PTA meeting tonight. Hot fire. Principal presented his case, supported by some flimsy studies. After a 45minute drone, parents and teachers obliterated each and every argument. The meeting started with the Principal stating the decision was made and final. By the end he said he was open to discussion. Several official PTA actions coming out. We’ll see where this goes. One parent videoed the entire thing. One parent dressed the principal down for his original meeting with the teachers. Teachers involved were indignant.

This question has been asked but I didn't see it answered (or maybe I skipped some pages). Will this affect the way the AAP program is run?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got the below email from Mr. Donnelly. I think this is a great email... hopefully the teachers are more on board now. If he explained things this coherently during the 3/16 meeting, I'm not sure why the teachers are so upset. And he should have sent this out immediately after the meeting instead of letting rumblings slipping out for almost a week.

This letter may be great for some of the parents but not necessarily for the teachers. Most of the rumors re: the teacher response were related less to the message itself than the fact that it was handed down without consultation or admitting questions. Sending an email to the parents after NOT taking questions from teachers--who know a lot more about this than most of us!--doesn't really do it for me.

Then quit and move to APS, like all the teachers are doing?

I really don't understand this thread. The principal of a school can really do whatever he wants. He doesn't have to have a vote. It's not a democracy.

Move to APS? I take it you're an FCPS parent? Differentiation in APS is a joke! This principal is an example of how a typical APS principal is....welcome to our world!

The only reason teachers move to APS is because APS pays more than FCPS!!!

ooooh 15 pages about Haycock drama. Giddyup!!!

Anonymous wrote:Why change something that isn't broken? The school performs very well. I'd like to see data that suggests such changes are needed.

Morale is such a factor in teacher performance. I'm concerned he is having a significant issues promoting a positive culture. Sounds like he's running it as more of a dictatorship. Regardless if I support the changes or not, I'm concerned in general regarding the culture he is creating.

It's not all about you, dear.

Why change something that isn't broken? The school performs very well. I'd like to see data that suggests such changes are needed.

Morale is such a factor in teacher performance. I'm concerned he is having a significant issues promoting a positive culture. Sounds like he's running it as more of a dictatorship. Regardless if I support the changes or not, I'm concerned in general regarding the culture he is creating.

I support the change. My main concern was math, and that is not changing. For my child, the new system will work better.

DC has a 504 plan, and we've had a harder time implementing it due to so many different teachers. 504 is for ADHD, which requires breaks. Some teachers were not giving breaks. The main teacher was great, but some of the subject teachers were not.

It was frustrating as a parent to have to communicate the issues to multiple teachers. While I understood why it was happening - the subject teacher wasn't reading the 504 plan - my kid was left struggling in the class. I think the main teacher knew DC much better and was better able to know when DC needed an accommodation.

Anonymous wrote:Why is this thread in AAP forum, doesn’t this change affect non-AAP classes equivalently?

Because Haycock parents are AAP obsessed and any kids not in AAP are irrelevant.

Why is this thread in AAP forum, doesn’t this change affect non-AAP classes equivalently?

Anonymous wrote:Teachers trade students for SS and Science, typically, sometimes moving in homeroom groups. This gives a teacher one less prep, and actually enhances differentiation. All teachers K-5 teach math and Language Arts

The big change then is that teachers have to teach both science and social studies now? It's such a short time they are taught anyway. I can't imagine this change having much of a difference on a student's life.

There was a time when Science was just not taught

Teachers trade students for SS and Science, typically, sometimes moving in homeroom groups. This gives a teacher one less prep, and actually enhances differentiation. All teachers K-5 teach math and Language Arts

Anonymous wrote:There are no teachers in grades K-5 who only teach one subject

So what has even changed?

Anonymous wrote:Teachers were not allowed to ask questions when this was announced to them

I can understand how, if there were multiple topics to cover during a staff breakfast, the principal could describe the proposed change and not entertain questions during that time slot.

It seem like teachers have had and will have other opportunities to discuss this, and they presumably have the principal's email address and telephone number.

Personally, I'd be fine as a parent with this change, and the reasons set forth in the email are reasonably compelling. Some teachers might want to stick with what they know, but others might also prefer working with a smaller number of children over the course of a day.

Teachers were not allowed to ask questions when this was announced to them