Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 15:23     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Don't act like it isn't possible! Please. MCPS used to do this type of differentiation (as recently as a couple of years ago). It isn't that hard to do. The issue s that there is a new PHILOSOPHY at play in MCPS. That philosophy dictates that all kids should be together and not much acceleration or enrichment should happen. Please don't allow yourself to be fooled into believing this new 2.0 way is the only way to teach. It is a new way and it simply isn't working for many, many kids.


This. If you don't think reducing achievement gap is the major motivation for public education, you have delibrately been avoiding the facts.

As it should be -- as the goal of public education is -- wait for it -- TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC. And just because they are doing that doesn't mean all the brilliant kids or middle of the road kids are being held back. Not only that...but there is differentiation at my school...in reading and math.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 15:22     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
If elementary schools don't differentiate, at least middle schools should. They currently try to say their classes are accelerated but all it is, is an extra handout to the smarter kids in the class. You still get lab/project partners with kids who are failing and don't give a crap about school. My kid did 100% of the work because teacher says "work it out" when she complains the other person isn't working or contacting her. Kid tells her to go F herself. So yeah, I rather my kid in a science class with kids on her level.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 15:22     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Don't act like it isn't possible! Please. MCPS used to do this type of differentiation (as recently as a couple of years ago). It isn't that hard to do. The issue s that there is a new PHILOSOPHY at play in MCPS. That philosophy dictates that all kids should be together and not much acceleration or enrichment should happen. Please don't allow yourself to be fooled into believing this new 2.0 way is the only way to teach. It is a new way and it simply isn't working for many, many kids.


This. If you don't think reducing achievement gap is the major motivation for public education, you have delibrately been avoiding the facts.


Oh, look, it's the "MCPS is trying to reduce the achievement gap by keeping affluent white/Asian (including South Asian) kids down" conspiracy theory again.

And reducing the achievement gap damn well ought to be a major motivation for public education. Poor kids also have a right to a good public education. And furthermore, one that you should support purely out of self-interest, even if you are an affluent white/Asian (including South Asian) person. Countries with equal opportunity and lower levels of inequality do better economically and socially than countries with limited opportunity and high inequality.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 15:17     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^2. It does NOT get better in MS except for Math. The rest are academically diverse classes. My Child has kids that call out, don't do HW, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn. Wish we applied for a Magnet.


It's Montgomery County Public Schools. It's not Montgomery County Schools For Kids Like Mine.

And I don't even mean this to be snarky. I mean it quite sincerely. There seem to be a lot of people on DCUM who believe that MCPS should be MCSFKLM.


I
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 15:15     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^2. It does NOT get better in MS except for Math. The rest are academically diverse classes. My Child has kids that call out, don't do HW, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn. Wish we applied for a Magnet.


It's Montgomery County Public Schools. It's not Montgomery County Schools For Kids Like Mine.

And I don't even mean this to be snarky. I mean it quite sincerely. There seem to be a lot of people on DCUM who believe that MCPS should be MCSFKLM.


But that is very snarky. Would you seriously approach a parent of a special needs kid and suggest that the child be taught in the highest level, fast moving class if he could barely read?! I hope not. Equally, you shouldn't mock parents whose kids are stagnating and not being taught anything b/c they've "already hit the benchmarks" for the school year (and the next two schoolyears in some cases!). Why would you want children to be warehoused in schools that aren't meeting their needs. No one is suggesting an individual plan for every kid (although, that does happen in the special Ed environment). Parents are saying "don't artificially stifle a child's education in order to fit the new MCPS ideology."


No, I wouldn't say this to a parent of a special needs kid. But I would say it to parents who have complaints like "my child has kids that call out, don't do homework, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn", or like "my kids are stagnating and not being taught anything b/c they've "already hit the benchmarks" for the school year (and the next two school years in some cases!)".

Your kids are stagnating? They're not being taught anything? All year? (Or for three years?)

MCPS is supposed to serve your kid. But MCPS is not supposed to serve only your kid.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 15:01     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:Don't act like it isn't possible! Please. MCPS used to do this type of differentiation (as recently as a couple of years ago). It isn't that hard to do. The issue s that there is a new PHILOSOPHY at play in MCPS. That philosophy dictates that all kids should be together and not much acceleration or enrichment should happen. Please don't allow yourself to be fooled into believing this new 2.0 way is the only way to teach. It is a new way and it simply isn't working for many, many kids.


This. If you don't think reducing achievement gap is the major motivation for public education, you have delibrately been avoiding the facts.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:59     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^2. It does NOT get better in MS except for Math. The rest are academically diverse classes. My Child has kids that call out, don't do HW, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn. Wish we applied for a Magnet.


It's Montgomery County Public Schools. It's not Montgomery County Schools For Kids Like Mine.

And I don't even mean this to be snarky. I mean it quite sincerely. There seem to be a lot of people on DCUM who believe that MCPS should be MCSFKLM.


But that is very snarky. Would you seriously approach a parent of a special needs kid and suggest that the child be taught in the highest level, fast moving class if he could barely read?! I hope not. Equally, you shouldn't mock parents whose kids are stagnating and not being taught anything b/c they've "already hit the benchmarks" for the school year (and the next two schoolyears in some cases!). Why would you want children to be warehoused in schools that aren't meeting their needs. No one is suggesting an individual plan for every kid (although, that does happen in the special Ed environment). Parents are saying "don't artificially stifle a child's education in order to fit the new MCPS ideology."
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:53     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Don't act like it isn't possible! Please. MCPS used to do this type of differentiation (as recently as a couple of years ago). It isn't that hard to do. The issue s that there is a new PHILOSOPHY at play in MCPS. That philosophy dictates that all kids should be together and not much acceleration or enrichment should happen. Please don't allow yourself to be fooled into believing this new 2.0 way is the only way to teach. It is a new way and it simply isn't working for many, many kids.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:49     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^2. It does NOT get better in MS except for Math. The rest are academically diverse classes. My Child has kids that call out, don't do HW, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn. Wish we applied for a Magnet.


It's Montgomery County Public Schools. It's not Montgomery County Schools For Kids Like Mine.

And I don't even mean this to be snarky. I mean it quite sincerely. There seem to be a lot of people on DCUM who believe that MCPS should be MCSFKLM.

Amen !!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:49     Subject: Re:Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:

I agree that the kids who need extra help should be in classes with lower teacher:student ratios. I volunteer in my kids' classes and I definitely see how these kids would benefit with more one-on-one attention. They are not less intelligent - they are just getting left behind because the class moves too fast for them.



There aren't reading specialists at your kids' school, who pull out the kids who need extra help? There are several at mine. I don't know how much of this is up to the discretion of the various principals.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:47     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:^^2. It does NOT get better in MS except for Math. The rest are academically diverse classes. My Child has kids that call out, don't do HW, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn. Wish we applied for a Magnet.


It's Montgomery County Public Schools. It's not Montgomery County Schools For Kids Like Mine.

And I don't even mean this to be snarky. I mean it quite sincerely. There seem to be a lot of people on DCUM who believe that MCPS should be MCSFKLM.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:46     Subject: Re:Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why would a school do this? My DC isn't school-age yet, but I occasionally read threads about elementary level issues. Assuming this thread is accurate, why would schools want to hold kids back from challenging themselves?

This might be a naive question, sorry if so.


I'm not sure anyone here knows for sure. When I have asked the story I get from teachers and the principal is that the writing needs to be inline with the reading so the kids at the top might not be moving ahead in reading but they are working on their writing. I only partially buy that explanation because there are kids that can do the writing at a higher level. They are not being tested so its not an option for them. I would love my kid to be reading more challenging stuff so he could work on his vocabulary. So yes, we do read at home instead. There is definitely a concentration on the kids at bottom. Not sure I completely buy the rumors that this is part of a big plan to cover up the achievement gap, but I entertain the idea that it is possible.


I think it just has to be this way.

For better or worse, public school has to teach certain basic skills to as many kids as possible. If your kid has already met those standards, they're doing well and don't really 'need' as much attention.

Sure, it'd be great if we could challenge those kids, but that just doesn't seem to be happening. I hear it gets better in MS and HS, so we're really hoping that's true.


1. They can put the kids in classes according to their reading level. Give lower ratios to the kids at the bottom and higher ratios to kids at the top. That would mean more class learning and less breaking up in groups with "busy time."


I'm the PP. I think that would be a great idea. I have no idea why they don't do this.

I agree that the kids who need extra help should be in classes with lower teacher:student ratios. I volunteer in my kids' classes and I definitely see how these kids would benefit with more one-on-one attention. They are not less intelligent - they are just getting left behind because the class moves too fast for them.

And, the kids that already know the material are just left alone.

Separating the kids would benefit both sets of kids. I wish it was possible.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:45     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Give yourself a few years in MCPS and you'll more than "entertain" the idea. I've seen my high - achieving kids stagnate in classes where no new concepts are introduced (math) and where the good readers sit quietly and so worksheets while the teachers teach the underachieving kids.
It begins to feel as if the classroom is meant to teach the bottom/middle of he class and the smart/higher-achievers are on their own. And, please don't suggest all those kids simply jump to very expensive private schools. The public system exists to TEACH kids. To dumb down the curriculum and then (maybe) hope anyone expecting more will opt out is just wrong.


I've had a few years in MCPS, and I think that the idea is nonsense.


If you child just happens to be in the middle, then lucky you.


My children just happen to not be in the middle -- they're high achievers, in fact -- and I still think that the idea is nonsense.
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:25     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
Anonymous wrote:^^2. It does NOT get better in MS except for Math. The rest are academically diverse classes. My Child has kids that call out, don't do HW, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn. Wish we applied for a Magnet.

But ya didn't!
Anonymous
Post 02/10/2014 14:17     Subject: Reading groups being slowed down?
^^2. It does NOT get better in MS except for Math. The rest are academically diverse classes. My Child has kids that call out, don't do HW, ruin it for kids who WANT to learn. Wish we applied for a Magnet.