This Board helps me formulate what quesitons and concerns I have after reading the Gazatte and before open houses, etc. It also aids in conversations in the neighborhood.
I ask all my neighbors what they think, particularly ones with a mix of older and young kids. My neighbor has one kid that went through ES on the old system (escaping Common Core and 2.0), the middle had the system change on her while in ES, and the youngest is starting out.
Everyone is closely monitoring things and will not hesitate to do more tutoring, move to another district, or go private. This 2014/15 school year will be key.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. Its useful to know that many other parents have the same concerns. I also have learned a lot about deeper problems in MCPS from this board. The last thing in the world MCPS wants is for parents to share their concerns with each other. MCPS does not care what parents think and wants to ignore them.

That's what you learned on DCUM, right?

Exactly!! Who in the world thinks that an anonymous counts a parent mobilization?? For all you know, the same 3 people are posting time and time again. If you want to mobilize and effort for change, then form an organization with full transparency, whose members you can see and number, not a bunch of fraggle-knackle bull posted on the interwebs from goodness knows who!!!

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. Its useful to know that many other parents have the same concerns. I also have learned a lot about deeper problems in MCPS from this board. The last thing in the world MCPS wants is for parents to share their concerns with each other. MCPS does not care what parents think and wants to ignore them.

That's what you learned on DCUM, right?

I disagree. Its useful to know that many other parents have the same concerns. I also have learned a lot about deeper problems in MCPS from this board. The last thing in the world MCPS wants is for parents to share their concerns with each other. MCPS does not care what parents think and wants to ignore them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:again, small worlds

so many people who have NO CLUE how other systems function

glad not to have friends who are as dreadful as most of you are

Actually, very big world here. Lived many places, and deeply unimpressed here. But go ahead and name-call when you can't actually defend the system on its merits.

I agree. A lot of the unhappy parents are people with international experience, either recent immigrant or spent lots of time overseas, who understand that kids could get a better education given how much money MCPS spent per kid.

So what are those parents doing to make the school system better over here? Especially as they can clearly see what can be improved?

You may be surprised by this. But part of what they can do is to complain here and educate other parents. If all parents complain, even MCPS needs to respond.

If I were trying to mobilize parents and actually accomplish something, I would not pick "complain on DCUM" as one of my major strategies.

Anonymous wrote: I don't have anything to complain about and as a taxpayer I would be pretty pissed that MCPS would waste money monitoring an anonoymous site and then actually putting into place what a bunch of unhappy trolls suggested.

Mcps is under a lot of pressure. The many negative local press articles have moved to the national level and they have no answers.
Or they do, they just refuse to state them, too much cognitive dissonance with their naive kumbaya mantra.

Anonymous wrote:
How do your responsibilities change during the school year vs. summer? My kids are not yet preschool age, so right now, I don't see any change in responsibilities -- it's the same all year around (I WOHM so kid is in daycare year round). Would love to know what changes.

Summer means no homework and fewer scheduled activities. Once school starts its a major balancing act to fit in homework, projects, practices, and play dates. Things are much more busy for us.

I don't have anything to complain about and as a taxpayer I would be pretty pissed that MCPS would waste money monitoring an anonoymous site and then actually putting into place what a bunch of unhappy trolls suggested.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:again, small worlds

so many people who have NO CLUE how other systems function

glad not to have friends who are as dreadful as most of you are

Actually, very big world here. Lived many places, and deeply unimpressed here. But go ahead and name-call when you can't actually defend the system on its merits.

I agree. A lot of the unhappy parents are people with international experience, either recent immigrant or spent lots of time overseas, who understand that kids could get a better education given how much money MCPS spent per kid.

So what are those parents doing to make the school system better over here? Especially as they can clearly see what can be improved?

You may be surprised by this. But part of what they can do is to complain here and educate other parents. If all parents complain, even MCPS needs to respond.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:again, small worlds

so many people who have NO CLUE how other systems function

glad not to have friends who are as dreadful as most of you are

Actually, very big world here. Lived many places, and deeply unimpressed here. But go ahead and name-call when you can't actually defend the system on its merits.

I agree. A lot of the unhappy parents are people with international experience, either recent immigrant or spent lots of time overseas, who understand that kids could get a better education given how much money MCPS spent per kid.

So what are those parents doing to make the school system better over here? Especially as they can clearly see what can be improved?

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I love summer when my kids and I have so much time together and don't have so many responsibilities. Hanging at the pool. Watching movies. Going for pizza on a weekday. Also, one of my kids really struggles in school and it's hard to watch so summer is a nice reprieve from that.

How do your responsibilities change during the school year vs. summer? My kids are not yet preschool age, so right now, I don't see any change in responsibilities -- it's the same all year around (I WOHM so kid is in daycare year round). Would love to know what changes.

Anonymous wrote:again, small worlds

so many people who have NO CLUE how other systems function

glad not to have friends who are as dreadful as most of you are

NP here.

Umm, what? We have lived in various places. You're right. MCPS isn't the worst, but it's not all that great either.

And, really, what's your point? That we should all just be happy that MCPS isn't the worst school district in the country? Your expectations are pretty low considering how much MoCo spends on education.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:again, small worlds

so many people who have NO CLUE how other systems function

glad not to have friends who are as dreadful as most of you are

Actually, very big world here. Lived many places, and deeply unimpressed here. But go ahead and name-call when you can't actually defend the system on its merits.

I agree. A lot of the unhappy parents are people with international experience, either recent immigrant or spent lots of time overseas, who understand that kids could get a better education given how much money MCPS spent per kid.