Anonymous
Post 03/28/2023 07:56     Subject: Re:No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. With the lax grading deadlines implemented by MCPS, it may be more of an issue where if a teacher provides feedback (especially if the assignment is online in MyMCPS), students will share the answers. Some teachers, including myself, are completely over the lax grading deadlines. I'm in grad school (yes, I know very very different) but my prof has STRICT deadlines. If you are late, you better pray the prof will accept your paper. I really think MCPS is not preparing students well. It is incredibly hard to offer retakes, etc when half the class hasn't turned in their work. Before COVID, I could enforce deadlines and keep things moving. Now? It's the wild west of grading. We never know when the assignments will come in and who turns in what at what time. My only relief is the end of the quarter when I can finally shut things down. We have no autonomy anymore in our classes. But even then I still get asked to extend a deadline sometimes! It doesn't help a student to turn in an assignment 2 months late. What are they learning then?


I am not sure where you teach, but this is definitely not true at my kid’s school. Deadlines are strict and enforced.


There's a lot of variability by school and teacher.

At my kids' DCC high school, one teacher has a policy that sees all assignments have due dates AND deadlines. Due dates are when the assignment is originally due and the deadline is the last day that the teacher will accept the assignment, which is usually a week or so past the due date.

Another teacher lets you make up any assignment before the interim grades go out. After interim grades go out, no late assignments from before the interim will be accepted. Same is true for the second half of the marking period post-interims.

And then there's other teachers who you let you turn in whatever late assignments you want, as long as it's done before the end of the marking period.


This is exactly the same at my kids school as is exactly the problem. Set the due date, set the deadline and be done with it. If a kid was out ill or has some other excused absence then fine. It’s a responsibility and accountability system for both students and staff. I’m really not sure why this continues to be a problem. Especially considering this is the grading policy that central office staff point to whenever asked about grades.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 19:31     Subject: Re:No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:WHY DO YOU THINK WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR MORE PLANNING TIME AND LESS MEETINGS?!?!

"Fewer" and please use your inside voice!
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 18:45     Subject: Re:No grades in Synergy for a month
WHY DO YOU THINK WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR MORE PLANNING TIME AND LESS MEETINGS?!?!
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 11:21     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:How would you address this problem? Student has no grades posted at all in Synergy for multiple classes for the past month. That means no opportunity for retaking any assignments and the quarter ends next week. I’ve already email teacher and no response. What do I do next? Principal? Counselor?
This is stressful and surprising that yea hers can even do this.


Teach your kid to do their best work the first time. All of this retake nonsense is creating lazy students and crazy parents.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 09:21     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:MCPS teacher here. The students can see grades in Canvas. They don't have to be posted in Synergy for them to see feedback, grade, etc.


As a parent I was told not to rely on Canvas at all. The teachers have emailed to only rely on Student Vue and Parent Vue. And yet, those are not updated at regular intervals.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 09:20     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
My kids teachers also have widely differing rules about when late work is accepted — some don’t accept anything late.
The one thing I’d say is it’s really hard when a kid is out for a week to make up everything quickly and keep on top of new assignments. There’s only so many tests they can make up during lunch and it often takes two lunches to make up one test.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 09:15     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:MCPS teacher here. The students can see grades in Canvas. They don't have to be posted in Synergy for them to see feedback, grade, etc.


Not all grades end up in synergy.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 08:51     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
MCPS teacher here. The students can see grades in Canvas. They don't have to be posted in Synergy for them to see feedback, grade, etc.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 08:14     Subject: Re:No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. With the lax grading deadlines implemented by MCPS, it may be more of an issue where if a teacher provides feedback (especially if the assignment is online in MyMCPS), students will share the answers. Some teachers, including myself, are completely over the lax grading deadlines. I'm in grad school (yes, I know very very different) but my prof has STRICT deadlines. If you are late, you better pray the prof will accept your paper. I really think MCPS is not preparing students well. It is incredibly hard to offer retakes, etc when half the class hasn't turned in their work. Before COVID, I could enforce deadlines and keep things moving. Now? It's the wild west of grading. We never know when the assignments will come in and who turns in what at what time. My only relief is the end of the quarter when I can finally shut things down. We have no autonomy anymore in our classes. But even then I still get asked to extend a deadline sometimes! It doesn't help a student to turn in an assignment 2 months late. What are they learning then?


I am not sure where you teach, but this is definitely not true at my kid’s school. Deadlines are strict and enforced.


There's a lot of variability by school and teacher.

At my kids' DCC high school, one teacher has a policy that sees all assignments have due dates AND deadlines. Due dates are when the assignment is originally due and the deadline is the last day that the teacher will accept the assignment, which is usually a week or so past the due date.

Another teacher lets you make up any assignment before the interim grades go out. After interim grades go out, no late assignments from before the interim will be accepted. Same is true for the second half of the marking period post-interims.

And then there's other teachers who you let you turn in whatever late assignments you want, as long as it's done before the end of the marking period.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 08:04     Subject: Re:No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. With the lax grading deadlines implemented by MCPS, it may be more of an issue where if a teacher provides feedback (especially if the assignment is online in MyMCPS), students will share the answers. Some teachers, including myself, are completely over the lax grading deadlines. I'm in grad school (yes, I know very very different) but my prof has STRICT deadlines. If you are late, you better pray the prof will accept your paper. I really think MCPS is not preparing students well. It is incredibly hard to offer retakes, etc when half the class hasn't turned in their work. Before COVID, I could enforce deadlines and keep things moving. Now? It's the wild west of grading. We never know when the assignments will come in and who turns in what at what time. My only relief is the end of the quarter when I can finally shut things down. We have no autonomy anymore in our classes. But even then I still get asked to extend a deadline sometimes! It doesn't help a student to turn in an assignment 2 months late. What are they learning then?


I am not sure where you teach, but this is definitely not true at my kid’s school. Deadlines are strict and enforced.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 00:17     Subject: Re:No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. With the lax grading deadlines implemented by MCPS, it may be more of an issue where if a teacher provides feedback (especially if the assignment is online in MyMCPS), students will share the answers. Some teachers, including myself, are completely over the lax grading deadlines. I'm in grad school (yes, I know very very different) but my prof has STRICT deadlines. If you are late, you better pray the prof will accept your paper. I really think MCPS is not preparing students well. It is incredibly hard to offer retakes, etc when half the class hasn't turned in their work. Before COVID, I could enforce deadlines and keep things moving. Now? It's the wild west of grading. We never know when the assignments will come in and who turns in what at what time. My only relief is the end of the quarter when I can finally shut things down. We have no autonomy anymore in our classes. But even then I still get asked to extend a deadline sometimes! It doesn't help a student to turn in an assignment 2 months late. What are they learning then?


Absolutely nothing. But admins don't seem to care or prioritize the learning part.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2023 00:03     Subject: Re:No grades in Synergy for a month
Teacher here. With the lax grading deadlines implemented by MCPS, it may be more of an issue where if a teacher provides feedback (especially if the assignment is online in MyMCPS), students will share the answers. Some teachers, including myself, are completely over the lax grading deadlines. I'm in grad school (yes, I know very very different) but my prof has STRICT deadlines. If you are late, you better pray the prof will accept your paper. I really think MCPS is not preparing students well. It is incredibly hard to offer retakes, etc when half the class hasn't turned in their work. Before COVID, I could enforce deadlines and keep things moving. Now? It's the wild west of grading. We never know when the assignments will come in and who turns in what at what time. My only relief is the end of the quarter when I can finally shut things down. We have no autonomy anymore in our classes. But even then I still get asked to extend a deadline sometimes! It doesn't help a student to turn in an assignment 2 months late. What are they learning then?
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2023 21:17     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here. It’s HS.
I know ES grades are not updated often if ever. This lack of
Grades is for two classes!


Parent of HS kid. The teachers don't require the kids to turn in assignments on time, so I guess they don't grade on time either. I don't like it but it is what it is.


Admin doesn't require kids to turn in assignments on time. Teachers want hard deadlines. It's not happening.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2023 21:11     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:OP here. It’s HS.
I know ES grades are not updated often if ever. This lack of
Grades is for two classes!




Just a few questions for clarification:

Is the teacher a certified teacher or a long term sub?
When did your student turn in the work?
Are the assignments graded in Canvas - and the teacher is not moving them over to Synergy?

No matter what, the teacher needs to update the grades (even if it is an E for not turning it in) so that all stakeholders know the current status.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2023 18:42     Subject: No grades in Synergy for a month
Anonymous wrote:OP here. It’s HS.
I know ES grades are not updated often if ever. This lack of
Grades is for two classes!


Parent of HS kid. The teachers don't require the kids to turn in assignments on time, so I guess they don't grade on time either. I don't like it but it is what it is.