School day should be extended in red zone and provide homework help time during that extra period. That would help on a number of front: 1) help give the kids who need it extra time w/ people who can cactually help w/ the HW and ensure it is done; 2) help draw more middle class families to the east side in order to help dilute out the overall % of high needs kids in the class. A school that is more full of middle class kids is not going to put the same strain on teachers that one that is almost all FARMS is. Moreover, the higher number of middle class families can help support a more active PTA and volunteer force for the schools (most likely). I know they make the class size smaller in the red zone already but clearly more resources need tareted specifically at those areas. Also, you could staff the HW help time w/ people at a lower trained level than teachers - simple college degree qualification would probably be enough to help supervise ES homework and read instructions from teachers. If not, then parents w/o college degrees sure as heck aren't going to be able to help more than that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:p.p, it is interesting that you say the schools nowadays do so much. I think that it may have been exactly where things went wrong. It is my view that the parents should be the one who handles these extras and the schools focus on academics as they should be all along. You may work very hard but you probably also have a college degree and can supplement at home. Since when did free museums and zoos help with bad math instruction? I am not saying that there are not bad parents out there. I do believe that the schools are not attempting to narrow the gap the right way.

I disagree with you. Schools do too much? Math isn't the only thing in school but MCPS makes it. No science, no history, nothing taught about how to study. 25min or PE a week, 25min of at a week, 25min or music a week? What too much are they doing? Small percent of grammar.


College Degree has nothing to do with being a parent so that is no excuse.

Are the previous poster at all? You cannot have it both ways. The parents are either counting on schools to do too much or the school is not doing enough. I think the school are not doing enough important things. Such as PE, music, history and science. But they may be doing too much none essential things therefore they don't have time to do the important things? To narrow the achievement gap they need to teach the math and reading better. At school. The disadvantaged kids who are on the low end of the gap is not going to get good supplemental math and reading at home no matter how caring their parents are. They are disadvantaged for a reason. Maybe not for someone who is transiently poor, for example a graduate student who temporarily makes 10000 a year. They will be okay because the mother has education. But for the majority of poor kids, the mother is not going to be able to help much with homework. The school absolutely needs to educate the kids academically, while at school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So annoying that Valerie Ervin seems to be blaming the "achievement gap" on MCPS. What about talking about the responsibility of parents for a change and getting rid of all these racial categories for measuring performance?

Agree with this. If the parents don't care, there is no way to close this 'achievement gap'. Crazy if they continue to spend more money on this.

It's very rarely because parents don't care. It's usually because they don't have the time and/or resources to help.

So do we have to make them have time or force resources on them? I am sorry but it is YOUR JOB as a parent to make sure your child is succeeding in school and to BE A PARENT to them. There are families out there that have full time working parents (some that work 2 jobs) that make the time. Parents these days CHOOSE to let the schools take on so much more then they should. Teaching, life skills, better eating, exercise, sex ed. I am not saying the schools should not be teaching this but you as parents MUST supplement it. If you take 2-4 hours a week filling your kids with positive influence, teaching them, helping them learn how to study, making them feel important - it WILL make a difference. If you choose to spend that time at Chuckie Cheese, hanging out at the mall, or watching tv/video games, that is NOT the school system's problem. We live in an area with free museums, free zoo, free libraries with free computer use. Tons of resources online, free interpreters, free ESOL classes for kids and adults, highly discounted summer learning help. There is no excuse. I work 40hrs a week and my husband works 60hrs. We have no outside help. We MAKE the time. I am so sick of excuses for the LAZY in all walks of life, which I believe weighs heavily on the "achievement gap."

I always find it amusing when people who have so much in life get so angry at those who don't. You are lucky to have such a good, easy life. Not everyone does. This gap is NOT a question of a bunch of lazy parents who don't care about school. It's about an inability to act on that desire to see their kids do well.

What about a single woman working two jobs to put a roof over her kid's head? She's often not home to make dinner, much less sit over her kid to make sure he does his homework. What about the family that has trouble putting food on the table each day? A third of the kids in MoCo schools qualify for FARMS. They often can't put dinner together, and Manna Food sends home smart sacks for kids who otherwise wouldn't eat on the weekends. School is where they get their most nutritious meals. A perpetually hungry kid often has trouble learning well. If you have ever lived like that, you know a parent's priority becomes food first, and school takes a back seat.

I've lived both sides of the income-achievement gap. It is worlds easier being middle class than poor. There is no comparison.

PP so what is your point? Maybe we shouldn't let poor people have kids until they can make some money? That not only should the county feed them the majority of their meals but they should babysit them and tutor them for free too? I am sorry. I used to be a single mom that worked and went to school at the same time. We didn't have a lot of money and used to live in an apartment but that doesn't mean I can't help my kids with school. I wasn't away from them all day every day. There are good parents in every race and class and there are some really really bad parents in all those races and class too. You make the best with what you have. My opinion is not many do. They expect the school to do it for them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So annoying that Valerie Ervin seems to be blaming the "achievement gap" on MCPS. What about talking about the responsibility of parents for a change and getting rid of all these racial categories for measuring performance?

Agree with this. If the parents don't care, there is no way to close this 'achievement gap'. Crazy if they continue to spend more money on this.

It's very rarely because parents don't care. It's usually because they don't have the time and/or resources to help.

So do we have to make them have time or force resources on them? I am sorry but it is YOUR JOB as a parent to make sure your child is succeeding in school and to BE A PARENT to them. There are families out there that have full time working parents (some that work 2 jobs) that make the time. Parents these days CHOOSE to let the schools take on so much more then they should. Teaching, life skills, better eating, exercise, sex ed. I am not saying the schools should not be teaching this but you as parents MUST supplement it. If you take 2-4 hours a week filling your kids with positive influence, teaching them, helping them learn how to study, making them feel important - it WILL make a difference. If you choose to spend that time at Chuckie Cheese, hanging out at the mall, or watching tv/video games, that is NOT the school system's problem. We live in an area with free museums, free zoo, free libraries with free computer use. Tons of resources online, free interpreters, free ESOL classes for kids and adults, highly discounted summer learning help. There is no excuse. I work 40hrs a week and my husband works 60hrs. We have no outside help. We MAKE the time. I am so sick of excuses for the LAZY in all walks of life, which I believe weighs heavily on the "achievement gap."

I always find it amusing when people who have so much in life get so angry at those who don't. You are lucky to have such a good, easy life. Not everyone does. This gap is NOT a question of a bunch of lazy parents who don't care about school. It's about an inability to act on that desire to see their kids do well.

What about a single woman working two jobs to put a roof over her kid's head? She's often not home to make dinner, much less sit over her kid to make sure he does his homework. What about the family that has trouble putting food on the table each day? A third of the kids in MoCo schools qualify for FARMS. They often can't put dinner together, and Manna Food sends home smart sacks for kids who otherwise wouldn't eat on the weekends. School is where they get their most nutritious meals. A perpetually hungry kid often has trouble learning well. If you have ever lived like that, you know a parent's priority becomes food first, and school takes a back seat.

I've lived both sides of the income-achievement gap. It is worlds easier being middle class than poor. There is no comparison.

Anonymous wrote:p.p, it is interesting that you say the schools nowadays do so much. I think that it may have been exactly where things went wrong. It is my view that the parents should be the one who handles these extras and the schools focus on academics as they should be all along. You may work very hard but you probably also have a college degree and can supplement at home. Since when did free museums and zoos help with bad math instruction? I am not saying that there are not bad parents out there. I do believe that the schools are not attempting to narrow the gap the right way.

I disagree with you. Schools do too much? Math isn't the only thing in school but MCPS makes it. No science, no history, nothing taught about how to study. 25min or PE a week, 25min of at a week, 25min or music a week? What too much are they doing? Small percent of grammar.


College Degree has nothing to do with being a parent so that is no excuse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So annoying that Valerie Ervin seems to be blaming the "achievement gap" on MCPS. What about talking about the responsibility of parents for a change and getting rid of all these racial categories for measuring performance?

Agree with this. If the parents don't care, there is no way to close this 'achievement gap'. Crazy if they continue to spend more money on this.

It's very rarely because parents don't care. It's usually because they don't have the time and/or resources to help.

So do we have to make them have time or force resources on them? I am sorry but it is YOUR JOB as a parent to make sure your child is succeeding in school and to BE A PARENT to them. There are families out there that have full time working parents (some that work 2 jobs) that make the time. Parents these days CHOOSE to let the schools take on so much more then they should. Teaching, life skills, better eating, exercise, sex ed. I am not saying the schools should not be teaching this but you as parents MUST supplement it. If you take 2-4 hours a week filling your kids with positive influence, teaching them, helping them learn how to study, making them feel important - it WILL make a difference. If you choose to spend that time at Chuckie Cheese, hanging out at the mall, or watching tv/video games, that is NOT the school system's problem. We live in an area with free museums, free zoo, free libraries with free computer use. Tons of resources online, free interpreters, free ESOL classes for kids and adults, highly discounted summer learning help. There is no excuse. I work 40hrs a week and my husband works 60hrs. We have no outside help. We MAKE the time. I am so sick of excuses for the LAZY in all walks of life, which I believe weighs heavily on the "achievement gap."

I guarantee you "lazy" is not one of the main factors creating the achievement gap.

p.p, it is interesting that you say the schools nowadays do so much. I think that it may have been exactly where things went wrong. It is my view that the parents should be the one who handles these extras and the schools focus on academics as they should be all along. You may work very hard but you probably also have a college degree and can supplement at home. Since when did free museums and zoos help with bad math instruction? I am not saying that there are not bad parents out there. I do believe that the schools are not attempting to narrow the gap the right way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So annoying that Valerie Ervin seems to be blaming the "achievement gap" on MCPS. What about talking about the responsibility of parents for a change and getting rid of all these racial categories for measuring performance?

Agree with this. If the parents don't care, there is no way to close this 'achievement gap'. Crazy if they continue to spend more money on this.

It's very rarely because parents don't care. It's usually because they don't have the time and/or resources to help.

So do we have to make them have time or force resources on them? I am sorry but it is YOUR JOB as a parent to make sure your child is succeeding in school and to BE A PARENT to them. There are families out there that have full time working parents (some that work 2 jobs) that make the time. Parents these days CHOOSE to let the schools take on so much more then they should. Teaching, life skills, better eating, exercise, sex ed. I am not saying the schools should not be teaching this but you as parents MUST supplement it. If you take 2-4 hours a week filling your kids with positive influence, teaching them, helping them learn how to study, making them feel important - it WILL make a difference. If you choose to spend that time at Chuckie Cheese, hanging out at the mall, or watching tv/video games, that is NOT the school system's problem. We live in an area with free museums, free zoo, free libraries with free computer use. Tons of resources online, free interpreters, free ESOL classes for kids and adults, highly discounted summer learning help. There is no excuse. I work 40hrs a week and my husband works 60hrs. We have no outside help. We MAKE the time. I am so sick of excuses for the LAZY in all walks of life, which I believe weighs heavily on the "achievement gap."

22:50, then approach your principal about how small group instruction in the classroom during math is structured and ask to see examples of enrichment problems your child has been given. This is supposed to be going on, and if it isn't at your school, you have a right to ask about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So annoying that Valerie Ervin seems to be blaming the "achievement gap" on MCPS. What about talking about the responsibility of parents for a change and getting rid of all these racial categories for measuring performance?

Agree with this. If the parents don't care, there is no way to close this 'achievement gap'. Crazy if they continue to spend more money on this.

It's very rarely because parents don't care. It's usually because they don't have the time and/or resources to help.

Agree. That is why dumbing down curriculum is misguided. The kids who really need help should get them at school. That means direct explicit instruction of reading and math at their level and lots of drills. Kids from high SES family may survive the reform math instruction but the low achieving kids need a more direct approach.

My first grader is not being challenged enough in math under 2.0.
I am teaching him what he is ready for which hasn't been taught yet in his class. He wants to do multiplication at school. He can do simple multiplication. . I taught him how to do addition and subtraction with regrouping etc.. When my older child was in 1st grade she was being taught a lot of the then 2nd grade math because she and some others in her class were ready.
My now first grader loves math. But he is asking me to teach him more. He keeps bringing home math work that he could do 6 months ago. I think there needs to be more small grouping of students in math with the 2.0 curriculum so that the more advanced math students will be properly enriched and remain exited about math.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp, that is good hear. Trust me, I would rather my son be able to learn math at school than with me. I like to hear that MCPS is working out for you. Do you mind to share which school is this? Or do you think c2.0 covers algebra and fraction at the second grade for all?

I am not the PP you are asking, but DD is also in second grade (in Silver Spring). Her math curriculum this year has included algebraic thinking (expressed via word problems), and she is currently working on fractions.

My dd in first grade has also had math problems (word problems and standard math problems) that reflect algebraic thinking. Hasn't done fractions though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually dumb down is going to make it worse. My son is 4. I have already decided that I need to instruct him on math myself at home because of all the bad things you hear here on math education. He is going to be fine. But the poor kids' parents may not be as math savvy as I am. And they are not going to be fine.

If they really want to help the poor kids, they need to provide more direct instruction at their level and not evaluate them on these 21st century skills and be surprised that they cannot do math or read.

Actually, dumbing down is one way of solving the achievement gap. If you make a test so easy that 100% of students pass, presto! No gap.

True. Except SAT and ACT is still not dumb enough. The state test is almost there. Maybe one day SAT and ACT will also be dumb?

One doesn't have to get all the way to 100%. Slightly watering down standards over time should show progress in reducing the gap.

No really. We are in Alexandria City where the standards are very low and we still have a large achievement gap.

OP is right - the school can only do so much. The parents need to do there part.

Anonymous wrote:Pp, that is good hear. Trust me, I would rather my son be able to learn math at school than with me. I like to hear that MCPS is working out for you. Do you mind to share which school is this? Or do you think c2.0 covers algebra and fraction at the second grade for all?

I am not the PP you are asking, but DD is also in second grade (in Silver Spring). Her math curriculum this year has included algebraic thinking (expressed via word problems), and she is currently working on fractions.

Pp, that is good hear. Trust me, I would rather my son be able to learn math at school than with me. I like to hear that MCPS is working out for you. Do you mind to share which school is this? Or do you think c2.0 covers algebra and fraction at the second grade for all?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So annoying that Valerie Ervin seems to be blaming the "achievement gap" on MCPS. What about talking about the responsibility of parents for a change and getting rid of all these racial categories for measuring performance?

Agree with this. If the parents don't care, there is no way to close this 'achievement gap'. Crazy if they continue to spend more money on this.

It's very rarely because parents don't care. It's usually because they don't have the time and/or resources to help.

I agree with this.

On another note, I have a second grader who is doing word problems that use algebra and has started learning fractions as part of the curriculum 2.0. I am pleasantly surprised and pleased that this is occurring. I do not believe that 2.0 is causing my DD not to learn math.

My SO is teaching math in another county school. Those kids in upper grades apparently haven't learned as much as DD. SO is frustrated at how much more my DD has in both technology and substantive math knowledge than this other school.

The problem isn't what the county purports to teach. The problem is 1) teachers not having enough time to teach the kids before having to move on to the next topic and 2) the fundamentals being reinforced by parents. A parent who works long days to put food on the table and a roof over the head may want to emphasize education, but may not be in a position to do so.

Kids get left behind in the old curriculum with no support. If 2.0 can teach my daughter algebra and fractions in 2nd grade, I feel satisfied, especially if it means the kids on the other side of town get a chance to keep up with the curriculum.

I am holding my judgment as to whether my child's math education is suffering under 2.0. So far, I can't see it.

--signed a mom with an advance engineering degree