On the chopping block: AAP Centers

[Anonymous]

School issue and a problem with the parents at the school, not an AAP issue and not a district issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not all about taunting or bullying. It's just a pervasive feeling that the GenEd kids are an afterthought. That they are lesser. That they aren't worthy.

Exactly. I've never seen outright bullying - but exactly what PP said. It's a constant superiority complex on the part of the AAP kids (and parents) that is very obvious. Even some of the staff acts like AAP kids can do no wrong. It's ridiculous.

Please share the name of the school.

It's already been mentioned and I'm not going to name it again.

As pp said, there is LA or Colvin Run. Did we miss it? Is it another center? Certainly if it is schoolwide then your anonymous post isn't going to bring unwanted attention to the problem.

Except it's not. What happens when your center school loses more than 50% of the kids in 4 grades? FCPS is way too overcrowded to let those schools sit that under enrolled. FCPS would have to make up the difference from somewhere. And that means more boundary readjustments and rezoning, which always upsets someone (usually lots of someone's) and creates split feeder schools, which also upsets people. And, once you pull out the AAP center, get ready for your school's average SOL scores to drop, which makes your school's Great Schools number drop, which hurts your real estate values. Louise Archer GE parents may hate having the AAP kids at the school, but they don't complain about their Great Schools 9. Be careful what you ask for...

Really? You're attributing a school's high SOL scores to the AAP kids alone? Give me a break. Do you know how many very bright kids are in Gen Ed? I, for one, couldn't care less about Great Schools numbers and I find parents who base their lives around them to be pathetic. I think this county is in dire need of some boundary adjustments and rezoning, frankly. I'd be very happy to see all kids return to their base schools and rezone if necessary. A fresh start is what FCPS sorely needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

I'm sorry this was your and your child's experience at your one center school, but in six years of AAP center schools (ES and MS) this was nothing like the experience our kid, our family or the many other families we knew well through school ever had.

DCUM is full of people saying their center schools are hotbeds of "hyper-competitive parents." I knew only one family like that in six years (and the school at one point told those parents to cool their jets and wouldn't allow their kid to do some stuff the parents insisted was the kid's "right"--yes, administrators CAN say no to parents who are pushy).

And there are lots of depictions on DCUM of AAP kids as arrogant little jerks taunting other kids. Never saw it and I was in both our center schools -- a lot. There certainly may be some centers like that, but if that was the case at YOUR child's school, did you or other parents (of AAP students or general ed students) ever do anything about it? Come up with some ways for the kids to mix more? Point out to anyone in authority that teasing was taking place and needed to be addressed? Volunteer to make the school as a whole a more cooperative, positive environment?

Not the PP, but first of all - were your kids in AAP? If so, then of course you never saw this behavior. AAP parents and kids experience a wholly different atmosphere at center schools th than Gen Ed kids and parents. M
And as far as the parents "doing anything about it"? Beyond bringing up these situations repeatedly at PTA meetings and private conferences with administration, what, exactly are the parents supposed to do? I'm a very active volunteer at our school and see this kind of behavior happen often. This is an administrative issue. More specifically, this is an FCPS issue. Parents can complain, suggest, cajole, request - you name it. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on FCPS to rectify the imbalance they've created with center schools.

So what you really want is for the imbalance to go the other way. So your GE kids significantly outnumber the AAP kids, and they can taunt the nerds? I have seen and heard of AAP nastiness too. But in our Center, it's from high SES GE kids directed at AAP kids and telling them they are not wanted. I wonder where that attitude comes from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Redistricting is a given if you remove the centers, especially at the schools that are majority AAP. So is loss of specials teachers, etc.

+1

Lots of redistricting. They'd have to bring in a huge number of neighboring students to make up the difference.

No they wouldn't. Making center schools Local Level IVs would reduce overcrowding in a lot of places.

True. And I don't see the problem with redistricting. It could be exactly what this county needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading these posts, I don't see a lot of AAP parents who are saying mean things about Gen Ed kids-- but boy is it clear that there are a lot of Gen Ed parents who are very vocal about not wanting AAP kids in their school. If you think your kids don't pick up on that attitude, you're wrong. Also, I've had kids in 3 FCPS schools at various levels, some AAP Centers and some LLIV a centers, and I have yet to run across a PTA a that isn't grateful for every parent volunteer-- AAP or Gen Ed. If you want a say in how your school is run, show up and volunteer, instead of griping on DCUM.

It's not a matter of not wanting AAP kids in our schools - but in many centers, AAP kids become the majority and the dynamic between them and the Gen Ed kids isn't healthy. It's not right for Gen Ed kids to be looked at as if they're somehow "less than" simply because they are not as well-represented as their AAP counterparts. AAP kids should never be a majority, at any school; they should be the exception to the rule.

In many Centers, AAP students are not the majority.

Yes, but in many they are.

Then take your chances on whoever redistricts in to replace them when you kick them to the curb. You deserve what you get.

We'd be very happy to welcome any kids who were redistricted to our school. It would once again be a "community" school, which would be great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

You've just illustrated the entire issue around Gen Ed kids who attend center schools. What happens to the "base kids" who attend centers? Imagine what it's like for them to be thrust into an environment where AAP kids "rule the roost," so to speak - mainly because of sheer numbers. How is it that the Gen Ed child is supposed to excel in a school like this?

Check out the Sangster model.

Plenty of exceptional gen ed kids who are school leaders, academic leaders and all around great kids. Lots of mingling between students, in specials and activities. For example, the 6th graders go on a class leadership type field trip and all the kids are blended in smaller groups with mixes of all classes. The classes all display the same projects in the halls. The staff works very hard, especially at the administrative level, to make the kids all "Sangster" kids, not "us" and "them" groupings. Do they fail sometimes or are somenkids on both ends occasionally mean to one another? Of course. But the school doesit as well as any school could. Exceptional parents, base families, AAP families and overall wonderful kids...in both programs.

It says a lot about the community as a whole and the graciousness of the families assigned to Sangster when you see how all the kids shine at that school.

Knowing how many stars and class leaders come from the gen ed kids at Sangster, I find your post so rude and insulting to all base kids.

Your experience sounds miserable, but I have to wonder how much of that is colored by an attitude that is trying to find fault at every turn.

But your experience is not universal, so please quit acting as if it is. At least be reasonable enough to state that your experience is unique to your school and that it might not reflect all center schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not all about taunting or bullying. It's just a pervasive feeling that the GenEd kids are an afterthought. That they are lesser. That they aren't worthy.

Exactly. I've never seen outright bullying - but exactly what PP said. It's a constant superiority complex on the part of the AAP kids (and parents) that is very obvious. Even some of the staff acts like AAP kids can do no wrong. It's ridiculous.

Please share the name of the school.

It's already been mentioned and I'm not going to name it again.

As pp said, there is LA or Colvin Run. Did we miss it? Is it another center? Certainly if it is schoolwide then your anonymous post isn't going to bring unwanted attention to the problem.

Except it's not. What happens when your center school loses more than 50% of the kids in 4 grades? FCPS is way too overcrowded to let those schools sit that under enrolled. FCPS would have to make up the difference from somewhere. And that means more boundary readjustments and rezoning, which always upsets someone (usually lots of someone's) and creates split feeder schools, which also upsets people. And, once you pull out the AAP center, get ready for your school's average SOL scores to drop, which makes your school's Great Schools number drop, which hurts your real estate values. Louise Archer GE parents may hate having the AAP kids at the school, but they don't complain about their Great Schools 9. Be careful what you ask for...

Really? You'reh attributing a school's high SOL scores to the AAP kids alone? Give me a break. Do you know how many very bright kids are in Gen Ed? I, for one, couldn't care less about Great Schools numbers and I find parents who base their lives around them to be pathetic. I think this county is in dire need of some boundary adjustments and rezoning, frankly. I'd be very happy to see all kids return to their base schools and rezone if necessary. A fresh start is what FCPS sorely needs.

Not AAP kids alone. But yes, I think AAP kids taking compressed math inflate a school pass advanced numbers-- especially in math. And you may say you don't care, but people pay a premium to live in the best possible school zone. If you don't, you should really sell your house and move to a Great Schools 5 area-- you'll fund your kid's college education on the difference in housing prices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

I'm sorry this was your and your child's experience at your one center school, but in six years of AAP center schools (ES and MS) this was nothing like the experience our kid, our family or the many other families we knew well through school ever had.

DCUM is full of people saying their center schools are hotbeds of "hyper-competitive parents." I knew only one family like that in six years (and the school at one point told those parents to cool their jets and wouldn't allow their kid to do some stuff the parents insisted was the kid's "right"--yes, administrators CAN say no to parents who are pushy).

And there are lots of depictions on DCUM of AAP kids as arrogant little jerks taunting other kids. Never saw it and I was in both our center schools -- a lot. There certainly may be some centers like that, but if that was the case at YOUR child's school, did you or other parents (of AAP students or general ed students) ever do anything about it? Come up with some ways for the kids to mix more? Point out to anyone in authority that teasing was taking place and needed to be addressed? Volunteer to make the school as a whole a more cooperative, positive environment?

Not the PP, but first of all - were your kids in AAP? If so, then of course you never saw this behavior. AAP parents and kids experience a wholly different atmosphere at center schools th than Gen Ed kids and parents. M
And as far as the parents "doing anything about it"? Beyond bringing up these situations repeatedly at PTA meetings and private conferences with administration, what, exactly are the parents supposed to do? I'm a very active volunteer at our school and see this kind of behavior happen often. This is an administrative issue. More specifically, this is an FCPS issue. Parents can complain, suggest, cajole, request - you name it. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on FCPS to rectify the imbalance they've created with center schools.

So what you really want is for the imbalance to go the other way. So your GE kids significantly outnumber the AAP kids, and they can taunt the nerds? I have seen and heard of AAP nastiness too. But in our Center, it's from high SES GE kids directed at AAP kids and telling them they are not wanted. I wonder where that attitude comes from?

No one should be taunting anyone, first of all. Secondly, AAP kids aren't "nerds" (your word, by the way) - most are as mainstream as any other kids, due to how many have been admitted in recent years. AAP kids are not a majority in real life. They just aren't. Why should they be a majority in any school? The way centers are set up, AAP kids somehow look like the "norm," while Gen Ed kids are the exception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

I'm sorry this was your and your child's experience at your one center school, but in six years of AAP center schools (ES and MS) this was nothing like the experience our kid, our family or the many other families we knew well through school ever had.

DCUM is full of people saying their center schools are hotbeds of "hyper-competitive parents." I knew only one family like that in six years (and the school at one point told those parents to cool their jets and wouldn't allow their kid to do some stuff the parents insisted was the kid's "right"--yes, administrators CAN say no to parents who are pushy).

And there are lots of depictions on DCUM of AAP kids as arrogant little jerks taunting other kids. Never saw it and I was in both our center schools -- a lot. There certainly may be some centers like that, but if that was the case at YOUR child's school, did you or other parents (of AAP students or general ed students) ever do anything about it? Come up with some ways for the kids to mix more? Point out to anyone in authority that teasing was taking place and needed to be addressed? Volunteer to make the school as a whole a more cooperative, positive environment?

Not the PP, but first of all - were your kids in AAP? If so, then of course you never saw this behavior. AAP parents and kids experience a wholly different atmosphere at center schools th than Gen Ed kids and parents. M
And as far as the parents "doing anything about it"? Beyond bringing up these situations repeatedly at PTA meetings and private conferences with administration, what, exactly are the parents supposed to do? I'm a very active volunteer at our school and see this kind of behavior happen often. This is an administrative issue. More specifically, this is an FCPS issue. Parents can complain, suggest, cajole, request - you name it. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on FCPS to rectify the imbalance they've created with center schools.

So what you really want is for the imbalance to go the other way. So your GE kids significantly outnumber the AAP kids, and they can taunt the nerds? I have seen and heard of AAP nastiness too. But in our Center, it's from high SES GE kids directed at AAP kids and telling them they are not wanted. I wonder where that attitude comes from?

No one should be taunting anyone, first of all. Secondly, AAP kids aren't "nerds" (your word, by the way) - most are as mainstream as any other kids, due to how many have been admitted in recent years. AAP kids are not a majority in real life. They just aren't. Why should they be a majority in any school? The way centers are set up, AAP kids somehow look like the "norm," while Gen Ed kids are the exception.

Maybe it's nice for kids who aren't normal to have a place where they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid

I'm sorry this was your and your child's experience at your one center school, but in six years of AAP center schools (ES and MS) this was nothing like the experience our kid, our family or the many other families we knew well through school ever had.

DCUM is full of people saying their center schools are hotbeds of "hyper-competitive parents." I knew only one family like that in six years (and the school at one point told those parents to cool their jets and wouldn't allow their kid to do some stuff the parents insisted was the kid's "right"--yes, administrators CAN say no to parents who are pushy).

And there are lots of depictions on DCUM of AAP kids as arrogant little jerks taunting other kids. Never saw it and I was in both our center schools -- a lot. There certainly may be some centers like that, but if that was the case at YOUR child's school, did you or other parents (of AAP students or general ed students) ever do anything about it? Come up with some ways for the kids to mix more? Point out to anyone in authority that teasing was taking place and needed to be addressed? Volunteer to make the school as a whole a more cooperative, positive environment?

Not the PP, but first of all - were your kids in AAP? If so, then of course you never saw this behavior. AAP parents and kids experience a wholly different atmosphere at center schools th than Gen Ed kids and parents. M
And as far as the parents "doing anything about it"? Beyond bringing up these situations repeatedly at PTA meetings and private conferences with administration, what, exactly are the parents supposed to do? I'm a very active volunteer at our school and see this kind of behavior happen often. This is an administrative issue. More specifically, this is an FCPS issue. Parents can complain, suggest, cajole, request - you name it. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on FCPS to rectify the imbalance they've created with center schools.

So what you really want is for the imbalance to go the other way. So your GE kids significantly outnumber the AAP kids, and they can taunt the nerds? I have seen and heard of AAP nastiness too. But in our Center, it's from high SES GE kids directed at AAP kids and telling them they are not wanted. I wonder where that attitude comes from?

No one should be taunting anyone, first of all. Secondly, AAP kids aren't "nerds" (your word, by the way) - most are as mainstream as any other kids, due to how many have been admitted in recent years. AAP kids are not a majority in real life. They just aren't. Why should they be a majority in any school? The way centers are set up, AAP kids somehow look like the "norm," while Gen Ed kids are the exception.

AAP kids are mainstream and yet your DC wasn't admitted? No wonder you are so petty and bitter. Anyway, if AAP Centers are so terrible for GE kids, why did you move into an area where your kids would have to go to a Center? Either you didn't research the school or you assumed your kids would be AAP (which explains the bitter I guess).

[Anonymous]

So, it's an administrative problem. But certain centers are absolutely well known for the total imbalance and toxic environment, yet FCPS (and certain school administrators) sits silent.

I wasn't actually asking AAP parents specifically to do anything about it. My original post was more annoyance at people in other centers saying "well, my school isn't like that..." OK, but several others are and it would be appreciated if it was actually acknowledged and maybe there is some support in the community to get those centers some help to fix the mess of FCPS's making.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to say - we thought we did the research we needed to do. People said how great our neighborhood school was. We didn't know if our kid would be AAP or not, but we thought it best to move into the zone for the center just in case so she wouldn't have to move schools.

We didn't know what questions to ask, honestly. We had no idea. We didn't grow up here, we didn't know what we didn't know. We had no idea how big the imbalance was....and it got worse in the 4 years since we've been here.

Hindsight is 20/20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not all about taunting or bullying. It's just a pervasive feeling that the GenEd kids are an afterthought. That they are lesser. That they aren't worthy.

That self esteem issue comes from home and what kind of attitudes parents put on their kids.

Oh, please. My kids are given love, support, and encouragement in everything they do. We as parents have no control over the bloated population of AAP kids at their school and the resulting air of superiority that runs rampant to segregated AAP classes outnumbering General Ed.

Again. Where is this? Name the schools. It has to be obvious to those who attend if there is a "resulting air of superiority that runs rampant."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

I'm sorry this was your and your child's experience at your one center school, but in six years of AAP center schools (ES and MS) this was nothing like the experience our kid, our family or the many other families we knew well through school ever had.

DCUM is full of people saying their center schools are hotbeds of "hyper-competitive parents." I knew only one family like that in six years (and the school at one point told those parents to cool their jets and wouldn't allow their kid to do some stuff the parents insisted was the kid's "right"--yes, administrators CAN say no to parents who are pushy).

And there are lots of depictions on DCUM of AAP kids as arrogant little jerks taunting other kids. Never saw it and I was in both our center schools -- a lot. There certainly may be some centers like that, but if that was the case at YOUR child's school, did you or other parents (of AAP students or general ed students) ever do anything about it? Come up with some ways for the kids to mix more? Point out to anyone in authority that teasing was taking place and needed to be addressed? Volunteer to make the school as a whole a more cooperative, positive environment?

Not the PP, but first of all - were your kids in AAP? If so, then of course you never saw this behavior. AAP parents and kids experience a wholly different atmosphere at center schools th than Gen Ed kids and parents. M
And as far as the parents "doing anything about it"? Beyond bringing up these situations repeatedly at PTA meetings and private conferences with administration, what, exactly are the parents supposed to do? I'm a very active volunteer at our school and see this kind of behavior happen often. This is an administrative issue. More specifically, this is an FCPS issue. Parents can complain, suggest, cajole, request - you name it. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on FCPS to rectify the imbalance they've created with center schools.

So what you really want is for the imbalance to go the other way. So your GE kids significantly outnumber the AAP kids, and they can taunt the nerds? I have seen and heard of AAP nastiness too. But in our Center, it's from high SES GE kids directed at AAP kids and telling them they are not wanted. I wonder where that attitude comes from?

No one should be taunting anyone, first of all. Secondly, AAP kids aren't "nerds" (your word, by the way) - most are as mainstream as any other kids, due to how many have been admitted in recent years. AAP kids are not a majority in real life. They just aren't. Why should they be a majority in any school? The way centers are set up, AAP kids somehow look like the "norm," while Gen Ed kids are the exception.

Your problem is with the AAP students on the border. You don't have a problem with the highly gifted kids, and you keep bringing up the very bright GE kids. So your issue is right at the dividing line. Interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

I'm sorry this was your and your child's experience at your one center school, but in six years of AAP center schools (ES and MS) this was nothing like the experience our kid, our family or the many other families we knew well through school ever had.

DCUM is full of people saying their center schools are hotbeds of "hyper-competitive parents." I knew only one family like that in six years (and the school at one point told those parents to cool their jets and wouldn't allow their kid to do some stuff the parents insisted was the kid's "right"--yes, administrators CAN say no to parents who are pushy).

And there are lots of depictions on DCUM of AAP kids as arrogant little jerks taunting other kids. Never saw it and I was in both our center schools -- a lot. There certainly may be some centers like that, but if that was the case at YOUR child's school, did you or other parents (of AAP students or general ed students) ever do anything about it? Come up with some ways for the kids to mix more? Point out to anyone in authority that teasing was taking place and needed to be addressed? Volunteer to make the school as a whole a more cooperative, positive environment?

Not the PP, but first of all - were your kids in AAP? If so, then of course you never saw this behavior. AAP parents and kids experience a wholly different atmosphere at center schools th than Gen Ed kids and parents. M
And as far as the parents "doing anything about it"? Beyond bringing up these situations repeatedly at PTA meetings and private conferences with administration, what, exactly are the parents supposed to do? I'm a very active volunteer at our school and see this kind of behavior happen often. This is an administrative issue. More specifically, this is an FCPS issue. Parents can complain, suggest, cajole, request - you name it. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on FCPS to rectify the imbalance they've created with center schools.

So what you really want is for the imbalance to go the other way. So your GE kids significantly outnumber the AAP kids, and they can taunt the nerds? I have seen and heard of AAP nastiness too. But in our Center, it's from high SES GE kids directed at AAP kids and telling them they are not wanted. I wonder where that attitude comes from?

No one should be taunting anyone, first of all. Secondly, AAP kids aren't "nerds" (your word, by the way) - most are as mainstream as any other kids, due to how many have been admitted in recent years. AAP kids are not a majority in real life. They just aren't. Why should they be a majority in any school? The way centers are set up, AAP kids somehow look like the "norm," while Gen Ed kids are the exception.

Maybe it's nice for kids who aren't normal to have a place where they are.

Again - with a very tiny exception, the vast majority of AAP kids are normal. There's a huge overlap between AAP and Gen Ed kids, as all of us know. If we were talking about GT, from more than a decade ago, then yes, those kids were exceptional. But the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that the AAP of today is simply not a gifted model any longer. There is no need for FCPS to continue creating an artificial "peer group" for a massive group of basically mainstream kids.