Does AAP create unhelpful elitism and separation?

[Anonymous]

^^^ Also, to add to the previous: Why can't AAP kids find friends during the advanced math and language arts classes, or during nerdy after school activities? Do they truly need to be completely isolated from gen ed kids to find friends or fit in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Also, to add to the previous: Why can't AAP kids find friends during the advanced math and language arts classes, or during nerdy after school activities? Do they truly need to be completely isolated from gen ed kids to find friends or fit in?

They do not. This is a lie/rationalization that AAP-obsessed parents like to use and it sells their children incredibly short.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, and the reasoning is to provide a cohort to the students. If it's just some kids going to advanced math, that's not a cohort, or at least not a cohort as is currently being provided. All those posters who say that AAP was great socially for their child because they found their people, that's a cohort.

You may be correct that cohorts provide no value to any gifted student and that schools shouldn't provide that. That's what you're arguing for.

Now we're back to the elitism argument. If the argument is that kids "need AAP" to find their cohort, that's saying that AAP kids and non-AAP kids are not peers. It's pretty elitist to feel as if your child cannot possibly find peers among the gen ed kids, and it's also elitist to feel as if a middle-of-the-road AAP kid is different at all from a bright gen ed kid who missed the cut.

Exactly. This mindset isn't just "my kid is better at math than yours so needs extra work to challenge him" it's "my kid shouldn't even have to eat lunch with yours."

Interesting that you view it as elitist. While I love him to pieces, I think my kid can be a little dorky which is what I mean when I consider that he found his tribe in AAP . Other kids who like to read on play dates rather than play ball

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, and the reasoning is to provide a cohort to the students. If it's just some kids going to advanced math, that's not a cohort, or at least not a cohort as is currently being provided. All those posters who say that AAP was great socially for their child because they found their people, that's a cohort.

You may be correct that cohorts provide no value to any gifted student and that schools shouldn't provide that. That's what you're arguing for.

Now we're back to the elitism argument. If the argument is that kids "need AAP" to find their cohort, that's saying that AAP kids and non-AAP kids are not peers. It's pretty elitist to feel as if your child cannot possibly find peers among the gen ed kids, and it's also elitist to feel as if a middle-of-the-road AAP kid is different at all from a bright gen ed kid who missed the cut.

Exactly. This mindset isn't just "my kid is better at math than yours so needs extra work to challenge him" it's "my kid shouldn't even have to eat lunch with yours."

Interesting that you view it as elitist. While I love him to pieces, I think my kid can be a little dorky which is what I mean when I consider that he found his tribe in AAP . Other kids who like to read on play dates rather than play ball

I honestly mean this is a loveable way. Not sure if it is coming across as mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Interesting that you view it as elitist. While I love him to pieces, I think my kid can be a little dorky which is what I mean when I consider that he found his tribe in AAP . Other kids who like to read on play dates rather than play ball

There really isn't such a stark line in interests. The AAP kids in my neighborhood are always out playing ball, and some of the gen ed kids have pretty nerdy interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, and the reasoning is to provide a cohort to the students. If it's just some kids going to advanced math, that's not a cohort, or at least not a cohort as is currently being provided. All those posters who say that AAP was great socially for their child because they found their people, that's a cohort.

You may be correct that cohorts provide no value to any gifted student and that schools shouldn't provide that. That's what you're arguing for.

Now we're back to the elitism argument. If the argument is that kids "need AAP" to find their cohort, that's saying that AAP kids and non-AAP kids are not peers. It's pretty elitist to feel as if your child cannot possibly find peers among the gen ed kids, and it's also elitist to feel as if a middle-of-the-road AAP kid is different at all from a bright gen ed kid who missed the cut.

Exactly. This mindset isn't just "my kid is better at math than yours so needs extra work to challenge him" it's "my kid shouldn't even have to eat lunch with yours."

Interesting that you view it as elitist. While I love him to pieces, I think my kid can be a little dorky which is what I mean when I consider that he found his tribe in AAP . Other kids who like to read on play dates rather than play ball

There are dorky kids who like to read who are in gen ed. Your kid will find them. Why not give him some credit and let him develop that skill before he enters middle school, when it will only become more difficult?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, and the reasoning is to provide a cohort to the students. If it's just some kids going to advanced math, that's not a cohort, or at least not a cohort as is currently being provided. All those posters who say that AAP was great socially for their child because they found their people, that's a cohort.

You may be correct that cohorts provide no value to any gifted student and that schools shouldn't provide that. That's what you're arguing for.

Now we're back to the elitism argument. If the argument is that kids "need AAP" to find their cohort, that's saying that AAP kids and non-AAP kids are not peers. It's pretty elitist to feel as if your child cannot possibly find peers among the gen ed kids, and it's also elitist to feel as if a middle-of-the-road AAP kid is different at all from a bright gen ed kid who missed the cut.

Exactly. This mindset isn't just "my kid is better at math than yours so needs extra work to challenge him" it's "my kid shouldn't even have to eat lunch with yours."

Interesting that you view it as elitist. While I love him to pieces, I think my kid can be a little dorky which is what I mean when I consider that he found his tribe in AAP . Other kids who like to read on play dates rather than play ball

There are dorky kids who like to read who are in gen ed. Your kid will find them. Why not give him some credit and let him develop that skill before he enters middle school, when it will only become more difficult?

her kid can't find them, because he kid can't assign himself to the class he'll be in. Her kid also won't be able to pick who he goes to class with. The school administration is in charge of what they think is the right fit, teacher and peer wise. In this case the school administration, has decided that this kid needs to be in AAP where he can have more peers, intellectually and socially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, and the reasoning is to provide a cohort to the students. If it's just some kids going to advanced math, that's not a cohort, or at least not a cohort as is currently being provided. All those posters who say that AAP was great socially for their child because they found their people, that's a cohort.

You may be correct that cohorts provide no value to any gifted student and that schools shouldn't provide that. That's what you're arguing for.

Now we're back to the elitism argument. If the argument is that kids "need AAP" to find their cohort, that's saying that AAP kids and non-AAP kids are not peers. It's pretty elitist to feel as if your child cannot possibly find peers among the gen ed kids, and it's also elitist to feel as if a middle-of-the-road AAP kid is different at all from a bright gen ed kid who missed the cut.

Exactly. This mindset isn't just "my kid is better at math than yours so needs extra work to challenge him" it's "my kid shouldn't even have to eat lunch with yours."

Interesting that you view it as elitist. While I love him to pieces, I think my kid can be a little dorky which is what I mean when I consider that he found his tribe in AAP . Other kids who like to read on play dates rather than play ball

There are dorky kids who like to read who are in gen ed. Your kid will find them. Why not give him some credit and let him develop that skill before he enters middle school, when it will only become more difficult?

I didn't create AAP and I didn't prep my kid for it. When offered a slot, I thought about it a lot, and we ultimately accepted. I don't think it is end all, be all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I didn't create AAP and I didn't prep my kid for it. When offered a slot, I thought about it a lot, and we ultimately accepted. I don't think it is end all, be all.

I don't blame anyone for applying for AAP and choosing to go to the center under the current model. The notions, however, that AAP kids need full-time separation from gen ed kids and "need" a special cohort is ridiculous, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, you are not even part of that community, but you find something so wrong with that field trip, because of the gossip that it creates.

You should run for the school board and really make a positive change.

You think the AAP program will last forever here and your little field trip doesn't make a difference. It does. Things change. I like AAP for the academic rigor it provides my child. I hate your field trip for the elitism it promotes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you are not even part of that community, but you find something so wrong with that field trip, because of the gossip that it creates.

You should run for the school board and really make a positive change.

You think the AAP program will last forever here and your little field trip doesn't make a difference. It does. Things change. I like AAP for the academic rigor it provides my child. I hate your field trip for the elitism it promotes.

DP. I'm not sure that AAP will continue in any recognizable form much longer, because of threads like these. Hyper competitive parents who think that AAP is elitist, because their kids did get in, or didn't get in, may bring about the dismantling of the program.

I hope that doesn't happen, honesty. But we'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, do you know which neighborhood OP is looking to move into? Can you speak for all of FX County?

I'm curious if OP will move to some schools rated as 1-5 on great schools, or is she looking to move to a neighborhood with school ratings more comparable to FCC. Maybe, since OP loves diversity so much she should move her kids to some school where 90% of the students don't speak English. That will provide her true diversity, and a chance to do a lot of good.

PP, also, if your kids are in HS, that means that they would have been part of the old program which was truly GT, and not expanded like today's program. And what's your school rating? From the way you speak, I bet it is 8-10.

OP here. Because of commuting proximity to our work, we are looking at the Pimmit Hills area, specifically, Westgate Elementary, Lemon Road Elementary, Kilmer MS, and Marshall HS. We are open to other suggestions/ideas. (need to be able to drive into NW DC). We are also looking at Arlington, but housing prices are harder for us there.

Wait - you are looking for a diverse school, and work in DC? And yet you are intent on staying in VA? Why not move to DC? DCPS and DCPCS are diverse.

Oh, I get it - you're opposed to elitism, and want diversity, but not THAT much diversity.

[Anonymous]

Google the emotional needs of gifted kids and asynchronous development.

Being gifted is effectively a special need in that there are huge challenges these kids face related to the fact that they have such high intelligence.

Having a been a gifted kid, and having spent most of my time in undifferentiated classrooms where I truly was a freak to everyone else, I can tell you that those programs are a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Google the emotional needs of gifted kids and asynchronous development.

Being gifted is effectively a special need in that there are huge challenges these kids face related to the fact that they have such high intelligence.

Having a been a gifted kid, and having spent most of my time in undifferentiated classrooms where I truly was a freak to everyone else, I can tell you that those programs are a good thing.

I think people either have experience with this and know what you're talking about, or they don't. And they don't believe it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you are not even part of that community, but you find something so wrong with that field trip, because of the gossip that it creates.

You should run for the school board and really make a positive change.

You think the AAP program will last forever here and your little field trip doesn't make a difference. It does. Things change. I like AAP for the academic rigor it provides my child. I hate your field trip for the elitism it promotes.

DP. I'm not sure that AAP will continue in any recognizable form much longer, because of threads like these. Hyper competitive parents who think that AAP is elitist, because their kids did get in, or didn't get in, may bring about the dismantling of the program.

I hope that doesn't happen, honesty. But we'll see.

Exactly. Most parents are fine either way and don't see AAP as too special but it's stupid parents who either are mad their DC didn't get in - which likely would just water down any teaching at FCPS thus defeating their actual purpose - or the elitest parents with AAP children who think their child is super special and can't hang with the gen eds kids even on a field trip that will ultimately bring the program down. So short sighted. And still after eight years in FCPS I don't see any parents complaining starting up a committee on general ed needs which is really what needs to happen.