Anonymous wrote:I think MCPS is going for sole, anchor customer again if it is shortlisting garbage like Discovery Ed.

I will eat my shorts if MCPS finally buys something high quality and effective as Singapore math, aka Math in Focus in US eduction.
Google it. No public or private adopter has been disappointed but teachers must be trained and understand math to teach it well (is argue this is true for any math good curriculum.)

My fear is they’ll try to DIY again or try to save a buck and buy some new, underused mash-up product advertising that is is all methods to all kids.

So basically Discovery has a curriculum that allows them to further monetize and repurpose TV content and was basically done by former MCPS people who gave us curriculum 2.0.

They need to invest in a proven curriculum like the PP said like Singapore Math and something like McGraw Hills Lanugae Arts which is widely used and proven.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-02-27-discovery-education-to-find-a-new-owner-in-sf-private-equity-firm

I see Discovery Ed is now private equity backed. I suspect marty and Erick will be working their butts off trying to hit sales targets now so the sponsor does not lose money. Plus it's a technology private equity firm so look for more screentime, digital videos, digital everything.

So now, whilst private schools are doing 10 kid pull-outs for science, math and reading, your Discover Ed public school kid can put her headphones on an "learn" 6 hours on her chromebook. Teacher can monitor the 100 kid class, no problem. Also available in Spanish and 30 other languages of the world.

One of the times that I wish DCUM had regular user logins is times like this, where I want everyone to know that I'm a regular MCPS defender and all around pretty rational about the quality of education my kids are receiving.

So, just trust me that I'm not a complainer, and am generally happy with the schools.

Now, onward: This is a boondoggle. There are proven and effective curricula out there. How hard would it be to CHOOSE ONE OF THOSE???

Stop with the experimentation, and with trying to be cutting edge and pick the "up and coming" vendor.

Go back to the basics and pick something known to work. It is the only way we might start to patch the holes left by 2.0. Unless Smith is ready to lose an entire "generation" of MCPS kids, they need to pick something - with urgency - that can begin to remediate the massive problems with the old curriculum.

Our kids do not have time to wait, and they don't have time for more tinkering around the edges.

Anonymous wrote:Jack Smith is going to get a long and unhappy email from me this week (my first as an MCPS parent). I encourage others to do the same. We deserve to understand why two incompetent MCPS staff can derail a critical RFP process with no penalty, and why Maria Navarro went out of her way to excuse Discovery Ed from wrongdoing when there's no way they couldn't have known that their new hires were in charge of the same process they were bidding on.
Jack_Smith at mcpsmd.org

So the same Marty Creel person who worked with Erick Lang on the disasterous C2.0 in 2010-2012 jumped to newbie Discovery Ed and now recruited Erick Lang once C2.0 was deemed a total failure more formally than everyone was already deeming it for years.

And these A-holes are now costing the county MORE time and money in delays fixing their shoddy C2.0 product?

Jack Smith needs a real selection process that cuts through this nepotism and incompetency. I hate this awarding of gov't contracts since of the kickbacks but come on.

I noticed on Bloomberg this AM that Discovery is a strong Short. And has been for awhile.

I really hate this cheapo "digital textbook", "digital curriculum" BS. The school at the church down the street keeps looking better and better and better.

Discovery Ed is just another high margin, bad content experiment in computer digital teaching for K-5. Moves farther and farther away from "learning by doing" or practicing anything or from hand/memory learning and consists of CONSTANT group and individual SCREENTIME.

It's practically online teaching. terrible for children.

I'd like to see the caliber, or lackthereof, of Discovery Ed clients.

I agree the caliber of customers is high of Math In Focus -- impressive publics, charters and privates using it. The number of systems using it is significant as well.
Feedback is positive, drop rate is low, all stakeholders (parents, teachers, students, admin) happy. Kids know math well.

Anonymous wrote:There are some interesting insider comments on the Bethesda mag article.
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2018/MCPS-Pauses-Search-for-New-Curriculum-After-Learning-Staff-Members-Are-Taking-Jobs-with-Vendor/

Saw it from the inside. And this is tip of iceberg. Worse than you know.
There are at least 2 more former MCPS Science Office staff on Discovery link provided w/ one of these comments. And several more CESC staff went there, too. Teachers, their parents and students have been complaining about poorly designed curriculum for years. But there is no "there" there in MCPS. BOE is complicit.

Such corruption. I believe it all from talking to others. MCPS is too big and people can get away with all sorts of stuff when there is no accountability.

I think MCPS is going for sole, anchor customer again if it is shortlisting garbage like Discovery Ed.

I will eat my shorts if MCPS finally buys something high quality and effective as Singapore math, aka Math in Focus in US eduction.
Google it. No public or private adopter has been disappointed but teachers must be trained and understand math to teach it well (is argue this is true for any math good curriculum.)

My fear is they’ll try to DIY again or try to save a buck and buy some new, underused mash-up product advertising that is is all methods to all kids.

Anonymous wrote:There are some interesting insider comments on the Bethesda mag article.
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2018/MCPS-Pauses-Search-for-New-Curriculum-After-Learning-Staff-Members-Are-Taking-Jobs-with-Vendor/

Saw it from the inside. And this is tip of iceberg. Worse than you know.
There are at least 2 more former MCPS Science Office staff on Discovery link provided w/ one of these comments. And several more CESC staff went there, too. Teachers, their parents and students have been complaining about poorly designed curriculum for years. But there is no "there" there in MCPS. BOE is complicit.

Does anyone know about Discovery's track record? Have the sold a K-8 curriculum elsewhere? If MCPS would be the first time for a full rollout or even the first time in a large district, that should be a disqualification. The whole thrust of the study conclusion, was there are off-the-shelf curricula being used in other districts that have proven results. There is no way MCPS should guinea pig anything after what we've been through.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:So is anyone going to jail over this?

Jail, really?

See Dallas Dance, former superintendent Baltimore County Public Schools now residing in prison.

He went to jail for perjury. Has anybody perjured themselves in this case?

I would think participating in the bid rigging of a multimillion dollar contract could be worth jail time.

+1 Parents deserve a more detailed explanation of how Erick's Lang's actions to oversee an RFP process while soliciting a job with a bidder to the RFP are consistent with MCPS ethics and procurement rules. Either he broke the rules, or those rules need to be improved, because soliciting a job from a bidder to the office where you work is an absolute No-No in most workplaces.

There are some interesting insider comments on the Bethesda mag article.
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2018/MCPS-Pauses-Search-for-New-Curriculum-After-Learning-Staff-Members-Are-Taking-Jobs-with-Vendor/

Saw it from the inside. And this is tip of iceberg. Worse than you know.
There are at least 2 more former MCPS Science Office staff on Discovery link provided w/ one of these comments. And several more CESC staff went there, too. Teachers, their parents and students have been complaining about poorly designed curriculum for years. But there is no "there" there in MCPS. BOE is complicit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Just recd an ES PTA email about the PTA agenda in June and need for solutions to the poor curriculum and materials that work for the teachers.

Navarro is a do nothing. Young, did nothing in Baltimore schools, lifer Gov’t paper- pusher.

How incredibly inefficient is this that each school has to figure out a way around this ridiculous situation. MCPS needs to make someone accountable for this mess.

I thought that DCUM wanted more school autonomy. Well, now there's more school autonomy.

Yes well who is going to pay for materials to support this autonomy? Rich PTAs are already mobilizing but what about the Focus schools? They’re stuck for another year with the crappy 2.0 thanks to Erick Lang’s swampy job hopping.

Every curriculum provider offers free review copies for instructors...

With the potential for a school SySTEM to purchase the materials later one. mCps is clearly doing an RFP. Why would someone provide a free copy to Mrs. Doe at MoCo Elementary school?

They do...

Anonymous wrote:Your
Let me correct this before someone attacks!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, when Johnny Beebop thinks he can sleep through a test and still earn a 50%, we are thinking of the kids when we complain of these unethical practices that are killing academic stamina.

You know that is not true right? The 50% floor is only when a good faith attempt is made. You can not just scribble two words and get 50%. You can not sleep through a test. 50% on a test is still a grade killer. The practice is also used outside of MCPS.

Listen, genius, I don’t know you’re deal but every zero I added to my gradebook was changed to a 50%.

I am moving my family to a place where this bullshit 50% rule is NOT a practice.

Maybe you simply don’t get it, but the 50% rule erodes education & creates apathy.

Do us all a favor if you’re an educator - leave the profession.

My kids have gotten zeros for projects that are not turned in or say they didn't read the whole assignment and missed the jist of it or did it totally wrong. Hope you can find a place where you are happy.