Parents...how is school going

[bison13]

I was always told South River was the best

Probably right at this point. Most of them on a steady decline. No discipline, minimum 50% rule, unlimited redo and then even after that kids who still only have 57% are given a passing grade by admin.

Northern half might as well be part of Baltimore city schools other than the couple stem programs.

 

[step.eng69]

When you had to call in to schedule classes, they used r for Thursday

Thanks

 

[interrobang]

Probably right at this point. Most of them on a steady decline. No discipline, minimum 50% rule, unlimited redo and then even after that kids who still only have 57% are given a passing grade by admin.

Northern half might as well be part of Baltimore city schools other than the couple stem programs.

When I lived there we were in the Meade cluster. I had heard it had actually improved in recent years, but, we had to get out of there for as fast as the area was growing. No way Meade was going to improve that much

 

[bison13]

This is exactly how it's going with my son in Montgomery County, MD. If it doesn't change soon we'll be looking to go private next year.

That sucks. Even worse is that Montgomery has a better schedule than pg, as, Howard, etc.

When I lived there we were in the Meade cluster. I had heard it had actually improved in recent years, but, we had to get out of there for as fast as the area was growing. No way Meade was going to improve that much

It's not better. People assume it's better because of all the money coming into the area from the casinos. But school system policies and the fact that big communities like Quail Run Pioneer City and Meade Village have big gang problems just keep it and the bottom of the County Schools.

 

[Paguy35]

Here in Centre County all school districts are up and running. We actually made it a lot further into the year then what most thought. With practically every new case we are getting here coming from Penn State (students) I believe so far only 1 employee, our district is doing active cases in our zip codes. What has really helped us is the fact that the kids wanted to be back in school and we are practically having zero issues with masks , the kids wear them , they have done everything asked of them.

Thats my view from the school side. As a parent my kids love being in school and even though they don't care for the mask wearing they do it because it keeps them there. The district has been very transparent on what's happening and even though each week, the Dept of Education and Dept of Health suggest the whole county goes remote , the districts have continued in person and for the majority here, that's what is wanted.

 

[Lyons212]

The Tuesday before labor day (school started after Labor Day) the teachers union sent out an open letter saying they wanted all virtual for safety. This was the day before the Wednesday night school board meeting where the final decision on hybrid vs. virtual was going to be decided. The letter backfired as it just looked like the teachers were really out of touch with what all the parents are going through that have private sector jobs and just looked like a complaint. The letter gave zero options of how to make it better or how to help the kids, etc..just complained about why they should not be made to go back. I read it and it was really unprofessional.

Anyway, the vote went unanimous hybrid model and the next day about 15 teachers put in for FMLA. Also a lot of call outs by teachers in the first month to the point where their literally is no substitutes left and when a teacher calls out, they have to double up.

Another very interesting thing happened at the elementary school level. They are also hybrid but the teachers are either virtual only or in school only. And all the virtual only teachers are the teachers that everybody knows are the best teachers. So basically what happened is the district put all the best teachers virtual as a way to make sure that if parents were listening and watching the virtual class, they saw teachers actually doing something. Thought that was pretty interesting.

And yes, so far with all the positives, nobody has even been to the hospital yet. Basically every student that has contracted it has been asymptomatic or a light flu like sympton.

I live in Harford County. Interesting of all of the concern about finding child care options for the teachers once they start having to do in person classes in November yet no concern for the families who have the same issue. For most of the teachers I do not have an ounce of sympathy for. The reason is that these same teachers complaining about their safety are also out and about in the community. Their kids are getting together with friends. These same teachers are socializing with friends, going on vacation etc.

My wife is a retail pharmacist, she has to give vaccinations, she has people touching her as a result, yet she is not complaining about safety concerns.

My daughter is a school based occupational therapist. She is currently seeing kids exclusively via tele-therapy. For the most part it does not work. The majority of the students do not logon to the therapy and the ones that do, usually struggle. Of course, the teachers are seeing the same issue, many students not logging onto the class. The person who posted above that the parents are key is correct. The parents who give a damn will make sure that their students succeed, the other parents, not so much.

My daughter who is a senior goes have days and then spends the afternoon tutoring a middle school student.

The sooner the students get back into the school the better off they will be. Less time using electronics, more time to see friends and better instruction for most of the kids just for the reason that they will be forced to attend.

We have all heard the excuse if it just saves one child to enact some knew policy, law or get more money. In that spirit, the teachers need to get back in the classroom for that reason.

 

[OaktonDave]

My son is 100% virtual Tuesday through Friday, and it's going okay. We set up an office for him to minimize distractions and that is going well. There are, however, significant downsides. There is a lot of work, but it is less difficult than is has been in the past. It certainly appears that the current quality of education is not up to the normal standards of most Fairfax high schools; quantity is not a substitute for quality. The structure also requires many student questions on projects and homework to be submitted by email. As a result, many teachers are struggling to keep up with the volume of emails to such an extent that the school sent out a notice encouraging students to first ask classmates before sending an email to their teachers. I'm not at all optimistic, but I am hoping they can return to in-person learning the second half of the year.

 

[interrobang]

 

[mahatango1]

We’ve been full-time, with have half days Friday’s and the at home option. My daughter isn’t getting the education she should be, but the teachers are trying. My wife is a teacher as well and says the pace is about half of what it was.
The Inconsistency in rules is astounding. My 13yr old daughter has been playing AAU Bball since July. We are in central pa. We’ve played in philly area twice. Scranton and Pittsburgh. The rules are 2 people allowed in building per player. It’s no less crowded than last year it seems. As far as I know, there’s been no outbreak from these. The last tourney had over 100 teams.

 

[Cletus11]

One thing that I think virtual exacerbates greatly is bad teachers are really, really bad. Almost worthless some of them. At least in person, the bad teachers have some level of teaching, but it appears virtually the bad one's are to the point where nothing gets done and they basically just hand out homework assignments and ask the kids to do them. That is one of the biggest issues that i see. the good teachers are trying. the bad teachers don't.

 

[lions1995]

My wife and I moved into Howard County specifically for the school system. So I'm going to have to disagree with you as I know firsthand and that each High School in Howard County is better than any High School in the surrounding counties of Anne Arundel and Baltimore. Especially if you stay out in the western half all of those schools are fantastic. I'm going to guess the that part of your issue at the elementary level his many of the Columbia in Ellicott City area schools have not been hiring the best candidate for the job recently. I know a few principals of elementary schools who said that human resources and people at the board pick out their new teachers instead of them.

I hope it works out for you. We have been looking to leave Howard for several years now, but have not found any houses we like in Sykesville or Eldersburg. It is interesting that you mention the schools in Western HoCo and how fantastic they are. Look at the demographics of the school and you will see why. Eastern HoCo is becoming a cesspool of over building and "affordable" housing, aka Section 8. Eventually it will reach Western HoCo once they run out of land to build on in Eastern HoCo. I haven't felt the teachers in elementary school were an issue as much as the curriculum being taught and how little work they do compared to when my daughter was that age.

 

[PS4814]

Agree 100%. I'm tired of hearing the same old line treacher like to use when they are pushing of pay increases above what the rest of America is getting. The old "who do you want teaching your childern" nonsense. We need to get new younger blood into the school system. Teacher who can grasp technology and not have to be retrained every time a new version of software or operating system ends up on their computer. Teachers who have been taught the latest in education techniques, and teachers who are cheaper than the dinosaurs who keep holding on. Who do you a child is going to relate too better. Some crusty old hag or some 20 something??? Based on my three boys when they were in elementary and HS, they all loved the younger teachers.

If you want young teachers then society needs to stop badmouthing and ripping the profession at every turn. The anti-teacher, anti-union, anti-public school propaganda that gets tossed about both in the media and in general culture doesn’t really motivate young people to go into the profession. You think a teen/young adult wants to spend the time and money to get a degree and then a job in a profession that they’ve seen denigrated their entire lives?
Even before the pandemic teaching programs at colleges were hurting with enrollment - one of the Pa State colleges had a student teaching class in the single digits a few years ago. Schools in some parts of the country are resorting to bringing in teachers from overseas (Eastern Europe / S E Asia) as they can’t get any local applicants that want to live and work in bumblef**k usa for the pay and conditions that these areas are offering.
Not saying that there aren’t a ton of people that shouldn’t be in the profession as they likely burnt out long ago, but just that if you want to get fresh blood and ideas then things gotta change.

 

[interrobang]

That sounds good, but society has to go back to when teachers were allowed to be teachers and discipliners, not daycare staffers just trying to bide time until they can push the kid to the next grade.

 

[bison13]

I hope it works out for you. We have been looking to leave Howard for several years now, but have not found any houses we like in Sykesville or Eldersburg. It is interesting that you mention the schools in Western HoCo and how fantastic they are. Look at the demographics of the school and you will see why. Eastern HoCo is becoming a cesspool of over building and "affordable" housing, aka Section 8. Eventually it will reach Western HoCo once they run out of land to build on in Eastern HoCo. I haven't felt the teachers in elementary school were an issue as much as the curriculum being taught and how little work they do compared to when my daughter was that age.

I don't quite think you'll see as much of that in Western Howard County because if you drive around you'll see most of the farms and land out here are either federally preserved State preserved or a minimum County preserved. I think even the few that aren't that may eventually get sold aren't going to have section 8 housing because there's no public water or sewage for most of this area.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Just got word that daughter's school is transitioning to a new phase soon, which will allow for K-8 to be on campus full time (with social distancing restrictions/efforts still in place). It's the least restrictive phase next to full campus re-opening. Fingers crossed!

 

[interrobang]

Bump....

How'd your schools end up or the first half of the year?

Mine managed to stay in person 5 days a week the entire time with only a few cases that were just dealt with via class quarantine

 

[bdgan]

In Carroll County, Maryland. They started in virtual, then they were planning on opening Oct. 19th in a hybrid format. About 300 or so teachers submitted retirement, leave, or resignation papers.

https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2020/09/29/carroll-county-public-schools-teacher-shortage/

I assume they would get paid leave or at least be guaranteed their job the following semester.

 

[PAgeologist]

My kids are both full time virtual. My youngest goes to a small catholic school and has a teacher that just got her degree. I must say like mentioned somewhere above, with her teacher being young, she has a grasp on the technology required to teach online. So unlike last year, she is still learning new things. Not as good as in person but it's not terrible.

My oldest just started public high school as a freshman after attending catholic school. She has regular classes online every day. She seems to be learning new things at an ok pace. And she just missed high honor roll last quarter, so she is doing something right. Socially, she is not happy at all about missing out on meeting new people and getting a "real high school experience".

Both schools plan on trying to go back after the new year. I'm hoping they get to go back.

 

[PAgeologist]

If you want young teachers then society needs to stop badmouthing and ripping the profession at every turn. The anti-teacher, anti-union, anti-public school propaganda that gets tossed about both in the media and in general culture doesn’t really motivate young people to go into the profession. You think a teen/young adult wants to spend the time and money to get a degree and then a job in a profession that they’ve seen denigrated their entire lives?
Even before the pandemic teaching programs at colleges were hurting with enrollment - one of the Pa State colleges had a student teaching class in the single digits a few years ago. Schools in some parts of the country are resorting to bringing in teachers from overseas (Eastern Europe / S E Asia) as they can’t get any local applicants that want to live and work in bumblef**k usa for the pay and conditions that these areas are offering.
Not saying that there aren’t a ton of people that shouldn’t be in the profession as they likely burnt out long ago, but just that if you want to get fresh blood and ideas then things gotta change.

I don't have a problem with most teachers and like public schools, but the teachers union is terrible. The union is why the burnt out teachers and ones who should never be around kids are not able to be fired or forced to retire.

But I also think that it's a major issue that teachers aren't able to discipline kids to some extent. The entitlement of some parents these days is astounding. Who in their right mind would want to essentially become a glorified day care worker. There has to be a balance struck between beating the hell out of a kid for misbehaving to having to put up with it because that's your only option. And yes, I also believe that all starts at home with the parents. No respect and no discipline at home equals no respect or self discipline at school.

 

[MtNittany]

From a piece I read - I'll link it here

“Every minute I sit at my desk I am being erased. It started with one of my dimensions. Then my voice was replaced by the chat, my face with a logo, and my life with progress checks,” Eileen’s daughter writes. “Virtual school is not real school. They are not giving us an education. They are teaching us how to not get caught using google translate. They are teaching us which websites will do your algebra homework for you. And if the Board of Education doesn’t take my education seriously, then why should I?”

 

[Lyons212]

From a piece I read - I'll link it here

“Every minute I sit at my desk I am being erased. It started with one of my dimensions. Then my voice was replaced by the chat, my face with a logo, and my life with progress checks,” Eileen’s daughter writes. “Virtual school is not real school. They are not giving us an education. They are teaching us how to not get caught using google translate. They are teaching us which websites will do your algebra homework for you. And if the Board of Education doesn’t take my education seriously, then why should I?”

Virtual definitely encourages/allows widespread cheating. An example, a friend of my daughter, she is taking Calculus, not doing well, she had her brother who is applying to MIT take her Calculus exam for her. Groups of kids just pass the homework around for each class.

 

[Cletus11]

School was hybrid (50% in school, 50% virtual every other day). Was going well. Then mid November hit and things have really fallen apart. Been virtual since the week before Thanksgiving and they are stay virtual to who knows when. Some teacher must have figured out some type of medical leave and still get paid as school is now having a teacher issue with so many going on medical leave to the point of doubling up classes. Some teachers have just completely checked out, my son's science teacher literally just sends out homework packets on Monday and virtual class is literally taking attendance and then he leaves, teaches nothing. Several other classes have gone downhill lately also. If it stays like this the rest of the year, that would be bad.

 

[Big 0]

My daughter teaches at a school in an “underprivileged” neighborhood in Orlando. She is now full time in the classroom and would not have it any other way. Starting out 100% virtual, then hybrid and now in person. The union wanted to keep it at least hybrid, which made double the work fo her. She pretty much said F the union, which has not been a help to her much at all during her career so far. She is looking to get out of the union environment if she can, but private school jobs are very hard to come by.

At least she knows how to handle the difficult children due to her training in some inner city districts, whereas one of the recent hires like her at her current school quit after too months because they just couldn’t handle the kids. But the union does nothing to help the teachers at the more difficult to teach at schools, even though the teachers have asked the union to try to get the district to get them some additional help such as teachers aides. The union is mainly interested in keeping the teachers out of the physical classroom and has been spending all their time and effort fighting the district on this. The teaching staff members just bail when the first opportunity to move on to a better school arises As a way of getting around the problem.

 

[lions1995]

My 10th grade daughter goes to public high school in Howard County MD and they were suppose to be virtual through the end of January (1st and 2nd Qtr), but are now virtual through the end of 3rd quarter, which most likely will become the rest of the year. Winter sports were suppose to start Dec. 7th and was pushed back to Jan. 4th and now Jan. 11th (we are hoping this happens). My 6th grade son goes to Catholic school (this is his first year). He loves it. He has been in person 5 days per week since Sep. 1st. They did have everyone virtual the first 3 days after Thanksgiving and are doing the same after Christmas Break (another great thing about Catholic school is being able to call it that). They had one kid who tested positive, but they were already home quarantining and did not expose anyone else at the school. My son also has been playing travel soccer since July and just started flag football.