9th grader has 3 teachers who don't teach in W school She teachers herself English, Math and Biology. We are horrified. English teacher gives busy work and doesn't lecture

Sadly, I see this with my DD. She is in Honors Algebra II and is an excellent math student. Much of the material on the homework hasn't been covered in class, so she spent two hours on Khan Academy last night. Oh, and her English teacher hands out busy work in class as well. Not much lecturing. It's all about the packets and handouts in some classes.

Our school system in MD has had this for ages (ES and MS, my kids are in HS now) and we found it a great time to travel. Kids missed a few low-instruction days (when in ES), and hotels were relatively inexpensive and the weather still pretty good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

It’s all the Jews fault

The casual religious prejudice aside, PP is just a lazy parent. She can’t be bothered to make it over to the school like everyone else. But she wants a detailed email with multiple work samples that she can view at her leisure. Maybe MCPS should close for 2 full days so teachers have time to write these detailed emails with work samples. Then PP can enjoy her kids at home for two full days.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

It’s all the Jews fault

I mean, thank god we control of the world's banks and the international media, otherwise we'd never have been able to finagle that sweet, sweet trade of two half-days off for conferences in exchange for one blissful whole-day off for Yom Kippur.

Or as I call it, "me time."

Yep, it's all the Jews fault.

Are you with us or against us?

Anonymous wrote:I understand needing non-instructional time for conferences, but why don't they give kids a full day off of school and have a full day of conferences? Veteran's Day is a federal holiday, so families can enjoy a long weekend instead of cobbling together 3 half-days of childcare.

In Maryland, one day on and one day off counts as one day of school. Two early release days counts as two days of school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

It’s all the Jews fault

I mean, thank god we control of the world's banks and the international media, otherwise we'd never have been able to finagle that sweet, sweet trade of two half-days off for conferences in exchange for one blissful whole-day off for Yom Kippur.

Or as I call it, "me time."

Yep, it's all the Jews fault.

I understand needing non-instructional time for conferences, but why don't they give kids a full day off of school and have a full day of conferences? Veteran's Day is a federal holiday, so families can enjoy a long weekend instead of cobbling together 3 half-days of childcare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

It’s all the Jews fault

I mean, thank god we control of the world's banks and the international media, otherwise we'd never have been able to finagle that sweet, sweet trade of two half-days off for conferences in exchange for one blissful whole-day off for Yom Kippur.

Or as I call it, "me time."

Mic drop!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

It’s all the Jews fault

I mean, thank god we control of the world's banks and the international media, otherwise we'd never have been able to finagle that sweet, sweet trade of two half-days off for conferences in exchange for one blissful whole-day off for Yom Kippur.

Or as I call it, "me time."

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

Then don't go. There, done, next.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

Great--teachers will be needing some professional time to create those detailed emails and scan in the pdfs. How about two half days at the end of the first quarter?

"I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March."

Anything but this. Our DC had IEPs through later ES and MS. Every year there was a reporting process.

We were invited to a meeting and the specialist of our case would collect short paragraphs, examples and scores from all teachers involved.

One teacher, usually English, would be at the meeting. We heard all sorts of useful information in the meeting even with an administrator present.

Minutes were taken but the final report was sterilized and only reflected DC's grades.

There is no doubt that you learn more in a face to face meeting where not everything is written down and can't be held against the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

It’s all the Jews fault

I mean, thank god we control of the world's banks and the international media, otherwise we'd never have been able to finagle that sweet, sweet trade of two half-days off for conferences in exchange for one blissful whole-day off for Yom Kippur.

Or as I call it, "me time."

Anonymous wrote:Because we have to take off for religious holidays like Yom Kippur and Eid now. So teachers don't get full days off anymore for work days. They are half days.

Three in a row is excessive. And honestly, conferences are the BIGGEST waste of time. I much rather have a detailed email with pdf's of a few examples, test scores now and again in March. If I feel I need to see the teacher in person, I will set up a conference after that. Most of the kids that need the conferences have parents who don't sign up or show up.

It’s all the Jews fault

+1 9th grader has 3 teachers who don't teach in W school She teachers herself English, Math and Biology. We are horrified. English teacher gives busy work and doesn't lecture. They do the work in class while he gmails his wife on the computer (DD saw it when she went up to ask him a question) Bio teachers is nasty and yells at the kids if they dare ask a questions - she should be the last resort for questions and they should ask their friends first. handouts worksheets also to work on during class. DH and I are horrified and want to find a school where the teachers do direct instruction and where she can learn...
Pitiful. Just pitiful

.

What in the world are you talking about?

I have no doubt that this is a ridiculous exaggeration -- your 9th grader is teaching herself English, Math & Biology? Riiiiiight.

If it is the truth, what have YOU done to address it (besides complaining on an anonymous message board, of course)?

You should probably think about getting yourself back into school, because your proficiency of the English language and your grammar is pitiful.

Just pitiful.

This is occurring at Whitman you say?
Now I really want to hear how you've addressed this with the principal.

Surely you've told him that your daughter is teaching herself, correct?

I mean, since you're on here making the claim that ALL of your child's teachers are lazy, incompetent & inadequate, I'm dying to hear how the principal responded to your urgent call to action in this matter?

So how is the principal going to overhaul such a blatantly incapable staff? Please enlighten us...