Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes wonder if any of these Central Office folks have kids in the system, because they don't seem to have any sense of urgency about all of this.

The current curriculum is broken, and kids are losing YEARS because of what? Corruption, greed, and inadequate oversight?

Lang should be ashamed of what he has done, and Discovery should be drummed out of the market.

As an employee, I'm so disheartened that we have to do yet ANOTHER year of this curriculum that does not adequately prepare our students for the external measures we are held to - PARCC and MAP. More importantly, without significant supplementing I know it doesn't provide students what they need. It's hard to stay positive when you know we're doing a disservice to our students.

x100 - our required summer reading trainings this summer keep telling us all of these things we should be doing but the curriculum doesn't mention them and our schools aren't equipped with the materials to provide what students need. When the poor facilitators are asked how to address the hurdles, they shrug their shoulders and say "that's a great question, put it in the bin." It's going to be a long year.

Serious question for the teacher posters -- what can you do to address some of the mandates coming from up above that you know harm students? What are the avenues available to you to push back when your own bosses are creating the problems?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes wonder if any of these Central Office folks have kids in the system, because they don't seem to have any sense of urgency about all of this.

The current curriculum is broken, and kids are losing YEARS because of what? Corruption, greed, and inadequate oversight?

Lang should be ashamed of what he has done, and Discovery should be drummed out of the market.

As an employee, I'm so disheartened that we have to do yet ANOTHER year of this curriculum that does not adequately prepare our students for the external measures we are held to - PARCC and MAP. More importantly, without significant supplementing I know it doesn't provide students what they need. It's hard to stay positive when you know we're doing a disservice to our students.

x100 - our required summer reading trainings this summer keep telling us all of these things we should be doing but the curriculum doesn't mention them and our schools aren't equipped with the materials to provide what students need. When the poor facilitators are asked how to address the hurdles, they shrug their shoulders and say "that's a great question, put it in the bin." It's going to be a long year.

Anonymous wrote:I sometimes wonder if any of these Central Office folks have kids in the system, because they don't seem to have any sense of urgency about all of this.

The current curriculum is broken, and kids are losing YEARS because of what? Corruption, greed, and inadequate oversight?

Lang should be ashamed of what he has done, and Discovery should be drummed out of the market.

As an employee, I'm so disheartened that we have to do yet ANOTHER year of this curriculum that does not adequately prepare our students for the external measures we are held to - PARCC and MAP. More importantly, without significant supplementing I know it doesn't provide students what they need. It's hard to stay positive when you know we're doing a disservice to our students.

I sometimes wonder if any of these Central Office folks have kids in the system, because they don't seem to have any sense of urgency about all of this.

The current curriculum is broken, and kids are losing YEARS because of what? Corruption, greed, and inadequate oversight?

Lang should be ashamed of what he has done, and Discovery should be drummed out of the market.

Anonymous wrote:So what's the latest? Did Lang get to keep his job at Discovery or is he too toxic? Is there a move to update MCPS ethics policies? What's the target date for the new RFP?

I imagine any updates in hiring would be seen here - https://www.discoveryeducation.com/who-we-are/meet-the-curriculum-team/

Anonymous wrote:Finally an email today from chief academic officer Maria Navarro announcing that the RFP will be reissued in August with a selection made in the fall. Too bad the kids are losing a whole academic year with the new curriculum thanks to Erick Lang and Discovery.

Unbelievable. A full year delay.

Finally an email today from chief academic officer Maria Navarro announcing that the RFP will be reissued in August with a selection made in the fall. Too bad the kids are losing a whole academic year with the new curriculum thanks to Erick Lang and Discovery.

So what's the latest? Did Lang get to keep his job at Discovery or is he too toxic? Is there a move to update MCPS ethics policies? What's the target date for the new RFP?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t those individuals be fined or reprimanded?? What a terrible dent in public trust and waste of time and resources.

The biggest ramification has been the one year delay in even piloting whatever they select and also delay in multi year rollout. Big oppportunity cost now in terms of children, parents and teachers not having a cohesive curriculum, still.

Claw back their pensions

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t those individuals be fined or reprimanded?? What a terrible dent in public trust and waste of time and resources.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/bbb.pdf

It appears there is a gaping loophole in all the ethics laws here in which if an official discloses that they are being bribed, and/or if they are the only one who can perform the duties and obligations they do, then... it is ok? Also, a lot of the laws are quite vague about whether or not paid speeches and travel accommodations are in breach of ethics. Basically, they can just say they are “normal” travel expenses for a conference, even if it includes entertainment and is paid for by a schools-related vendor, or get taken out to any dinner or meal, no matter how expensive, or say that they aren’t being bribed or influenced by honorariums, because the speech wasn’t about school policy, and... it is ok?

Mushy ethics laws obviously don’t do anyone any favors. In my book, corruption starts with a cup of coffee. If you are a public official, you should not accept gifts of any sort. These laws have so many exceptions and accommodations that they don’t feel serious about protecting the public from private influence.

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t those individuals be fined or reprimanded?? What a terrible dent in public trust and waste of time and resources.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/bbb.pdf

Anonymous wrote:The bar is low. No one gets “reprimanded,” let alone fired in MCPS. I work in the system and believe me some real crazies get to keep their jobs.

Or they pass the trash.

The bar is low. No one gets “reprimanded,” let alone fired in MCPS. I work in the system and believe me some real crazies get to keep their jobs.

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t those individuals be fined or reprimanded?? What a terrible dent in public trust and waste of time and resources.

The biggest ramification has been the one year delay in even piloting whatever they select and also delay in multi year rollout. Big oppportunity cost now in terms of children, parents and teachers not having a cohesive curriculum, still.

Shouldn’t those individuals be fined or reprimanded?? What a terrible dent in public trust and waste of time and resources.