Johnston County Schools out after MLK

for those of you who seem to be the 'last to know'...Flyer sent home from Dixon Road on Friday with the kiddies letting me know Teacher's Work DAYS are January 22nd and 23rd, the Tuesday and Wednesday following the Monday they are out for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. :mrgreen:



http://www.johnston.k12.nc.us/educa...734396/StdtCalendar_07-08_revised_12-7-07.pdf

 

Yep - If anybody needs a sitter, PM me. I have an 17 yr old daughter that wants to earn some money for a trip this summer! She's also out the week before because she does not have to take any EOC's. 8)

 

And we wonder why some of the students don't know how to read well or use cursive (I am speaking of my darling teen). She will be getting out early and will be off most days and she still prints....drives me insane. She does not know when to use a comma but she is out of school for MLK Day (I don't give a darn if it is a Federal/State holiday). Why? Why? Can't my daughter write in cursive or know how to use commas? I try at home and then when I look at her work from the high school it is all printed....uuuuuuuugggggghhhhhhhhhh! She keeps asking me why she needs to learn cursive and I tell her that if she ever want to write a check out of my checking account it had better be in cursive!!!

Grace

 

'cause they don't teach it, that's why!

I can't speak for the commas, but I do know that cursive is not really in the curriculum anymore---they "introduce" it, but then it is up to the next year's teacher if they choose to make the kids use it, and needless to say, most do not. It has been a thorn in my side for a long time, but honestly, hate to say it, but you're lucky the girl can even print! Most teachers don't have a designated "penmanship" time anymore in their instructional day. I think the kids are supposed to learn correct letter formation via osmosis. Sadly, what they usually do is just "draw" the letters to make them look like the worksheets....Now I am mostly speaking of Wake County Schools, I am not so sure about Johnston, but my DD is in Kindergarten, and if I didn't take the time to review printing with her, she'd be lost.....and that's with a GOOD teacher.....it just doesn't seem to be a priority anymore....very sad. Although I must say that once I had a student transfer here from Florida, a 3rd grader, and she was the only one in the class (in NC) that could write in cursive, so at least it's being taught SOMEWHERE......

 

I'm homeschooling my 6 year old DD with Abeka and she has been learning to write in cursive the whole year. We have just a couple of letters left and then it'll be practice, practice, practice with it for the rest of the school year.

 

Beebsy,

Thanks so much for your response. I thought I was the only one losing my mind. When I was in school it was very important and at home the same. My grandmother was an English teacher so that should tell you something.

When these kids graduate (if ever) from college and join the business world are they going to print everything? My daughter thinks the computer and spell check will do just fine for the rest of her life. She has alot to learn and I am just the mother to teach her. Come h e l l or high water she will learn cursive, spelling and proper grammar. If not, one of us will die!

Grace

 

so you are saying the school shouldn't allow those three days off? two are "work" days and the other is a holiday....just asking.

 

I feel your pain Grace. My older 3, all boys, do not write in cursive (youngest son WILL be learning how though since I'm his teacher :twisted:.) My oldest IS out of high school and is in college. As long as he was able to sign his name in cursive, that is all that seemed to matter to the public schools. :?

 

I'm just using this to complain about better use of the school's/teacher's time. I don't blame the teachers but I do blame those who changed the curriculum and this stupid No Child Left Behind Act. Cursive, grammar, reading, history, science, math...what happened to teaching the kids what they need to know for future use???????? Not screaming at any of you, I am just frustrated after a weekend of studying for EOCs and the schedule coming up...what is a poor ole' mom to do other than complain on her local Forum??

Thanks,
Grace:-(

 

I can complain also, what happend to actually learning reading, writing, and arithmatic??? Kids do not know how to add, multiply, divide, subtract without a calculator! I know my kids have gotten mad at me several times when I would not let them use a calculator to figure something out. How many times has you been in a store and people do not count back your change? If something was $10.50 and someone gave me a $20, I use to count back, this makes $11 (by giving them 2 quarters), then it would be 13, 14, 15 (3 ones), and $5 makes $20....thank you. If these kids do not have a calculator, they can't figure change. I have seen HS kids that cannot read worth a darn nor can they write. Use a dictionary....are you crazy??? That is what spell check is for on the computer. When was the last time kids really opened an encyclopedia?? Grant it, everything is on the internet any more, but it doesn't hurt for them to learn to do research with a book. Do I agree with the EOC's or EOG's...no. I think it puts too much pressure on the kids. Until I moved here, I had never heard of such a thing. Do I like the block schedules, no... I think kids get bored after a while, I know I would. I personally (and this is my opinion) think that changing classes every hour or whatever it use to be, and having the class all year long is better, but that is my opinion. I remember when Driver's Ed was a part of the classes we took DURING school. I do not think that 2 weeks of Driver's Ed for a few hours after school really teaches the kids anything. I don't agree with the Senior Projects. Think it takes too much time away from what these kids need to learn. I remember taking English, Math, Science, Social Studies, History, Speach, etc in school. Personally, I think the school systems have gone down hill. Kids are not allowed to be kids any more. I don't have a problem with homework, but after spending so much time in school, I don't agree with the kids coming home and having another 2 to 3 hours worth to do. There are no breaks any more, it is in class, lunch (which is hurry up and eat), right back to class. Even in HS, we would get a 10 minute break in the morning and one in the afternoon, as well as lunch.

I don't agree with all the days off the kids have during the year, but understand, again this is my opinion. I use to substitute teach and I know during planning periods, I would see teachers sitting in the lounge talking and such, instead of grading papers or whatever. I am not saying that teachers don't need a break, but why not use that time to get some of the things done that need to be done. I saw TA's that didn't do a whole lot, and they could be helping to grade papers, and such. Now I am not saying that all teachers and TA's do this, I have seen some. I look back and do not ever remember having as many days off as kids do now and often wonder how our teachers managed without as many days off as teachers have now. I know that the teachers have a tough and thankless job and that they have to follow a certain schedule that is set forth for them, and believe me, I am thankful for what they do and the work and dedication they put into school, but as a whole, I really think the school system stinks any more. JMO

As far as reminding when the days are off from school, I don't mind it a bit because I don't always remember to check the schedule that I have at home. I work full time and I forget, so it is nice to be reminded when the days off are. So thank you...

Ok, will get off my soap box now....don't usually rant, but due to my emotions right now, (along with still going through the big "M"), it comes out....and that is my excuse!!!

 

I have seen discussions about the importance of learning cursive, and I don't understand the big deal. I did learn cursive while growing up in the 70's. However, during college I switched back to printing. The only thing I write in cursive now is my signature.

I graduated from college and joined the business world, and yes, I print everything that I write by hand. No supervisor or coworker has even so much as made a comment on my not using cursive, and I've been in the business world for 20 years now. I will say that the vast majority of my written work is actually typed. Most of my hand-written notes are strictly for my own benefit.

I see spelling and grammar as entirely different issues. In order to express yourself accurately and clearly, you definitely need to use the language properly. But I can not see why it matters whether you print, write cursive, type, or whatever method you choose. I have much less difficulty reading printed writing than I have with cursive (even my own cursive could be a challenge if I wrote it too quickly).

 

I'm old enough that I can just scribble now :mrgreen:

 

I understand what you are saying but once a memo is typed and printed off someone needs to sign it (in cursive, imho). Signatures should be in cursive, whether on a check, memo or directive. I, like Harley, scribble now when I sign but I doubt anyone could read my signature either way. At least I am not printing it like I am in 1st grade. It just gets on my nerves that my daughter does not "want" to understand this and that this is not taught throughout school anymore.

Grace

 

wasted days off IMO

 

The calendar was approved in Dec. 2006. With the exception of early dismissal before the winter break, it has not changed. The calendar for next year has already been posted on the JCS website.

The reason for the 2 workdays is for the high schools at semester change. All EOC scores must be examined and schedules redone for all students who did not pass the EOC for a prerequisite course. (Example: The students may have registered for Algebra II, but if they did not pass the EOC for Algebra I, they must retake that course. The schedule must be changed.) In some instances, this could mean a reassignment of courses for teachers. Imagine being a guidance counselor and having 8 hours to evaluate the scores of 1000 students and then readjust each schedule accordingly! In years past, the counselors and volunteering teachers gave up their weekends to fix the schedules to hand out on Monday. With 2 workdays, that is not necessary.

When I was in high school in Greenville, we always had a 4 day weekend at the end of the first semester for a similar reason: teachers could grade the midterm exams! That was, of course, the weekend every youth group in Greenville went skiing.

For the last few years, teachers have only 15, rather than 20, teacher workdays. The need for early release days is due to the required staff development teachers must undertake. For elementary school teachers, especially, meeting after school is difficult. Meetings cannot start until 4pm. Imagine having 2 hours of staff development from 4-6 after working an 8 hour day, having to pick up children from daycare/after school activities, monitor homework, fix dinner, and be prepared for the next day! Those early release days for staff development are times for staff development through workshops, instruction, etc.

Finally, most teachers work quite hard during their planning periods. As a substitute, FF, did you stay in the teacher's lounge the entire time? Or did you visit it and see a teacher taking a moment to sit down in quiet without a phone ringing/intercom calling/stack of papers waiting to be graded staring at him or her? While there are times a teacher might just relax the entire period (and elementary teachers do not get a planning period every day), that teacher will probably spend time after school and at home that evening working on school activities.