tell me about your experience with regular ed in FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My children were/are in general ed.

I don't buy into the academic arms race at such a young age. I'm Finnish and follow the Finnish educational model. My kids did fine in FCPS grade school -- good, not stellar -- but I didn't push them beyond what was reasonable for their ages. So, opposite of "tiger mom." They are children, they need to play and be creative. They need to learn how to be good people. Learning should not be so stressful at a young age.

My children are now ramping up each year in secondary. Straight As, all honors, awards, all of those types of things. That's nice.

Relax, and let them be children. Set them on a good trajectory in grade school, and help them find their motivation. The success will come.

OP here. I’m also not from the U.S. and tend to share your point of view. But I also want to make sure my kids get a good education.

[Anonymous]

I feel ambivalent re: FCPS. On one hand, I am sure it's better than many school systems. On the other hand, I think regular ed kids get lost in the shuffle. Teachers do not have the resources to give kids much attention/instruction. I have been supplementing at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not find general ed to be fine or FCPS fine in any way. I am at one of the supposed best elementary schools. The quality of the educational is very disappointing. A lot of time moving room to room, very large classes, lots of time giving iready or DRA testing and during that time the single teacher is out of the room. No snap words, no spelling correction at the young age or basic spelling later. AAP available is known to be better because at least those teachers find it unacceptable that 4th and 5th graders who have been deemed advanced cannot spell or do basic math quickly. It makes me super angry and sad because we bought here for the school and are now applying to private school. Most of the teachers are less than 28. Way too young without a balance of older more seasoned teachers. As I tour the privates, I recall all the negativity public school advocates say about private school teachers and qualifications and what I see are mature and career teachers who hold masters or phds In their fields. I see private schools require spelling and handwriting in addition to all of the other subjects. They don’t use the gimmicks of iPads to show that they are using tech. They don’t move the kids room to room in endless stations so that no single teacher actually has an idea what the kids are capable of. Neither of my kids abiltiities or weaknesses are known to their teachers because they are taught by assistance so or by each other or by iPad. It is so incredibly disappointing. Public school has a bigger mission than private but at my school, the FARMs and esol are less than 2%. The administration is not loaded down with other challenges. It just thinks this is ok. There is a feeling that if the kids can pass the state standards, that is enough. If you take the time to review the state standards for each grade and subject, you will agree that it is definitely essential to learn the items listed but you will also probably find that you actually expect much much more and they just don’t do it.

+1,000,000
FCPS actually was an excellent school system - decades ago. I'm a product of FCPS during the 70s and 80s and feel I received a superb education. I can remember learning ACTUAL grammar and writing skills. The schools simply aren't the same anymore. The curriculum has been dumbed down to the point where people are panicking to get their kids into AAP - and even AAP isn't anything special. I've had kids in both AAP and Gen Ed and found both to be exactly as the PP described. Lots of wasted time. In middle school, rather than write real book reports, the English teachers give them "cute" and "fun" assignments to make a video or movie poster of the book. The teachers are now taking the lazy way out and passing it on to the students. A movie poster? A video/trailer? I was appalled when I saw what my kids English assignments were.

The PP is also right about private school, or at least good private schools. We took two of our kids out of FCPS and placed them in private, more or less as an experiment since we knew we wouldn't be able to afford permanent private school. It was truly unbelievable the amount of knowledge they learned during one year of private school. They were taught classic literature, geography, in-depth history lessons - and WRITING. Lots and lots of writing, spelling, grammar. They learned about famous artists, from their works to their lives, in great detail. None of this one hour "let's tell the kids about an artist whom they'll never remember or talk about again." To this day, my kids who attended this school for only ONE year are able to recite poetry and passages from great works of literature that they would *never* have been exposed to in public school. It truly broke our heart when we had to put them back in FCPS due to financial constraints.

To sum up, FCPS - whether AAP or Gen Ed - are just skimming the surface of a quality education. There's no depth. We found ourselves providing that ourselves, at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Prepare to supplement by tutoring - outside or DIY.

The regular ed students are easily lost in the shuffle, with attention, resources, programs, specialized staff for the students who struggle with English, have an IEP, get FARMS, need speech therapy.

The only constant is inconsistency. Maybe your first grader will learn handwriting, maybe not. Perhaps your third grader will have a teacher who routinely corrects grammar and usage, but likely not. Your sixth grader may be prepared for middle school math if you take some initiative.

Hate to say it,it reg ed in FCPS is very dumbed down. Education for the masses, the lowest common denominator.

Oh, and wait until your child gets prepped for the almighty SOLS. You'll be asked to send your student in for extra tutoring for the test. If a student fails an SOL, there'll be a flurry of emails from the AP, urging your student to please enroll in a fast track re-take prep class before or after school.

And, all go ahead and say it, but there's very little actual learning happening. Once SOLs are over, learning ceases.

FCPS parent of 5, since 2005 - current.

THIS. And I will also say that AAP is not much better than Gen Ed. Both are very dumbed down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you feel about the "regular ed" that your child is already receiving? If your child needs more of a challenge in certain areas, I believe most schools are pretty good at placing kids in an AAP classroom for reading or math,
as needed (assuming there is a center or local Level IV at the school). The testing in 2nd grade also identifies kids who will get Level 3 services.

My kids were in a local level IV in elementary (the one in their school was under-enrolled and they were placed in the class - they tested at level 3). They took honors classes n MS and a mix of honors and APs in high school with a few regular classes in their weaker areas. My son benefited from the advanced math, and I think the school assigned the best teachers to those classrooms. However, I don't think it was really that different from the regular ES classes.

Something like 2/3 of the kids in their middle/high school are labeled as gifted, which seems nuts. However, by the time they reach high school, it really, truly does not matter. 97% of the kids go to college, even the "regular" children. Don't worry about it.

So true. Which tells us that this isn't really a "gifted" program. I have high schoolers, and you're right. Once they're at that point, everyone is mixed in together and no one knows (or cares) who used to be in AAP. It doesn't make a bit of difference in high school success.

[Anonymous]

PP FCPS parent of 5 and wanted to add that DH and I are both FCPS alumni. DH was identified as "gifted" in the then-early days of FCPS' Gifted and Talented AKA G/T program.

Our collective experience has made us realize that the AAP is the inferior, rough equivalent to "regular" FCPS of the late 1970s and 1980s. My parents specifically moved to Fairfax County in 1976 so that their children could attend FCPS. Truly, the schools had a stellar reputation. I'm not certain it is such a draw anymore, but I think for far too long, FCPS has rested on its laurels.


Also interesting to see the sweeping demographic changes across Fairfax County and how this has changed the school system writ-large; schools are bloated with staff and administrators, social workers, therapists, specialists, psychologists, counselors. The system has tried (and failed) to provide entirely too much "outreach" (there's a thread on this) and "wraparound services" all while striving for better SOL scores...all at the awful cost of graduating students who aren't truly educated. Not all, most.

[Anonymous]

This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

[Anonymous]

A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

[Anonymous]

I think parents convince themselves that FCPS is superior to other school districts to justify how much they pay for housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

I don’t think it’s laziness; I think teachers are overwhelmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

Preach! That project mess was around before and we had to scramble to get over it. Here it comes again? Oh my gosh. No!

[Anonymous]

Gen ed is fine. I think many kids in AAP are there because their parents have hired a team of tutors. They are stressed out and overwhelmed and why? Because Mom said my kid is better and should be in AAP. Gifted Ed used to be the 3% who couldn’t be educated in the traditional program. Now it’s anyone whose Mom shoves them through the testing and holds them there with tutoring. It’s ridiculous. Let them be kids a little?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

I don’t think it’s laziness; I think teachers are overwhelmed.

It's how teachers are trained. They are taught that these are best practices.

[Anonymous]

I have two in the schools, and I think FCPS are great. Older DS is in middle school and was in GE in elementary. He was only testing on grade level in reading so he had a daily individual reading session. They did writing every day. He was advanced in math and pushed into the AAP math class. He took honors Alegebra in seventh grade and did well.

Younger DS is in elementary and has severe ADHD. His school has been very accommodating. He gets individual breaks where a teacher will walk him when he needs a break. He gets individual work with his journal and they have challenging assignments. He likes school and is learning.

Older DS's best friend goes to a local private, but is returning to FCPS for high school. His parents aren't that impressed and think it's a waste of money. Too much hand holding that will not prepare students for college and the real work world.