Sound off if you think AAP is BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The funny part is, IRL, everyone seems to play together fine. On DCUM, the GE parents complain about how badly GE kids and parents are treated-- while saying really mean spirited nasty things about both. And the AAP parents take the high road.

LOL. That is funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The funny part is, IRL, everyone seems to play together fine. On DCUM, the GE parents complain about how badly GE kids and parents are treated-- while saying really mean spirited nasty things about both. And the AAP parents take the high road.

LOL. That is funny.

I know. This is funny. But also sad that so many AAP parents actually THINK they are taking the high road on this forum.

[Anonymous]

It's a shame the AAP nutters couldn't help themselves and had to disrupt the thread with insults and name calling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:" Schools have between 25% - 50% gifted students across the board."

Very, very rare (meaning almost no schools are like this)

"Time and time again, those gifted in sports become our brilliant leaders of the future?"

Time and time again? Um, name 50 people in a American history who were "gifted" in sports who later became our "brilliant" leaders? I can't think of a single one. Reagan played football, but wasn't gifted in it. Schwartzenegger? Neither gifted as a bodybuilder nor a leader. Do name 50, please, which should be easily done if has happened time and time again.

You're using gross exaggerations which dilutes your message, which message has been rehashed extensively on this site.

No, you are SO right PP. Athleticism doesn't matter, EQ doesn't matter, creativity doesn't matter, writing doesn't matter, physical appearance doesn't matter, artistic expression doesn't matter. Gosh! really nothing is an indicator of success or worthiness to superior resources than a really high math score come to think of it! The only REAL factor that matters is a high ability in math.

You must be so smart PP. I bet you have a gigantic IQ. Do people routinely stop you on the street and ask to 'pet' your brain? And no doubt, you are a HUGE success in life PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"But it is probably a saner system because most everyone who gets left behind in the home school is pretty bright too, and an excellent education isn't reserved only for those called gifted."

Eh....reality is that the regular MoCo system has no formal pathways for advanced instruction in ES aside from one chance to get jnto accelerated math for 4th/5th. This is also far from ideal. I think the best would be a combination of the two:
1) tiny centers for the crazy gifted or kids who are accelerated and at schools where there are not enough kids to create a class. MCPS does the former at least.
Plus
2) structured curriculum for those kids who need more challenge but are not off the charts gifted. This is where MCPS fails and FCPS does better with the lower level aap levels.

How do you know this? Do you have first hand experience, and knowledge of ALL the advanced but not gifted kids in MCPS? I'm pretty sure some of the MCPS parents will disagree with this assessment, myself included.

[Anonymous]

How many of these AAP kids go on to TJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many of these AAP kids go on to TJ?

Almost all of the kids at TJ went through AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a shame it's not just the top 2%. The current % is so disruptive to the whole system.

Top 2% of FCPS is not top 2% nationally. It's why the FCPS CogAT is not nationally normed. For perspective-- about 2% of each FCPS class is admitted to TJ.

Who cares nationally? Locally, it's causing a huge disruption and it's time to revisit the goal of AAP and also the approach. Something got lost along the way.

What has happened locally is that fcps AAP program and TJ have attracted a lot of families with high performing kids away from districts like Arlington & MC, which brings in more NMSFs, higher SATs, more prestige, etc, which attracts more educated, high achieving families which raises property valies which raises tax revenue for fcps.

+1. This. It's exactly doesn't Karen Garza has zero interest in getting rid of AAP. And why Fairfax County has a tech corridor.

It's utter hubris to declare that Fairfax County's tech corridor exists because of AAP. It would exist regardless. Plenty of highly-educated, professional parents live in Fairfax County and don't have kids in AAP.

Why does the Western fringe of the county send the vast majority of the FCPS kids that go to TJ, rather than the areas much closer to the school? Why are the schools in that part of the county so full of AAP students? Because the tech industry, which idea depends heavily on Asian parents who worship all things education is there. Tech settles where it can get workers. And Asian tech workers move where their kids can get the best education. It could settle in MoCo, but doesn't.

Exactly. Loudoun knows this, which is why it plans to open another STEM school like TJ soon. Arlington and MoCo ignore it, which is why their schools punch below their weight.

This is just horse shite. You are comparing a whole school magnet (TJ) with a school in a high poverty area with only 100 magnet kids (Blair). And yet, proportionally, Blair has more stem prize winners than TJ. Much like AAP, TJ accepts more students than the highly selective MS/HS/ES magnets.

[Anonymous]

I have a child that just started in the AAP program this year. My initial thoughts are that it is a good program. I like the higher expectations and focus on critical thinking, however I don't think it is all that much of a gifted program. My DC is one of those kids that tests in the highly gifted range but is lazy and will rise to only to whatever expectations are set for the class unless he is interested in the what he is doing. He needs a class that is more in depth and accelerated than what the current AAP program offers.

That said I think the Aap extensions that focus on critical thinking would benefit all kids and should be provided as part of the general education curriculum.
I do think the current program is bloated and clearly includes kids who don't belong in a traditional gifted classroom. I know lots of kids that got in without the requisite test or GBRS scores. I am all for offering the current AAP curriculum as the general education curriculum and reducing the current AAP cohort to the top 2% of FCPS takers and offering a truly accelerated and gifted program. That way the vast majority of kids can benefit from the AAP focus on critical thinking that I think that most generally bright kids can handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

If you you know that the three schools closest to your home have these specific numbers, several things are true: (1) you live in a very specific area in the Western part of the county that's a TJ feeder zone, (2) you have way too much time on your hands, (3) which you spend on some weird obsession you have with a program that your child doesn't even attend, and (4) you would be a lot happier if you just moved somewhere like Lake Braddock. Or heck-- try a Stuart zoned school. Your kid will look like a rocket scientist by virtue of the fact they speak English. If your kids can't keep up, you should definately teach them that the solution is just to surround themselves with lower performing people.

^^ beyond any issues related to the children, here is another reason why people dislike AAP: the parents.

Because they can string together a coherent thought? Or because you have an inferiority complex?

More examples of how AAP parents can be jerks. And racists too, it appears. Thanks for further demonstrating my point.

Why are you even posting on this thread? OP asked for people who think AAP is BS. Go work on your reading comprehension.

Where do you get racist from ? People of every race and ethic background can be comp,Evelyn incapable of logical thought.

And if OP wants a thread full of people thrashing AAP parents and kids, what did she (and you) think would happen on DCUM? Again with the logically and coherent thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a shame it's not just the top 2%. The current % is so disruptive to the whole system.

Top 2% of FCPS is not top 2% nationally. It's why the FCPS CogAT is not nationally normed. For perspective-- about 2% of each FCPS class is admitted to TJ.

Who cares nationally? Locally, it's causing a huge disruption and it's time to revisit the goal of AAP and also the approach. Something got lost along the way.

What has happened locally is that fcps AAP program and TJ have attracted a lot of families with high performing kids away from districts like Arlington & MC, which brings in more NMSFs, higher SATs, more prestige, etc, which attracts more educated, high achieving families which raises property valies which raises tax revenue for fcps.

+1. This. It's exactly doesn't Karen Garza has zero interest in getting rid of AAP. And why Fairfax County has a tech corridor.

It's utter hubris to declare that Fairfax County's tech corridor exists because of AAP. It would exist regardless. Plenty of highly-educated, professional parents live in Fairfax County and don't have kids in AAP.

Why does the Western fringe of the county send the vast majority of the FCPS kids that go to TJ, rather than the areas much closer to the school? Why are the schools in that part of the county so full of AAP students? Because the tech industry, which idea depends heavily on Asian parents who worship all things education is there. Tech settles where it can get workers. And Asian tech workers move where their kids can get the best education. It could settle in MoCo, but doesn't.

Exactly. Loudoun knows this, which is why it plans to open another STEM school like TJ soon. Arlington and MoCo ignore it, which is why their schools punch below their weight.

This is just horse shite. You are comparing a whole school magnet (TJ) with a school in a high poverty area with only 100 magnet kids (Blair). And yet, proportionally, Blair has more stem prize winners than TJ. Much like AAP, TJ accepts more students than the highly selective MS/HS/ES magnets.

You missed the point completely, but hurray for Blair. Now you might want to spend some time contemplating why the rest of MCPS is either very wealthy or largely poor with less and less left in the middle, unlike in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a child that just started in the AAP program this year. My initial thoughts are that it is a good program. I like the higher expectations and focus on critical thinking, however I don't think it is all that much of a gifted program. My DC is one of those kids that tests in the highly gifted range but is lazy and will rise to only to whatever expectations are set for the class unless he is interested in the what he is doing. He needs a class that is more in depth and accelerated than what the current AAP program offers.

That said I think the Aap extensions that focus on critical thinking would benefit all kids and should be provided as part of the general education curriculum.
I do think the current program is bloated and clearly includes kids who don't belong in a traditional gifted classroom. I know lots of kids that got in without the requisite test or GBRS scores. I am all for offering the current AAP curriculum as the general education curriculum and reducing the current AAP cohort to the top 2% of FCPS takers and offering a truly accelerated and gifted program. That way the vast majority of kids can benefit from the AAP focus on critical thinking that I think that most generally bright kids can handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a child that just started in the AAP program this year. My initial thoughts are that it is a good program. I like the higher expectations and focus on critical thinking, however I don't think it is all that much of a gifted program. My DC is one of those kids that tests in the highly gifted range but is lazy and will rise to only to whatever expectations are set for the class unless he is interested in the what he is doing. He needs a class that is more in depth and accelerated than what the current AAP program offers.

That said I think the Aap extensions that focus on critical thinking would benefit all kids and should be provided as part of the general education curriculum.
I do think the current program is bloated and clearly includes kids who don't belong in a traditional gifted classroom. I know lots of kids that got in without the requisite test or GBRS scores. I am all for offering the current AAP curriculum as the general education curriculum and reducing the current AAP cohort to the top 2% of FCPS takers and offering a truly accelerated and gifted program. That way the vast majority of kids can benefit from the AAP focus on critical thinking that I think that most generally bright kids can handle.

Thank you for this post.

This is precisely why I think the system needs reform. Your son is a perfect example of someone that needs a true gifted program - part of a small minority and not benefiting by how many schools are running the AAP program.

[Anonymous]

Yes to the PP. I have two in AAP and I honestly don't think the work is all that advanced. We live in one of the areas where it seems like 30-50 percent of kids are in AAP and there aren't that many low performing kids. Consequently, based on presentations at back to school night etc my sense is that the gen Ed curriculum at our school is almost identical to the AAP curriculum except in math where AAP is more accelerated, but they'll move gen Ed kids in for math if they need advanced math.

I think there are issues with the size of the program and its implementation, but I'm not sure AAP kids are getting so much more than other kids. The AAP teachers certainly aren't always the best of the best. There are brand new teachers right out of college or with very limited experience in several grades.

AAP has mostly been good socially for my nerdy kids. One of my kids, in particular, feels the peer group is more like him and he has made more friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child that just started in the AAP program this year. My initial thoughts are that it is a good program. I like the higher expectations and focus on critical thinking, however I don't think it is all that much of a gifted program. My DC is one of those kids that tests in the highly gifted range but is lazy and will rise to only to whatever expectations are set for the class unless he is interested in the what he is doing. He needs a class that is more in depth and accelerated than what the current AAP program offers.

That said I think the Aap extensions that focus on critical thinking would benefit all kids and should be provided as part of the general education curriculum.
I do think the current program is bloated and clearly includes kids who don't belong in a traditional gifted classroom. I know lots of kids that got in without the requisite test or GBRS scores. I am all for offering the current AAP curriculum as the general education curriculum and reducing the current AAP cohort to the top 2% of FCPS takers and offering a truly accelerated and gifted program. That way the vast majority of kids can benefit from the AAP focus on critical thinking that I think that most generally bright kids can handle.

Thank you for this post.

This is precisely why I think the system needs reform. Your son is a perfect example of someone that needs a true gifted program - part of a small minority and not benefiting by how many schools are running the AAP program.

Actually, what she said about her son is what most of the AAP parents here also say about their sons and daughters (but mostly their sons).

So...I guess what you are saying PP is that MOST of the kids whose parents are on this AAP forum are examples of kids who need a "truly gifted program." What that poster wrote was fairly par for the course for kids in AAP.

It is kind of funny that you think her kid is one of the few that "need" AAP simply because you agreed with half of what she wrote.