Posts by hiddenseal14

What an activist would likely manage to block through sheer public outcry, the Deputy Mayor won't even attempt to tackle. It’s truly a shame; he was elected specifically to handle these kinds of battles—to push through obstacles regardless of the friction—rather than just sitting there reciting legal statutes.

I won't even get started on Puljko. That guy exists solely through PR stunts and expensive ad campaigns. His actual track record? Zero.

It’s already common knowledge which schools have been selected, and those principals have already been down to D.C. for the meeting.

A strategy aimed at dealing with those rebellious parents... 🤣

Carl Bishop2 said:From what I can gather, the schedule for next year looks like it'll cover the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th grades—and after that, it seems like everyone will be included except for the 4th and 8th graders.

I am genuinely curious if they actually called them over at the district headquarters—you know, if they were even selected. Because the official documentation explicitly states that every single grade from 1st through 8th is supposed to be included.
And honestly, this completely wrecks the entire planned implementation schedule by grade level! Not to mention that their results won't even be comparable to the other schools participating in the pilot program. I truly doubt this is going to fly.

Larry Walker24 said:So I finally realized they're rolling out the new curriculum for just the 1st and 5th grades in the 2023/24 school year, not every single grade level like I thought

And I wouldn't be surprised if you're one of those people making the most noise online, yet you clearly don't have a single clue how these educational reforms actually work.

Sarah Hall53 said:Just a quick thought—they end up counting every single individual building within one school district as its own separate entity. You take one actual school and suddenly they've spun it into three, five, maybe even eight different entries... and just like that, you’re looking at 180 "schools" on paper 🤣

I quickly rattled off sixty-five parent companies—though, honestly, I might have overlooked one or two in my haste.

rowdypanther12 said:I'm just not following. If you take 20 minutes plus 30 minutes, that's already 50 minutes total.
That leaves you with 30 minutes for A2 🤷

It is exactly the same thing! Whether you had a fifteen or twenty-minute long break previously, or if you had a fifteen or twenty-minute recess like they used to have back in middle school—it doesn't matter. You don't get both; you only get one or the other. Do you follow me?
The only actual change is lunch, which could end up lasting anywhere from twenty-five to forty-five minutes.

rowdypanther12 said:Hey, how is everyone planning to be finished by 3:15 if we have to factor in lunch, longer breaks, and A2?

I'm having a hard time making the math work here.
How can we fit lunch, extended breaks, and A2 all into just an hour and fifteen minutes?

It all comes down to how we organize the day. Breaks will likely stay around five minutes, just like they have been. Instead of one massive midday break, we'll implement a quick 15 or 20-minute recess. Lunch will be trimmed to 30 minutes instead of 40. Every school district sets its own rules based on what works for them. We’re going to trial this setup initially and then adjust things if the numbers don't add up.

rowdypanther12 said:miseducata, since you're one of the few people actually supporting this and have clearly read the document, what's your take on how the seven-period and eight-period schedules will look for full-day schooling?

Actually, I am not a supporter of this full-day school model at all, but it is patently obvious that this shift is coming and that we are facing a total overhaul of the elementary school concept.

I can only speak for my own school, given that NYU allows for a certain amount of autonomy regarding how they organize classes and breaks. Up until now, our seventh and eighth graders have followed a schedule of three 7-hour days and two 6-hour days. Electives were built right into the schedule, and everyone attended. At NYU, however, they’ll be looking at four 7-hour days and one 6-hour day. On top of that, there's lunch and an extra A2 period. Previously, kids were finished by 2:00 PM; now, they won't be out until 3:15 or even 3:30 once you factor in lunch. And make no mistake, this part is mandatory.

Sarah Hall53 said:For grades 5 through 8, the foreign language electives will stay just that—electives. It’s only being made mandatory for the 4th graders. If it isn't a requirement, it means it'll fall under those B1 time slots.

B1 refers to EXTRA-CURRICULAR activities.

Honestly, it’s clear nobody here has bothered to actually read the documentation. It's completely pointless. Everyone acts like an expert when they haven't done the homework.

So, I'll just copy and paste this directly from the document for you:

Achieving the established educational goals and outcomes of the national
Common Core State Standards within the experimental program is achieved directly through the Program of
Common Core State Standards regular instruction (both mandatory and elective components) (A1) and the Program for
supportive, assisted, and enriched learning (A2). These are indirectly achieved and supplemented
through the educational activities of the Extra-curricular Program (B1) and the Program for
after-school activities (B2).

jadetinker85 said:Alright, I just looked at a sample schedule. The second language is listed under A2.
https://postimg.cc/2bp89gdY

But if you actually bother to look, it’s clearly marked as A1 right there. Not to mention that A1 and A2 designations can be swapped around in different scheduling formats.

Honestly, I was under the impression that I was engaging in a discussion with people who had actually taken the time to study the official documents—or at least possessed the basic intelligence to distinguish between elective courses, extracurricular activities, and after-school programs.

When we talk about "A2 electives," it doesn't mean those are the core subjects; it refers to that specific portion of the A2 block that isn't mandatory for every single student, but is instead structured based on individual needs and interests.

And let me say this one more time: A1 encompasses both the elective and the standard curriculum. A2 is the supplemental block, which consists of both required and elective components. I truly assumed that at least these fundamental concepts were common knowledge.

jadetinker85 said:The elective language is only mandatory for fifth graders, and it's only included in the core curriculum at Verizon for them. I don't see how adding an hour of history or math would suddenly make a second elective language part of the core curriculum for other grades.

Everything about that is completely wrong.
It’s a requirement in the 4th grade. It's listed in the freshman curriculum simply because every single subject—whether mandatory or elective—is part of the freshman year, meaning it's all graded content.

And for heaven's sake, the B2 level consists of extracurricular materials.

How about we actually bother to read the official documentation before deciding whether we're for or against this?

jadetinker85 said:It’s basically just an elective designed to replace Religious Studies, plus an extra hour of English and Math. They'll offer a second language during the B2 term, but most kids will probably drop out just to get out of school earlier.

Let’s get one thing straight: these extra hours aren't a brand-new subject.

The elective foreign language falls under the A1 tier and will be graded exactly as it has been in the past. The B2 level consists of extracurricular activities, where language learning can be handled by partnering with a private language institute based on student interest. That isn't an elective subject per se; it's merely optional content that doesn't carry any grade.

jadetinker85 said:Like there won't be any issues just because they're teenagers. No kid actually wants extra classes or mandatory tutoring sessions along with their entire grade level.

And just what kind of "extra subjects" do you imagine these teenagers are going to be burdened with?

I am absolutely incensed by the sheer lack of intellectual rigor being displayed in this discussion! It is truly exhausting to witness such a blatant disregard for nuance. I have been following this thread for some time now, and frankly, the level of discourse is plummeting toward nothingness. How can anyone sit there and defend such a half-baked argument without feeling a sense of profound embarrassment? It’s nothing short of a circus, and quite frankly, I am tired of being the only one attempting to apply even a modicum of logic to this chaotic mess! As hiddenseal14 previously asserted:
Is it really such a shock to anyone that parents living out in the rural sticks feel this desperate need for all-day schooling? I’ve been looking through the list of these locations in the Midwest, and it’s almost entirely small, one-room country schools—not even decent institutions in actual towns or county seats.

If you want my two cents, I’ll give them to you: those school principals absolutely had to "fall in line."

I find this absolutely unsurprising. Urban school districts simply lack the basic infrastructure required for these types of applications. Even in those rare instances where they operate on a single shift—which is hardly ever the case—they lack the necessary supplemental space to accommodate any additional needs.

In these rural school districts, most of the kids come from about five or six surrounding small towns where that local school serves as the absolute heart of the community's social life. In some of those tiny outlying areas, these kids don't even have anyone their own age to play with back home. At least at school, they're surrounded by their peers. So, of course parents are going to support this!

You all are looking at this entirely through a narrow, metropolitan lens.

Sarah Hall53 said:Man, if I were actually that lady, everyone would be scrambling to file complaints with the inspectors, the Department of Education, the local county offices, and even the NCES—you just know there’d be a massive, endless chain reaction of people trying to overturn every single decision made.

I truly hope this all turns out to be nothing more than some tall tale.

Larry Walker24 said:I saw this happen once with an elective class. Kids basically stopped showing up starting in November. The teachers were stressing out, logging all these absences, and the parents just stood their ground. They went straight to the principal and were like, "Fine, mark them absent. Let's see who blinks first." Once the principal realized the parents weren't backing down or pulling kids out, she just scrapped the whole elective language program and wiped the attendance record clean. You can pretty much manipulate any system if you try hard enough.

The Department of Social Services—those people are already drowning in paperwork as it is, and now they’re gonna waste even more time dealing with some random school issue? Unbelievable.

This is absolutely appalling. A principal should never have allowed such a thing to happen. She ought to have let that teacher leave them with failing grades and then stood her ground to see how the district would react to the fallout. This is precisely why we find ourselves in this mess, constantly bending over backward for every entitled parent who demands something.

And no, you cannot just fix everything with a stroke of a pen. Especially not by canceling an elective that becomes a mandatory requirement once a student selects it.

jadetinker85 said:What school are we talking about here? Some place out on a remote island, I assume? It’s probably one of those spots where there isn't a single organized extracurricular to be found—no sports teams, no music lessons, no dance classes. Nothing.

It's an island campus. They deal with unique working conditions.

The problem is that you people are looking at this entirely through a metropolitan lens! For kids living in rural areas, a school isn't just a building—it's their sole gateway to education, their primary hub for culture, and their only real chance at social interaction. For them, this is absolutely vital. One of the fundamental goals of the Department of Education is to bridge the massive gap between urban academic standards and those found in our rural heartlands, and programs like this are essential to achieving that.

We’re already getting hints from parents living outside our district, basically promising they'll enroll their kids here if we just select them. So now...

As for the question—what happens if the principal pushes back, but the school board (which includes representatives from the local government and parents) votes in favor? Well, the school board holds the authority over the administration, so that settles the matter once and for all.

Susan James said:

I was just thinking about how much things have changed lately. It feels like every time I turn on the news, there’s a new debate about what should be happening in our classrooms. I remember back when I was in middle school, things felt so much more straightforward, but now everything seems to be under a microscope. It makes me wonder if we're moving toward a system that's too rigid, or perhaps one that's becoming a bit too unpredictable. I try to stay optimistic about where education is headed in America, but it's definitely a complicated time for parents and teachers alike. Does anyone else feel like we're constantly chasing a moving target when it comes to school standards? kaže:
I wouldn't call this a flop at all. We had 40 schools requesting permission from the school board, and 17 have already signed up. Honestly, I think that’s a pretty solid turnout, especially considering everyone was waiting until the very last minute for the public consultation period to wrap up. Plus, they just extended the deadline, so there's still plenty of time.

We’ve already got our parental consent forms, UV, and RV ready to go. We haven't actually signed up yet, though—we'll probably end up doing it on the very last day. The only thing is, the principal isn't exactly thrilled about the whole idea; he'd much rather just let things stay as they are. But honestly, what can you do? It's his call, not ours. 😁

This is actually really interesting...🤔 😕

@miseducata, what difference does a parental consent form make here? It isn't even a requirement for this competition.
You definitely need the principal's support on this one. 🤣
I think what Sarah Hall53 mentioned above is probably the most likely scenario. It’s possible for the school to report this without getting actual consent from the school board—all it would take is for a few founders or parents to raise their hands during a meeting to push it through.

Here are the contest rules and requirements.

School founders' consent regarding participation in the Experimental Program
School Board Consent for Participation in the Experimental Program
The principal's statement regarding school operations, in accordance with section 4.1.
I’m working on drafting a motivation letter to apply for the Experimental Program, and I wanted to share my thoughts on how to structure it. It needs to be about 1.5 to 4 pages long, where the school officially expresses its interest in joining the program and shows it's truly ready to embrace change. The letter should really dive into what makes our school special—our unique strengths and all the great educational programs and activities we’ve successfully run in the past. It also needs to be honest about the current organizational hurdles we’re facing and, most importantly, outline our long-term strategy for growth. I think if we can balance being proud of our history while showing we aren't afraid to shake things up, we'll have a much stronger case!

I know perfectly well what is required, what is fair to demand, and who actually holds the reins in a school district.

If the school board is on board and the district founder is on board, then the matter is settled. Period.

mellowskipper said:Well, honestly, democracy isn't really a thing here either—it's pretty obvious whose word carries the weight, and going against them... well, it's probably not good for one's career.

If the principal doesn't agree, I don't see how you're planning to pull this off. The principal represents the school, and without their signature, nothing moves forward.

He isn't being forced, he's just playing it safe because he refuses to go up against the School Board, the district administration, or the PTA...