Anonymous
08/24/2025 09:20
Subject: Re:MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kids are in ES. I stopped going because it was a waste of time. They'd jam all the parents of the grade in one classroom and present a generic powerpoint and that's it. I go to the Open House before school starts to actually meet the teachers and have a conversation with them.
We are always on vacation during open house, so BTSN is our only chance to see the classroom. It's an hour out of our lives, and I like seeing where my elementary schooler will be spending a good chunk of their waking hours over the next 9 months.
Once you get to middle school, you don't have the occasional "class party" or whatever so BTSN is basically the only opportunity to meet your kid's teachers (put faces to names) and see the classrooms. I imagine I'll be less interested when kid is in HS, but I enjoy it for now.
MCPS holds parent-teacher conferences in November.
My kid’s middle school has slots available only for a quarter of the students and encourages that they be used primarily by parents whose kids are having problems in a class. So you don’t have much of a chance to interact there in most cases.
Not that BTSN is particularly meaningful either-it’s just reading from a boilerplate speech for a few minutes, very limited time for questions.
They can encourage that, but they can’t refuse any parent a slot.
You can also request a conference at any time. Ask for one the fourth week of school if you’d like.
Slots go within 2 hours in my school for the core teachers (math/English). I was at work meetings one day and by the time I tried to sign up, all the slots were gone
Anonymous
08/24/2025 08:56
Subject: Re:MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kids are in ES. I stopped going because it was a waste of time. They'd jam all the parents of the grade in one classroom and present a generic powerpoint and that's it. I go to the Open House before school starts to actually meet the teachers and have a conversation with them.
We are always on vacation during open house, so BTSN is our only chance to see the classroom. It's an hour out of our lives, and I like seeing where my elementary schooler will be spending a good chunk of their waking hours over the next 9 months.
Once you get to middle school, you don't have the occasional "class party" or whatever so BTSN is basically the only opportunity to meet your kid's teachers (put faces to names) and see the classrooms. I imagine I'll be less interested when kid is in HS, but I enjoy it for now.
MCPS holds parent-teacher conferences in November.
My kid’s middle school has slots available only for a quarter of the students and encourages that they be used primarily by parents whose kids are having problems in a class. So you don’t have much of a chance to interact there in most cases.
Not that BTSN is particularly meaningful either-it’s just reading from a boilerplate speech for a few minutes, very limited time for questions.
They can encourage that, but they can’t refuse any parent a slot.
You can also request a conference at any time. Ask for one the fourth week of school if you’d like.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 08:55
Subject: Re:MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kids are in ES. I stopped going because it was a waste of time. They'd jam all the parents of the grade in one classroom and present a generic powerpoint and that's it. I go to the Open House before school starts to actually meet the teachers and have a conversation with them.
We are always on vacation during open house, so BTSN is our only chance to see the classroom. It's an hour out of our lives, and I like seeing where my elementary schooler will be spending a good chunk of their waking hours over the next 9 months.
Once you get to middle school, you don't have the occasional "class party" or whatever so BTSN is basically the only opportunity to meet your kid's teachers (put faces to names) and see the classrooms. I imagine I'll be less interested when kid is in HS, but I enjoy it for now.
MCPS holds parent-teacher conferences in November.
Which is after Quarter 1 ends. If you don't understand why parents should get in before parent teacher conference, then you aren't a parent or you are checked out.
I’m a parent, had three kids in MCPS, and am a teacher.
If parent-teacher conferences in November is too late for you, you can request classroom observation followed by a conference at any time. Use that exact wording.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 08:47
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do teachers offer virtual back to school night at the same time during the time they are meeting families in person at school? For those who can't get to the school but can log onto zoom or other platrm from work to listen to their kid's teachers.
At our school, each teacher records a presentation, and that is shared with parents (along with slides) after BTSN.
But what if you have questions?
It's not like there is much time for questions at BTSN. If you have questions, I'd email the teacher to ask.
Anonymous
08/24/2025 08:45
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do teachers offer virtual back to school night at the same time during the time they are meeting families in person at school? For those who can't get to the school but can log onto zoom or other platrm from work to listen to their kid's teachers.
At our school, each teacher records a presentation, and that is shared with parents (along with slides) after BTSN.
But what if you have questions?
Anonymous
08/23/2025 08:24
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Do teachers offer virtual back to school night at the same time during the time they are meeting families in person at school? For those who can't get to the school but can log onto zoom or other platrm from work to listen to their kid's teachers.
At our school, each teacher records a presentation, and that is shared with parents (along with slides) after BTSN.
Anonymous
08/23/2025 08:11
Subject: Re:MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kids are in ES. I stopped going because it was a waste of time. They'd jam all the parents of the grade in one classroom and present a generic powerpoint and that's it. I go to the Open House before school starts to actually meet the teachers and have a conversation with them.
We are always on vacation during open house, so BTSN is our only chance to see the classroom. It's an hour out of our lives, and I like seeing where my elementary schooler will be spending a good chunk of their waking hours over the next 9 months.
Once you get to middle school, you don't have the occasional "class party" or whatever so BTSN is basically the only opportunity to meet your kid's teachers (put faces to names) and see the classrooms. I imagine I'll be less interested when kid is in HS, but I enjoy it for now.
MCPS holds parent-teacher conferences in November.
My kid’s middle school has slots available only for a quarter of the students and encourages that they be used primarily by parents whose kids are having problems in a class. So you don’t have much of a chance to interact there in most cases.
Not that BTSN is particularly meaningful either-it’s just reading from a boilerplate speech for a few minutes, very limited time for questions.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 21:25
Subject: Re:MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kids are in ES. I stopped going because it was a waste of time. They'd jam all the parents of the grade in one classroom and present a generic powerpoint and that's it. I go to the Open House before school starts to actually meet the teachers and have a conversation with them.
We are always on vacation during open house, so BTSN is our only chance to see the classroom. It's an hour out of our lives, and I like seeing where my elementary schooler will be spending a good chunk of their waking hours over the next 9 months.
Once you get to middle school, you don't have the occasional "class party" or whatever so BTSN is basically the only opportunity to meet your kid's teachers (put faces to names) and see the classrooms. I imagine I'll be less interested when kid is in HS, but I enjoy it for now.
MCPS holds parent-teacher conferences in November.
Which is after Quarter 1 ends. If you don't understand why parents should get in before parent teacher conference, then you aren't a parent or you are checked out.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 21:24
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Can they hold this over two nights so families who can't make one night, can try to attend on the other night?
It’s grueling on teachers who taught all day and must return the next day to teach again. Once is enough.
A virtual option would help.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 21:22
Subject: Re:MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:My kids are in ES. I stopped going because it was a waste of time. They'd jam all the parents of the grade in one classroom and present a generic powerpoint and that's it. I go to the Open House before school starts to actually meet the teachers and have a conversation with them.
We are always on vacation during open house, so BTSN is our only chance to see the classroom. It's an hour out of our lives, and I like seeing where my elementary schooler will be spending a good chunk of their waking hours over the next 9 months.
Once you get to middle school, you don't have the occasional "class party" or whatever so BTSN is basically the only opportunity to meet your kid's teachers (put faces to names) and see the classrooms. I imagine I'll be less interested when kid is in HS, but I enjoy it for now.
MCPS holds parent-teacher conferences in November.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 21:14
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Some schools' after care programs provided childcare on back to school nights so parents could attend their kids' classrooms listen to kids' teachers.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 15:13
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Do teachers offer virtual back to school night at the same time during the time they are meeting families in person at school? For those who can't get to the school but can log onto zoom or other platrm from work to listen to their kid's teachers.
Our elementary school did with our old principal. She used to say, "When we know better, we do bettet." It made sense. Virtual options shouldn't have ended when the pandemic ended.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 15:10
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Can they hold this over two nights so families who can't make one night, can try to attend on the other night?
Anonymous
08/22/2025 06:28
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Anonymous wrote:Do teachers offer virtual back to school night at the same time during the time they are meeting families in person at school? For those who can't get to the school but can log onto zoom or other platrm from work to listen to their kid's teachers.
Our MS doesn’t. But the BTS night doesn’t start til 630 pm so it’s intentionally past the traditional work hours. IME, most teachers have a PowerPoint with the information they share and circulate that to the parent list after the BTS night so if you read that you get the key points.
Anonymous
08/22/2025 05:56
Subject: MCPS Back to School night
Do teachers offer virtual back to school night at the same time during the time they are meeting families in person at school? For those who can't get to the school but can log onto zoom or other platrm from work to listen to their kid's teachers.