I have older kids and participation in field trips has been very school dependent for a LONG time. It doesn't surprise me that there are some schools that are still claiming covid is keeping them from planning field trips. I've never understood why this is school dependent. I can see some schools getting more (maybe a program or specific teams of teachers are more enthusiastic about planning than others), but, there should be a minimum number of things that all kids in mcps do.

Kindergarten=zoo; 4th grade to St. Mary's; 5th grade to Mt. Vernon or Philadelphia; Strathmore performance; imagination stage performance. These are "traditional" field trips that kids have been doing since the early 2000s. If your school isn't doing these things, complaint to the principal and speak up in a PTA meeting.

In-school field trips are generally garbage, but there have been some programs over the years my kids have enjoyed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids get more group field trips homeschooling. Parents plan about 1 each month, most kids attend. I can’t imagine not having any all year. Very sad.

+1 We took 10 field trips this year.

It's really weird to me how if homeschooling is so much better than public school then you still need to go troll the public school board to brag about it.

Np. I scroll recent topics and, if something interests me, I pop in. I don't even have school age kids!

Ah, cultural warrior or busybody. Or both!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids get more group field trips homeschooling. Parents plan about 1 each month, most kids attend. I can’t imagine not having any all year. Very sad.

+1 We took 10 field trips this year.

It's really weird to me how if homeschooling is so much better than public school then you still need to go troll the public school board to brag about it.

Np. I scroll recent topics and, if something interests me, I pop in. I don't even have school age kids!

Oh so your opinions are extra irrelevant

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids get more group field trips homeschooling. Parents plan about 1 each month, most kids attend. I can’t imagine not having any all year. Very sad.

+1 We took 10 field trips this year.

It's really weird to me how if homeschooling is so much better than public school then you still need to go troll the public school board to brag about it.

They aren't field trips if homeschooling and one a month isn't very much or brag worthy.

Anonymous wrote:If your child has gone on a field trip can you name the cluster? It's my impression that mostly the wealthier schools are having field trips.

Normal field trips at our Whitman cluster ES

Our school did Imagination stage for most grades. Several grades went to a farm and/or Bar-T ranch. The 4th graders did the all day St Mary’s City field trip too. Seemed like usual field trips this year. Really nothing was different this year because of covid besides masks and outdoor lunch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid's elementary still hasn't gone on a single field trip since Covid. I know they are "allowed" now so clearly they have made the decision as a school not to.

If your elementary school has also had no fields trips have they given any indication about next year?

Our elementary school just had a trip to the kids museum. It was really wonderful

That's not a field trip. That's a political pay back to Josh Starr. He's on the board and the company is owned by Joftus' wife.

It's even more enjoyable after a few games of bocce!

Jesus. He’s a volunteer on the Board. He does it for her, I’m sure. He doesn’t profit off of KID Museum. I have no affiliation to KID beyond taking students there on field trips, but I can’t stand misinformation campaigns.

Joshua Starr is on the board for who? her? Joshua Starr's wife worked there = profit. Scott Joftus' wife owns it = profit in the millions.
Sorry math is so hard for you.

It's a non-profit.

Then why has the Board of Education given them $5 million dollars? Just to stuff in their mattress?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids get more group field trips homeschooling. Parents plan about 1 each month, most kids attend. I can’t imagine not having any all year. Very sad.

+1 We took 10 field trips this year.

It's really weird to me how if homeschooling is so much better than public school then you still need to go troll the public school board to brag about it.

Np. I scroll recent topics and, if something interests me, I pop in. I don't even have school age kids!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I'm so glad so many of your schools are doing field trips. I am aware that this is happening-that is why I asked the question. My question was for those of you whose schools are not having field trips, have they mentioned they would start them again next year?

Principal and teachers. They are a nightmare to organize so many don't want to do them.

It should not be up to each principal or teacher. That’s not fair. This is why there’s a difference between school clusters even though we are all supposed to be under one district (mcps).

Life is not fair. Feel free to coordinate, organize, plan and execute field trips for the entire class if they are that important to you.

I don’t have to, my child’s school has field trips. But still I think it’s unfair for other kids in MCPS. It’s not just about my kids but it’s about all of the kids and all of the schools having the same/similar experiences. If my school didn’t have field trips, yes I could coordinate and help plan, volunteer and so would many parents at my specific school and I’m sure my PTA would rally and coordinate field trips. But it’s not just about what my school and what I can do. There are kids in schools, and parents at their schools who don’t have the same time, availability or resources. They might not even feel empowered to do so.

+1

And yet, as evidenced by this thread, many schools have not been having field trips (or very limited ones or virtual) AND parents nor PTA’s have rallied to ensure that they happen and are paid for out of MCPS budget. That alone should tell you not just about parental apathy towards these and all other school things. So why do you feel teachers and principal’s who are already nearing burnout are going to invest any more time and energy?

I'm positive based on the same evidence in this thread those are just a few people who are all at the same school. Oh wait, neither of us could know these things!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I'm so glad so many of your schools are doing field trips. I am aware that this is happening-that is why I asked the question. My question was for those of you whose schools are not having field trips, have they mentioned they would start them again next year?

Principal and teachers. They are a nightmare to organize so many don't want to do them.

It should not be up to each principal or teacher. That’s not fair. This is why there’s a difference between school clusters even though we are all supposed to be under one district (mcps).

Life is not fair. Feel free to coordinate, organize, plan and execute field trips for the entire class if they are that important to you.

I don’t have to, my child’s school has field trips. But still I think it’s unfair for other kids in MCPS. It’s not just about my kids but it’s about all of the kids and all of the schools having the same/similar experiences. If my school didn’t have field trips, yes I could coordinate and help plan, volunteer and so would many parents at my specific school and I’m sure my PTA would rally and coordinate field trips. But it’s not just about what my school and what I can do. There are kids in schools, and parents at their schools who don’t have the same time, availability or resources. They might not even feel empowered to do so.

+1

And yet, as evidenced by this thread, many schools have not been having field trips (or very limited ones or virtual) AND parents nor PTA’s have rallied to ensure that they happen and are paid for out of MCPS budget. That alone should tell you not just about parental apathy towards these and all other school things. So why do you feel teachers and principal’s who are already nearing burnout are going to invest any more time and energy?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids get more group field trips homeschooling. Parents plan about 1 each month, most kids attend. I can’t imagine not having any all year. Very sad.

+1 We took 10 field trips this year.

It's really weird to me how if homeschooling is so much better than public school then you still need to go troll the public school board to brag about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I'm so glad so many of your schools are doing field trips. I am aware that this is happening-that is why I asked the question. My question was for those of you whose schools are not having field trips, have they mentioned they would start them again next year?

Principal and teachers. They are a nightmare to organize so many don't want to do them.

It should not be up to each principal or teacher. That’s not fair. This is why there’s a difference between school clusters even though we are all supposed to be under one district (mcps).

Life is not fair. Feel free to coordinate, organize, plan and execute field trips for the entire class if they are that important to you.

I don’t have to, my child’s school has field trips. But still I think it’s unfair for other kids in MCPS. It’s not just about my kids but it’s about all of the kids and all of the schools having the same/similar experiences. If my school didn’t have field trips, yes I could coordinate and help plan, volunteer and so would many parents at my specific school and I’m sure my PTA would rally and coordinate field trips. But it’s not just about what my school and what I can do. There are kids in schools, and parents at their schools who don’t have the same time, availability or resources. They might not even feel empowered to do so.

+1

https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/v8e5nc/im_taking_kindergarteners_on_a_field_trip_to_the/

Reminds me field trips are hard for teachers. One of my colleagues had a parent- chaperone lose two kids because the chaperone just wanted to spend time with their own kid and not take care of the other kids. She didn't even bother telling the teacher the kids were asked until they had been gone for over an hour

If your child has gone on a field trip can you name the cluster? It's my impression that mostly the wealthier schools are having field trips.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I'm so glad so many of your schools are doing field trips. I am aware that this is happening-that is why I asked the question. My question was for those of you whose schools are not having field trips, have they mentioned they would start them again next year?

Principal and teachers. They are a nightmare to organize so many don't want to do them.

It should not be up to each principal or teacher. That’s not fair. This is why there’s a difference between school clusters even though we are all supposed to be under one district (mcps).

Life is not fair. Feel free to coordinate, organize, plan and execute field trips for the entire class if they are that important to you.

I don’t have to, my child’s school has field trips. But still I think it’s unfair for other kids in MCPS. It’s not just about my kids but it’s about all of the kids and all of the schools having the same/similar experiences. If my school didn’t have field trips, yes I could coordinate and help plan, volunteer and so would many parents at my specific school and I’m sure my PTA would rally and coordinate field trips. But it’s not just about what my school and what I can do. There are kids in schools, and parents at their schools who don’t have the same time, availability or resources. They might not even feel empowered to do so.