Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just want to note here that teachers cannot be everything to all students: gang-buster, parole officer, psychologist, therapist, priest, doctor and parent.

I’m a parent. I cannot blame teachers.

We can’t be everything, but we can, should, and must work with the resources we have to help students. Too many teachers aren’t using the tools and services we have been given. I have colleagues who do not use the Language Line that provides a translator if you have to call home to speak to a parent who isn’t fluent in English. Leaving six messages in English does not beat making one phone call in Spanish or Amharic or Creole. I have colleagues who hold quizzes on the day they know Linkages to Learning meetings are held. As a result, the child invited to the meeting must choose between attending this support or having to make up the quiz at the teacher’s convenience.

Anonymous wrote:Just want to note here that teachers cannot be everything to all students: gang-buster, parole officer, psychologist, therapist, priest, doctor and parent.

I’m a parent. I cannot blame teachers.

Anonymous wrote:

Knowing the root cause is not the same as addressing it. What have you actually done, either personally or as part of a group to help students overcome the reasons they miss classes?

So you're blaming teachers now?

This is a point I've made again and again, and you're part of the problem.

I don't owe you an explanation of steps I've taken, especially with your accusatory tone.

You're part of the problem, and you'll continue to help the system erode each and every day.

thanks

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s excellent that MCPS is trying to meet kids where they are and assist with the barriers that prevent kids from getting to school. It’s great that some kids can get to school and engage in the traditional al manner but that doesn’t work for everyone.

I’m a parent of a kid who has very serious mental health issues and the number of days that he goes is far less than the number he doesnt go. So I see first hand the efforts MCPS puts in to make kids successful. Because of this he will earn a diploma and will have a chance to be successful.

Anonymous wrote:This is what I have observed as both a teacher and a parent:

When middle class and affluent students are absent often, the parents know how to work the system. We often notify the school in advance and provide excuses or documentation that satisfy the attendance secretary. This allows our children to be marked excused absent and make up missed work. Even when the absence is clearly not considered excused under MCPS’ own rules, a way is found to kosher it. Our children are excused for family vacations, grandparents’ anniversaries, and attending siblings’ graduations. Mine was excused this year to interview for a summer experience. If our children are struggling with social emotional issues that lead them to be late to school or not go at all on a particular day, we use terms like “school refusal” that present nonattendance as a health issue rather than a behavioral problem. Recently, when DH has a serious health setback, my child’s counselor suggested taking a day off for DD to process.

In my experience, low income families often do not know how to use (or outright manipulate) the system this way. Students return from short illnesses (1-4 days) without the parent note that excuses the days missed. Students do not bring a doctor’s note for longer illnesses (5+ days), even though they may sport a hospital wristband. For students with chronic conditions like asthma, a lot of days may be racked up that should be excused, but just lack the paperwork. Families of low income students, particularly immigrants of color, may not realize that schools do bend rules to excuse absences for trips abroad, graduations, etc. They just know that their child still needs to accompany the family and they hope the teacher will excuse the missed work. They certainly don’t seem to know the magical phrase “school refusal” when their child won’t leave home in the morning. So they get sent scary letters about attendance while the parents of a middle class student with the same or more days absent is not.

I don’t know how to fix this. I do my part throwing starfish back into the ocean by contacting families to beg for notes or bringing up “school refusal” when we have our team meetings and someone uses skipping to characterize certain students’ absences and not those of others. I urge my colleagues to be aware of how our school and their own practices might be inequitable when it comes to dealing with absences that are technically inexcusable. If Larla can be excused for a five day trip to Israel for a cousin’s wedding under the excuse of religious observance, why can’t we do the same for Larla to miss one day for her godmother’s funeral?

Knowing the root cause is not the same as addressing it. What have you actually done, either personally or as part of a group to help students overcome the reasons they miss classes?

Anonymous wrote:So Einstein High was the featured school that was graduating kids with all the unexcused absences? Not surprised. But let’s hear again from the same crowd that is always claiming that it’s the W schools that are toxic.

So much coddling and hidden failure in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:So Einstein High was the featured school that was graduating kids with all the unexcused absences? Not surprised. But let’s hear again from the same crowd that is always claiming that it’s the W schools that are toxic.

So much coddling and hidden failure in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am sure there is an issue but I also know that my kids often have unexcused absences that were entered wrong that no one bothers to correct. Sometimes we do not even know till we get the report card. Or we get an email and it is a field trip or sports.

Don't make excuses.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/can-you-skip-47-days-of-english-class-and-still-graduate-from-high-school/2019/05/25/be3318ca-1b84-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html?utm_term=.a076946cf709

This has been going on for a LONG time. Someone had the balls to bring it to the surface.

This is how it works:

In Montgomery, educators in a string of high schools have told The Post that attendance practices are lax, vague or inconsistent. Some say they feel pressured to give makeup work, extend deadlines, excuse assignments or find other ways to help repeatedly absent students pass — and that the problem is not just a matter of seniors’ losing interest as their high school days wind down.

So yes, a kid can miss instruction but teachers are FORCED to re-teach/re-assess, which pulls the responsibility away from the kid. And how much learning can be done through "tutoring?" Do you really think that Jo Jo, who's absent 3/5 days each week, is learning? even WITH "re-teaching?"

absolutely disgusting!

Teachers are supposed to reteach and reassess anyway. If a child is missing 3 days a week consistently, do you think the biggest concern they are facing is how to make up missed instruction?

Address whatever the root cause is!

When I taught high school, I had sisters miss AM classes because it was only safe to sleep after a predatory adult male in the home had left for work. A student was responsible for watching her 5 younger siblings while the parents worked nights. Sometimes the parents were too exhausted to takeover in the morning so she had to get the little ones to school at 9 am, making her miss first block.

OK - look

I have over 25 years in this system teaching in high FARMs/high ESOL schools. I'm sure you can name them. MS-13? lol - just another part of my crew - And it high school, they can get ugly very quickly.

So we KNOW the root causes. Why do you think those teachers were anonymous when they shared their experiences?

The procedures around re-teaching/re-assessing and total BS with attendance and with grades were mandated b/c the county REFUSED to fail minority students b/c numbers were high at the challenging schools. At the wealthy schools, the county didn't want to fight lawsuits for unethical absences. So the kids were placed in IIS (formerly HHT) and they returned with doctors' notes from some highly unethical practitioners.

I'm done with excuses. I've discussed ROOT CAUSES until I was blue in the face. I'm NOT the problem, and I refuse to be the scapegoat. This is why teachers shut down. This is why instruction is uninspiring. How much longer can this go on?

I'm glad someone leaked this information! I hope more and more people stand up for what's right.

Kids aren't learning. It's a joke. As are BS. If Johnny can earn an A for being absent 40% of the time b/c a teacher was FORCED to re-teach/re-assess, the A is meaningless. why? b/c it's not ONLY about the content

It's about responsibility

and academic ENDURANCE and ethics. Do you think we're graduating kids who possess these qualities? I don't.

STOP MAKING EXCUSES!

Knowing the root cause is not the same as addressing it. What have you actually done, either personally or as part of a group to help students overcome the reasons they miss classes?