Moving from FCPS to APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you give up AAP for the non-existent services that APS offers?

DP, but not every FCPS kid is in AAP...

And APS offers G/T services, just not on the AAP model.

Oh please these "services" are a JOKE. If you have a kid who is truly achieving above grade level, G/T in APS isn't going to do squat for him or her. Also in ES each school has one G/T instructor. ONE. Most of those elementary schools are over 700 students, so think about that ratio and attention your kid is (or isn't) getting. And by the way if other posters are true on this chain, the enrollments are just going up, so the chances of your child getting any meaningful attention is already slim but soon to be shrinking...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old is your child?

If in HS, and you don't mind that Arlington does GT (not AAP), I could see some advantages. Some of the lower performing HS in FC are worse than any of the high schools in AC. Some of the FC HS are larger than any of the three comprehensive HS in AC.

If in MS, I'd approach cautiously. The APS MS are tapping out on capacity. Children are getting lost in the system. A few of the HS are pretty good, but some are rocky (drugs are available, schools over capacity and disorganized).

If your child is in elementary school or younger, be very aware that the APS has not addressed its biggest challenges and over the next 10 years, the overcapacity problems are on track to become a serious disaster. There is talk about meeting capacity strain with shift schedules and online learning. Most parents I know feel that the solutions that are available have been ignored, making this scenario an increasing likelihood.

Wakefield has lower SAT scores than any high school in FCPS except Mount Vernon.

True but on a positive noted Wakefiled does have higher scores than TC Williams - so they at least beat somebody!

Race to the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you give up AAP for the non-existent services that APS offers?

DP, but not every FCPS kid is in AAP...

And APS offers G/T services, just not on the AAP model.

Oh please these "services" are a JOKE. If you have a kid who is truly achieving above grade level, G/T in APS isn't going to do squat for him or her. Also in ES each school has one G/T instructor. ONE. Most of those elementary schools are over 700 students, so think about that ratio and attention your kid is (or isn't) getting. And by the way if other posters are true on this chain, the enrollments are just going up, so the chances of your child getting any meaningful attention is already slim but soon to be shrinking...

Why the hostility? I made a statement that APS offers G/T services (true), and that those services are not on the AAP model (also true). The AAP program has many strengths, but also disadvantages. The same is true for the Arlington approach. It depends on what you are looking for, what your educational philosophy is, and what your/your child's goals are. But you 1) don't know my child; 2) don't know what school he is in; 3) don't know his academic strengths; and 4) don't know what services he is receiving. We have been happy with the services, and like the fact that he receives push-in support. You apparently do not like that approach and prefer the AAP model, which is of course fine, but that does not make Arlington's G/T services a "JOKE."

[Anonymous]

Arlington is going downhill. Slowly but surely. Too many really dumb smart people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you give up AAP for the non-existent services that APS offers?[/quote]

I don't like AAP and all the FCPS energy that this put into the AAP programs.

[Anonymous]

My DC is at TJ for high school after being in APS from kindergarten to 8th grade. DC had been ID'd as gifted in multiple areas by APS and participated in varying degrees in the APS gifted services program, which I gather is not as comprehensive as the FCPS program. But when DC went to TJ he was not behind in any way compared to his FCPS peers, and in some areas, such as English and history, he seems to have a better educational foundation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is at TJ for high school after being in APS from kindergarten to 8th grade. DC had been ID'd as gifted in multiple areas by APS and participated in varying degrees in the APS gifted services program, which I gather is not as comprehensive as the FCPS program. But when DC went to TJ he was not behind in any way compared to his FCPS peers, and in some areas, such as English and history, he seems to have a better educational foundation.

If you don't mind divulging, was your DC at a neighborhood school or at ATS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is at TJ for high school after being in APS from kindergarten to 8th grade. DC had been ID'd as gifted in multiple areas by APS and participated in varying degrees in the APS gifted services program, which I gather is not as comprehensive as the FCPS program. But when DC went to TJ he was not behind in any way compared to his FCPS peers, and in some areas, such as English and history, he seems to have a better educational foundation.

If you don't mind divulging, was your DC at a neighborhood school or at ATS?

NP here, but my son also was in APS from K-8 and is now at TJ and was in the G/T program from an early age (1st or 2nd grade, I think). He went through Key and the Gunston Immersion program. My impression is that he might have been a little behind some of the FCPS kids in math, but otherwise was well prepared for TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is at TJ for high school after being in APS from kindergarten to 8th grade. DC had been ID'd as gifted in multiple areas by APS and participated in varying degrees in the APS gifted services program, which I gather is not as comprehensive as the FCPS program. But when DC went to TJ he was not behind in any way compared to his FCPS peers, and in some areas, such as English and history, he seems to have a better educational foundation.

If you don't mind divulging, was your DC at a neighborhood school or at ATS?

Neighborhood schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is going downhill. Slowly but surely. Too many really dumb smart people.

Don't we know it. I'm always amazed at how the IQ level jumps exponentially as soon as we cross into Bailey's Crossroads. I've talked with friends in Loudon & Prince William too, and they can't understand why folks in Chantilly are so brilliant compared to their own neighbors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington is going downhill. Slowly but surely. Too many really dumb smart people.

Don't we know it. I'm always amazed at how the IQ level jumps exponentially as soon as we cross into Bailey's Crossroads. I've talked with friends in Loudon & Prince William too, and they can't understand why folks in Chantilly are so brilliant compared to their own neighbors.

Swing and a miss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is at TJ for high school after being in APS from kindergarten to 8th grade. DC had been ID'd as gifted in multiple areas by APS and participated in varying degrees in the APS gifted services program, which I gather is not as comprehensive as the FCPS program. But when DC went to TJ he was not behind in any way compared to his FCPS peers, and in some areas, such as English and history, he seems to have a better educational foundation.

My DC went to Key emmersion. From there we went to a top international school in Asia where a lot of the curriculum such as, math, art, science, music was advanced and we didn't miss a beat. The overcrowding is sumething that is happening regionally, wether you're in md,va,dc. I have one in a top private right now after doing ES and MS in aps public and is doing very well. You (aps,fcps) people are full of drama.

[Anonymous]

Unless you're coming from McLean High School or TJ, you won't regret the move to APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to hear from those who moved from FCPS to APS. What was the reason for the move and pros and cons in your experience of both FCPS and APS.

Where did the OP ever mention her/his child is gifted? Am I missing something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you give up AAP for the non-existent services that APS offers?

DP, but not every FCPS kid is in AAP...

And APS offers G/T services, just not on the AAP model.

Oh please these "services" are a JOKE. If you have a kid who is truly achieving above grade level, G/T in APS isn't going to do squat for him or her. Also in ES each school has one G/T instructor. ONE. Most of those elementary schools are over 700 students, so think about that ratio and attention your kid is (or isn't) getting. And by the way if other posters are true on this chain, the enrollments are just going up, so the chances of your child getting any meaningful attention is already slim but soon to be shrinking...

If a child is achieving above grade level, it doesn't automatically mean they are gifted. Many students in Arlington perform above grade level, so if you look at the GT teacher as the only qualified individual to meet the needs of advanced learners, that would be a much bigger problem. Classroom teachers are trained to provide appropriate instruction for all learners. Parents have a problem with this because it doesn't appear the gifted children are receiving anything "extra". Extra isn't always better...sometimes different is more appropriate.