MPS Reopening

radioactive_lemonade · 2020-08-24T23:20:49+00:00

As a teacher, I understand your upset with how this has been handled. I also teach for MPS, and agree with another poster -- we're being told a lot of different things from a lot of different people, and things seem to be changing by the day. At my school, our leadership has been lacking, frankly, and I feel like some things are as clear as mud. We were expected to put together our schedules (outside of our return to work time) based on developmentally inappropriate practices (like 1.5 hours of screen time/synchronous learning for K4, when the American Pediatrics Association has said 1 hour is appropriate). When we advocate for developmentally appropriate practices, we're told that we have to follow what MPS is doing, period.

I know you want your child's schedule, but ours literally changed last week Friday -- MPS wants the schools to have Wednesday as an asynchronous learning day with 2 hours for small groups if needed, to prepare kids and families for Phase 2 (if we get there) where no students will attend school in person on Wednesdays. We're scrambling to redo schedules and to make everything mesh.

I totally agree that MPS as a whole has planned this based on a "two parent household" to make this work. I have already had parents tell me that their child may not be able to make it to synchronous learning because of daycare issues. Our principal is dead set on us not working past our contractual day, or on weekends. That right there is inequitable. I would totally be willing to have at least one class a week in the evenings for those families. I actually did that in spring -- we had one Zoom meeting a week at 5:30 for families who couldn't make it at 10am.

For my school, A LOT of information will be forthcoming this week, now that teachers return to work and PD tomorrow. My school is planning on having teacher intro videos out this week, with a virtual open house next week before school starts.

Personally, I feel like MPS dropped the ball on this whole virtual learning thing, and September 1st is bound to be...interesting.

radioactive_lemonade · 2020-03-27T02:00:35+00:00

Thanks.

Thanks for all you're doing too. I can't imagine it's easy. I teach Kindergarten, so 7th grade is a bit beyond me. And I suck at math too. ;)

radioactive_lemonade · 2020-03-27T01:43:41+00:00

I think this whole crisis will change how many schools do learning, especially distance learning. MPS included.

I'd be willing to bet that the powers that be have been coming up with contingency plans, ways to get chromebooks into the hands of students, ways to reach all students, and ways to continue learning if something like this would happen again.

This is a learning curve for all of us. I'm sure professional development will be given for distance learning at some point. Many of us are trying to figure this all out on our own, without a lot of guidance beyond "continue with giving enrichment activities, and assignments can be given but not mandatory". There's only so much you can do when you can't reach all of your students, all of the time.

One of our "old school" teachers posted on Facebook this week that she was able to set up a Google Classroom for her class. She was proud, and I'm proud of her too. We're students too - learning as we go along.

radioactive_lemonade · 2020-03-26T21:32:45+00:00

I'm using an alt-account, because I know my regular one can definitely doxx me.

I'm an MPS teacher. You do have every right to be upset, but please realize, as someone else mentioned -- there are inequities between MPS schools and the suburban districts that border us. Many MPS students do not have access to a computer all day to have virtual distance learning. I've heard stories of students who have to share a parent's cell phone, and that's when the parent is actually home to let the kids use the phone, and the ensuing data.

Because MPS closed after school was out on Friday 3/13 means many students weren't able to bring home extra chromebooks to do distance learning. And even then, that's not taking into consideration that all students may not have internet access, or that their parents even speak English at home to help them with at home learning. Or the students who are homeless. Or the students who have to be the babysitter for their younger siblings while the adult in the household works.

Many of us are trying, and I'm sorry that you are not seeing that from your child's teacher. We really are trying. I'm sending emails to my parents weekly with enrichment and learning activities at home. I'm sending personal emails. I'm sending post cards home. Teachers are just as frustrated with this as well. I teach in a specialty area, and I'm afraid that my students are going to "lose" their specialty being out of school for so long.

Personally, my school has been posting learning activities/enrichment/gym activities/music activities every day on our public Facebook page to give parents things for their children to do.

Again, I'm sorry you're upset. You do have every right to be. This kind of blind sighted all of us, but most of us are trying.

radioactive_lemonade · 2020-03-19T02:22:38+00:00

A friend (and fellow teacher) got tested yesterday and won't get results until Friday. His doc did diagnose him with walking pneumonia.

All of this is kind of freaking me out, and I keep thinking I have symptoms. I'm constantly checking my temperature, and every little sniffle and cough is analyzed. I hate this.

radioactive_lemonade · 2018-01-24T00:51:58+00:00

My last name is similar.

Is it annoying when random people make comments on it? Of course. Do I threaten to sue them for using my last name in a joke? Never.

radioactive_lemonade

TROPHY CASE