This is such a challenge. I was exasperated when I read of the change last evening-- it is so bad for my kids. They are clearly learning less and working MUCH less than their older sibs did in the same grade. And now MCPS wants to water down more. I also have a kid I have to really ride to submit assignments consistently/on time and what she needs is accountability, not a waiver, or she will never master this important skill.

That said, I know there are kids in different circumstances who are struggling with depression or family situations or technology problems.

The only thing I can think of is to have high expectations (preferably, higher than they were first quarter!) but to give waivers upon parent request. It would be something like how kids with an IEP are given different expectations (more time, etc.) but could be more or less automatic upon a parent request to the teacher. Similarly, if they have to slow down the material coverage, I'd like them to add depth so that kids really master the narrower material.

Of course, the problem with the above is that I'd wouldn't fill out a waiver request for my kid, who could then end up with a B compared to a classmate's A from late assignments or whatnot, which will have implications down the road for college admissions... so there's no easy solution!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not ok:
https://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/quicknotes/curriculum-and-instruction-adjustments-for-the-second-marking-period-and-beyond-2/

I agree! The answer to children failing can't be to teach them less.

From the article it seems like MCPS plans to water down course content, develop less rigorous testing, and make due dates flexible. It is only natural to live down to or up to expectations. I don't think the BOE can lower its expectations any further. Give the teachers, students and administrators the tools they need to succeed, rather than changing the metrics so failure=success.

Is there a way to stop mcps from doing this? Appeals?

Yes, you can run for the Board of Education in 2022. Or you can apply for the job of superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, the next time there's an opening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who's blaming the teachers?

DCUM.

Every. Single. Day.

Well, sure, but DCUM blames everybody for everything always.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not ok:
https://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/quicknotes/curriculum-and-instruction-adjustments-for-the-second-marking-period-and-beyond-2/

I agree! The answer to children failing can't be to teach them less.

From the article it seems like MCPS plans to water down course content, develop less rigorous testing, and make due dates flexible. It is only natural to live down to or up to expectations. I don't think the BOE can lower its expectations any further. Give the teachers, students and administrators the tools they need to succeed, rather than changing the metrics so failure=success.

Is there a way to stop mcps from doing this? Appeals?

Anonymous wrote:Who's blaming the teachers?

DCUM.

Every. Single. Day.

Anonymous wrote:It's called hindsight. The kid(s) are here now. They are your children. YOU take care of them and that includes educational supervision to make are they are successful. MCPS provides education, whether DL or on-person, and you provide supervision/support. And, let's not act like there was no problem pre-pandemic. It is now just exacerbated.

Calling hindsight "20/20" is going to take on a whole new meaning after this year!

Anonymous wrote:Artificially raising grades is CHEATING, period.

So every teacher who grades on a curve is cheating?

Anonymous wrote:This has been going on for decades. As my mom tells it, BCC was a top public which school in the country when she was there 60 years ago.

TIME magazine had it as the top school in roughly 1970. Anyway, I. graduated from there in the late 70s and the education my kids get today is far better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS sucks!
Yes, some students are failing. Find a way to hide the problem by raising their grades. PLEASE DO NOT LOWER STANDARDS for kids who can keep up. Why does MCPS have to screw up every kid???

This.

+1, if kids fail its on them and their families. Its sad, but they need a wake up call.

But let's blame the teachers! It's their fault students aren't doing their work.

Who's blaming the teachers?

In a way, MCPS is blaming teachers for ‘grading too hard’. I can see how teachers would feel that way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My opinion may not be welcome but I’m a person with no skin in the game (no kids, not a teacher) who finds the topic/problem of DL really interesting.

I think flexible deadlines are great for some kids so they don’t get discouraged and not do the work at all (this was me). Some kids need deadlines or their work quality suffers because they rush.

What about flexible deadlines with an incentive to complete the assignment by a firm deadline? Like, if you turn in all assignments of a unit by the firm deadline, you don’t have to take the unit test. Or if you turn it in by the firm deadline you have the opportunity to correct it for more points but if you miss the firm deadline you get what you get (not sure if this would work, are assignments even graded?). Or if you turn in three assignments by the firm deadline in a row you get to skip one assignment with no penalty or drop a low grade. Or if an assignment has three parts (for example, three essay questions, three problem sets, three page research paper) if you turn it in by the firm deadline you only have to do two parts, but all three if you miss the firm deadline.

Just spitballing for fun here.

MCPS says that this is using grades to punish kids who do not get work done by the due date / deadline.

I do think we need to start looking at each student individually. What does this student need? Maybe transferring from AP to honors or onlevel would help. Maybe they could take only 5 classes instead of 7. There are things MCPS can do. But then it would lower the number of students taking AP exams and that will hurt MCPS standings.

I completely agree with you. There has been no creativity in thinking about how can we address student's individual needs. I also believe that offering some outside club/extra-curriculars in person would help motivate some high school students to keep up grades and turn in work. Kids who are not participating at all (or very little) need to sit down with a counselor to figure out the "exit" plan. What is the bare minimum they need to do to graduate. Juniors and Senior may only need a few courses. These kids can have a reduced course load and more time to work, etc.

I am an MCPS high school teacher, and what frustrates me the most is that they are asking teachers to lower the expectations that we have already established. As a previous poster said, students will generally raise or lower their performance to meet expectations. My students, at this point in the year, understood my due dates and deadlines clearly and understood that though I am willing to support them in any way I can, I will not change those expectations. So, they were meeting deadlines. Now they are getting the message that they can hand in assignments up to the end of the quarter and my standards no longer mean anything. I am already seeing a drop in assignments being turned in this week, just since these changes were announced.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS sucks!
Yes, some students are failing. Find a way to hide the problem by raising their grades. PLEASE DO NOT LOWER STANDARDS for kids who can keep up. Why does MCPS have to screw up every kid???

This.

+1, if kids fail its on them and their families. Its sad, but they need a wake up call.

But let's blame the teachers! It's their fault students aren't doing their work.

Who's blaming the teachers?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS sucks!
Yes, some students are failing. Find a way to hide the problem by raising their grades. PLEASE DO NOT LOWER STANDARDS for kids who can keep up. Why does MCPS have to screw up every kid???

This.

+1, if kids fail its on them and their families. Its sad, but they need a wake up call.

But let's blame the teachers! It's their fault students aren't doing their work.

Anonymous wrote:

You can't un-have the kids, so direct the energy you're wasting bitching and moaning into parenting and making it work for your kids. "But it's HARD!!" is not an excuse. Man/woman up.

You're lecturing anonymous posters on the Internet, about whose life circumstances, choices, and actions you know NOTHING. Why?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just cancel school. screw the kids who are succeeding.

My kids are doing fine. Screw the ones who aren't.

-DCUM

How are less project checks and less content going to help anyone? Coming from a poor immigrant family, I am tired of all the excuses people are coming up with as to why some kids are not performing. Kids have laptops, internet access, food, recorded sessions, can keep their cameras off, access to teachers after learning time, etc. Short of giving them new parents, what more can MCPS do? I truly feel for these kids but if MCPS can't come up with yet another solution that does not negatively impact those kids who are doing ok, then why do the kids doing well have to be slowed down.
Contact the parents to see what's up and if there truly is an issue as to why the kid can't log in or turn in assignments, then provide extra support, but I bet more often then not, it is a parent who just doesn't care enough. Ask me how I know.
Slowing the pace of the curriculum will not work.

You are horrible. Many parents are not in the home! They can't do anymore. They are taking care of dying relatives and trying to not become homeless. Some don't have heat. This is not the fault of the parents. This is the fault of MCPS for not giving their kids the option of real school.

They need to get on birth control and grow up. Stop making excuses for not parenting and meeting your kids needs.

Last I checked, there is no method of birth control/contraception that works like a time machine.

You can't un-have the kids, so direct the energy you're wasting bitching and moaning into parenting and making it work for your kids. "But it's HARD!!" is not an excuse. Man/woman up.