Anonymous
10/14/2024 23:20
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:What are the demographics of the "lowest performing student" population in MCPS?
Perhaps, that might help guide the conversation.
Your race baiting is obvious and lame. Find something else to do.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 22:48
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
What are the demographics of the "lowest performing student" population in MCPS?
Perhaps, that might help guide the conversation.
Perhaps, that might help guide the conversation.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 22:36
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:A lot has been said about what school district should do, schools can do and teachers too. How about trying to help families of these students with 1:1 counseling of some sort to make sure they understand what is expected of students, the services that are available to them, and actual guiding these families especially new families to the system from another country? Could a "host family" work? It's not a one time here you go here's the welcome to mcps folder that tells you what you need to do, but actually checking in with them very frequently (1-2x week). Does this fall under Social Worker duties, can paras do some of this?
Why are schools responsible for 1:1 counseling of families? Schools are for educating students not solving all the problems of families. And schools already have parent community coordinators to help with engagement. Not to mention there is a Parent Academy that does workshops and a Special Education committee that has meetings every month and uploads the recording to the website.
The basic expectation is that students 1)show up to school everyday on time, 2)try hard, 3)guardians review what comes home, and 4)if/when they have concerns or questions they reach out to the teacher/school. What is difficult about that expectation?
I'm not the PP, but I think this goes to a pretty fundamental difference of worldviews. You seem to see education as something that a child earns by being born to the correct parents. PP sees education as something we owe children because they are in our society.
I align with PP, not just because I think it's the American way to view education but also because it's the only way we're going to still have a functioning society in a couple of decades.
No, education is a fundamental right of all children and those who seek it. As such school should engage in education, not social work. Social Work is the vain of Health and Human services not school districts. Part of the problem in education is folks seem to believe we can keep piling on more and more responsibility to the education system that has absolutely nothing to do with education. I understand that kids who are hungry or not clothed have a harder time learning, but that doesn't mean solving that problem is the responsibility of the education system.
The expectations are really clear. Come to school, do the work, ask school staff if you have questions/concerns. Now if that model isn't working, then a different model is needed.
Example: People are calling for an early warning system to alert families that their student is falling behind. While I can certainly understand how this could be helpful and beneficial, I also challenge if it is need. Grades and a slew of standardized test scores are already provided. Those are (or should be) the early warning system that a student is falling behind. If they are not performing that function, the question is why not? Why do we need another document?
This is where you go wrong. Grades often don't provide the early warnings that they should due to grade inflation. Furthermore, the standardized tests are routinely dismissed by teachers as "unimportant" and point parents to pay attention the classroom grades instead.
This misdirection by teachers and schools, cause parents to not realize that there's a problem until it's far too late. THAT is the genesis of the Early Warning System that is being advocated for, which is very much needed because unless you FORCE MCPS to do the right thing, the system simply won't.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 22:29
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:A lot has been said about what school district should do, schools can do and teachers too. How about trying to help families of these students with 1:1 counseling of some sort to make sure they understand what is expected of students, the services that are available to them, and actual guiding these families especially new families to the system from another country? Could a "host family" work? It's not a one time here you go here's the welcome to mcps folder that tells you what you need to do, but actually checking in with them very frequently (1-2x week). Does this fall under Social Worker duties, can paras do some of this?
Why are schools responsible for 1:1 counseling of families? Schools are for educating students not solving all the problems of families. And schools already have parent community coordinators to help with engagement. Not to mention there is a Parent Academy that does workshops and a Special Education committee that has meetings every month and uploads the recording to the website.
The basic expectation is that students 1)show up to school everyday on time, 2)try hard, 3)guardians review what comes home, and 4)if/when they have concerns or questions they reach out to the teacher/school. What is difficult about that expectation?
I'm not the PP, but I think this goes to a pretty fundamental difference of worldviews. You seem to see education as something that a child earns by being born to the correct parents. PP sees education as something we owe children because they are in our society.
I align with PP, not just because I think it's the American way to view education but also because it's the only way we're going to still have a functioning society in a couple of decades.
No, education is a fundamental right of all children and those who seek it. As such school should engage in education, not social work. Social Work is the vain of Health and Human services not school districts. Part of the problem in education is folks seem to believe we can keep piling on more and more responsibility to the education system that has absolutely nothing to do with education. I understand that kids who are hungry or not clothed have a harder time learning, but that doesn't mean solving that problem is the responsibility of the education system.
The expectations are really clear. Come to school, do the work, ask school staff if you have questions/concerns. Now if that model isn't working, then a different model is needed.
Example: People are calling for an early warning system to alert families that their student is falling behind. While I can certainly understand how this could be helpful and beneficial, I also challenge if it is need. Grades and a slew of standardized test scores are already provided. Those are (or should be) the early warning system that a student is falling behind. If they are not performing that function, the question is why not? Why do we need another document?
Anonymous
10/14/2024 13:49
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Universal pre-k for both 3 and 4-year-olds. It’s the only thing. We have to get them in younger. We are getting kindergarteners who don’t know colors, don’t know their names, can’t use the bathroom, can barely talk in their native language. For whatever reason, parents are just not preparing them. We cannot make up that deficit starting at age 5.
I live in Milwaukee where we have some of the most horrible schools in the entire country. We've had universal pre-k for 4 year olds for at least 25 years - maybe more. The issues persist.
Universal preK has been tried and is not shown to make any meaningful difference in later outcomes.
Because there’s only so much a school can do. Universal Pre-K helps, but the biggest factor in a child’s success is their parents’ involvement and education. I know some people might not want to hear that, but it’s true. A teacher I talked to had a student who was struggling, and she could barely communicate with the mom because the mom herself, was a young, single parent who couldn’t speak or read English, not to mention, could barely read at a 5th-grade level in her native Spanish. For kids to do well, parents need to be involved—reading to them when they’re young, making sure homework is done, teaching them about the world, taking them to museums, going to parent-teacher conferences, setting bedtimes, helping with SAT prep, talking about careers and college, and advocating for them if they need help. That’s what makes a difference. Without that support, kids have to have grit and a ton of drive to succeed. Some do, but many don’t. That’s why MCPS knows it’s important not to have too many disadvantaged kids in one school—they need to be around high-performing peers they can learn from and look up to.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 13:17
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Universal pre-k for both 3 and 4-year-olds. It’s the only thing. We have to get them in younger. We are getting kindergarteners who don’t know colors, don’t know their names, can’t use the bathroom, can barely talk in their native language. For whatever reason, parents are just not preparing them. We cannot make up that deficit starting at age 5.
I live in Milwaukee where we have some of the most horrible schools in the entire country. We've had universal pre-k for 4 year olds for at least 25 years - maybe more. The issues persist.
Universal preK has been tried and is not shown to make any meaningful difference in later outcomes.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 13:03
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
So can't reduce class size. Then increase number of teachers in each classroom.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 11:02
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Universal pre-k for both 3 and 4-year-olds. It’s the only thing. We have to get them in younger. We are getting kindergarteners who don’t know colors, don’t know their names, can’t use the bathroom, can barely talk in their native language. For whatever reason, parents are just not preparing them. We cannot make up that deficit starting at age 5.
I live in Milwaukee where we have some of the most horrible schools in the entire country. We've had universal pre-k for 4 year olds for at least 25 years - maybe more. The issues persist.
Because there’s only so much a school can do. Universal Pre-K helps, but the biggest factor in a child’s success is their parents’ involvement and education. I know some people might not want to hear that, but it’s true. A teacher I talked to had a student who was struggling, and she could barely communicate with the mom because the mom herself, was a young, single parent who couldn’t speak or read English, not to mention, could barely read at a 5th-grade level in her native Spanish. For kids to do well, parents need to be involved—reading to them when they’re young, making sure homework is done, teaching them about the world, taking them to museums, going to parent-teacher conferences, setting bedtimes, helping with SAT prep, talking about careers and college, and advocating for them if they need help. That’s what makes a difference. Without that support, kids have to have grit and a ton of drive to succeed. Some do, but many don’t. That’s why MCPS knows it’s important not to have too many disadvantaged kids in one school—they need to be around high-performing peers they can learn from and look up to.
All kids are looking up when called, if you are lucky, these days is from their screens.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 10:55
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Universal pre-k for both 3 and 4-year-olds. It’s the only thing. We have to get them in younger. We are getting kindergarteners who don’t know colors, don’t know their names, can’t use the bathroom, can barely talk in their native language. For whatever reason, parents are just not preparing them. We cannot make up that deficit starting at age 5.
I live in Milwaukee where we have some of the most horrible schools in the entire country. We've had universal pre-k for 4 year olds for at least 25 years - maybe more. The issues persist.
Because there’s only so much a school can do. Universal Pre-K helps, but the biggest factor in a child’s success is their parents’ involvement and education. I know some people might not want to hear that, but it’s true. A teacher I talked to had a student who was struggling, and she could barely communicate with the mom because the mom herself, was a young, single parent who couldn’t speak or read English, not to mention, could barely read at a 5th-grade level in her native Spanish. For kids to do well, parents need to be involved—reading to them when they’re young, making sure homework is done, teaching them about the world, taking them to museums, going to parent-teacher conferences, setting bedtimes, helping with SAT prep, talking about careers and college, and advocating for them if they need help. That’s what makes a difference. Without that support, kids have to have grit and a ton of drive to succeed. Some do, but many don’t. That’s why MCPS knows it’s important not to have too many disadvantaged kids in one school—they need to be around high-performing peers they can learn from and look up to.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 09:12
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:A lot has been said about what school district should do, schools can do and teachers too. How about trying to help families of these students with 1:1 counseling of some sort to make sure they understand what is expected of students, the services that are available to them, and actual guiding these families especially new families to the system from another country? Could a "host family" work? It's not a one time here you go here's the welcome to mcps folder that tells you what you need to do, but actually checking in with them very frequently (1-2x week). Does this fall under Social Worker duties, can paras do some of this?
Why are schools responsible for 1:1 counseling of families? Schools are for educating students not solving all the problems of families. And schools already have parent community coordinators to help with engagement. Not to mention there is a Parent Academy that does workshops and a Special Education committee that has meetings every month and uploads the recording to the website.
The basic expectation is that students 1)show up to school everyday on time, 2)try hard, 3)guardians review what comes home, and 4)if/when they have concerns or questions they reach out to the teacher/school. What is difficult about that expectation?
I'm not the PP, but I think this goes to a pretty fundamental difference of worldviews. You seem to see education as something that a child earns by being born to the correct parents. PP sees education as something we owe children because they are in our society.
I align with PP, not just because I think it's the American way to view education but also because it's the only way we're going to still have a functioning society in a couple of decades.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 08:46
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Universal pre-k for both 3 and 4-year-olds. It’s the only thing. We have to get them in younger. We are getting kindergarteners who don’t know colors, don’t know their names, can’t use the bathroom, can barely talk in their native language. For whatever reason, parents are just not preparing them. We cannot make up that deficit starting at age 5.
I live in Milwaukee where we have some of the most horrible schools in the entire country. We've had universal pre-k for 4 year olds for at least 25 years - maybe more. The issues persist.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 08:39
Subject: Re:How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Make seperate schools for illegal immigrants.
Make separate schools for kids who do not speak English,
Integrate them in the mainstream schools when they catch up.
Are there even enough teachers to teach ELL students?
Nope. We have immigrants coming here illegally from all over the world. It's not just Spanish speakers. It's impossible to hire enough teachers to fill the need. Also, hiring even more ELL teachers means less money for other staff. We don't have an unlimited budget. So, we throw the kids into regular classes and expect teachers to pick up the slack.
The casual racism and anti-immigrant hate is just something else on DCUM. People don't even respond to it anymore.
Do any of you people reading this understand that what the PP wrote is:
A. Greatly exaggerated. No, there aren't hordes of non-English speaking students in MCPS, and
B. Hateful? This is public school. You educate the resident kids, regardless of who they are or where they come from. That is the public education compact, and it's a GOOD thing for our long-term future, for which we need educated and socially-integrated immigrants.
If you don't like it, feel free to move or to educate your kids elsewhere. You have choices.
I'm a parent volunteer in my kids' public schools. I've seen the recent immigrants learning English. They're grateful, quick to learn and they've got tons of grit. They don't take away resources from other kids, since the state gives extra money specifically to bring these kids up to speed. These are not snowflake kids. They will grow up to contribute to the economy of the United States and prop up your Social Security benefits.
Don't let your hate shoot you in the foot.
You are delusional. Of course resources have been shifted because of large numbers of immigrants to MCPS. Earlier in the decade, we had approximately 1500 new immigrant kids arriving EVERY year. That is a new school's worth. You can find the demographic numbers to see the shift. And where do you think those "state" tax dollars come from? MoCo. In addition, ELL kids ultimately slow down the teaching of native born students. Those classes just cannot make the same progress.
Trying to shut down people by calling them racist? Yes, it is OK for people to say that it is frustrating to spend our tax dollars educating illegal immigrants or the American-born children of illegal immigrants, when we have kids who experience generational poverty who need those resources. Your economic arguments are just as fallacious, but that belongs in a different thread. I always love the "if you don't like it, move" argument. Ummm... you are saying that law abiding, tax paying citizens of Maryland should move to make way for illegal economic migrants. That will definitely end well.
These people PAY taxes too. And, those illegals are the ones who care for your kids, clean your house and do your yard among other things. So, its ok they do all your dirty work but not have their kids educated along side yours?
No, they do not pay anywhere near the amount of taxes that they require, so the point isn’t to stop educating their kids, it is to stop allowing more illegal migrants into the country. I clean my own house and cared for my own kids. I do hire a landscaping company, but would much prefer to hire a teenager to mow.
You need those people to do jobs. Who do you think work at the restaurants, clean buildings, your landscaping company, etc. Be real. And, they do pay taxes.
False. The wealthy elite WANT illegals migrants so that they can pay them less and avoid providing health insurance.
It’s better for employers to pay cash, and have their employees get their health benefits from taxpayer-funded health plans so that the employers do not have to pay for them.
There are definitely responsible employers who hire LEGAL workers to work at restaurants and to clean buildings. But the ones hiring the illegal migrants are doing it to increase their bottom line, no doubt.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 08:29
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:A lot has been said about what school district should do, schools can do and teachers too. How about trying to help families of these students with 1:1 counseling of some sort to make sure they understand what is expected of students, the services that are available to them, and actual guiding these families especially new families to the system from another country? Could a "host family" work? It's not a one time here you go here's the welcome to mcps folder that tells you what you need to do, but actually checking in with them very frequently (1-2x week). Does this fall under Social Worker duties, can paras do some of this?
Why are schools responsible for 1:1 counseling of families? Schools are for educating students not solving all the problems of families. And schools already have parent community coordinators to help with engagement. Not to mention there is a Parent Academy that does workshops and a Special Education committee that has meetings every month and uploads the recording to the website.
The basic expectation is that students 1)show up to school everyday on time, 2)try hard, 3)guardians review what comes home, and 4)if/when they have concerns or questions they reach out to the teacher/school. What is difficult about that expectation?
Anonymous
10/14/2024 08:14
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:11:56 yes to all.
The lowest performers need more - more time, more tutors, more books, more practice without them feeling like they are a failure because they are not there, yet, like their peers. Each classroom should have an assistant teacher to help those students or the lead teacher takes the lower students and assistant teacher works with the rest of the class. How do you get an Assistant teacher in each room, MCPS??
Advocate for this investment during the upcoming budget hearings, advocate to the BOE, work with your PTA/cluster to advocate to Admin and CO for having assistant teachers in lower ES classrooms. Similarly for all upper ES and MS math and English classes. My kid’s MS math class has 35 kids.
This is exactly what I think is needed in K-2, as reducing all class sizes is not going to happen. Additionally personnel to be tutor in Math, ELA, and English. These tutors can be full or full part-time paras or a specific tutor position that helps out.
Why should parents or teachers have to advocate to the Admin, CO or BOE? If they were doing their jobs, don't they know this is needed? They were hired/voted they should DO SOMETHING.
Because people have lots of wants and often there are competing priorities or ideas on how to best solve an issue. For example, people are constantly advocating for smaller class sizes. But we know that smaller classes sizes require teachers, space, likely additional buildings or portables, etc. So a better solution would be to advocate for Assistant teachers or Paras in say all K-3 classes to help ensure meaningful differentiation and small group usage. Or advocate for a floater Para who could help with sub duties or tutoring.
Someone asked "How do you get an Assistant teacher in each room, MCPS??". An answer was provided.
Because of "competing needs...," *certain* PTA asks parents not to advocate with Admin. They think if parents advocate for things that doesn't come through the PTA, they will not agree to it or Admin will agree to whatever that parent is asking which then in turn doesn't allow the PTA to push their agenda. Eye roll!!!
Parents can always talk to Admin and advocate for what their child needs. PTA Should be advocating for the greater needs and wants of their community.
Anonymous
10/14/2024 08:00
Subject: How to help MCPS' lowest performing students?
.Anonymous wrote:Universal pre-k for both 3 and 4-year-olds. It’s the only thing. We have to get them in younger. We are getting kindergarteners who don’t know colors, don’t know their names, can’t use the bathroom, can barely talk in their native language. For whatever reason, parents are just not preparing them. We cannot make up that deficit starting at age 5.
This plus smaller classes. Everyone’s needs can’t be met when you have over 15 kids in a class. Free 1:1 tutoring would be awesome too. But at some point we have to blame parents. Schools can’t fix every problem and there are a lot of crappy parents out there. But they too, are often lacking the necessary education. I had my kid young at 20. Many of my friends that had kids then kept going. I stopped because I was in the middle of college and knew what was at stake. Statistically I should’ve had like 3 more kids by now. I was fortunate to not struggle even further. The entire system is broken and again, the schools can’t fix it all.