Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 00:39     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.

If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.



Here’s how this happens:

1) Teenagers are lazy. They procrastinate and ignore multiple reminders and opportunities to earn SSL hours because they’d rather blow off the obligation to spend time on TikTok or Instagram.

2) Teenagers are irresponsible. They do the SSL hours but fail to fill and/or turn in the required paperwork to get the credit.
Anonymous
Post 01/04/2025 00:37     Subject: Re:Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:It’s a stupid requirement, anyway.


The idea behind the requirement is not stupid, but the implementation, where schools can have away SSL hours for little to no meaningful service work is.

Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 22:10     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
My HS gave students 3 hours just for filling out a 15 min survey.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 22:08     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.


Take it up with the state. This is not just a MCPS requirement.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 22:07     Subject: Re:Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:It’s a stupid requirement, anyway.


It really is. Just do away with it and move those resources spent on it to something else.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 22:05     Subject: Re:Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
It’s a stupid requirement, anyway.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 22:04     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.


I'd be more inclined to keep the requirement if service was actually community service. Instead, though, students can get hours automatically in class or (looking at a recent email) attending a zoom where they "have the opportunity to engage in a youth town hall with Montgomery County councilmembers".
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 22:01     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many notices were sent out? My DS is a senior and I haven’t heard a word. Most kids that I know of are way over the required 75.


OP here. My son had a breakdown of the students that as of now won't graduate. It showed how many had less than 20, 20-30, etc.


That makes no since as they get like 30-40 hours between middle school and high school classes.


I should have typed "less than 20 left" rather than "less than 20". Sorry for the confusion.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 21:46     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
There’s like 14 people who work in the SSL office. I think volunteering and service is important, but SSL hours misses the mark a lot of the time. Students earn 45 hours for just taking required classes. I’d be ok with eliminating the requirement and re-assigning the SSL office.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 21:45     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many notices were sent out? My DS is a senior and I haven’t heard a word. Most kids that I know of are way over the required 75.


OP here. My son had a breakdown of the students that as of now won't graduate. It showed how many had less than 20, 20-30, etc.


That makes no since as they get like 30-40 hours between middle school and high school classes.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 21:41     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:How do you know how many notices were sent out? My DS is a senior and I haven’t heard a word. Most kids that I know of are way over the required 75.


OP here. My son had a breakdown of the students that as of now won't graduate. It showed how many had less than 20, 20-30, etc.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 21:40     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Anonymous wrote:Parents at your school think that they're special. Just do the hours and stop whining.

- Parent of special needs kid who finished their's by the end of middle school.


I'm OP. My kid took care of theirs by sophomore year. It was so easy I'm surprised others are taking so long.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 21:15     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
How do you know how many notices were sent out? My DS is a senior and I haven’t heard a word. Most kids that I know of are way over the required 75.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 21:11     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
Parents at your school think that they're special. Just do the hours and stop whining.

- Parent of special needs kid who finished their's by the end of middle school.
Anonymous
Post 01/03/2025 21:07     Subject: Almost a quarter of seniors don't have enough SSL to graduate at our HS
This is at DS's upper-mid-tier MCPS high school based on the notices they've sent out. How does this happen? These kids have so many opportunities to get hours and get so many reminders. Parents get a lot of reminders also. These students have had many years to get this done.

If the SSL rule is so hard to get students to comply with, maybe it should just be eliminated.