids eclipse glasses and had a mass viewing, parents would be on here complaining about that today.

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. Some parents do t want their kids viewing the eclipse without supervision. They can’t necessarily take off work to pull their kids. School should be business as usual and if you want to take your kid to the eclipse, do it.

I’d be fine with them watching it on tv like a moon landing. But that doesn’t require mcps to dictate anything.

Yep.
Those right wingers always need to find something to grief about.

Anonymous wrote:Former teacher here and I am just so sad about MCPS and the missed opportunity to inspire and teach kids with this eclipse. Instead of using this once in a lifetime astronomical event as a teaching tool, the district left individual teachers to decide what to do. At our ES that meant one entire grade went outside with glasses provided by a NASA parent, and got to hear a talk by them. Other teachers did nothing, some would not even let the kids use their glasses to even look outside, and still others showed the kids livestreams of the event that was literally happening outside their window.

My older sister is a teacher in another state they procured glasses for all the students and used this event as a teaching tool. Curriculum was provided and they made it an event for the students to get excited about. The whole school was outside and got to experience it together. This is what my school did during the 90s eclipse and it is something I still remember. No one was hurt. There were no safety issues.

MCPS is pathetic. They say they care about equity, yet how is it equitable to allow teachers to make a decision that should have been handled at a district level in a way to optimize learning. How is equitable for the kids with parents with the means to procure glasses and not work take their
Kids out for the day or afternoon to see it and for kids whose parents do not have those means to suffer. Thousands of kids could have been inspired by this event to a career in science of astromony and instead they are inside, missing the whole thing or watching it on a Chromebook. It’s absolutely pathetic.

You lost all credibility when you started going that route.

Anonymous wrote:Agreed, Op. What a wasted opportunity. Wealthy PTAs could have purchased glasses (as some did), less affluent ones should have had them supplied by the district.

You think it was the cost of glasses that MCPS was worried about?

I fully agree. It should have been built into the curriculum!

I know of a (wealthy) school whose PTA sponsored an event. I agree OP, it was an incredible opportunity. A "teachable moment" as the education folks would say.

Agreed, Op. What a wasted opportunity. Wealthy PTAs could have purchased glasses (as some did), less affluent ones should have had them supplied by the district.

Anonymous wrote:Some schools did a great job and other schools failed miserably. It’s funny when this happens because the school systems preach equity and equality, but when the perfect teaching and participating opportunity, presents itself, they do not step up.

Yes, this 100 percent.

Some schools did a great job and other schools failed miserably. It’s funny when this happens because the school systems preach equity and equality, but when the perfect teaching and participating opportunity, presents itself, they do not step up.

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. Some parents do t want their kids viewing the eclipse without supervision. They can’t necessarily take off work to pull their kids. School should be business as usual and if you want to take your kid to the eclipse, do it.

I’d be fine with them watching it on tv like a moon landing. But that doesn’t require mcps to dictate anything.

Ok, MCPS administrator. Explain why watching an eclipse with correct eyewear is an issue for parents. You don’t want them to physically experience a once in a lifetime event happening in the sky because watching it on the tv is what - safer? Better? I think you have lost the plot about the purpose of education. If we don’t inspire kids by taking advantage of things like this, what’s the point at all?

Some schools did. I know of two where the principals bought viewing glasses for the school. Both schools also had record absences that day.

I disagree. Some parents do t want their kids viewing the eclipse without supervision. They can’t necessarily take off work to pull their kids. School should be business as usual and if you want to take your kid to the eclipse, do it.

I’d be fine with them watching it on tv like a moon landing. But that doesn’t require mcps to dictate anything.

Former teacher here and I am just so sad about MCPS and the missed opportunity to inspire and teach kids with this eclipse. Instead of using this once in a lifetime astronomical event as a teaching tool, the district left individual teachers to decide what to do. At our ES that meant one entire grade went outside with glasses provided by a NASA parent, and got to hear a talk by them. Other teachers did nothing, some would not even let the kids use their glasses to even look outside, and still others showed the kids livestreams of the event that was literally happening outside their window.

My older sister is a teacher in another state they procured glasses for all the students and used this event as a teaching tool. Curriculum was provided and they made it an event for the students to get excited about. The whole school was outside and got to experience it together. This is what my school did during the 90s eclipse and it is something I still remember. No one was hurt. There were no safety issues.

MCPS is pathetic. They say they care about equity, yet how is it equitable to allow teachers to make a decision that should have been handled at a district level in a way to optimize learning. How is equitable for the kids with parents with the means to procure glasses and not work take their
Kids out for the day or afternoon to see it and for kids whose parents do not have those means to suffer. Thousands of kids could have been inspired by this event to a career in science of astromony and instead they are inside, missing the whole thing or watching it on a Chromebook. It’s absolutely pathetic.