Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:57
Subject: Re:No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:This is the direction of MCPS. HS "honors" is basically for below level, on level and slightly above level.
Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors". Tada.. achievement gap closed. NOT.
The same thing is now happening in MS.
Even if your kid decides to take AP classes in HS, they won't have been prepared by the MS, which is now solely focused on social/emotional learning.
It sucks.
This is not new. This is back to what happened in MS about 8-10 years ago when my kids were there. There was zero grouping by ability. The teachers were supposed to differentiate in the classroom. There were two version of every hw and test (though they were very similar). It does not work for the top or the bottom. Probably fine for the middle.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:54
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
DP
Interesting, thanks. We are not at SSIMS, but just got registration for our 6th grader at a different middle school.
There are two classes -
Historical Inquiry in World Studies 6
Global Humanities 6
No option for HIGH.
Global Humanities 6 = HIGH
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:53
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We moved from a dc charter. Middle school here seems similar to the charter. Very little homework, no advanced english. Now my kid is in 9th and was hoping to have a chance to take advanced english. No such luck. She's bored. Its so frustrating. Why are there different math options but everyone takes the same english class? Makes no sense.
Are you considering other schools for her? Why keep her in a situation where she’s bored?
At the end of 8th we were told she would be in pre-ib english. Then they stopped offering it. In 9th we were told she would be in pre-ib next year. Now it seems it isn't an option. Can't afford private so I guess she has to wait until 11th for a more challenging course.
You could do outside enrichment. Johns Hopkins cty program, or there are literature and writing virtual classes through various companies as well. The institute of reading development and Great Books summer program are two that come to mind, and both offer school-year options.
Thank you. I will look into those options.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:52
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
DP
Interesting, thanks. We are not at SSIMS, but just got registration for our 6th grader at a different middle school.
There are two classes -
Historical Inquiry in World Studies 6
Global Humanities 6
No option for HIGH.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:50
Subject: Re:No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:This is the direction of MCPS. HS "honors" is basically for below level, on level and slightly above level.
Some people in MCPS decided that the "regular" classes demographics didn't look good so shoved everyone into "honors". Tada.. achievement gap closed. NOT.
The same thing is now happening in MS.
Even if your kid decides to take AP classes in HS, they won't have been prepared by the MS, which is now solely focused on social/emotional learning.
It sucks.
This was our MS experience at a different MS.
Basically zero academic challenge, except for the one advanced Math class. English was SO unbearably bad.
They do focus on Social/Emotional learning, but that basically entailed random r discussions about BLM and reading books by Kendi during advisory.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:39
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
I think everyone at TPMS gets this, but it doesn't seem to be dumbed down like Advanced English. It was more in line with the CES curriculum but Advanced English was not.
How do you know it’s not dumbed down?
Based on the volume and quality of work required relative to both CES and magnet classes.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:38
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And yet people claim the MCPS magnet programs are so great? What a joke.
the true magnet programs are better.
+1, but this means that the magnets are now the ONLY option for kids in MCPS who need differentiated instruction. This creates an unhealthy environment, and absolutely undercuts the promises MCPS made to parents back when they realigned admissions to the magnet MS programs. At that time, they claimed that kids who had a "peer cohort" of highly able learners would be educated together, essentially creating mini-magnets within schools with a significant number of highly able students.
Now they are rolling that back.
I've been pretty positive on MCPS but this feels like an enormous slap in the face to parents who took them at their word when those admissions changes were made.
Right. I don’t see how MCPS can be considered an acceptable school district if you can only get differentiated instruction in a couple of small programs that can’t even accommodate all the kids who are qualified and want the extra instruction.
Despite what some parents may think, most of the kids aren't qualified. That's part of the problem. When parents complain that Larla needs to be in the advanced class but can't really keep up they end up watering it down which makes the advanced class into a joke.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:37
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
I think everyone at TPMS gets this, but it doesn't seem to be dumbed down like Advanced English. It was more in line with the CES curriculum but Advanced English was not.
How do you know it’s not dumbed down?
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:36
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
I think everyone at TPMS gets this, but it doesn't seem to be dumbed down like Advanced English. It was more in line with the CES curriculum but Advanced English was not.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:25
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
That’s not what OP is saying. OP is saying that SSIMS said that would no longer be truly an enhanced course because everyone will take it.
They list both courses and say HIGH is by MCPS placement only.
It would seem the course catalog is wrong, then. Unless you think OP is lying?
I certainly trust an official source more than an anonymous internet source.
It’s very consistent with how the district at large is operating, but ok.
Not conistent to how much school does it. They will only offer HIGH to students identified by central office.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:24
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Course catalogs in MCPS seem to frequently be classes we "could" or "may" offer, rather than the classes we do offer.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:21
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
That’s not what OP is saying. OP is saying that SSIMS said that would no longer be truly an enhanced course because everyone will take it.
They list both courses and say HIGH is by MCPS placement only.
It would seem the course catalog is wrong, then. Unless you think OP is lying?
I certainly trust an official source more than an anonymous internet source.
It’s very consistent with how the district at large is operating, but ok.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:21
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
That’s not what OP is saying. OP is saying that SSIMS said that would no longer be truly an enhanced course because everyone will take it.
They list both courses and say HIGH is by MCPS placement only.
It would seem the course catalog is wrong, then. Unless you think OP is lying?
I certainly trust an official source more than an anonymous internet source.
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:19
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
That’s not what OP is saying. OP is saying that SSIMS said that would no longer be truly an enhanced course because everyone will take it.
They list both courses and say HIGH is by MCPS placement only.
It would seem the course catalog is wrong, then. Unless you think OP is lying?
Anonymous
01/27/2023 13:18
Subject: No more enrichment-level HIGH at our MS?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP, Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 is listed in the SSIMS bulletin for next year. It is offered at all MCPS middle schools.
That’s not what OP is saying. OP is saying that SSIMS said that would no longer be truly an enhanced course because everyone will take it.
They list both courses and say HIGH is by MCPS placement only.