AAP info session in school - seeking AAP parents opinions

[Anonymous]

We received some info about a AAP session in our upcoming school. My kid is in 2nd grade and am thinking of referring DC. We will have to switch schools if we do decide to go with the AAP center. How has your AAP experience been? Is the homework grueling? Does it leave time for sports and other activities? We have another kid and not sure if he gets through as well, will the kids be able to have a balanced work-play schedule?

[Anonymous]

First, be aware that the center schools tend to start after 9:00. They are busing kids from other schools so they start later -- and therefore, they end later (almost 4:00). By the time my child gets bussed to our local elem. and we walk home, it is 5:00 every day. So, for sports and p.m. activities, it can be tough to get it all done. Fortunately (?), my child is not doing a sport this year, so we don't have to worry about it. In third grade, however, it was challenging on nights with practices. As a result, I picked DC up (rather than having DC ride the bus in the p.m.) -- that saved 45 min. which was precious time at night.

As for homework -- third grade tends to be rough whether it is AAP or not b/c they do give more homework than in 2nd. But, overall, I think people's opinion about the amount of homework will vary from year to year, teacher to teacher, and child to child (some kids have no trouble with math, but then spend A LOT of time on the writing assignments -- some are the opposite struggling with the math and having an easy time with writing.)

So far, this year, homework has been minimal, but I'm pretty sure that won't last. As a generalization from our experience and what we've heard from other parents in our child's center (those who are a year or two ahead), AAP homework is definitely MORE demanding and time consuming. Our child at a non-center school has very little homework.

You'd be better off asking the kids/parents who are going to the center your child would be assigned to next year to get an accurate answer -- but even then, it can depend on your child's strengths and challenge areas.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP for detailed insights into curriculum etc. It sure is a tough decision to make. I will try to connect with few parents at the center to gain further feedback.

[Anonymous]

We had less homework in the Center- Usually a math worksheet & personal reading (which a lot of kids do anyway). Sometimes vocabulary or a science worksheet. DD says they get a lot more done in class. There is certai

[Anonymous]

^^ sorry: certainly less busy work for homework.

[Anonymous]

What if they shut down the centers next year

[Anonymous]

Don't send your two kids to different schools. That will be their predominate memory - that they were so different from each other, they couldn't even go to the same school.

Don't do this to kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if they shut down the centers next year

No gonna happen. It takes a lot of time and logistics to move 1/2 the grade 3-6 student body out and rezone to fill those seats. We're still months away from final decisions on Centers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if they shut down the centers next year

No gonna happen. It takes a lot of time and logistics to move 1/2 the grade 3-6 student body out and rezone to fill those seats. We're still months away from final decisions on Centers.

LOL they'll pull the plug faster than you can say full day mondays!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if they shut down the centers next year

No gonna happen. It takes a lot of time and logistics to move 1/2 the grade 3-6 student body out and rezone to fill those seats. We're still months away from final decisions on Centers.

LOL they'll pull the plug faster than you can say full day mondays!

Full day Monday's didn't move thousands of kids from school A to school B, and thousands more from schools B, C, and D to school A. When 250 of the 850 kids in DCs center move back to their base schools, they would have to rezone 250 new kids in (the dashboard says the school is just at capacity). That takes time, hearings, proposals, boundary studies, etc. not to mention losing the AAP certified teachers from Centers to the base schools and hiring replacements. And, oh yeah, the FCPS school board can't can't seem to decide to take a bathroom break without 72 different consultants weighing in (transgender education consultants, anyone?) If they don't have a budget until May, how does that work? And even if it did, do you want to find out in late August that your GE 5th grader is being moved away from her current school to a former center because the AAP 5th grader who was there moved back to the base school and there is excess capacity? Talk about all he** breaking loose. It may happen eventually-- with studies, and boundary meetings, a gradual changeover, starting in the AAP dense areas and grandfathering. But Centers are not going to just disappear by next fall. And I say this with no real dog in this fight-- my last DC graduates 6th this year and is planning to go to the excellent LLIV for middle. In fact-- huge numbers of kids leave our base for a TJ feeder elementary. Getting them back would probably help the GS rating/ property values. But it's still just not practical. It's a logistical nightmare that saves relatively little $$$. AAP testing, AArTs, etc. would happen anyway and AAP busing (at about $600,000) has very little impact on the budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if they shut down the centers next year

No gonna happen. It takes a lot of time and logistics to move 1/2 the grade 3-6 student body out and rezone to fill those seats. We're still months away from final decisions on Centers.

LOL they'll pull the plug faster than you can say full day mondays!

Full day Monday's didn't move thousands of kids from school A to school B, and thousands more from schools B, C, and D to school A. When 250 of the 850 kids in DCs center move back to their base schools, they would have to rezone 250 new kids in (the dashboard says the school is just at capacity). That takes time, hearings, proposals, boundary studies, etc. not to mention losing the AAP certified teachers from Centers to the base schools and hiring replacements. And, oh yeah, the FCPS school board can't can't seem to decide to take a bathroom break without 72 different consultants weighing in (transgender education consultants, anyone?) If they don't have a budget until May, how does that work? And even if it did, do you want to find out in late August that your GE 5th grader is being moved away from her current school to a former center because the AAP 5th grader who was there moved back to the base school and there is excess capacity? Talk about all he** breaking loose. It may happen eventually-- with studies, and boundary meetings, a gradual changeover, starting in the AAP dense areas and grandfathering. But Centers are not going to just disappear by next fall. And I say this with no real dog in this fight-- my last DC graduates 6th this year and is planning to go to the excellent LLIV for middle. In fact-- huge numbers of kids leave our base for a TJ feeder elementary. Getting them back would probably help the GS rating/ property values. But it's still just not practical. It's a logistical nightmare that saves relatively little $$$. AAP testing, AArTs, etc. would happen anyway and AAP busing (at about $600,000) has very little impact on the budget.

I don't agree, they reason they had to move around resources is setting up a center and rezoning a single school. Base schools can handle the AAP center kids, it's a small percentage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't send your two kids to different schools. That will be their predominate memory - that they were so different from each other, they couldn't even go to the same school.

Don't do this to kids

Unless they are twins, I don't see this as a problem. My 6th grade Gen Ed kid doesn't care that little sibling started AAP at another school this year. Two weeks in and the third grader is feeling very much at home at center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't send your two kids to different schools. That will be their predominate memory - that they were so different from each other, they couldn't even go to the same school.

Don't do this to kids

Unless they are twins, I don't see this as a problem. My 6th grade Gen Ed kid doesn't care that little sibling started AAP at another school this year. Two weeks in and the third grader is feeling very much at home at center.

+1

And even if they are twins, it is not always a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if they shut down the centers next year

No gonna happen. It takes a lot of time and logistics to move 1/2 the grade 3-6 student body out and rezone to fill those seats. We're still months away from final decisions on Centers.

LOL they'll pull the plug faster than you can say full day mondays!

Full day Monday's didn't move thousands of kids from school A to school B, and thousands more from schools B, C, and D to school A. When 250 of the 850 kids in DCs center move back to their base schools, they would have to rezone 250 new kids in (the dashboard says the school is just at capacity). That takes time, hearings, proposals, boundary studies, etc. not to mention losing the AAP certified teachers from Centers to the base schools and hiring replacements. And, oh yeah, the FCPS school board can't can't seem to decide to take a bathroom break without 72 different consultants weighing in (transgender education consultants, anyone?) If they don't have a budget until May, how does that work? And even if it did, do you want to find out in late August that your GE 5th grader is being moved away from her current school to a former center because the AAP 5th grader who was there moved back to the base school and there is excess capacity? Talk about all he** breaking loose. It may happen eventually-- with studies, and boundary meetings, a gradual changeover, starting in the AAP dense areas and grandfathering. But Centers are not going to just disappear by next fall. And I say this with no real dog in this fight-- my last DC graduates 6th this year and is planning to go to the excellent LLIV for middle. In fact-- huge numbers of kids leave our base for a TJ feeder elementary. Getting them back would probably help the GS rating/ property values. But it's still just not practical. It's a logistical nightmare that saves relatively little $$$. AAP testing, AArTs, etc. would happen anyway and AAP busing (at about $600,000) has very little impact on the budget.

I don't agree, they reason they had to move around resources is setting up a center and rezoning a single school. Base schools can handle the AAP center kids, it's a small percentage.

You are correct -- in some parts of the county, the base schools can handle the capacity requirements of the AAP center kids, as there are so few going to the centers. In other parts of the county this is not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if they shut down the centers next year

No gonna happen. It takes a lot of time and logistics to move 1/2 the grade 3-6 student body out and rezone to fill those seats. We're still months away from final decisions on Centers.

LOL they'll pull the plug faster than you can say full day mondays!

Full day Monday's didn't move thousands of kids from school A to school B, and thousands more from schools B, C, and D to school A. When 250 of the 850 kids in DCs center move back to their base schools, they would have to rezone 250 new kids in (the dashboard says the school is just at capacity). That takes time, hearings, proposals, boundary studies, etc. not to mention losing the AAP certified teachers from Centers to the base schools and hiring replacements. And, oh yeah, the FCPS school board can't can't seem to decide to take a bathroom break without 72 different consultants weighing in (transgender education consultants, anyone?) If they don't have a budget until May, how does that work? And even if it did, do you want to find out in late August that your GE 5th grader is being moved away from her current school to a former center because the AAP 5th grader who was there moved back to the base school and there is excess capacity? Talk about all he** breaking loose. It may happen eventually-- with studies, and boundary meetings, a gradual changeover, starting in the AAP dense areas and grandfathering. But Centers are not going to just disappear by next fall. And I say this with no real dog in this fight-- my last DC graduates 6th this year and is planning to go to the excellent LLIV for middle. In fact-- huge numbers of kids leave our base for a TJ feeder elementary. Getting them back would probably help the GS rating/ property values. But it's still just not practical. It's a logistical nightmare that saves relatively little $$$. AAP testing, AArTs, etc. would happen anyway and AAP busing (at about $600,000) has very little impact on the budget.

I don't agree, they reason they had to move around resources is setting up a center and rezoning a single school. Base schools can handle the AAP center kids, it's a small percentage.

You are correct -- in some parts of the county, the base schools can handle the capacity requirements of the AAP center kids, as there are so few going to the centers. In other parts of the county this is not the case.

I call shenanigans , if more than 10% move over aap is haram