Anonymous
12/17/2022 11:33
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There are levels within the levels. They just aren’t labeled, but you can tell which level by who the kids in the class are.
Not so sure this is true. I think it's more that some would like to imagine it. I remember a neighbor parent telling me their child was in the highest 1st grade math class which was different than what my kids was in who was scoring 20-30 points over the 99%. The reality was there were several enriched classes that were the same.
Mom of poor student here... Yes, in my kids "honors" English it was all the remedial kids in the same class.
At our MS the only English is "Advanced" so it's basically remedial. My kid's teacher is great but the course is just to basic. Their 4th grade CES was 2X more challenging.
Why didn’t your child go to the Communications magnet?
DP
What Communications Magnet? There is no such thing.
Probably referring to Eastern and MLK. There are very few spots at Eastern and MLK. There is a huge need in the county for honors English at every MS. After the Metis report, not only did MCPS not expand the number of MS magnet seats, they also did not provide an honors English curriculum. They did add honors social studies, but that is not English class.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 11:27
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
When it was rolled out to only a few schools originally, parents at other schools misunderstood the label and thought Honors MS English courses were being piloted. They completely missed the purpose of the course. When the pilot for the additional skills was over and schools were supposed to implement it, they got roped into creating sections that parents believed were Honors. Then, schools realized that to read and write critically all students needed exposure to these skills. Hence, only advanced is offered. It’s better to think of it as a 21st curriculum. Don’t all kids today need that? Wouldn’t you find it weird that some kids had a curriculum to prepare them for the 2020s and beyond, but other kids got a late 20th century curriculum? There might be a need for a level of MS English that is for gifted kids who aren’t in the Eastern and MLK magnets, but the dividing line should not be that GT-identified kids learn to the skills to read and write critically, but other kids don’t.
Except that is not happening AT ALL.
The level of instruction is so low and the expectations are so low that the kids really aren’t learning much at all. They barely read books, it’s just random excerpts from books. They get almost no feedback on their writing.
They have dumbed down the class SO much that pretty much none of the kids are actually learning the skills they should be learning to get ready for high school.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 11:25
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There are levels within the levels. They just aren’t labeled, but you can tell which level by who the kids in the class are.
Not so sure this is true. I think it's more that some would like to imagine it. I remember a neighbor parent telling me their child was in the highest 1st grade math class which was different than what my kids was in who was scoring 20-30 points over the 99%. The reality was there were several enriched classes that were the same.
Mom of poor student here... Yes, in my kids "honors" English it was all the remedial kids in the same class.
At our MS the only English is "Advanced" so it's basically remedial. My kid's teacher is great but the course is just to basic. Their 4th grade CES was 2X more challenging.
Why didn’t your child go to the Communications magnet?
DP
What Communications Magnet? There is no such thing.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 09:56
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There are levels within the levels. They just aren’t labeled, but you can tell which level by who the kids in the class are.
Not so sure this is true. I think it's more that some would like to imagine it. I remember a neighbor parent telling me their child was in the highest 1st grade math class which was different than what my kids was in who was scoring 20-30 points over the 99%. The reality was there were several enriched classes that were the same.
Mom of poor student here... Yes, in my kids "honors" English it was all the remedial kids in the same class.
At our MS the only English is "Advanced" so it's basically remedial. My kid's teacher is great but the course is just to basic. Their 4th grade CES was 2X more challenging.
Why didn’t your child go to the Communications magnet?
Anonymous
12/17/2022 09:55
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There are levels within the levels. They just aren’t labeled, but you can tell which level by who the kids in the class are.
Not so sure this is true. I think it's more that some would like to imagine it. I remember a neighbor parent telling me their child was in the highest 1st grade math class which was different than what my kids was in who was scoring 20-30 points over the 99%. The reality was there were several enriched classes that were the same.
Mom of poor student here... Yes, in my kids "honors" English it was all the remedial kids in the same class.
At our MS the only English is "Advanced" so it's basically remedial. My kid's teacher is great but the course is just to basic. Their 4th grade CES was 2X more challenging.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 09:52
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There are levels within the levels. They just aren’t labeled, but you can tell which level by who the kids in the class are.
Not so sure this is true. I think it's more that some would like to imagine it. I remember a neighbor parent telling me their child was in the highest 1st grade math class which was different than what my kids was in who was scoring 20-30 points over the 99%. The reality was there were several enriched classes that were the same.
Mom of poor student here... Yes, in my kids "honors" English it was all the remedial kids in the same class.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 08:17
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Are some of these “Honors English” classes co-taught? What are they supposed to do with kids who have IEPs or learning disabilities?
Yes. At our MS, there was a second teacher. But the class was a total joke all though 6th and 7th grade. And also this year so far (8th).
Well, at the middle school level, there aren’t honors course except math and FL courses that carry HS credit.
High school is a different thing. There are Honors course. Having a learning disability or any type of disability that gets your an IEP or 504 doesn’t automatically mean you can’t excel. You may just need to be taught slightly differently or show what you learned in a slightly different way. My 11th grade DD has a 504 and has been a straight A student in Honors and AP courses. Her accommodations are about reducing the chaotic classroom environment, not the expectations for what she learns.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 08:09
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
When it was rolled out to only a few schools originally, parents at other schools misunderstood the label and thought Honors MS English courses were being piloted. They completely missed the purpose of the course. When the pilot for the additional skills was over and schools were supposed to implement it, they got roped into creating sections that parents believed were Honors. Then, schools realized that to read and write critically all students needed exposure to these skills. Hence, only advanced is offered. It’s better to think of it as a 21st curriculum. Don’t all kids today need that? Wouldn’t you find it weird that some kids had a curriculum to prepare them for the 2020s and beyond, but other kids got a late 20th century curriculum? There might be a need for a level of MS English that is for gifted kids who aren’t in the Eastern and MLK magnets, but the dividing line should not be that GT-identified kids learn to the skills to read and write critically, but other kids don’t.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 07:58
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There are levels within the levels. They just aren’t labeled, but you can tell which level by who the kids in the class are.
Not so sure this is true. I think it's more that some would like to imagine it. I remember a neighbor parent telling me their child was in the highest 1st grade math class which was different than what my kids was in who was scoring 20-30 points over the 99%. The reality was there were several enriched classes that were the same.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 07:13
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There are levels within the levels. They just aren’t labeled, but you can tell which level by who the kids in the class are.
Anonymous
12/17/2022 05:17
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
There is not much reading. 1 book a quarter ?
Anonymous
12/17/2022 02:10
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
That is a total joke to think that all kids can succesfully complete that class. What about the ones who can't read at that level?
Anonymous
12/16/2022 22:42
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Are some of these “Honors English” classes co-taught? What are they supposed to do with kids who have IEPs or learning disabilities?
Yes. At our MS, there was a second teacher. But the class was a total joke all though 6th and 7th grade. And also this year so far (8th).
Anonymous
12/16/2022 22:41
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.
At our MCPS middle school, there simply is no other option than advanced English. Parents can’t request anything. All kids are placed in the same (terrible) class.
Anonymous
12/16/2022 21:59
Subject: Re:Is English now “Honors for All” at mcps high schools?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There is no way every kid is bright enough to take honors anything. Not helping those kids work towards a future job,
Its not honors. It is grade level but parents are happier if it is called honors and kids GPAs are helped by the extra point...but really MCPS is out of 5 not 4 and hte collleges can see that.,
Yep. Same idea as why everyone is in Advanced English in Middle School. The class is a joke and there is no differentiation. The soft bigotry of low expectations is depressing and serves no one.
Advanced English was never supposed to be Honors English for MS or just for gifted kids. It was supposed to be extra lessons to teach analysis skills that the old curriculum didn’t include. Hypothetically, you could have a heterogenous classroom where some students did the extra lessons and others didn’t but there might be gifted kids in either group. Two things happened: Parents misunderstood the advanced label and thought it mean the kids must be gifted so they all wanted in. Curriculum specialists realized that all kids needed these analysis skills in order to read and write critically so they wanted all students to access the lessons.