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Sunday, September 15, 2019

A Viewer Writes.......... WCBOE: elementary school spelling and reading.

Pardon me but I have a children that attend Wicomico County schools. 3 in Pittsville Middle School. And I have my youngest 2 enrolled in to Prince St Elementary School.  Above is a letter sent home from the school advising that county wide spelling would no longer be apart of the homework and curriculum and they would no longer be graded on.  However they will send home "words of the week" that are completely optional and expressed that they will not be graded on such words. Now the homework assignment for my 1st grader is to read 20 minutes a night which for any father of a little girl that has the chance should be a highlight of their day. And to color the assigned day to show they completed the assignment. 


My question(s) are as parents of these students and the amount of money going into our school system. Why are we allowing them to no longer teach/require our students to know the basic necessities in life. Reading and spelling go hand in hand through phonics and context clues is how we all were taught. Why aren't our children being given the basic needs we are sending them to school for. Illiteracy is always suppose to be a big deal in our area and now we have elected to require them to spell basic words. At what point do citizens of this county say hold up to much money spent infrastructure and salaries that we have allowed them to longer teach spelling. And at what meeting did the county get parents involved into that decision making process.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

The curriculum does not have room or time for spelling, arithmetic or penmanship because time was needed for social justice, environmentalism and transgender rights.

Anonymous said...

I'm all for less homework. By the time we get home at 5:30, cook dinner, eat, wash dishes and do chores, then take shower, it's already time for bed. (9pm) There's little quality time with our child.

I'd much rather take 20 minutes and read a story and then hear about their day and have them wind down, then to fight over some homework.

Kids have enough schoolwork at school. Home time should be home time.

sjd said...

if they are not going to teach spelling,what else are they not teaching? spelling is one of the basics of education. what's going on here?
thanks sjd

Anonymous said...

Teaching a child to sign his/her name should be a basic life skill.

Anonymous said...

OMG, so very thankful that I have no little ones in school.

Concerned Retiree said...

When the leadership is allowed to not teach the basics then they should be fired with no severance. They are paid to have curriculums to teach children the basics of life reading, writing, arithmetic. proper English which includes spelling. They are not being paid to teach indoctrination, socialism, Islam / Muslim ways or other non-educational teachings. These other subjects are for the parents to teach them. If a Parent does not want the responsibility of teaching their children or want their children to have homework so they know what they are being taught and help them learn then they don't need children. These Parents are the reason our children are not taught the basics because these Parents refuse to become involved. Then People wants to know why this Country is in decline. Parents blame yourself if your child is not learning not the child.

Anonymous said...

thanks for sharing this...our public school system is the worst form of 'education'. it isn't education; it's indoctrination. when will parents wake up to this scam? get your children out of this system now if you care for them at all. they Need an Education and you only get one chance at this.

Anonymous said...

Can everyone that left a comment here please attend the next board or meeting or MORE and voice your concern. Hold them accountable they work for the citizens of Wicomico County. If you do not go and speak up they will continue to do what they want. Next year will be a repeat of this , they will demand more money to do less and get it because they have people that will show up in full force at council meetings, town halls and social media. You have to fight back.

Anonymous said...

I guess nobody from an elementary/middle Wicomico County public school will be winning a spelling bee competition any time soon...so glad my daughters went to St. Francis.

Anonymous said...

The traditional spelling curriculum does not help children retain spelling knowledge or use spelling rules effectively in writing. They are not abandoning spelling and helping kids learn to spell. They are getting rid of the archaic system of memorizing and regurgitating random words in isolation that did little to nothing to better most kid's reading and writing abilities. Just because something has always been done does not mean there is solid reasons to continue it when it isn't working.

Anonymous said...

Northwest Woodsman: Sorry folks but the curriculum must be dumbed down so as to be inclusive and not ruin the self esteem of those with the demographic handicap of having a low IQ. All for the cause and joy of diversity.

Anonymous said...

This is a good example of why you must get your kids out of the public school system and either put them in a private school or home school them with a parental support group so your child still has some social interaction.

The public schools have failed us and their response to trying to teach kids that are unteachable is to bring down or dumb down the rest of them.

It was tough, but I had to do this with my sons and I put them in a good Christian school. I have no regrets!

Anonymous said...

From what I have seen on Facebook, I am guessing they quite teaching spelling 10 - 15 years ago. Now teaching how to be a Liberal. So sad

Anonymous said...

I cannot afford private school, but rest assured I will make sure that my kids get whatever the public school fails to teach. It is a shame, but I am sure I am going to but heads with them over common core math, social issues, etc. I will not back down, and I hope that others in my same situation will challenge the school board for their nonsense. Not all the teachers agree with this, by the way. This is stuff they are being forced into as well. But I do recognize my responsibility to teach my kids also. I feel sorry for those who don't have parents that care or have the intellectual skills to help their kids.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your comment. It makes perfect sense. Some people are stuck in the past.

Anonymous said...

SEASIDE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY!

Anonymous said...

Excellent. The most beneficial thing that students can do to reinforce lessons from school and to foster brain development is to read. Study after study has shown that there is a marked increase in test scores across the board when homework is eliminated and students are encouraged to read. Good for the schools finally recognizing this.

J.C. said...

DUMBER IS EASIER TO CONTROL

Anonymous said...

From what I have seen of typical Wicomico County graduates is that they are not prepared to be adults in any fashion or by any measure. Yet the BOE keeps sucking money into a black hole with little oversight. At least in DE, voters have a say.

Anonymous said...

Too busy teaching politics and pushing their own agendas on the children to warp their minds into mushy socialism ideas. Teachers always wanting raises when they should all be fired. It's no wonder kids are dumber than a box of rocks when they "graduate" from school but can't read and write.

Anonymous said...

Having dinner at a local restaurant a couple of years ago, I asked the waitress, a university junior, for a saucer and a spoon as she brought a cup of hot water and a teabag. She asked me what a saucer was.

Anonymous said...

You can see the results of public school curriculum already. Not just misspelled works, but misused apostrophes in plural words, etc. Omitting spelling is just plain stupid.

Anonymous said...

Proofreading should be taught as well.

Anonymous said...

I have seen some of my granddaughter's school work and she had awful spelling and I ask her if the teacher doesn't correct the bad spelling or care that she can;t spell. She said no, they don't care how you spell. I guess ebonics is good enough,.

Anonymous said...

Well al lot of people will not even get interviews for employment when they will not
be able to correctly identify the company and the job they seek. Resource managers have
ordered extra large waste baskets for resumes they receive.


Anonymous said...

I bet not one person will show up at the next BOE meeting to express their concerns. It's easy. Sign the guest speaker's sheet and when public comments come up your name will be called to speak.

Anonymous said...

Because they know that certain students will fail miserably at spelling. If they have no tests on it then those students will not look bad. You know, hispanics and thugs. But one thing, if they cannot spell, then they will not be able to read either. So how will they make it through the other classes? There you go, that will be their excuse and I guarantee you that they will graduate with those who do actually learn. Affirmative Action everyone. Your student has to work his/her butt off and the rest of the students do not. Those students will get the welfare diploma. And the ignorant ones will get preferential treatment over your hard working child when it comes to jobs.

Anonymous said...

@ September 14, 2019 at 10:48 AM, Now you know why this is being done. The white kids will get good grades on their spelling and the blacks will not and the black parents will blame the teachers and throw the race card out there. It is done to keep the blacks from looking bad.

Chris said...

Typical teaching... pay us more to work 3/4 of the year so we can send the kids home with more home work because we suck at teaching and so you as the parent can do our jobs for us. I have NEVER liked or agreed with homework. You cant cover it in the classroom then it doesn't need to be done. Projects are one thing but to send kids home with homework in every subject every day is nonsense. They need time to relax just like the rest of us. TEACHERS IT IS NOT THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO DO YOUR JOB! As a kid I used to have homework all the time in every subject, which then i would have to get my parents (Thank God my dad is good at math) to help me. But thats what my life was, go to school do home work then shower and then bed. Then they had the audacity to give us homework on the weekend! Teachers are becoming more and more lazy along with relying on the parents to do their jobs at home.

Anonymous said...

Chris, teachers take their work home every day, and between grading papers and planning lessons, they work the equivalent of at least one extra day a week on top of the 188 days that teachers are in school. That makes for at least 240 work days a year at a conservative estimate. There are also classes that teachers take to renew certification. Teachers are definitely not lazy, and if anything, teachers assist parents with doing THEIR job. I recall the days of nightly and weekend homework, and it was just a part of life. You manage your time, and you learn important time management skills. Teachers today face many more challenges than when I was in school. Between a growing number of special needs children, IEPs, educational plans, etc., as well as absentee parents, teachers have a lot on their plates, yet keep on doing it for the love of the profession. Peace.

Anonymous said...

Not trying to argue with an idiot. But obviously you, Chris, are an idiot. It’s not a parents job to teach their children 😂. I sure hope you don’t have any children. If so they are probably dumber than a ton of bricks. Let me tell you a little secret..IT IS MY JOB TO TEACH MY CHILDREN. It all starts at home sweetie!! Children are a product of their environment! Now go back under your rock until your ready to make another stupid ridiculous comment!

Anonymous said...

Jake Day's wife is a school teacher, Jim Liarton is a school teacher, Bill McCain's wife is a school teacher, Josh Hastings sister and brother are school teachers. Need I say more?

Anonymous said...

I must say it is bs. I have a son at Willards, he’s goes to after school care, then martial arts and travel baseball and he’s an academic achievement student all quarters and for the last 3 years We both work full time jobs some of which, ot is involved. We still manage to get all homework done get chores done and feed the family a nice home cooked meal. Then shower brush teeth and read a book and bed. Well before 9. Some times. Time management is needed. Plan in advance. I enjoy the spelling words. He enjoyed it a lot as well. It made reading a lot easier. Stop your complaining about time. Bring back the spelling words. Test them. Get them off common core crap. Let the kids who do well excel. Don’t hold them back.

Anonymous said...

Time to homeschool!
3 years ago we took our now, 15 year old daughter out of public school and she is leaps and bounds ahead of public school kids.
The system doesn't want your kid to learn...the public school agenda is to dummy down the population. I'm in the system, an eye witness to see it happening. It's corrupt with liberal zombies who can no longer think for themselves. They're taking your kids from you!!

Anonymous said...

I am a product of the Public School system prior to Common Core and the full spectrum of reduced education in Public Schools. I worked my butt off in high school to graduate not only with a Diploma but also with Honors in AP courses and Vocational training since I wasn't sure which direction i wanted to further my education. Sadly public schools are not about prioritizing education these days.

I chose to enroll my kids in a Private school which does NOT support common core. The school has a 97% higher education acceptance rate for their graduates. Guess what.....they have spelling words which need to be done on a weekly basis and are tested and graded on the proper spelling and usage of those words including proper sentence structure. It is amazingly interesting to watch people have their minds blown when my 5 year old is able to have a full conversation with you.

I also work at a College and see first hand the results of what happens when students "graduate" and attempt to further their education in College. Unfortunately those students have a rude wake up call and have to put in the extra effort to stay off the academic probation list because the public school system FAILED to properly educate them.

I sacrifice to provide a better future for my kids than what I had. The sacrificing mindset is what was instilled in me from a loving supportive family and it's what I live by to this day.

Teach your kids all that you can NOW to provide a better future for them. "Write your own legacy story...do NOT allow someone else to write it for you!"

Anonymous said...

Pardon me but I have a children that attend Wicomico County schools.

And your "a children" certainly won't improve by home-schooling.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
From what I have seen on Facebook, I am guessing they quite teaching spelling 10 - 15 years ago. Now teaching how to be a Liberal. So sad

September 13, 2019 at 2:30 PM

And another example of the pot calling the kettle black.

So sad.

Anonymous said...

I have a 4 year old in pre k. They are asking her to learn to write her name. How can a child write there name if they are not being taught the ABC's?