Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also curious what the finalists are? Will they be presented at the meeting?

Not at today's meeting.

Why the change in date? What’s the new date?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also curious what the finalists are? Will they be presented at the meeting?

Not at today's meeting.

Anonymous wrote:Also curious what the finalists are? Will they be presented at the meeting?

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely not keeping Benchmark. It wasn't one of the final options being considered (there were three).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I thought the 28th for the final decision. It can't be during the closed session, can it?! We heard there are three being considered. Which ones? Anyone?

It wasn't in closed session last time they decided, so I think they have decided to postpone it, which makes me very worried. We are at a new Benchmark pilot school, and it is not going well. I really, really don't want to be stuck with it next year.

Dying to know the options presented.

Curriculum 3.0!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I thought the 28th for the final decision. It can't be during the closed session, can it?! We heard there are three being considered. Which ones? Anyone?

It wasn't in closed session last time they decided, so I think they have decided to postpone it, which makes me very worried. We are at a new Benchmark pilot school, and it is not going well. I really, really don't want to be stuck with it next year.

Dying to know the options presented.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I thought the 28th for the final decision. It can't be during the closed session, can it?! We heard there are three being considered. Which ones? Anyone?

It wasn't in closed session last time they decided, so I think they have decided to postpone it, which makes me very worried. We are at a new Benchmark pilot school, and it is not going well. I really, really don't want to be stuck with it next year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My jaw just dropped when I read this. I can't believe they're switching again. I'm not an MCPS employee, but I've been a teacher and administrator in other school districts, and curriculum selection is normally a long process (over a year), followed by a 3+ year implementation process, with extensive PD for teachers, as well as training for coaches and admin to monitor implementation and support teachers as needed. How will any schools and teachers, and therefore students (!), ever see success if they don't commit to anything for longer than a couple years??

I think in this case, it’s because Benchmark really is that bad. It never should have been chosen.

This. Teachers hate benchmark. Many kids are not learning to read with Benchmark. Students hate benchmark. It's god awful and should be a scandal that it was chosen to begin with.

Oh yes, choosing a curriculum that is widely used all over the country....such a scandal.

Agree with the thought here. Benchmark was chosen as an on grade level curriculum for reading. And it is working fine for plenty of students. While it may need some tweaks or there may be other things that work for specific parts of reading, that is being evaluated and steps taken (ie. RGR for Phonics instruction along with LETRS training for staff).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My jaw just dropped when I read this. I can't believe they're switching again. I'm not an MCPS employee, but I've been a teacher and administrator in other school districts, and curriculum selection is normally a long process (over a year), followed by a 3+ year implementation process, with extensive PD for teachers, as well as training for coaches and admin to monitor implementation and support teachers as needed. How will any schools and teachers, and therefore students (!), ever see success if they don't commit to anything for longer than a couple years??

I think in this case, it’s because Benchmark really is that bad. It never should have been chosen.

This. Teachers hate benchmark. Many kids are not learning to read with Benchmark. Students hate benchmark. It's god awful and should be a scandal that it was chosen to begin with.

Oh yes, choosing a curriculum that is widely used all over the country....such a scandal.

Agree with the thought here. Benchmark was chosen as an on grade level curriculum for reading. And it is working fine for plenty of students. While it may need some tweaks or there may be other things that work for specific parts of reading, that is being evaluated and steps taken (ie. RGR for Phonics instruction along with LETRS training for staff).

Do you have data to back that up? The reading specialist at our school says something completely different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I thought the 28th for the final decision. It can't be during the closed session, can it?! We heard there are three being considered. Which ones? Anyone?

It wasn't in closed session last time they decided, so I think they have decided to postpone it, which makes me very worried. We are at a new Benchmark pilot school, and it is not going well. I really, really don't want to be stuck with it next year.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I thought the 28th for the final decision. It can't be during the closed session, can it?! We heard there are three being considered. Which ones? Anyone?