tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post3391166372277370140..comments2023-04-24T23:09:57.655-04:00Comments on All Things Education: On Governor McDonnell's Education Reform SummitUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-77369925491565074132013-08-24T12:40:18.721-04:002013-08-24T12:40:18.721-04:00Have you heard that two years ago the Virginia sta...Have you heard that two years ago the Virginia state government issued an order that no grade could be lower than 50%? Even if a student just signs his name, or gets one question right out of ten, his grade is never lower than 50%. I wonder whether anything has been done about this state-ordered grade inflation. (I think it's an outrage.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-76358373030871169472013-08-06T12:56:38.783-04:002013-08-06T12:56:38.783-04:00Wow. That's very disappointing. I'd be rea...Wow. That's very disappointing. I'd be really curious to hear more of your story, not because I can do much about it, mind you. How long ago was it? <br /><br />I wonder if we've met in person. Is there a way you can get me your e-mail address?Rachel Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06844728669493681943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-74132815507087156762013-08-06T12:54:09.860-04:002013-08-06T12:54:09.860-04:00Good question, Mary. I heard the same thing and pr...Good question, Mary. I heard the same thing and praised it, but good to find out if there was any follow through.Rachel Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06844728669493681943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-2632067735478515922013-08-05T20:19:14.711-04:002013-08-05T20:19:14.711-04:00Last May the governor announced he'd be assemb...Last May the governor announced he'd be assembling a "Governor's Teachers Cabinet" to work on education issues. I applied, but never heard a thing. When I Google it, I can't find any indication that the group was ever brought together. I have emailed the governor's office to find out the status, and have not received a reply. Does anyone know what happened to that initiative?Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12042834126533435122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-56971187557454907902013-08-05T19:30:47.260-04:002013-08-05T19:30:47.260-04:00Trust me when I tell you we had multiple meetings ...Trust me when I tell you we had multiple meetings with everyone from classroom teachers on up to county administrators. It was all a serious waste of time. And I am not alone. There are many parents, at least at our particular elementary school, who are very, very dissatisfied. I knew I was in trouble when my son's kindergarten teacher didn't know the words to "The Wheels on the Bus," when emails from the GT teacher were full of grammatical errors, and when the principal refused to discuss research on homework with me. <br /><br />Worst of all was the fact that our school was obsessed with compliance and "behavior" (despite no history of out-of-the-ordinary behavior problems in the student body) rather than education. I have stories that would curl your hair. <br /><br />If you haven't seen it, there's a great school reform blog here: http://ablogaboutschool.blogspot.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-26293821409483709062013-08-05T13:07:07.541-04:002013-08-05T13:07:07.541-04:00@Anonymous Thanks for the comment. Interesting. We...@Anonymous Thanks for the comment. Interesting. We've certainly had some issues with HCPS, but not to the extent that you describe. It sounds like our experience has been much more positive than yours was. For example, our kids always had an adequate half an hour for lunch and a full thirty minutes of recess every day (although recess sometimes become indoor during SOL testing, which I am not in favor of), which I concur is not enough. <br /><br />I encourage you to contact HCPS leadership and the School Board to give your feedback.Rachel Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06844728669493681943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-46301657877287653092013-08-05T12:22:59.011-04:002013-08-05T12:22:59.011-04:00We moved to Hanover County for the "great&quo...We moved to Hanover County for the "great" schools, but we were profoundly disappointed with the quality of teaching, the curriculum, the administrators, the social climate, etc. We finally pulled our kids out and started homeschooling, which solved every single problem we had. Now my kids get recess every day--even several times each day. At our elementary school, they were lucky to get ten minutes recess a couple times a week. Now my kids can eat their entire lunch--rather than being forced to throw it away because they didn't finish it fast enough. Now my kids don't have Christianity forced on them in the classroom. Now my kids don't have to "learn" the same basic skills over and over and over again even after they've mastered them. And rather than being punished when they don't understand something, they get help. <br /><br />After years of supporting public education and standing up for it, I had to admit it was a complete disaster for my family. Hanover County Public Schools turned my kids into nervous wrecks. Now that we've left HCPS, my kids are learning twice as much in half the time, and they're happier than they've ever been. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-1164791771929776072013-08-05T12:19:25.415-04:002013-08-05T12:19:25.415-04:00And to think that the ethically-challenged McDonne...And to think that the ethically-challenged McDonnell occupies the governor's position once held by Thomas Jefferson. -- Edd Doerr (arlinc.org)Edd.Doerrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02823666641589127370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-19422631376666830492013-08-05T11:00:06.805-04:002013-08-05T11:00:06.805-04:00Follow along on twitter. Use the hastah #VAk12refo...Follow along on twitter. Use the hastah #VAk12reform to ask questions and pushback against inaccurate claims. It's also being live-streamed: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Rachel Levyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06844728669493681943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2836584065506164163.post-73519856232507817332013-08-05T10:03:04.833-04:002013-08-05T10:03:04.833-04:00I'm not in your state. Is there anything I ca...I'm not in your state. Is there anything I can do anyway?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07593626020051448997noreply@blogger.com