I really don't understand how anyone can think that MCPS is doing a good job with distance learning. I understand this was an incredibly abrupt shift, and it was not going to be perfect. But my relatives' kids in NY public schools have been in live classes 4-5 hrs/day since 1 week after they closed the schools. How is possible that a school system with tens of thousands of homeless kids has been providing more instruction than MCPS?

Whatever the explanation, MCPS has to do better in the fall. It's inconceivable that we're going to be able to return to meaningful in-classroom learning until there's a vaccine, so someone has got to figure out how to provide multiple hours of instruction every day for all kids. MCPS has 23k teachers. There's simply no reason they can't figure out a way to teach our kids in an extended period of distance learning.

My elementary kid gets 30 minutes of teaching per day. Without any structure (and since both parents work) he spends WAY too much time on videogames and Youtube. My HS kid has periodic "check-ins" but no instruction whatsoever. Luckily we already had a few tutors and will be adding to that roster just so he actually learns something. But it infuriates me that I'm paying an MCPS teacher to tutor him in math during school hours. Shouldn't she be teaching her students during that time? Shouldn't my son's MCPS teacher be actually teaching her students during the school day?

But hey, I live in Bethesda, so my kids are worthless snowflakes and I have no right to expect that they actually learn something, right DCUM?

Just as an FYI, MCPS is doing more consistent and better quality distance learning than the surrounding public school systems... I completely understand that some of you have had a poor experience, but overall, it's been a relative success.

MCPS is also preparing for the INEVITABLE distance learning option in the fall. And since it has months to prepare, there will be no excuse for a shoddy roll-out. I have no doubt that it will be better than what we have right now.

I feel that school districts should all have been better prepared for this. Every organization should have a continuity of operations plan in place. Truth is, public health officials have talked for years about the probability (not possibility) of a pandemic coming soon. Smith makes $300K, which is a pretty nice salary. Disaster planning should be in the job description.

Anonymous wrote:One of the problems with distance learning in my school district was that we teachers weren't allowed to record lessons with any student videos in them.

So say I am responsible for presenting a 4th grade science lesson. I'd be happy to do the lesson live, with a demonstration and some back and forth discussion between me and my students; then end with an explanation of how to do an interactive assignment online. But there's a good chance some or many students might fail to log on that day.

So they will need to be able to get online and make the lesson up. It would help if I could have just recorded the live lesson I did. But I'm not allowed to because it had students in it. So I'd have to make a separate video just of the presentation and the explanation of the activity.

If I have to make a video with no students in it, I'll just make that video and post it for everyone. I don't want to have to do double lessons for everything.

Interesting, I had not thought about this.

Anonymous wrote:Great article. Precisely what we need in these times is another public platform for random loudmouth Bethesda parents and the Westland MS PTA president to continue griping and whining about how MCPS is not adequately catering to their child. A brief respite from hearing them griping and whining about boundary changes and the traumatic possibility of having more of "those" kids in their school. Slap in a sentence about "equity" to appear balanced, ignore all other issues, and call it a day. The article reads like a DCUM thread, right down to anonymously slamming MCEA, but with slightly better formatting.

Careful, your bitterness and envy is showing.

students could consent?

One of the problems with distance learning in my school district was that we teachers weren't allowed to record lessons with any student videos in them.

So say I am responsible for presenting a 4th grade science lesson. I'd be happy to do the lesson live, with a demonstration and some back and forth discussion between me and my students; then end with an explanation of how to do an interactive assignment online. But there's a good chance some or many students might fail to log on that day.

So they will need to be able to get online and make the lesson up. It would help if I could have just recorded the live lesson I did. But I'm not allowed to because it had students in it. So I'd have to make a separate video just of the presentation and the explanation of the activity.

If I have to make a video with no students in it, I'll just make that video and post it for everyone. I don't want to have to do double lessons for everything.

Honestly, I think about half of the students should repeat their grade. They will be that far behind if not more once this is done and we return to full time instruction in a school. I think a lot of students will have not picked up a pencil for 6months.

My middle schooler has had very limited instruction since they had to move to distance learning. And everyone will be promoted even though they won't be ready for the next grade level. Has the superintendent even discussed what options he's considering?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I truly hope more disappointed parents will take their snowflake kids out of MCPS and go private. Fewer children in public schools = better teaching and learning.

-- signed, MCPS teacher

Really?

You would like to see involved, engaged parents leave the school system just so you can have smaller class sizes? Weird.

Not that poster, but there are obviously constructively engaged parents and disruptively involved parents. And it cuts across socioeconomic classes. I’d rather teach a class that had zero engaged parents than a class that had only a disruptively involved parent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Envy is not a good look. I am sure PP is glad to be gone. They have options and maybe you don’t. Good for them.

DP.

Who said anything about envy? The one PP is glad to be gone, the other PP is glad to have a "I'm going private" person gone, it's a win-win.

Sorry your kid didn’t get in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I truly hope more disappointed parents will take their snowflake kids out of MCPS and go private. Fewer children in public schools = better teaching and learning.

-- signed, MCPS teacher

Really?

You would like to see involved, engaged parents leave the school system just so you can have smaller class sizes? Weird.

Private school is no guarantee that the parents are engaged or involved in their kids' education. Plenty of parents are willing to throw money at the problem and consider it solved.

This MCPS teacher just proved why MCPS is crap. Thank you for proving my point. By the way, do your students a favor and retire. You’re unhinged, sis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Envy is not a good look. I am sure PP is glad to be gone. They have options and maybe you don’t. Good for them.

DP.

Who said anything about envy? The one PP is glad to be gone, the other PP is glad to have a "I'm going private" person gone, it's a win-win.

Getting away from jealous bitchy ppl like you - it certainly is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great article. Precisely what we need in these times is another public platform for random loudmouth Bethesda parents and the Westland MS PTA president to continue griping and whining about how MCPS is not adequately catering to their child. A brief respite from hearing them griping and whining about boundary changes and the traumatic possibility of having more of "those" kids in their school. Slap in a sentence about "equity" to appear balanced, ignore all other issues, and call it a day. The article reads like a DCUM thread, right down to anonymously slamming MCEA, but with slightly better formatting.

Screw you. Do you actually think any of the kids at any of the schools are actually learning? It is great that mcps is feeding the kids who need it and giving out chromebooks and hotspots. But they should be doing that so that kids can learn at home. All kids. And right now, as evidenced by what is going on with my 3 kids (1 in MS, 2 in HS), there is not much of that happening and mcps does not seem to care.

MCPS does need to figure this out before the Fall. They get a pass for the final marking period, but if it's not much improved, we are out of here. Working from home, people can now work from anywhere, amd we intend to do just that. We originally moved to MC for the schools. We can leave because of them too.

We moved to MOCO for schools too. Then left for private. It gets worse as you go along.

Glad to see you go.

Envy is not a good look. I am sure PP is glad to be gone. They have options and maybe you don’t. Good for them.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I truly hope more disappointed parents will take their snowflake kids out of MCPS and go private. Fewer children in public schools = better teaching and learning.

-- signed, MCPS teacher

Really?

You would like to see involved, engaged parents leave the school system just so you can have smaller class sizes? Weird.

Private school is no guarantee that the parents are engaged or involved in their kids' education. Plenty of parents are willing to throw money at the problem and consider it solved.