Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 01:55     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
And this is the best school district in Maryland? That’s worrisome.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 01:41     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
I agree, but banning graphic novels is not the smartest move. It was the transition for my then 8 yr old son to go from not reading, to reading voraciously.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 00:21     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
AI is going to eat your kids jobs.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 00:11     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:P.S. The real problems now in English are in H.S. That's by far the weakest link. They are reading books in the 9th grade MCPS-written "honors" curriculum that are part of the 4th grade CKLA curriculum.


Part of the reason for this is because those "stronger" links are auto-promoting kids up to HS despite them not being able to fully grasp the concepts of an age appropriate HS level. If we didn't teach below grade level in 9th grade the retention rate for HS freshmen would be staggering and unacceptable.

I would love to be able to teach a more rigorous and appropriate curriculum in 9th grade but I also don't want to send 60% of my students to summer school their first year because that is how you create HS drop outs.


Then it shouldn't be labeled an Honors course with extra weight given. Either everyone is on-level in 9th grade or everyone is at the appropriate level (on, honors, even below). 9th grade is either a fresh start for everyone for them to prove where they belong and what they need or its based on last performance evaluation(MAP and writing ) and then sorted accordingly.


I will not disagree with that. The Honors for all designation is ridiculous but I have to work with what I'm given and the truth is most of these kids got a weak education up to 9th grade and we need to make up for it.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 00:05     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:P.S. The real problems now in English are in H.S. That's by far the weakest link. They are reading books in the 9th grade MCPS-written "honors" curriculum that are part of the 4th grade CKLA curriculum.


Part of the reason for this is because those "stronger" links are auto-promoting kids up to HS despite them not being able to fully grasp the concepts of an age appropriate HS level. If we didn't teach below grade level in 9th grade the retention rate for HS freshmen would be staggering and unacceptable.

I would love to be able to teach a more rigorous and appropriate curriculum in 9th grade but I also don't want to send 60% of my students to summer school their first year because that is how you create HS drop outs.


Then it shouldn't be labeled an Honors course with extra weight given. Either everyone is on-level in 9th grade or everyone is at the appropriate level (on, honors, even below). 9th grade is either a fresh start for everyone for them to prove where they belong and what they need or its based on last performance evaluation(MAP and writing ) and then sorted accordingly.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 23:42     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:P.S. The real problems now in English are in H.S. That's by far the weakest link. They are reading books in the 9th grade MCPS-written "honors" curriculum that are part of the 4th grade CKLA curriculum.


Part of the reason for this is because those "stronger" links are auto-promoting kids up to HS despite them not being able to fully grasp the concepts of an age appropriate HS level. If we didn't teach below grade level in 9th grade the retention rate for HS freshmen would be staggering and unacceptable.

I would love to be able to teach a more rigorous and appropriate curriculum in 9th grade but I also don't want to send 60% of my students to summer school their first year because that is how you create HS drop outs.


So it's better to keep teaching below grade-level standards up and through graduation? Who does that serve? Not the kids who graduate without the basic skills a public education is supposed to afford them.


I feel it is better to use Freshman year as an adjustment period to prepare them for a more rigorous and grade appropriate curriculum in 10th-12th grades. Freshman year is the first time most if not all of these students will face real academic consequences and it doesn't seem right to throw them into the deep end and hope they can stay afloat. If you make these kids hate high school from the get-go then you have potentially lost them and likely won't get them back.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 23:34     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:P.S. The real problems now in English are in H.S. That's by far the weakest link. They are reading books in the 9th grade MCPS-written "honors" curriculum that are part of the 4th grade CKLA curriculum.


Part of the reason for this is because those "stronger" links are auto-promoting kids up to HS despite them not being able to fully grasp the concepts of an age appropriate HS level. If we didn't teach below grade level in 9th grade the retention rate for HS freshmen would be staggering and unacceptable.

I would love to be able to teach a more rigorous and appropriate curriculum in 9th grade but I also don't want to send 60% of my students to summer school their first year because that is how you create HS drop outs.


So it's better to keep teaching below grade-level standards up and through graduation? Who does that serve? Not the kids who graduate without the basic skills a public education is supposed to afford them.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 23:12     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Anonymous wrote:P.S. The real problems now in English are in H.S. That's by far the weakest link. They are reading books in the 9th grade MCPS-written "honors" curriculum that are part of the 4th grade CKLA curriculum.


Part of the reason for this is because those "stronger" links are auto-promoting kids up to HS despite them not being able to fully grasp the concepts of an age appropriate HS level. If we didn't teach below grade level in 9th grade the retention rate for HS freshmen would be staggering and unacceptable.

I would love to be able to teach a more rigorous and appropriate curriculum in 9th grade but I also don't want to send 60% of my students to summer school their first year because that is how you create HS drop outs.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 23:11     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I am overloaded as a parent as are many of you. I saw a stat that most Americans read at below an 8th grade level- many are at a 6th grade level or lower. I then panicked when I found out late to the game that MCPS has been a complete shit show for reading, including not using instructional materials based on the science of reading and having students read below grade level texts.

I started mandating reading at home, because I was worried that my kids would not progress beyond 8th grade- despite having both parents who went to grad school.

No more graphic novels at home and reading at least 2 hours a week of grade level or higher texts. In a few months, DS had read more books at home then for all of middle school.

It's sad that mcps cannot be trusted to do the basics but here we are.


This post seems repetitive of others. I'm convinced there is a troll at there trying to make trouble.


And here is the central office bot that has entered the conversation.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 22:58     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
P.S. The real problems now in English are in H.S. That's by far the weakest link. They are reading books in the 9th grade MCPS-written "honors" curriculum that are part of the 4th grade CKLA curriculum.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 22:57     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
It is so much better now in ES and MS that they have CKLA. We endured C2.0, Benchmark, and Study Sync -- they were all awful. But there is a marked difference with a strong curriculum. But of course, it doesn't mean that kids shouldn't read on their own -- they aboslutely should.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 22:54     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Accurate
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 22:53     Subject: Re:You need to have your kids read outside of school
Yup. The truth is that the achievement gap cannot and will not ever be closed with in-school time alone. The only way to close the gap is out-of-school tutoring and enrichment.

PARENTS: Make sure you are going to the library regularly and making your kids read. The sooner and younger you start, the better.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 22:52     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
Anonymous wrote:I am overloaded as a parent as are many of you. I saw a stat that most Americans read at below an 8th grade level- many are at a 6th grade level or lower. I then panicked when I found out late to the game that MCPS has been a complete shit show for reading, including not using instructional materials based on the science of reading and having students read below grade level texts.

I started mandating reading at home, because I was worried that my kids would not progress beyond 8th grade- despite having both parents who went to grad school.

No more graphic novels at home and reading at least 2 hours a week of grade level or higher texts. In a few months, DS had read more books at home then for all of middle school.

It's sad that mcps cannot be trusted to do the basics but here we are.


This post seems repetitive of others. I'm convinced there is a troll at there trying to make trouble.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 22:50     Subject: You need to have your kids read outside of school
I am overloaded as a parent as are many of you. I saw a stat that most Americans read at below an 8th grade level- many are at a 6th grade level or lower. I then panicked when I found out late to the game that MCPS has been a complete shit show for reading, including not using instructional materials based on the science of reading and having students read below grade level texts.

I started mandating reading at home, because I was worried that my kids would not progress beyond 8th grade- despite having both parents who went to grad school.

No more graphic novels at home and reading at least 2 hours a week of grade level or higher texts. In a few months, DS had read more books at home then for all of middle school.

It's sad that mcps cannot be trusted to do the basics but here we are.