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Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
Fairfax County GT program and uptight parents.
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Anonymous
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Seriously? I know that you will find ‘those parents’ (the soccer parent, the cheer parent, the dance parent, etc….) in any activity for kids, but are there any plain old normal parents with kids in the GT program?
When we got the notice that our super special snowflake was in the second grade pool for the GT program, I had to look up what that meant. I know what GT is, but I hadn’t even given a thought to my kiddo being a part of it. Obviously I think that my special snowflake is brilliant, but I am her Mom and somewhat biased. Anyway, when she got in, I admit to being somewhat surprised. We attended the orientation and saw a few kids from special snowflake’s school and I kid you not, all but one parent came right out and asked what my kids test scores were. Yeah sorry, I have no clue. I remember that they were good, but that is about it. I didn’t realize that it was a competition. Fast-forward to this morning and we are at a local park. My little snowflake made a friend and while they were playing, the Mom and I began to chat. She asked what school snowflake attended and when I mentioned the new school for next year; she asked if it was for the AAP program. Well, this lady’s next question? What were snowflake’s test scores? Really? She was surprised that I didn’t have a clue and proceeded to tell me about her snowflakes scores. She then went on about the package they put together for the committee and the extra testing that they had done (her child did get in) and was horrified to discover that not only did we not do testing or submit any extra work samples, but with the snow break, we forgot to send in the parent questionnaire! Boy, how do you think she’d react to the two N’s that my snowflake got on her end of the year report card for managing time and completing work in class on time? YIKES! I’m getting a little worried that I am too laid back for this program. I am one of those Moms that likes to volunteer at the school and in the classroom if it is needed and I do the PTA and all of that, but please tell me that I will meet some normal parents during the course of school next year who won’t demand to know test scores the moment the greeting pleasantries are out of the way. Should I shrink and laminate the letters we got with the test scores on them to keep in my purse just in case? Sorry to sound snarky. I understand that parents want to be good advocates for their kids, and want them to succeed, but are we going to spend the rest of snowflake's school career having to justify her acceptance into the program? I do know that there have to be parents out there like me; I am just kind of taken aback by all the people I’ve met so far! |
Anonymous
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Ha. We're so normal that we decided if our kid hadn't been accepted, we would not have appealed. I figure the county knows what it's doing. But we didn't have to cross that bridge. 8)
I did meet one dad recently who was cool. He told me that although his daughter is doing stuff at the GT center that seemed advanced compared to when he was in school, after middle school all the kids, GT and non-GT, go back to the same high school so he didn't see why it was such a big deal. |
Anonymous
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Honestly OP I have NEVER EVER had anyone ask me my child's scores. I think that is incredibly rude. My DD is a 4th grader and no one at her base school or now at the Center has ever asked. In fact, when we were submitting a package (and yes we did) I had an incredibly hard time even finding people who were willing to admit they were doing so and what types of things might be helpful. (Unlike you we had private testing done in second grade, but for issues we were having in school, not for GT testing, although IQ testing was part of it.)
So your experience has been nothing like mine. |
Anonymous
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My daughter just finished 3rd grade in a GT center class. There are normal parents, but it is much easier to notice the high-pressure control freak parents that seem to be plentiful. To a lot of these people, it really is a competition and it seems as if their only goal is to make sure that their child scores better, jumps higher, and goes further than everyone elses child.
But there are also parents like me, who just want their child to be happy and healthy...to have a good group of supportive friends and a well rounded childhood. Yes the kids in the GT program typically need more of a challenge than others, but it doesn't have to encompass their whole life. They're kids...not robots. |
Anonymous
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OP here.
Maybe I have just had the sad misfortune of meeting a couple of random whack-a-doos? I couldn't imagine ever asking someone questions like that. I guess I can look on the bright side, though. My Snowflake made a new friend that will be at the same school. |
Anonymous
| Please......OP you are so full of yourself...... |
Anonymous
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I'm sorry, what about my post makes me full of myself? The fact that I am not stressing about my kids GT placement enough to be able to rattle off stats, or are you suggesting that I didn't meet a Mom today at the park who asked me the question?
Just visit Waynewood. There are plenty of people stressed out about every detail of their kids lives. I just hope that Stratford Landing has more normal people than insane. Thanks for your opinion. |
Anonymous
| Our kid just came home and asked what TJ was. Apparently one of the other kids that is moving with her to AAP told her she was planning to go to TJ. 8 years old and 2nd graders - wish the kid well...... |
Anonymous
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My daughter is fitting in much better socially thanks to the GT Center but it certainly is not her entire life.
As for the "all bow when we say the name TJ" environment -- the parents cause the stress about it and not the kids. Albert Einstein never went to TJ. 
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Anonymous
test prep and Saturday school. TJ then UVA/other top. TJ and it's auto feed [semi] are great bargains. Private schools at public prices. |
Anonymous
What's this about auto feed [semi]? Could you elaborate a bit on that? Not that I'm that interested in the kid getting into TJ down the road or anything like that. 
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Anonymous
ditto. |
Anonymous
My child is about to start Waynewood in the fall. Is it a pressure cooker there or it is just some wacked parents who make it that way? |
Anonymous
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PP, this is the OP.
I think it is just a few nutty parents. We've had a great experience at Waynewood and (with a few exceptions) have only encountered the stressed out parents since the GT thing started this year. Honestly, I have only encountered two or three nutty GT parents, but I haven't met many of them so hopefully they are all much more normal. I don't know much about Stratford Landing and what that environment will be like. Most of the really obsessed and crazy parents that I have come across have been through sports (older son plays football through a local league and daughter does cheerleading and softball). |
Anonymous
| My DS is in AAP and none of the parents are like this. None. |