Anonymous wrote:

She learned nothing new the entire year. Nothing new. Really? Nothing?

Common experience now in MCPS. The preschools outpace K and 1st grade in 2.0.

She learned nothing new the entire year. Nothing new. Really? Nothing?

Anonymous wrote:
When I di dit 30 years ago, it was considered one year ahead of grade level, and it was as accelerated as we were allowed to get. I don't have a kid in HS yet, but my impression is that Algebra II in 10th is now on grade level in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:I was open minded about 2.0. DD went to a good preschool but isn't a brilliant, genius. The K curriculum was less than what she did as a four year old in preschool. [b]She learned nothing new the entire year. I didn't get upset because this is kindergarten. I assumed that the school was leveling and if some kids didn't know their letters then all kids just had to sit through it. So far, first grade has been just, if not more, disappointing.

On observation day, the parents watched while the teacher put up two letters for a beginning sounds and then several pictures. All the kids had to raise their hand and answer which picture started with the sounds. This is not age appropriate for 1st grade. Preschool, OK. Kindergarten, bad but OK. 1st grade? No way. The math is even worse.

I have spoken to other parents with kids older than my DD. The general consensus among everyone that I have spoken with is that no one is happy about 2.0. The only thing that exists is degrees of whether you think there is any point speaking up.

Anonymous wrote:Many of us had kids in MCPS pre-2.0 and post 2.0 and we found pre-2.0 to be better. Perhaps if you had made the switch sooner, you would agree. You simply didn't have exposure to the old curriculum to know what you are currently missing.

Anonymous wrote:Honey, I am trained in IB at the high school level. I worked in MYP teams at my school. I am now a teacher trainer.

And I can honestly say that 2.0 - when it's taught correctly - is far superior to what was in place before.

Learning in a disjointed way, where an answer is either right or wrong, doesn't give students the big picture. And when they hit college, which is even more fragmented, they aren't able to make the connections among subject areas.

You can think what you like. But until you go through as much training as I have, I don't think you're qualified to make a judgment.

You simply didn't have exposure to any educational training to know what you are currently missing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enrollment is down at some schools. The private schools, even the parochial ones, are over a year ahead of MCPS now. This didn't used to be the case.

We pulled our daughter from private and placed her in public. She's in 4th grade where the Curriculum 2.0 philosophy is relatively new to kids in her grade.

At her private school, I didn't know her reading level. Here, she tested at a middle school level and is literally off the charts in reading for her age. Right now they're doing extension questions and even touching upon author's style.

In math, she is still struggling to discuss her process for arriving at an answer. She does fine - is also in the top group - but is a bit more timid in discussing mathematical processes b/c it's not something most of us were taught to do. In math, the answer was right or wrong at her former school. With this philosophy, which is IB-based, process is equally as important as the product.

I am an educator, and while my daughter's private school did teach her the basics, it failed in the area of critical thinking. I did quite a bit of "enrichment" at home to get her to her current level.

And remember, folks; life isn't black and white. It's very gray. So those of you who can't stand Curriculum 2.0 simply can't wrap your heads around the philosophical framework, which is frightening.

Look, many parents in MCPS understand that the education our kids receive is far superior to what the would get at some of the area private schools. We understand that our academics are simply better than what the privates offer form $30k or more. We are, for the most part, very involved, aware and educated. These are the reasons we don't want 2.0 to diminish our system. The fact that 2.0 is still better than what you were paying for at a private is telling. It is telling that you were getting so little for your money at your private. It does not speak to the quality of 2.0. Many of us had kids in MCPS pre-2.0 and post 2.0 and we found pre-2.0 to be better. Perhaps if you had made the switch sooner, you would agree. You simply didn't have exposure to the old curriculum to know what you are currently missing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enrollment is down at some schools. The private schools, even the parochial ones, are over a year ahead of MCPS now. This didn't used to be the case.

We pulled our daughter from private and placed her in public. She's in 4th grade where the Curriculum 2.0 philosophy is relatively new to kids in her grade.

At her private school, I didn't know her reading level. Here, she tested at a middle school level and is literally off the charts in reading for her age. Right now they're doing extension questions and even touching upon author's style.

In math, she is still struggling to discuss her process for arriving at an answer. She does fine - is also in the top group - but is a bit more timid in discussing mathematical processes b/c it's not something most of us were taught to do. In math, the answer was right or wrong at her former school. With this philosophy, which is IB-based, process is equally as important as the product.

I am an educator, and while my daughter's private school did teach her the basics, it failed in the area of critical thinking. I did quite a bit of "enrichment" at home to get her to her current level.

And remember, folks; life isn't black and white. It's very gray. So those of you who can't stand Curriculum 2.0 simply can't wrap your heads around the philosophical framework, which is frightening.

Look, many parents in MCPS understand that the education our kids receive is far superior to what the would get at some of the area private schools. We understand that our academics are simply better than what the privates offer form $30k or more. We are, for the most part, very involved, aware and educated. These are the reasons we don't want 2.0 to diminish our system. The fact that 2.0 is still better than what you were paying for at a private is telling. It is telling that you were getting so little for your money at your private. It does not speak to the quality of 2.0. Many of us had kids in MCPS pre-2.0 and post 2.0 and we found pre-2.0 to be better. Perhaps if you had made the switch sooner, you would agree. You simply didn't have exposure to the old curriculum to know what you are currently missing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enrollment is down at some schools. The private schools, even the parochial ones, are over a year ahead of MCPS now. This didn't used to be the case.

We pulled our daughter from private and placed her in public. She's in 4th grade where the Curriculum 2.0 philosophy is relatively new to kids in her grade.

At her private school, I didn't know her reading level. Here, she tested at a middle school level and is literally off the charts in reading for her age. Right now they're doing extension questions and even touching upon author's style.

In math, she is still struggling to discuss her process for arriving at an answer. She does fine - is also in the top group - but is a bit more timid in discussing mathematical processes b/c it's not something most of us were taught to do. In math, the answer was right or wrong at her former school. With this philosophy, which is IB-based, process is equally as important as the product.

I am an educator, and while my daughter's private school did teach her the basics, it failed in the area of critical thinking. I did quite a bit of "enrichment" at home to get her to her current level.

And remember, folks; life isn't black and white. It's very gray. So those of you who can't stand Curriculum 2.0 simply can't wrap your heads around the philosophical framework, which is frightening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to a co-worker whose 10th grade parochial school son is taking Algebra II..he was bragging that he is 2 years ahead of some of his friends. I was really surprised to hear that!

I took Alg II/Trig in 10th grade in public school. And this was YEARS ago!

bragging that he's ahead? really?

Anonymous wrote:^^^What's more, what do you propose, besides "Get rid of 2.0!" Go back to the old curriculum? That's not happening. Develop a new curriculum? How long will that take? How much will it cost? What problems with implementation will it have? And how much will certain parents in MCPS complain about their children being used as guinea pigs for an untested curriculum?

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to a co-worker whose 10th grade parochial school son is taking Algebra II..he was bragging that he is 2 years ahead of some of his friends. I was really surprised to hear that!

Anonymous wrote:Enrollment is down at some schools. The private schools, even the parochial ones, are over a year ahead of MCPS now. This didn't used to be the case.