AAP school experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have friends in other school districts that don’t have an AAP or solid gifted program. Their kids are not challenged and in the same classes as every other kid besides math and that doesn’t seem to be good either.

I don’t think it is right to put the super bright advanced kids with kids who struggle. It is doing a disadvantage for both kids.

I think the problem is that AAP is not actually all the "super bright advanced kids". I would be totally fine with the truly gifted children having their own program, but 30% of the population in FCPS is not advanced (at our ES, there are three classes, one is AAP. We know these kids, they're not all gifted. Maybe three of them are.).

Reminds me of my junior high. I was one of the 20-30 or so "advanced/gifted and talented" kids, on the higher side as far as language arts went but there were 3 truly gifted kids in our class. None of them spoke much but when they did it was so obvious that they were significantly above the rest of us. I wonder how many truly gifted programs there are and if that's even possible to do well with a normal sized classroom of children.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:In my experience, it's parents of the gen ed kids who cause the most strife. They pass their jealousy off to their kids, which is nonsense if AAP is the lousy program they claim it is. If that were true, why would it matter what class your kid was in?

Oh, please. When your kid comes home from school in tears because all of their friends told them they just "weren't smart enough" to join them in AAP, get back to us. I never said anything at all to my DC about AAP, other than to reassure them after being hurt by these obnoxious kids.

Calling them “obnoxious“ really bolsters your argument that you’re not jealous.

DP but gee, I wonder where these children are getting their "we're better than you" attitude from. In talking to neighbors, all the bright kids end up in the same AP classes in high school anyway, so why should anyone care?

Here's the thing: Parents without kids in AAP spout all the time that "kids are all together in MS honors" or "end up in the same AP classes high school anyway."

If that is the truth, turn the question back on yourselves: Why should anyone care?

I'm so sick of parents trying to cut down a program just because their kid wasn't selected. Grow up.

I just posted above that my kid is a high stat kid. I don’t know all the kids from all the other schools. I do know most of the kids that my kids went to elementary school with. Many kids who didn’t get into AAP switched to private school, the ones who probably would have done well in honors or AP classes. There are new kids who moved in middle and high school who were never in AAP that do great too. There is not some huge population of non AAP kids who do significantly better than the AAP kids and end up at Harvard or Yale.

You're right, you don't know all the kids from all the other schools so your weird anecdote is totally false. AAP is not the huge indicator of success that you think it is.

I didn’t grow up around here. I did attend a magnet high school and DH and I are both ivy educated. I really don’t care about AAP or what college others go to. I definitely don’t care if another person’s kid is in AAP or not. I only care about my kids and I like their peer group in AAP.

I meant the other elementary schools feeding into Cooper/Langley when referring to other schools. From our elementary, most of the smart kids were in AAP. It felt like half of Cooper was AAP so this isn’t some difficult group to be in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have friends in other school districts that don’t have an AAP or solid gifted program. Their kids are not challenged and in the same classes as every other kid besides math and that doesn’t seem to be good either.

I don’t think it is right to put the super bright advanced kids with kids who struggle. It is doing a disadvantage for both kids.

+1 we need to get the struggling kids out like they used to - separate classrooms because they can’t keep up. They drag everyone down. And many of them have behavioral issues. It’s not fair to the gen Ed teachers or other students.

Actually, they did not use to do that--except for the profoundly disabled.
But, kids who throw fits in classes should be elsewhere--even if they are 2E. If a class is constantly disrupted by a child who is "frustrated and doesn't understand why," there needs to be another place for that child.

Wrong. They had separate LD classrooms. It was wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, it's parents of the gen ed kids who cause the most strife. They pass their jealousy off to their kids, which is nonsense if AAP is the lousy program they claim it is. If that were true, why would it matter what class your kid was in?

Oh, please. When your kid comes home from school in tears because all of their friends told them they just "weren't smart enough" to join them in AAP, get back to us. I never said anything at all to my DC about AAP, other than to reassure them after being hurt by these obnoxious kids.

+100

I was a teacher. I 100% believe this to be true.

DP. It is definitely true. Same experience in our family, with both of our kids. After the oldest, we knew what to expect in the spring of 2nd grade, and sure enough - the same treatment from classmates. We so regret not going private for elementary school, to avoid all of this nonsense (our neighborhood school was also the center).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, it's parents of the gen ed kids who cause the most strife. They pass their jealousy off to their kids, which is nonsense if AAP is the lousy program they claim it is. If that were true, why would it matter what class your kid was in?

Oh, please. When your kid comes home from school in tears because all of their friends told them they just "weren't smart enough" to join them in AAP, get back to us. I never said anything at all to my DC about AAP, other than to reassure them after being hurt by these obnoxious kids.

Calling them “obnoxious“ really bolsters your argument that you’re not jealous.

Sorry - anybody making that remark is, indeed, obnoxious. Most likely, you're a parent of one of those kids and they were repeating your comments on the subject.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What’s so sad is once a base kid moves into the AAP class, they lose all their friendships with the gen Ed kids because they literally never see them again.

This has been our experience at a school with an LLIV program. There are two regular classes and one AAP class. The girls in the 6th grade AAP class have cliqued up to the point where they even have their own sports teams in the local rec league. They stayed friends in 3rd, but my child and several others got dropped like a hot potato in 4th.

I knew a teacher who was really exasperated about one of those 2E kids in her classroom who threw screaming fits frequently. The kind where the rest of the class had to leave while the child exploded screaming. And, the irony: the kid really wasn't that smart. The mom pushed for it.

I don’t even know where to start with this, but it sounds a whole lot like frustration that students with disabilities can also be gifted.

Sorry that challenges your belief in eugenics

Do you even know what that means? That had nothing to do with the comment.

But, if the teacher did not think the child was gifted, why do you think that? You do know that parents who complain and push frequently get their kids admitted.

This surely demonstrates your ignorance about the program. Parents can’t “push” their kids into it. They have to be selected by a committee.

DP. Wrong. At our center, parents who were friends with the principal asked the principal to place their kids in the AAP classes. It's called "principal placing" and pushy parents use it to their advantage all the time.

[Anonymous]

Just looked it up and Cooper is 51% LevelIV AAP. I’m sure there are a few kids who fell through the cracks and didn’t make it in, but every high stat all AP class kid and there are a lot of them were in AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish they didn’t label the kids. It is fine to have an advanced class. I don’t know if they need to segregate the kids this way.

We moved when my kids were in 2nd and 4th. My 4th grader was already in AAP. My 2nd grader originally did not get in and it felt awful. He got in on appeal. All his friends went to the orientation and he really felt awful about it. He started AAP in 3rd with others.

Both kids basically only hang out with kids who were in AAP, especially my older. He doesn’t know any “regular” kids. He knew only AAP kids in middle school and now in high school, all his classes have been honors and AP.

Those "regular" kids are sitting right next to him in honors and AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s so sad is once a base kid moves into the AAP class, they lose all their friendships with the gen Ed kids because they literally never see them again.

This has been our experience at a school with an LLIV program. There are two regular classes and one AAP class. The girls in the 6th grade AAP class have cliqued up to the point where they even have their own sports teams in the local rec league. They stayed friends in 3rd, but my child and several others got dropped like a hot potato in 4th.

Same experience here, but with a scouting troop. Absurd.

I think we are this elementary school! I heard this year one of the girls switched troops to be with her AAP friends.

I suspect I’m at this school as well. And several years ago a girl left her troop in 4th grade for another school’s because the AAP kids were bullying her.

DP. This is all sounding (unfortunately) very familiar. Either we're all at the same school or this happens at multiple schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, it's parents of the gen ed kids who cause the most strife. They pass their jealousy off to their kids, which is nonsense if AAP is the lousy program they claim it is. If that were true, why would it matter what class your kid was in?

Oh, please. When your kid comes home from school in tears because all of their friends told them they just "weren't smart enough" to join them in AAP, get back to us. I never said anything at all to my DC about AAP, other than to reassure them after being hurt by these obnoxious kids.

+100

Mine was on the cusp but didn't make it in. He was told on the school bus by a fried that "I wish you were smarter so we could still go to school together". Damn that hurt. Then all of his buddies left the next year. His teachers were suprised he didn't go with them. He didn't test well. Then you hear about SOL Pass Advanced and Iowa Algebra tests and IB tests and AP Tests and TJ admission tests and SAT/ACTs. Now with a senior, looking back, it's not about being gifted, it's about being able to pass standardized tests with a good enough score to bump to the next level. In the end, it's an accelerated math program so that kids can take Calculus or above while still in high school. It might have been dressed up in some extra research projects, Ceaser's english, and a longer bus ride, but it doesn't get you much of anything else.

Totally agree - right down to the comment on the bus. It's just amazing to me how callous and rude some kids are - and that FCPS has allowed this system to exist for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, it's parents of the gen ed kids who cause the most strife. They pass their jealousy off to their kids, which is nonsense if AAP is the lousy program they claim it is. If that were true, why would it matter what class your kid was in?

Oh, please. When your kid comes home from school in tears because all of their friends told them they just "weren't smart enough" to join them in AAP, get back to us. I never said anything at all to my DC about AAP, other than to reassure them after being hurt by these obnoxious kids.

Calling them “obnoxious“ really bolsters your argument that you’re not jealous.

Sorry - anybody making that remark is, indeed, obnoxious. Most likely, you're a parent of one of those kids and they were repeating your comments on the subject.

I have two kids who were in AAP and a current second grader. I would be very upset if I found out any of my kids put another kid down for not being in AAP.

Kids are jerks. I have friends whose kids suffer when their friends put them down for not getting on certain sports teams. I have one kid who was on rec soccer and basketball while all their kids played travel. He eventually did move up to travel but I know he felt bad when his friends were playing at a higher level. This is just human nature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish they didn’t label the kids. It is fine to have an advanced class. I don’t know if they need to segregate the kids this way.

We moved when my kids were in 2nd and 4th. My 4th grader was already in AAP. My 2nd grader originally did not get in and it felt awful. He got in on appeal. All his friends went to the orientation and he really felt awful about it. He started AAP in 3rd with others.

Both kids basically only hang out with kids who were in AAP, especially my older. He doesn’t know any “regular” kids. He knew only AAP kids in middle school and now in high school, all his classes have been honors and AP.

LOL at the fact that your kid is not "regular". Guess what PP? Most of the kids in Honors and AP in high school were actually not AAP kids in elementary. But he time they get to high school, literally the only difference is that some of these kids may be a year ahead in math. Other than that, they're all in the same advanced classes and do the same activities. I bet your son has no idea who was or was not in AAP unless he went to elementary with them.

It's also pretty pathetic that you view this as some sort of prestige thing.

I said I wished they didn’t have AAP and didn’t label kids. The kids themselves separate themselves with AAP and regular kids.

I’m sure there are many many kids who are just as smart and did not get into AAP in 3rd grade. My kid is top of his class and hangs out with the smart kids. He only hangs out with smart kids. That is probably more to do with his personality than some stupid AAP designation in elementary school.

At our school (Langley), there is usually the academically motivated kids and the not academically motivated.

DP. I'm also a Langley parent, and this goes for most schools. As for Langley, my non-AAP kids are excelling in all honors and AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, it's parents of the gen ed kids who cause the most strife. They pass their jealousy off to their kids, which is nonsense if AAP is the lousy program they claim it is. If that were true, why would it matter what class your kid was in?

Agree! They have an inferiority complex.

Respectfully, you're full of crap. Parents could remain completely silent about anything AAP-related, and the Gen Ed kids would still be getting the message from AAP kids in some instances that the AAP kids are "gifted" and the Gen Ed kids are "lesser than." It's a predictable consequence of the structure FCPS has created and the early age at which kids are screened and separated. One need only read Golding or Orwell to know this.

Exactly. This is human nature and FCPS has seen fit to foster this environment by creating this enormous monster (AAP) and labeling kids at the age of seven. It truly turns my stomach. Which isn't to say there shouldn't be advanced classes - there absolutely should. But ALL kids should be able to cycle into and out of them as needed. I think teachers would be quite astounded at exactly who is advanced when given the chance to perform. And this is why you see so many kids leaping ahead in high school - because they're finally "allowed" to take advanced classes. They should have been allowed the entire time.

+1This is fundamentally wrong. And the irony is that the kids in AAP are on the most part average students. Then you have some overly trained, overly supplemented ones who appear smart but only due to outside tutors, parents, and classes. Then you only truly have 1-2% who are gifted academics who want to learn for learning’s sake. The program has been a ruse and a disappointment in implementation.

We used to live in a high FARMs area and there was a huge difference when my child went to the AAP center. All the smart kids from 10+ schools went to an AAP center and the cohort of kids was excellent. We then moved to a wealthier area and the AAP peer group has also been positive. Of course the bottom kids at AAP are just average and some smart kids who should have gotten in didn’t get in but for the most part, the peer group is great.

DP. Do you hear yourself? FYI, there were plenty of smart kids who remained at their base schools and/or didn't get into AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience, it's parents of the gen ed kids who cause the most strife. They pass their jealousy off to their kids, which is nonsense if AAP is the lousy program they claim it is. If that were true, why would it matter what class your kid was in?

Oh, please. When your kid comes home from school in tears because all of their friends told them they just "weren't smart enough" to join them in AAP, get back to us. I never said anything at all to my DC about AAP, other than to reassure them after being hurt by these obnoxious kids.

Calling them “obnoxious“ really bolsters your argument that you’re not jealous.

DP but gee, I wonder where these children are getting their "we're better than you" attitude from. In talking to neighbors, all the bright kids end up in the same AP classes in high school anyway, so why should anyone care?

Here's the thing: Parents without kids in AAP spout all the time that "kids are all together in MS honors" or "end up in the same AP classes high school anyway."

If that is the truth, turn the question back on yourselves: Why should anyone care?

I'm so sick of parents trying to cut down a program just because their kid wasn't selected. Grow up.

I just posted above that my kid is a high stat kid. I don’t know all the kids from all the other schools. I do know most of the kids that my kids went to elementary school with. Many kids who didn’t get into AAP switched to private school, the ones who probably would have done well in honors or AP classes. There are new kids who moved in middle and high school who were never in AAP that do great too. There is not some huge population of non AAP kids who do significantly better than the AAP kids and end up at Harvard or Yale.

The bolded is absolutely true, though many AAP parents actually think that's how things are going to work out. The hubris is off the charts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have friends in other school districts that don’t have an AAP or solid gifted program. Their kids are not challenged and in the same classes as every other kid besides math and that doesn’t seem to be good either.

I don’t think it is right to put the super bright advanced kids with kids who struggle. It is doing a disadvantage for both kids.

It's also not right to put the kids with tremendous struggles in the Gen Ed classrooms. And yet, that's what is happening - all so the AAP kids can be sequestered in their own classes. Talk about doing a disadvantage to ALL kids...