Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 16:19     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:14:22 again.

I've seen so many parents harass teachers for special treatment during our years in MoCo that my patience has been worn out by parents (and DCUM posters) demanding special treatment for their snowflakes.

In my experience, the worst parents fall into a few very clear categories:
(1) Big ambitions for their kids. If mom or dad went to Harvard and DC is a legacy there, then watch out, teachers!
(2) Parents are clueless. Sorry, but doing math in kindergarten is not actually that exceptional.
(3) Intelligence used as an excuse for bad behavior. We saw this at our middle school magnet, where one family wanted special rules for their child (child should be allowed to read novels in class, and that's just the start) because this child was supposedly smarter than all the other magnet kids.

I realize the magnets don't have enough room for all qualified kids, and that's a real problem.

But some parents really need to get a grip! If you're on this forum, you're in MoCo. So solve your own problem by having your kid take the MoCo magnet test.

So on one hand you admit there isn't room in the magnets for all qualified kids, but then you say the answer is the magnet test. Huh? And what about the years before magnet is an option? So far for my (well-behaved, non special treatment seeking 99th percentile) kid, it's just a waste of time except for the social aspect.


I get it now. This whole discussion is about you and your 99th percentile kid (has your kid ever been tested, by the way?). OP and other teachers couldn't possibly have legitimate concerns about abuse from parents of 60th percentile kids. Because there's only you and your kid.


Don't be ridiculous. I referred to my kid because that's the one I know (and yes, she was tested -- how else would I know?). Of course others have legit concerns -- I completely agree that many kids, regardless of iq, are getting the shaft in this system.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 16:08     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:14:22 again.

I've seen so many parents harass teachers for special treatment during our years in MoCo that my patience has been worn out by parents (and DCUM posters) demanding special treatment for their snowflakes.

In my experience, the worst parents fall into a few very clear categories:
(1) Big ambitions for their kids. If mom or dad went to Harvard and DC is a legacy there, then watch out, teachers!
(2) Parents are clueless. Sorry, but doing math in kindergarten is not actually that exceptional.
(3) Intelligence used as an excuse for bad behavior. We saw this at our middle school magnet, where one family wanted special rules for their child (child should be allowed to read novels in class, and that's just the start) because this child was supposedly smarter than all the other magnet kids.

I realize the magnets don't have enough room for all qualified kids, and that's a real problem.

But some parents really need to get a grip! If you're on this forum, you're in MoCo. So solve your own problem by having your kid take the MoCo magnet test.

So on one hand you admit there isn't room in the magnets for all qualified kids, but then you say the answer is the magnet test. Huh? And what about the years before magnet is an option? So far for my (well-behaved, non special treatment seeking 99th percentile) kid, it's just a waste of time except for the social aspect.


I get it now. This whole discussion is about you and your 99th percentile kid (has your kid ever been tested, by the way?). OP and other teachers couldn't possibly have legitimate concerns about abuse from parents of 60th percentile kids. Because there's only you and your kid.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 15:56     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:14:22 again.

I've seen so many parents harass teachers for special treatment during our years in MoCo that my patience has been worn out by parents (and DCUM posters) demanding special treatment for their snowflakes.

In my experience, the worst parents fall into a few very clear categories:
(1) Big ambitions for their kids. If mom or dad went to Harvard and DC is a legacy there, then watch out, teachers!
(2) Parents are clueless. Sorry, but doing math in kindergarten is not actually that exceptional.
(3) Intelligence used as an excuse for bad behavior. We saw this at our middle school magnet, where one family wanted special rules for their child (child should be allowed to read novels in class, and that's just the start) because this child was supposedly smarter than all the other magnet kids.

I realize the magnets don't have enough room for all qualified kids, and that's a real problem.

But some parents really need to get a grip! If you're on this forum, you're in MoCo. So solve your own problem by having your kid take the MoCo magnet test.


So on one hand you admit there isn't room in the magnets for all qualified kids, but then you say the answer is the magnet test. Huh? And what about the years before magnet is an option? So far for my (well-behaved, non special treatment seeking 99th percentile) kid, it's just a waste of time except for the social aspect.


In MoCo, for elementary-aged kids, there is actually a gifted magnet at Takoma Park ES (which we did). Although IQ testing is extremely unreliable through about age 8+, but I digress.

For kids aged 8+ who are in the 99th percentile, I already said that I agree with you that there are not enough seats in the HGC, MS and ES magnets. I also said I agree with you that kids at the 99th percentile do need special programs. So do you just want to pick a fight with someone who said she agrees with you, and derail the discussion about the ambitious parents with the 70th percentile kids who won't make the magnets? Or is there an actual area of disagreement here?
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 15:27     Subject: Re:Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:
Parents are clueless. Sorry, but doing math in kindergarten is not actually that exceptional.


I fully agree that doing math in K is not exceptional. The problem is that MCPS THINKS doing math in K is exceptional so they only teach preschool level stuff.


Yep. Excruciatingly slow is how I would describe math in K. Don't get me started on the using words to explain math means going deeper.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 15:23     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:14:22 again.

I've seen so many parents harass teachers for special treatment during our years in MoCo that my patience has been worn out by parents (and DCUM posters) demanding special treatment for their snowflakes.

In my experience, the worst parents fall into a few very clear categories:
(1) Big ambitions for their kids. If mom or dad went to Harvard and DC is a legacy there, then watch out, teachers!
(2) Parents are clueless. Sorry, but doing math in kindergarten is not actually that exceptional.
(3) Intelligence used as an excuse for bad behavior. We saw this at our middle school magnet, where one family wanted special rules for their child (child should be allowed to read novels in class, and that's just the start) because this child was supposedly smarter than all the other magnet kids.

I realize the magnets don't have enough room for all qualified kids, and that's a real problem.

But some parents really need to get a grip! If you're on this forum, you're in MoCo. So solve your own problem by having your kid take the MoCo magnet test.

So on one hand you admit there isn't room in the magnets for all qualified kids, but then you say the answer is the magnet test. Huh? And what about the years before magnet is an option? So far for my (well-behaved, non special treatment seeking 99th percentile) kid, it's just a waste of time except for the social aspect.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 15:21     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Hmm...I wonder if this is a cultural thing?

I see very few Asian parents having a problem with the teachers. With the administration - yes, but very rarely with the teachers.

Is it is White and Black problem, mainly?

Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 15:15     Subject: Re:Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Parents are clueless. Sorry, but doing math in kindergarten is not actually that exceptional.


I fully agree that doing math in K is not exceptional. The problem is that MCPS THINKS doing math in K is exceptional so they only teach preschool level stuff.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 14:36     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
14:22 again.

I've seen so many parents harass teachers for special treatment during our years in MoCo that my patience has been worn out by parents (and DCUM posters) demanding special treatment for their snowflakes.

In my experience, the worst parents fall into a few very clear categories:
(1) Big ambitions for their kids. If mom or dad went to Harvard and DC is a legacy there, then watch out, teachers!
(2) Parents are clueless. Sorry, but doing math in kindergarten is not actually that exceptional.
(3) Intelligence used as an excuse for bad behavior. We saw this at our middle school magnet, where one family wanted special rules for their child (child should be allowed to read novels in class, and that's just the start) because this child was supposedly smarter than all the other magnet kids.

I realize the magnets don't have enough room for all qualified kids, and that's a real problem.

But some parents really need to get a grip! If you're on this forum, you're in MoCo. So solve your own problem by having your kid take the MoCo magnet test.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 14:22     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:to: 8:04
Myth:

Gifted Students Don’t Need Help; They’ll Do Fine On Their Own


Truth:
Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach? Gifted students need guidance from well-trained teachers who challenge and support them in order to fully develop their abilities. Many gifted students may be so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know more than half of the grade-level curriculum before the school year begins. Their resulting boredom and frustration can lead to low achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of the teacher is crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school.

http://www.nagc.org/commonmyths.aspx



Myth: A kid at the 60th-80th IQ percentiles needs Olympic-level teaching.

Truth: Kids at the 95th-100th percentiles need Olympic-level teaching. (Mostly, kids at the 99th percentile.) For kids at the 50th-90th percentiles, good teachers can differentiate to meet their needs. Is absolutely every teacher good enough to provide this differentiation? No, but then again, is everybody in your office absolutely perfect? I agree it's unfortunate to have a bad year, but equating this with denying Bode Miller a coach is really stretching it.

Signed, a second (third?) parent with two magnet kids
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 14:01     Subject: Re:Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Parents and teachers are equally capable of being the enemy. I have seen both. But, that is no excuse for clueless and incompetent teachers (they exist and are not in a minority -- including their bosses[principals]) to hamper the progress of capable and deserving children.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 13:53     Subject: Re:Teachers are NOT the enemy!
MCPS sets teachers up to fail.

The class sizes are too large to provide adequate instruction. Parents aren't wrong for wanting their kids to do the best that they can BUT the system is not set up to empower teachers to achieve this with their students. The teacher's union, IMO, fails both teachers and students. I fully support increased teacher pay but the teacher's union would be far more successful with more voters if they also advocated for stronger curriculum, better class ratios, and resources for the students. There is too much bargaining that results in paltry pay increases and results in acceptance of crappy systems like MCPS' 2.0.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 13:06     Subject: Re:Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:This thread is a PERFECT example of why the new grading system sucks for teachers. MCPS loves to say that you should just ask your teacher for feedback. The OP is what happens when 30 parents continually ask for feedback on how their child is doing and want to find ways for their child to improve or demonstrate what they can do in class.

HUH?
Not it's not.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 12:58     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:What I have a problem with is:
-Skewed expectations of your child's abilities (want them in a higher group than they are capable)
-The expectation of special treatment without valid reason
-Constantly wanting to alter the way I do things and sending in things you find on teacherspayteachers that I should try!!!!!
-Constant criticism
-Down-talking me to colleagues


OP, former teacher here, from a school with high FARMS/ESOL rate. In my career, I didn't have the problems you listed above. (Of course I had different problems - some you could relate to, others you probably couldn't.) If you're really a good teacher, you should consider changing schools, to avoid burnout.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 12:55     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
Anonymous wrote:The truth? Parents are trying their best to raise their kids well. That often drudges up old childhood issues of their own. Their own deep insecurities are often displayed through their parenting, even if they are blind to it themselves.

It's such an intimate connection, this little kid who's only here on this earth because you created them. You are responsible for them for decades, maybe longer. It's a huge responsibility, being a parent. Some flourish at it. Some stumble. When they are pissy like that to you, they are revealing how worried they are about something. I'm. to excusing it. I'm trying to explain it.


I am hearing "Somewhere in my youth, or childhood" from SOUND OF MUSIC while I read your post. . .

Anonymous
Post 02/11/2014 12:53     Subject: Teachers are NOT the enemy!
The truth? Parents are trying their best to raise their kids well. That often drudges up old childhood issues of their own. Their own deep insecurities are often displayed through their parenting, even if they are blind to it themselves.

It's such an intimate connection, this little kid who's only here on this earth because you created them. You are responsible for them for decades, maybe longer. It's a huge responsibility, being a parent. Some flourish at it. Some stumble. When they are pissy like that to you, they are revealing how worried they are about something. I'm. to excusing it. I'm trying to explain it.