DCUM Forum

Anonymous

10/23/2025 11:24 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

OP, if your kid isn’t writing in a English, then you should reach out to their teacher to learn what is actuallly being assigned. Don’t get all your info from the kid.

Anonymous

10/23/2025 11:21 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:My child regularly wrote 1000 word essays in global humanities (HIGH) and the American History equivalent but that’s with an accelerated cohort unlike “advanced” English which is general eduction for all.

For English, so far it seems like a lot of multiple choice tests on prefixes and reading comprehension of texts assigned, but my kids’ English teacher last year assigned a lot more writing so I guess it depends on how much unpaid time they’re willing to put in to correct all the written work.

Length does not equal rigor, especially from a middle schooler. But I agree with your point in general that kids need practice.

Anonymous

10/23/2025 08:34 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

At least they still "teach" English? Spanish immersion is a disgrace... MCPS is a clown car for it

Anonymous

10/22/2025 16:06 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

The written word is an aspect of white supremacy.

Anonymous

10/22/2025 16:04 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:For all of DD's subjects, she has not been required to write more than 1-2 sentences for a response. In English so far, she has written 1 paragraph all year.

She is in the "advanced" english class. She's not in the higher level history class- so she may have gotten more writing if she did this.

Straight As in everything...

Jee Zuss!

Anonymous

10/22/2025 11:02 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:Can people name schools and whether they have advanced English for all or offer regular and advanced?

I’ll start: Silver Creek MS — all students placed in “advanced” English.

Westland MS--all students placed in advanced English-- guidance counselor confirmed it was the only option even though it was called "advanced". Honestly, I don't think people need to spend a lot of time trying to disprove a person who made a comment that differentiated English classes exist in middle school. People post all sorts of junk on DCUM, because it's anonymous and there's no accountability. I'm always shocked when people seem to take whatever is posted as "fact."

Anonymous

10/22/2025 10:59 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Can people name schools and whether they have advanced English for all or offer regular and advanced?

I’ll start: Silver Creek MS — all students placed in “advanced” English.

Anonymous

10/22/2025 10:32 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anything that has been helpful to help writing better? My child has issues to summarizes reading in writing.

Anonymous

10/20/2025 23:03 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird - my 6th grader just had to write a three page story for her English class. It was painful, but a good exercise and split into steps (characters, plot outline, rough draft).

She's in the advanced English class at a non-W feeder MCPS middle school.

I thought there was no advanced English any more?

All middle school English is named "advanced English."

Not true.

Oh? Is there some middle school in some corner of the county that kept a two-level system, and if so, where? Because most middle schools have been putting everyone in "Advanced English" for years.

Many schools.

My understanding is that Central Office required all middle schools to drop the regular English classes a few years back and put everyone in Advanced English. Very curious if that has changed recently, or if some schools were never made to do it?

Can you please name the school or schools and how long this has been the case?

Anonymous

10/20/2025 18:28 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

My child regularly wrote 1000 word essays in global humanities (HIGH) and the American History equivalent but that’s with an accelerated cohort unlike “advanced” English which is general eduction for all.

For English, so far it seems like a lot of multiple choice tests on prefixes and reading comprehension of texts assigned, but my kids’ English teacher last year assigned a lot more writing so I guess it depends on how much unpaid time they’re willing to put in to correct all the written work.

Anonymous

10/20/2025 18:24 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird - my 6th grader just had to write a three page story for her English class. It was painful, but a good exercise and split into steps (characters, plot outline, rough draft).

She's in the advanced English class at a non-W feeder MCPS middle school.

I thought there was no advanced English any more?

All middle school English is named "advanced English."

Not true.

Oh? Is there some middle school in some corner of the county that kept a two-level system, and if so, where? Because most middle schools have been putting everyone in "Advanced English" for years.

Many schools.

Can you name a school that offers options other than Advanced English (other than the magnets?)

Anonymous

10/20/2025 18:21 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird - my 6th grader just had to write a three page story for her English class. It was painful, but a good exercise and split into steps (characters, plot outline, rough draft).

She's in the advanced English class at a non-W feeder MCPS middle school.

I thought there was no advanced English any more?

All middle school English is named "advanced English."

Not true.

Oh? Is there some middle school in some corner of the county that kept a two-level system, and if so, where? Because most middle schools have been putting everyone in "Advanced English" for years.

Many schools.

In my kids’ middle school the only option is Advanced English.

Anonymous

10/20/2025 18:18 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird - my 6th grader just had to write a three page story for her English class. It was painful, but a good exercise and split into steps (characters, plot outline, rough draft).

She's in the advanced English class at a non-W feeder MCPS middle school.

I thought there was no advanced English any more?

All middle school English is named "advanced English."

Not true.

Oh? Is there some middle school in some corner of the county that kept a two-level system, and if so, where? Because most middle schools have been putting everyone in "Advanced English" for years.

Many schools.

Anonymous

10/20/2025 12:23 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

I know our middle school has shunned away from Chromebooks for the last year plus this year as a way to address this issue and Covid gaps. They said kids were becoming copy and paste master and not digesting 1 once of subject matter. Very few assignments were completable via the computers. This year for my younger kid its more a mixed bag trending about 50/50%

Anonymous

10/20/2025 11:53 Subject: No longer writing in middle school

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weird - my 6th grader just had to write a three page story for her English class. It was painful, but a good exercise and split into steps (characters, plot outline, rough draft).

She's in the advanced English class at a non-W feeder MCPS middle school.

I thought there was no advanced English any more?

All middle school English is named "advanced English."

Not true.

Oh? Is there some middle school in some corner of the county that kept a two-level system, and if so, where? Because most middle schools have been putting everyone in "Advanced English" for years.