Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 12:26     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:I’m pretty sure we heard from this poster a few days ago. I think they want their kid in calculus in ninth grade or something. I think the counselor is understandably Unsure as to where to place them. Studying over the summer does not constitute curriculum. But I would take the advice here and reach out to the resource counselor and see if there’s a placement test that is available for your child.


No, not me. Not pursuing some lightning speed track. DC is placed on the second slowest track. We've already met several average children on faster tracks.

Studying over summer doesn't equate a full year of math, but if the child is only missing two chapters to have a complete coverage of a MCPS curriculum surely it makes sense to fill it in instead of wasting a whole year?
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:55     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

I disagree with previous posters, OP. High school courses and the grades your kid receives are important for college admissions, especially core classes that are prerequisites for their more advanced counterparts. So you want answers now, before the beginning of the school year, and your kid has to start one class, only to possibly switch, which will only add to the stress of changing school systems and navigating a new building.

Also, I disagree that course changes can be made easily. Not at all, and especially not when you're asking to move UP. PP gave an example of moving down - that's easier, there are usually more on-level classes than there are advanced classes. At Walter Johnson, for example, there is only one teacher who teaches AP Calc BC, and therefore only so many classes of AP Calc BC, which then have to fit with the rest of the kid's schedule.

Don't be put off by people scoffing at helicopter parents. High school is when every decision starts looking mighty important. You want to pick and choose which issues to pursue, but this seems like a pretty important one, if your kid risks being locked into a track that won't look as good for colleges! Email the principal if you feel you've given the counselor enough time to respond.

If you don't get satisfaction because classes are full, then look at the years your kid has left in MCPS, and look at the on-level and Honors classes that can be taken in the summer, which might free up space during the year to speed up his track.

- parent who cares about academics and whose college kid benefited from a strategic use of MCPS course enrollment.


🙄 really? Unnecessary comment.

OP the poster that spoke about math gave great advice. There is always time to move. Many many many students adjust their schedules at the beginning of the school year based on either realizing they need a different placement. The resource teacher will absolutely help your child get into the right placement. There are a lot of variables though and each school is a bit different on what they offer, how many sections, and if the class would conflict with other required classes that may need to be taken in a specific sequence. The course schedules won’t even be finalized until the week before school. You have time. It will be ok! Make sure your child also advocates for themselves as well by going down to counseling and making an appointment. tend to be taken more seriously if the student also wants to be in the class and it’s not just the parent asking.

You also can email the school or call and ask to set up an appointment especially since she is new. Good luck! It will all work out.



+1. Calm down. College preparation is the product of thousands of individual decisions and factors: you don't have to worry that one false move is going to tank DC's future. And you also don't have to worry that a self-motivated DC in command of the right material isn't going to get into an appropriate math class. If you're really worried about boredom in the long term, let them take as much as they like at community college on a schedule that works for them and your family.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:54     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
I’m pretty sure we heard from this poster a few days ago. I think they want their kid in calculus in ninth grade or something. I think the counselor is understandably Unsure as to where to place them. Studying over the summer does not constitute curriculum. But I would take the advice here and reach out to the resource counselor and see if there’s a placement test that is available for your child.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:46     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:

I disagree with previous posters, OP. High school courses and the grades your kid receives are important for college admissions, especially core classes that are prerequisites for their more advanced counterparts. So you want answers now, before the beginning of the school year, and your kid has to start one class, only to possibly switch, which will only add to the stress of changing school systems and navigating a new building.

Also, I disagree that course changes can be made easily. Not at all, and especially not when you're asking to move UP. PP gave an example of moving down - that's easier, there are usually more on-level classes than there are advanced classes. At Walter Johnson, for example, there is only one teacher who teaches AP Calc BC, and therefore only so many classes of AP Calc BC, which then have to fit with the rest of the kid's schedule.

Don't be put off by people scoffing at helicopter parents. High school is when every decision starts looking mighty important. You want to pick and choose which issues to pursue, but this seems like a pretty important one, if your kid risks being locked into a track that won't look as good for colleges! Email the principal if you feel you've given the counselor enough time to respond.

If you don't get satisfaction because classes are full, then look at the years your kid has left in MCPS, and look at the on-level and Honors classes that can be taken in the summer, which might free up space during the year to speed up his track.

- parent who cares about academics and whose college kid benefited from a strategic use of MCPS course enrollment.


🙄 really? Unnecessary comment.

OP the poster that spoke about math gave great advice. There is always time to move. Many many many students adjust their schedules at the beginning of the school year based on either realizing they need a different placement. The resource teacher will absolutely help your child get into the right placement. There are a lot of variables though and each school is a bit different on what they offer, how many sections, and if the class would conflict with other required classes that may need to be taken in a specific sequence. The course schedules won’t even be finalized until the week before school. You have time. It will be ok! Make sure your child also advocates for themselves as well by going down to counseling and making an appointment. tend to be taken more seriously if the student also wants to be in the class and it’s not just the parent asking.

You also can email the school or call and ask to set up an appointment especially since she is new. Good luck! It will all work out.

Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:41     Subject: Re:Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.


Step 1 is to ask the counselor what the evaluation process typically involves or what it is going to look like. (Remember, too, that systems can maintain equivalencies between one another that have nothing to do with your child: for example, District A may already know that students moving in from District B in curriculum X have been doing what would be considered grade-level work in District A, so they don't strictly need to retest.) The counselor may be trying to create a basic schedule as a placeholder and then adjust it later, too.

Then you can look back at whether you have been receiving timely and informative responses, whether or not you like their content. If you have not been receiving communications, you should check first on what the working hours for the counselors really are at this time of year _before_ you write the Resource Counselor or other authority figure.

Only at that point can you start a well-informed conversation about placement, bearing in mind that MCPS does tend to do things on fairly short timeframes. This would logically feel like the right time of year for a parent or guardian to settle a child's schedule, but the schools tend to run later.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:38     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful


I disagree with previous posters, OP. High school courses and the grades your kid receives are important for college admissions, especially core classes that are prerequisites for their more advanced counterparts. So you want answers now, before the beginning of the school year, and your kid has to start one class, only to possibly switch, which will only add to the stress of changing school systems and navigating a new building.

Also, I disagree that course changes can be made easily. Not at all, and especially not when you're asking to move UP. PP gave an example of moving down - that's easier, there are usually more on-level classes than there are advanced classes. At Walter Johnson, for example, there is only one teacher who teaches AP Calc BC, and therefore only so many classes of AP Calc BC, which then have to fit with the rest of the kid's schedule.

Don't be put off by people scoffing at helicopter parents. High school is when every decision starts looking mighty important. You want to pick and choose which issues to pursue, but this seems like a pretty important one, if your kid risks being locked into a track that won't look as good for colleges! Email the principal if you feel you've given the counselor enough time to respond.

If you don't get satisfaction because classes are full, then look at the years your kid has left in MCPS, and look at the on-level and Honors classes that can be taken in the summer, which might free up space during the year to speed up his track.

- parent who cares about academics and whose college kid benefited from a strategic use of MCPS course enrollment.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:29     Subject: Re:Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Thank you very much! (I would love to share more details but I am concerned about privacy).
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:26     Subject: Re:Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.


I know this feels like an emergency right now, but kids can and do change classes right up through the second week of school.

My child's school literally just sent the all course change form about 5 minutes ago.

Is the problem that the counselor is being unresponsive, or is the problem that they disagree with you about placement?? Has your child already taken the class they are being assigned to?


Thank you, this is good to know.
The class overlap is not 100%. Basically, in their school, they have taken 80% of the content for the class they are assigned to, 85% of the class above and 30% of the class above that. They have already closed almost all of that gap while working at home during the summer. DC is a high performer, never got a B on a single test in the subject, sometimes was an only student who got an A. There is little doubt that they will be demoralized and bored in a class they are assigned to.


This sounds like a math class, so good news, you don't have to worry about it filling up. There are always more math classes, and there is movement early in the semester. It's common, for example, to drop from Honors Pre-Calculus to on-level Pre-Calculus.

At this point, I'd escalate politely to the resource counselor and the math resource teacher (math department lead) with exactly the content you put in this message - your child covered Topic A to Topic F in Algebra II at their old school, and then topic A to Topic C of Pre-Calculus. Offer to have them sit a placement test if needed. Be polite, but clear.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:13     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:Why would you need to contact teachers at this point? Does your child have an IEP or 504 and you’re hoping to share accommodations? I’m confused as to what is needed. If you clarify, we might be able to help you more.



Probably need to warn them about the incoming helicopter parents
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:12     Subject: Re:Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
What grade level are we talking about?
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 11:12     Subject: Re:Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.


I know this feels like an emergency right now, but kids can and do change classes right up through the second week of school.

My child's school literally just sent the all course change form about 5 minutes ago.

Is the problem that the counselor is being unresponsive, or is the problem that they disagree with you about placement?? Has your child already taken the class they are being assigned to?


Thank you, this is good to know.
The class overlap is not 100%. Basically, in their school, they have taken 80% of the content for the class they are assigned to, 85% of the class above and 30% of the class above that. They have already closed almost all of that gap while working at home during the summer. DC is a high performer, never got a B on a single test in the subject, sometimes was an only student who got an A. There is little doubt that they will be demoralized and bored in a class they are assigned to.


I see, thanks. I would try to get this resolved as quickly as possible, because a lot of popular classes will already be full. My son was unable to take AP European History when he switched to MCPS, because he wasn't part of the January course enrollment for MCPS kids, so he missed out. Call the school, briefly describe the issue (you're new, classes were assigned that don't match the student's academic record, explain the counselor is not responding), and ask who else you could contact. They might be helpful, but important, if they're not, you can email the Principal, explain you called already and emailed and the counselor was not responsive. The Principal will pick someone on their team to answer your questions.

This is really the role of the Principal, OP: it's the person you want to use *sparingly* (or ideally, never!), who has the clout to prod anyone in their school to help with your problem ASAP. If your kid's counselor is away on vacation, then the Principal may just pick someone else to deal with you.

I only contacted the high school Principal once when the person who was supposed to reimburse me for AP exams my kid didn't sit for, left me hanging for MONTHS. I was so mad, but once the Principal was involved, miraculously it all got solved that very day...

I hope your kid gets into the classes they want!

Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 10:57     Subject: Re:Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.


I know this feels like an emergency right now, but kids can and do change classes right up through the second week of school.

My child's school literally just sent the all course change form about 5 minutes ago.

Is the problem that the counselor is being unresponsive, or is the problem that they disagree with you about placement?? Has your child already taken the class they are being assigned to?


Thank you, this is good to know.
The class overlap is not 100%. Basically, in their school, they have taken 80% of the content for the class they are assigned to, 85% of the class above and 30% of the class above that. They have already closed almost all of that gap while working at home during the summer. DC is a high performer, never got a B on a single test in the subject, sometimes was an only student who got an A. There is little doubt that they will be demoralized and bored in a class they are assigned to.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 10:50     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to MCPS and have just engage a counselor at one of the schools. The counselor is very unhelpful. What can we do to help our child? She would contact teachers directly or go to the principal?


Responses above are all from MCPS staff.

Call the principal. It is her/his job.


Depending on the school, the principal has responsibility for 600 to 3600 kids. They cannot get involved in individual cases, including whatever placement OP is trying to get for her kid. Before you go to the principal, work the chain of command. If there is a resource counselor listed, cc them in. If there isn't, then cc the AP.

Contacting the principal should be a last resort, because otherwise you are going to be "that parent" for the entirety of your time in the school.


Thank you! Good to know!
Thank you, I understand. What exactly is counselor chain of command?


Counselor reports to resource counselor, who reports to AP, who reports to principal
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 10:38     Subject: Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to MCPS and have just engage a counselor at one of the schools. The counselor is very unhelpful. What can we do to help our child? She would contact teachers directly or go to the principal?


Responses above are all from MCPS staff.

Call the principal. It is her/his job.


Depending on the school, the principal has responsibility for 600 to 3600 kids. They cannot get involved in individual cases, including whatever placement OP is trying to get for her kid. Before you go to the principal, work the chain of command. If there is a resource counselor listed, cc them in. If there isn't, then cc the AP.

Contacting the principal should be a last resort, because otherwise you are going to be "that parent" for the entirety of your time in the school.


Thank you, I understand. What exactly is counselor chain of command?


Counselor reports to resource counselor, who reports to AP, who reports to principal
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2024 10:15     Subject: Re:Moved to MCPS; counselor unhelpful
Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your responses. I don't want to escalate if it is not necessary. The student is coming from a different school system and the counselor is placing them at low level classes without testing.


I know this feels like an emergency right now, but kids can and do change classes right up through the second week of school.

My child's school literally just sent the all course change form about 5 minutes ago.

Is the problem that the counselor is being unresponsive, or is the problem that they disagree with you about placement?? Has your child already taken the class they are being assigned to?