"Gentle Parenting" does not work, regardless of how many books and web pages promote it.

Anonymous wrote:MCPS Admin here - I wish parents understood how much our hands are tied when it comes to suspending students. The kids know we can't really do much. Our directors have to approve every suspension that we make and high suspension numbers reflect poorly on our school system for MSDE.

This might sound terrible, but school should be treated like more of a privilege than a right (FAPE). As an administrator, we're supposed to be instructional leaders. I cannot get into classrooms consistently to provide feedback on instruction because of how extreme student behaviors have become over the past decade.

As another poster mentioned, so many of society's issues are spilling into our school buildings and educators are expected to wear every hat under the sun. Truthfully, we shouldn't have to juggle all of these challenges. We all went to school to teach and that is becoming more and more challenging to do.

I’ve always believed one thing that killing the MCPS is they attempt to solve social issues in school system. Focus on teaching.

Anonymous wrote:Honest question here:

What traumatic or definitive event happened that seemingly has led to an entire generation of first time parents who just don't want to discipline or parent their children? Was it 9/11? The rise of social media? Or did everyone born in in the 80s and 90s just get spanked a little too often?

There has to be some reason as to why child behavior is considerably a larger problem now than it ever has been before.

I don’t think it’s primarily students and parents who have changed. I think a lot of kids used to get pushed out of school quicker. Every school system had some kind of alternative school and a serious incident got kids booted to the alternative school for a couple months at least. It was very disruptive to the education of those kids. It was racist in application. It pushed those kids towards dropping out altogether. But it took them out of the regular high schools.

Maybe there is also some loss of impulse control from screens/divided attention. Maybe parents interact with kids a bit less because of smart phones and screens. Maybe all of society is just a little more valorizing being selfish and put for oneself instead of being a good community member. But I don’t think people are that different. I just think principals used to be able to send kids to Mark Twain if they had consistent dangerous behavior issues and the parents couldn’t or wouldn’t solve it.

Anonymous wrote:Honest question here:

What traumatic or definitive event happened that seemingly has led to an entire generation of first time parents who just don't want to discipline or parent their children? Was it 9/11? The rise of social media? Or did everyone born in in the 80s and 90s just get spanked a little too often?

There has to be some reason as to why child behavior is considerably a larger problem now than it ever has been before.

Parents are completely addicted to their phones, so they completely ignore their children. That, in combination with district policies that have ended school discipline as we know it. Neither parents nor schools ever tell students what they have to do anymore.

Honest question here:

What traumatic or definitive event happened that seemingly has led to an entire generation of first time parents who just don't want to discipline or parent their children? Was it 9/11? The rise of social media? Or did everyone born in in the 80s and 90s just get spanked a little too often?

There has to be some reason as to why child behavior is considerably a larger problem now than it ever has been before.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. Can someone explain rationally why aggressive student behavior can't be stopped? Are there any policy issues that led to this?

My old middle school has police there daily to disrupt fights.

Schools have become completely unsafe. It's even unsafe to report anything unless there is overwhelming physical evidence.

How is this not the overriding issue? Kids can't attend or learn if it's a totally unsafe environment.

Of course, they can easily be stopped. Stop bussing kids from outside of Clarksburg to Clarksburg schools.

Schools are not just for a specific zip code. Want an exclusive school, pay for private.

It’s not about zip code - it’s about bussing in criminals to boost stats. Send them to reform school and call it a day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MD state policies punish schools if suspension is too often. It’s even part of the MD school report card. Besides most kids don’t even consider it a punishment since they can just stay home and play video games or continue the drama on their phones.

We can send kids home who wander the halls skipping class. The state counts that as a suspension.

I agree that md state ties MCPS hands about suspension, and while it's true that to some kids suspension is as bolded above, I'd say suspension is still effective since it gives the students in school a break as well as sending a message to those other students that these behaviors are taken seriously. That deters students who have parents that would care. Also after a suspension, it's supposed to be that parents have to meet with admin for a meeting before the student can return -- that part is not always done but I think it is essential. The parents need to be inconvenienced so they will help to deter their child from the behavior.

The challenge becomes enforcing a parent to meet. And if they don’t then the kid remains out of school which has its own consequences for the kid’s education that the school is also then forced to deal with. Not to mention the consistent followup needed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. Can someone explain rationally why aggressive student behavior can't be stopped? Are there any policy issues that led to this?

My old middle school has police there daily to disrupt fights.

Schools have become completely unsafe. It's even unsafe to report anything unless there is overwhelming physical evidence.

How is this not the overriding issue? Kids can't attend or learn if it's a totally unsafe environment.

Of course, they can easily be stopped. Stop bussing kids from outside of Clarksburg to Clarksburg schools.

Schools are not just for a specific zip code. Want an exclusive school, pay for private.

Anonymous wrote:Serious question. Can someone explain rationally why aggressive student behavior can't be stopped? Are there any policy issues that led to this?

My old middle school has police there daily to disrupt fights.

Schools have become completely unsafe. It's even unsafe to report anything unless there is overwhelming physical evidence.

How is this not the overriding issue? Kids can't attend or learn if it's a totally unsafe environment.

Of course, they can easily be stopped. Stop bussing kids from outside of Clarksburg to Clarksburg schools.

Anonymous wrote:MD state policies punish schools if suspension is too often. It’s even part of the MD school report card. Besides most kids don’t even consider it a punishment since they can just stay home and play video games or continue the drama on their phones.

We can send kids home who wander the halls skipping class. The state counts that as a suspension.

I agree that md state ties MCPS hands about suspension, and while it's true that to some kids suspension is as bolded above, I'd say suspension is still effective since it gives the students in school a break as well as sending a message to those other students that these behaviors are taken seriously. That deters students who have parents that would care. Also after a suspension, it's supposed to be that parents have to meet with admin for a meeting before the student can return -- that part is not always done but I think it is essential. The parents need to be inconvenienced so they will help to deter their child from the behavior.

MD state policies punish schools if suspension is too often. It’s even part of the MD school report card. Besides most kids don’t even consider it a punishment since they can just stay home and play video games or continue the drama on their phones.

We can send kids home who wander the halls skipping class. The state counts that as a suspension.

Serious question. Can someone explain rationally why aggressive student behavior can't be stopped? Are there any policy issues that led to this?

My old middle school has police there daily to disrupt fights.

Schools have become completely unsafe. It's even unsafe to report anything unless there is overwhelming physical evidence.

How is this not the overriding issue? Kids can't attend or learn if it's a totally unsafe environment.

Anonymous wrote:Happened today.

Some of these kids and the parents who fail to raise them are so fking trashy.

You do know that fights happen in high school, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS Admin here - I wish parents understood how much our hands are tied when it comes to suspending students. The kids know we can't really do much. Our directors have to approve every suspension that we make and high suspension numbers reflect poorly on our school system for MSDE.

This might sound terrible, but school should be treated like more of a privilege than a right (FAPE). As an administrator, we're supposed to be instructional leaders. I cannot get into classrooms consistently to provide feedback on instruction because of how extreme student behaviors have become over the past decade.

As another poster mentioned, so many of society's issues are spilling into our school buildings and educators are expected to wear every hat under the sun. Truthfully, we shouldn't have to juggle all of these challenges. We all went to school to teach and that is becoming more and more challenging to do.

This is true. I’m a teacher and my administration can never help me with anything because they are either running around putting out fires, dealing with seniors who are failing, trying to get a handle on truancy when we have no leverage on the issue, or dealing with some repeat crazy parents. And while the vast majority of parents are either completely reasonable or unfortunately completely disengaged, every school has some crazy parents who suck up everybody’s time

Our principal and ap refuses to return calls and emails even if it’s a bad situation or crisis. Some of them need to find new professions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did Clarksburg get a community letter? Can anyone from there post it?

Move to Clarksburg if you want access to their community letters

They can’t afford too yet want to gossip about things they don’t know.