Anonymous wrote:I work in MCPS and once applied for a job at Churchill under the last principal, who filled the teaching ranks by playing fast and loose with the rules. She violated policies regarding timing, nepotism, transfers etc., so it doesn’t surprise me Heckert has inherited a subpar staff.

+1 Nepotism was in multiple departments and still exists in the Social Studies department. All teachers and staff should be reevaluated. Math isn't the only department with serious issues.

I work in MCPS and once applied for a job at Churchill under the last principal, who filled the teaching ranks by playing fast and loose with the rules. She violated policies regarding timing, nepotism, transfers etc., so it doesn’t surprise me Heckert has inherited a subpar staff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

No

Ok. Then read the OFFICIAL report that cost $10 million. At that price, the experts who evaluated the curriculum must have known what they were doing. And they said...IT STINKS!!!

LOL
1. The curriculum that was evaluated was the K-8, not HS.
2. The report said the curriculum is lacking (especially for certain groups ), but not stink.

But carry on with rant and half-truths. Don't let the truth get in your way

An anecdote: I recently checked on my DS's standardized math scores from middle school, when in private. I compared with DS's current SAT scores. The same! (at least the same nationwide percentile) No damage has been done with the MCPS math curriculum. I personally think that DS could have used more homework, but that's just my personal opinion. No tutors have been needed and DS has had A's in all honors math courses. I personally think that one of the main problems is that students have been accelerated too much. DS's precalculus teacher complains about the freshmen and sophomores all the time. We're in the DCC, not Churchill.

The point of many posters on this thread is that Churchill is writing it's own curriculum and doing a bad job of it. There are also teachers at Churchill that lack the skillset and knowledge to teach the course they have been assigned. For students in those classes, they struggle and have to either get a tutor or use some sort of outside resource to teach themselves. The principal know who the bad teachers are but it takes years to fire a teacher.

If your child is in the DCC, how can you comment on what is happening at Churchill?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

No

Ok. Then read the OFFICIAL report that cost $10 million. At that price, the experts who evaluated the curriculum must have known what they were doing. And they said...IT STINKS!!!

LOL
1. The curriculum that was evaluated was the K-8, not HS.
2. The report said the curriculum is lacking (especially for certain groups ), but not stink.

But carry on with rant and half-truths. Don't let the truth get in your way

An anecdote: I recently checked on my DS's standardized math scores from middle school, when in private. I compared with DS's current SAT scores. The same! (at least the same nationwide percentile) No damage has been done with the MCPS math curriculum. I personally think that DS could have used more homework, but that's just my personal opinion. No tutors have been needed and DS has had A's in all honors math courses. I personally think that one of the main problems is that students have been accelerated too much. DS's precalculus teacher complains about the freshmen and sophomores all the time. We're in the DCC, not Churchill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC, in a different W HS had the same thing: barely a C in honors, switched to regular on day 25 and has a 100% in math now.

I think it is a curriculum issue. The school team is trying to develop an Honors Curriculum. They are not experts in writing a curriculum and some don't have a firm grasp on the subject. The classes have the blind leading the blind. Students end up taking tests that have material that wasn't taught. Mrs. Hecker says it will take time to fix. Meanwhile, kids are still struggling.

I agree with you, but why are teachers writing the curriculum? Shouldn't MCPS have curriculum experts to develop a standard Honors Math curriculum throughout the school district?

I'm really confused. I thought that MCPS has its own math curriculum. Everyone in MCPS takes the same quarterly assessments. I've been happy with my child's math teachers in the DCC.

PP continued - why isn't Churchill using the same Honors math curriculum that the rest of the County (except the Magnets) is presumably using? It's quite possible that it's not advanced enough, but my child has comprehended the material.

I really don’t know. I know that they do give some standard tests but many tests are created by the teachers. And the math packets are created by the teachers. I wish I understood better why Churchill is doing this.

For years, Churchill has been doing its own thing. You would think Central Office would have more control over how a course is assessed and the concepts a student is supposed to master. There's also no consistency with in the cluster so gaps exists as students move from elementary, middle, then high school.

But...it’s Churchill! Why should parents pay millions of dollars to follow the same curriculum as a parent who rents in Aspen Hill?!? It doesn’t matter whether what’s done at Churchill is effective or not. All that matters is that it’s just for Churchill students. So special.

Haha! The fact that Churchill makes their own math curriculum is not a good thing. This is why this thread exists. Math, especially Honors math, is a big mess at Churchill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC, in a different W HS had the same thing: barely a C in honors, switched to regular on day 25 and has a 100% in math now.

I think it is a curriculum issue. The school team is trying to develop an Honors Curriculum. They are not experts in writing a curriculum and some don't have a firm grasp on the subject. The classes have the blind leading the blind. Students end up taking tests that have material that wasn't taught. Mrs. Hecker says it will take time to fix. Meanwhile, kids are still struggling.

I agree with you, but why are teachers writing the curriculum? Shouldn't MCPS have curriculum experts to develop a standard Honors Math curriculum throughout the school district?

I'm really confused. I thought that MCPS has its own math curriculum. Everyone in MCPS takes the same quarterly assessments. I've been happy with my child's math teachers in the DCC.

PP continued - why isn't Churchill using the same Honors math curriculum that the rest of the County (except the Magnets) is presumably using? It's quite possible that it's not advanced enough, but my child has comprehended the material.

I really don’t know. I know that they do give some standard tests but many tests are created by the teachers. And the math packets are created by the teachers. I wish I understood better why Churchill is doing this.

For years, Churchill has been doing its own thing. You would think Central Office would have more control over how a course is assessed and the concepts a student is supposed to master. There's also no consistency with in the cluster so gaps exists as students move from elementary, middle, then high school.

But...it’s Churchill! Why should parents pay millions of dollars to follow the same curriculum as a parent who rents in Aspen Hill?!? It doesn’t matter whether what’s done at Churchill is effective or not. All that matters is that it’s just for Churchill students. So special.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC, in a different W HS had the same thing: barely a C in honors, switched to regular on day 25 and has a 100% in math now.

I think it is a curriculum issue. The school team is trying to develop an Honors Curriculum. They are not experts in writing a curriculum and some don't have a firm grasp on the subject. The classes have the blind leading the blind. Students end up taking tests that have material that wasn't taught. Mrs. Hecker says it will take time to fix. Meanwhile, kids are still struggling.

I agree with you, but why are teachers writing the curriculum? Shouldn't MCPS have curriculum experts to develop a standard Honors Math curriculum throughout the school district?

I'm really confused. I thought that MCPS has its own math curriculum. Everyone in MCPS takes the same quarterly assessments. I've been happy with my child's math teachers in the DCC.

PP continued - why isn't Churchill using the same Honors math curriculum that the rest of the County (except the Magnets) is presumably using? It's quite possible that it's not advanced enough, but my child has comprehended the material.

I really don’t know. I know that they do give some standard tests but many tests are created by the teachers. And the math packets are created by the teachers. I wish I understood better why Churchill is doing this.

For years, Churchill has been doing its own thing. You would think Central Office would have more control over how a course is assessed and the concepts a student is supposed to master. There's also no consistency with in the cluster so gaps exists as students move from elementary, middle, then high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

No

Ok. Then read the OFFICIAL report that cost $10 million. At that price, the experts who evaluated the curriculum must have known what they were doing. And they said...IT STINKS!!!

LOL
1. The curriculum that was evaluated was the K-8, not HS.
2. The report said the curriculum is lacking (especially for certain groups ), but not stink.

But carry on with rant and half-truths. Don't let the truth get in your way

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

No

Ok. Then read the OFFICIAL report that cost $10 million. At that price, the experts who evaluated the curriculum must have known what they were doing. And they said...IT STINKS!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

No

Says the person who helped write it.

Anonymous wrote:BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

No

BTW. Everyone does know that the OFFICIAL word is that the internally generated MCPS math curriculum stinks right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC, in a different W HS had the same thing: barely a C in honors, switched to regular on day 25 and has a 100% in math now.

I think it is a curriculum issue. The school team is trying to develop an Honors Curriculum. They are not experts in writing a curriculum and some don't have a firm grasp on the subject. The classes have the blind leading the blind. Students end up taking tests that have material that wasn't taught. Mrs. Hecker says it will take time to fix. Meanwhile, kids are still struggling.

I agree with you, but why are teachers writing the curriculum? Shouldn't MCPS have curriculum experts to develop a standard Honors Math curriculum throughout the school district?

I'm really confused. I thought that MCPS has its own math curriculum. Everyone in MCPS takes the same quarterly assessments. I've been happy with my child's math teachers in the DCC.

PP continued - why isn't Churchill using the same Honors math curriculum that the rest of the County (except the Magnets) is presumably using? It's quite possible that it's not advanced enough, but my child has comprehended the material.

I really don’t know. I know that they do give some standard tests but many tests are created by the teachers. And the math packets are created by the teachers. I wish I understood better why Churchill is doing this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC, in a different W HS had the same thing: barely a C in honors, switched to regular on day 25 and has a 100% in math now.

I think it is a curriculum issue. The school team is trying to develop an Honors Curriculum. They are not experts in writing a curriculum and some don't have a firm grasp on the subject. The classes have the blind leading the blind. Students end up taking tests that have material that wasn't taught. Mrs. Hecker says it will take time to fix. Meanwhile, kids are still struggling.

I agree with you, but why are teachers writing the curriculum? Shouldn't MCPS have curriculum experts to develop a standard Honors Math curriculum throughout the school district?

I'm really confused. I thought that MCPS has its own math curriculum. Everyone in MCPS takes the same quarterly assessments. I've been happy with my child's math teachers in the DCC.

PP continued - why isn't Churchill using the same Honors math curriculum that the rest of the County (except the Magnets) is presumably using? It's quite possible that it's not advanced enough, but my child has comprehended the material.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC, in a different W HS had the same thing: barely a C in honors, switched to regular on day 25 and has a 100% in math now.

I think it is a curriculum issue. The school team is trying to develop an Honors Curriculum. They are not experts in writing a curriculum and some don't have a firm grasp on the subject. The classes have the blind leading the blind. Students end up taking tests that have material that wasn't taught. Mrs. Hecker says it will take time to fix. Meanwhile, kids are still struggling.

I agree with you, but why are teachers writing the curriculum? Shouldn't MCPS have curriculum experts to develop a standard Honors Math curriculum throughout the school district?

I'm really confused. I thought that MCPS has its own math curriculum. Everyone in MCPS takes the same quarterly assessments. I've been happy with my child's math teachers in the DCC.