Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

This is all correct. As someone inside the school community, I'd say there are two issues here, the content of the decision and the process of the decision.

The content of the decision is fairly defensible. Teachers were working beyond the contract, and it is their right to request a solution that would bring them back in line with their peers. Moreover, there's precedent (Eastern MS) for magnet kids to have only one "true" elective, with another elective taken up with magnet classes.

The [b]process, however, has been so very bad. I mean, the kind of bad that destroys parent faith in administration and damages a school community for years.[/b]

First of all, the decision was presented to parents as "under discussion" when in reality it was a fait accompli. So there were teachers telling the kids it was a done deal even while the administration presented it to parents as "opening discussion."

Then, there was a weird series of lies and half-truths that the administration presented, and then retracted as soon as the parents started fact-checking. For example, parents were told that the change to 7 periods was necessary to keep class sizes from going up, but we learned last night that the shift would actually increase class size.

Then we were told that the shift was needed because of a growing student population at TPMS, but that was also retracted when parents started asking questions about where this increase was coming from.

We were also told that no other MS has block scheduling, and that it is considered too difficult/long for MS-aged brains, but parents found multiple examples in MCPS basically immediately.

The principal told some parents that she was seeking a solution that would preserve electives, but none of those solutions were presented to parents in the end. Maybe worse, she presented three schedules, two of which were clearly chosen only for their impossibility and leaving the community with only one option. It was that trick of showing people two terrible things and one slightly-less-terrible thing and then forcing them into the bad option.

This has been incredibly frustrating. It's clear that the principal is basically throwing explanations at the wall at this point and hoping one will stick. It's doing an incredible amount of damage, particularly given that one of the benefits of TPMS had long been its strong administration. It was previously a very well-run school but the new principal is obviously in over her head juggling multiple constituencies (students, teachers, parents) and failing to facilitate communication between any of them.

This is absolutely spot-on. Thank you. I hope the administration and central office are reading this thread because they should be VERY concerned especially about the bolded part. As a parent I’ve completely lost trust with the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

This is all correct. As someone inside the school community, I'd say there are two issues here, the content of the decision and the process of the decision.

The content of the decision is fairly defensible. Teachers were working beyond the contract, and it is their right to request a solution that would bring them back in line with their peers. Moreover, there's precedent (Eastern MS) for magnet kids to have only one "true" elective, with another elective taken up with magnet classes.

The [b]process, however, has been so very bad. I mean, the kind of bad that destroys parent faith in administration and damages a school community for years.[/b]

First of all, the decision was presented to parents as "under discussion" when in reality it was a fait accompli. So there were teachers telling the kids it was a done deal even while the administration presented it to parents as "opening discussion."

Then, there was a weird series of lies and half-truths that the administration presented, and then retracted as soon as the parents started fact-checking. For example, parents were told that the change to 7 periods was necessary to keep class sizes from going up, but we learned last night that the shift would actually increase class size.

Then we were told that the shift was needed because of a growing student population at TPMS, but that was also retracted when parents started asking questions about where this increase was coming from.

We were also told that no other MS has block scheduling, and that it is considered too difficult/long for MS-aged brains, but parents found multiple examples in MCPS basically immediately.

The principal told some parents that she was seeking a solution that would preserve electives, but none of those solutions were presented to parents in the end. Maybe worse, she presented three schedules, two of which were clearly chosen only for their impossibility and leaving the community with only one option. It was that trick of showing people two terrible things and one slightly-less-terrible thing and then forcing them into the bad option.

This has been incredibly frustrating. It's clear that the principal is basically throwing explanations at the wall at this point and hoping one will stick. It's doing an incredible amount of damage, particularly given that one of the benefits of TPMS had long been its strong administration. It was previously a very well-run school but the new principal is obviously in over her head juggling multiple constituencies (students, teachers, parents) and failing to facilitate communication between any of them.

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why the community should have been engaged at all. The mistake here was in even paying lip service. The principal should have just handed down a fiat and been done with it. The teachers were apparently doing something that was well above and beyond and outside of their contract. They decided they no longer wish to do this. Why should the community be consulted? What makes you think that you have the right to demand that the teachers do this, and that it should even be an option on the table to keep? And if it's not a real option, what is there to discuss with the community? Were you actually dumb enough to think that your screaming and tantrums would cause the school to say, "Oh yeah, then we'll keep forcing the teachers to do work they aren't paid for, to placate you?", or that it would be a good thing if they did? Get over yourself.

No one is making you go to the magnet. If you don't like it, go back to your home school. The other 99.9% of the county who never had this in the first place is hardly crying into their soup.

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

Anonymous wrote:Wasn’t this talked about a year ago?

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

What parent wouldn’t prefer their kid be in a class of 20 rather than 25? Five extra kids vying for the teacher’s attention vs. private music or art lessons is an easy call.

It’s a matter of class size AND time. If the teachers have an extra class, they have less time to grade and prep lessons.

So the 25 in one class can get a better experience than the 20 in another, simply because the teacher had more time. Classes don’t create themselves; they are the product of many hours of preparation.

And frankly? I’ve taught classes of 36 and 38. 25 sounds like a dream.

Is anyone naive enough to think that with one less class and a few less kids in a class, any teacher will make any more effort to engage the kids? The excuse will always be the same no matter what you decrease it to. Teachers are a population of woe is me folks who do nothing but tantrum about how unfair everything is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

What parent wouldn’t prefer their kid be in a class of 20 rather than 25? Five extra kids vying for the teacher’s attention vs. private music or art lessons is an easy call.

It’s a matter of class size AND time. If the teachers have an extra class, they have less time to grade and prep lessons.

So the 25 in one class can get a better experience than the 20 in another, simply because the teacher had more time. Classes don’t create themselves; they are the product of many hours of preparation.

And frankly? I’ve taught classes of 36 and 38. 25 sounds like a dream.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why the community should have been engaged at all. The mistake here was in even paying lip service. The principal should have just handed down a fiat and been done with it. The teachers were apparently doing something that was well above and beyond and outside of their contract. They decided they no longer wish to do this. Why should the community be consulted? What makes you think that you have the right to demand that the teachers do this, and that it should even be an option on the table to keep? And if it's not a real option, what is there to discuss with the community? Were you actually dumb enough to think that your screaming and tantrums would cause the school to say, "Oh yeah, then we'll keep forcing the teachers to do work they aren't paid for, to placate you?", or that it would be a good thing if they did? Get over yourself.

No one is making you go to the magnet. If you don't like it, go back to your home school. The other 99.9% of the county who never had this in the first place is hardly crying into their soup.

Excellent response.

You can’t demand that teachers work well above contract for you. Simply meeting contract obligations takes far more hours than we are provided in a week. I’m a teacher and I work 6-7 days a week already. I can’t imagine picking up another class. That’ll do me in.

I’m guessing this was a decision made to keep teachers. With the shortage, administrators have to start listening to their faculty. There aren’t replacement teachers coming anymore, so you can’t just push out the complainers and find new people to burn through.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

What parent wouldn’t prefer their kid be in a class of 20 rather than 25? Five extra kids vying for the teacher’s attention vs. private music or art lessons is an easy call.

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to try and summarize so I can keep this straight in my head.

TPMS currently has an 8 period schedule and teachers voted to move it to a 7 period schedule. This is inline with other MCPS MS but the vote did not engage the community (parents). Teachers also voted not to increase class size.

As an example: if a grade has 100 kids. There used to be 5 periods of English available so there would be 20 kids in a class. Now there are only 4 periods of English available so there would be 25 kids in a class. However, teachers also did not want class size to increase.

So budget will have to be allocated to increase teachers for core classes to keep the class size the same. The budget will come from a decrease in the art and music budget. As there will be less teachers for art and music, there will be less elective periods available and now students will be limited to one elective (language, art, or music)

Did I get all of that correct?

Anonymous wrote:The school has resolutely failed in communication, lied to parents repeatedly and ignored any feedback, presented flawed data, collected biased surveys and just gone ahead and done what they want to anyway. The principal does not support the magnet and has done her best to drive away some of the best teaching staff. Now she plans to sit back and watch while the arts programming is decimated by this change and magnet students flee back to their home schools.

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why the community should have been engaged at all. The mistake here was in even paying lip service. The principal should have just handed down a fiat and been done with it. The teachers were apparently doing something that was well above and beyond and outside of their contract. They decided they no longer wish to do this. Why should the community be consulted? What makes you think that you have the right to demand that the teachers do this, and that it should even be an option on the table to keep? And if it's not a real option, what is there to discuss with the community? Were you actually dumb enough to think that your screaming and tantrums would cause the school to say, "Oh yeah, then we'll keep forcing the teachers to do work they aren't paid for, to placate you?", or that it would be a good thing if they did? Get over yourself.

No one is making you go to the magnet. If you don't like it, go back to your home school. The other 99.9% of the county who never had this in the first place is hardly crying into their soup.