On the chopping block: AAP Centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again - with a very tiny exception, the vast majority of AAP kids are normal. There's a huge overlap between AAP and Gen Ed kids, as all of us know. If we were talking about GT, from more than a decade ago, then yes, those kids were exceptional. But the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that the AAP of today is simply not a gifted model any longer. There is no need for FCPS to continue creating an artificial "peer group" for a massive group of basically mainstream kids.

+100 Well said and so true!

I would say, by and large, 20-30% of the kids in GenED could do fine in AAP, and would be no different than 1/2 the AAP students. Whether that is a huge overlap or not is up to interpretation. Like any cutoff, there will be issues at the edges. Certainly, the best non-AAP student is smarter than the worst AAP student. But, the top half of AAP are certainly smarter that the vast majority of non-AAP student. But, if you cut the boundary so that AAP was half the size, you would still end up with issues at the edges.

FCPS has created a system where the kids that NEED AAP are getting in (at probably the 99.5% level). To do that, they also admit 3-4x as many kids that do not need it, but will do fine in it.

I think that is actually a good tradeoff.

I disagree. By admitting only the students who absolutely need a different learning environment - and that number has got to be minuscule - AAP would become more similar to what GT once was. There wouldn't be this ridiculous jockeying to get in because it would be understood that AAP was a special ed program, reserved only for kids with exceptional ability.

Disagree.

Having a kid who is at that upper 99% range in multiple testing scenarios, what you describe (a miniscule group of students only in the upper 99% range) is one of the worst possible ideas, particularly at the elementary level.

A center program that is about two, maybe three classes is ideal. What you are proposing would be very negative for those kids at the very top.

The very tiny portion of kids "at the top" shouldn't be dictating how the majority of kids are taught.

So which is it?

A tiny minority dictating the program or a large, bloated majority? It can't be both.

I personally think it is neither. What happens in my one kid's AAP class has zero bearing on how my bright gen ed kid and his peers are being taught.

But if you think a miniscule minority of kids segragated into tiny classes away from everyone else and only with the handful of kids who score in the upper 99% is the way to run a gifted program, you are very ill informed. The current system is not ideal but it is a good system. I would rather they err on the side of including a few more kids than ideal than to miss a bunch of kids in the 97-98% range.

I think you misunderstood my comment. The point is that a tiny minority of highly gifted kids shouldn't require massive amounts of kids to be placed in AAP and the resulting centers. How is that fair to General Ed. students? If gifted kids are the exception to the rule, the schools should reflect that ratio. I don't think the current system is ideal by any means. At our center school, my child is in one of only TWO General Ed classes for his grade. In the meantime, there are FOUR AAP classes; the other grades have similar ratios. So this means my child is with the same handful of kids throughout elementary school. Why is this somehow ok with you and other AAP parents? As long as your child has plenty of different classmates each year, then I guess the system is working just fine.

Here again to counter this mentality. What do you want from me? To attend supervisor meetings, to bring it up with the principal? What can I do to show it is not OK with me. Tell you that ... because I'm getting the feeling you're just looking for a place to vent and have people commiserate with you and that's why you are a fixture here.

You seem unable to acknowledge that there are several posters here with the same viewpoint, not just this one you keep addressing all your posts to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again - with a very tiny exception, the vast majority of AAP kids are normal. There's a huge overlap between AAP and Gen Ed kids, as all of us know. If we were talking about GT, from more than a decade ago, then yes, those kids were exceptional. But the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that the AAP of today is simply not a gifted model any longer. There is no need for FCPS to continue creating an artificial "peer group" for a massive group of basically mainstream kids.

+100 Well said and so true!

I would say, by and large, 20-30% of the kids in GenED could do fine in AAP, and would be no different than 1/2 the AAP students. Whether that is a huge overlap or not is up to interpretation. Like any cutoff, there will be issues at the edges. Certainly, the best non-AAP student is smarter than the worst AAP student. But, the top half of AAP are certainly smarter that the vast majority of non-AAP student. But, if you cut the boundary so that AAP was half the size, you would still end up with issues at the edges.

FCPS has created a system where the kids that NEED AAP are getting in (at probably the 99.5% level). To do that, they also admit 3-4x as many kids that do not need it, but will do fine in it.

I think that is actually a good tradeoff.

I disagree. By admitting only the students who absolutely need a different learning environment - and that number has got to be minuscule - AAP would become more similar to what GT once was. There wouldn't be this ridiculous jockeying to get in because it would be understood that AAP was a special ed program, reserved only for kids with exceptional ability.

Disagree.

Having a kid who is at that upper 99% range in multiple testing scenarios, what you describe (a miniscule group of students only in the upper 99% range) is one of the worst possible ideas, particularly at the elementary level.

A center program that is about two, maybe three classes is ideal. What you are proposing would be very negative for those kids at the very top.

The very tiny portion of kids "at the top" shouldn't be dictating how the majority of kids are taught.

So which is it?

A tiny minority dictating the program or a large, bloated majority? It can't be both.

I personally think it is neither. What happens in my one kid's AAP class has zero bearing on how my bright gen ed kid and his peers are being taught.

But if you think a miniscule minority of kids segragated into tiny classes away from everyone else and only with the handful of kids who score in the upper 99% is the way to run a gifted program, you are very ill informed. The current system is not ideal but it is a good system. I would rather they err on the side of including a few more kids than ideal than to miss a bunch of kids in the 97-98% range.

I think you misunderstood my comment. The point is that a tiny minority of highly gifted kids shouldn't require massive amounts of kids to be placed in AAP and the resulting centers. How is that fair to General Ed. students? If gifted kids are the exception to the rule, the schools should reflect that ratio. I don't think the current system is ideal by any means. At our center school, my child is in one of only TWO General Ed classes for his grade. In the meantime, there are FOUR AAP classes; the other grades have similar ratios. So this means my child is with the same handful of kids throughout elementary school. Why is this somehow ok with you and other AAP parents? As long as your child has plenty of different classmates each year, then I guess the system is working just fine.

Here again to counter this mentality. What do you want from me? To attend supervisor meetings, to bring it up with the principal? What can I do to show it is not OK with me. Tell you that ... because I'm getting the feeling you're just looking for a place to vent and have people commiserate with you and that's why you are a fixture here.

It's also a little strange to not have any kids in AAP and spend so much time stalking an AAP forum.

I see - so then parents who have kids attending a center school shouldn't have any say in how their school is administered? You've got to be kidding. This is the school my children attend. You'd better believe I have a stake in what goes on there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again - with a very tiny exception, the vast majority of AAP kids are normal. There's a huge overlap between AAP and Gen Ed kids, as all of us know. If we were talking about GT, from more than a decade ago, then yes, those kids were exceptional. But the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that the AAP of today is simply not a gifted model any longer. There is no need for FCPS to continue creating an artificial "peer group" for a massive group of basically mainstream kids.

+100 Well said and so true!

I would say, by and large, 20-30% of the kids in GenED could do fine in AAP, and would be no different than 1/2 the AAP students. Whether that is a huge overlap or not is up to interpretation. Like any cutoff, there will be issues at the edges. Certainly, the best non-AAP student is smarter than the worst AAP student. But, the top half of AAP are certainly smarter that the vast majority of non-AAP student. But, if you cut the boundary so that AAP was half the size, you would still end up with issues at the edges.

FCPS has created a system where the kids that NEED AAP are getting in (at probably the 99.5% level). To do that, they also admit 3-4x as many kids that do not need it, but will do fine in it.

I think that is actually a good tradeoff.

I disagree. By admitting only the students who absolutely need a different learning environment - and that number has got to be minuscule - AAP would become more similar to what GT once was. There wouldn't be this ridiculous jockeying to get in because it would be understood that AAP was a special ed program, reserved only for kids with exceptional ability.

Disagree.

Having a kid who is at that upper 99% range in multiple testing scenarios, what you describe (a miniscule group of students only in the upper 99% range) is one of the worst possible ideas, particularly at the elementary level.

A center program that is about two, maybe three classes is ideal. What you are proposing would be very negative for those kids at the very top.

The very tiny portion of kids "at the top" shouldn't be dictating how the majority of kids are taught.

So which is it?

A tiny minority dictating the program or a large, bloated majority? It can't be both.

I personally think it is neither. What happens in my one kid's AAP class has zero bearing on how my bright gen ed kid and his peers are being taught.

But if you think a miniscule minority of kids segragated into tiny classes away from everyone else and only with the handful of kids who score in the upper 99% is the way to run a gifted program, you are very ill informed. The current system is not ideal but it is a good system. I would rather they err on the side of including a few more kids than ideal than to miss a bunch of kids in the 97-98% range.

I think you misunderstood my comment. The point is that a tiny minority of highly gifted kids shouldn't require massive amounts of kids to be placed in AAP and the resulting centers. How is that fair to General Ed. students? If gifted kids are the exception to the rule, the schools should reflect that ratio. I don't think the current system is ideal by any means. At our center school, my child is in one of only TWO General Ed classes for his grade. In the meantime, there are FOUR AAP classes; the other grades have similar ratios. So this means my child is with the same handful of kids throughout elementary school. Why is this somehow ok with you and other AAP parents? As long as your child has plenty of different classmates each year, then I guess the system is working just fine.

Here again to counter this mentality. What do you want from me? To attend supervisor meetings, to bring it up with the principal? What can I do to show it is not OK with me. Tell you that ... because I'm getting the feeling you're just looking for a place to vent and have people commiserate with you and that's why you are a fixture here.

It's also a little strange to not have any kids in AAP and spend so much time stalking an AAP forum.

Seems like the Gen Ed VA public school kids could not handle sharing a classroom with the AAP kids, so DCUM segregated AAP to their own single classroom with 1/4 of the posts. And still, the Gen Ed kids feel the need to come over to the AAP forum and make snarky comments. In a forum that does not concern their kids. So remind me again, the problem children/ trolls in this dynamic are???? Because I don't see any AAP parents in VA public schools bashing Gen Ed. Food for thought.

If my child attends a center school - as a Gen Ed or AAP student - I have a stake in that school. And now you're saying parents such as myself have no right to comment on a thread which discusses AAP centers being "on the chopping block"? I'm sorry, but I will post on forums and threads that concern me or my children. Now, if center schools didn't exist - then I wouldn't have any reason to post here, would I? Food for thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again - with a very tiny exception, the vast majority of AAP kids are normal. There's a huge overlap between AAP and Gen Ed kids, as all of us know. If we were talking about GT, from more than a decade ago, then yes, those kids were exceptional. But the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that the AAP of today is simply not a gifted model any longer. There is no need for FCPS to continue creating an artificial "peer group" for a massive group of basically mainstream kids.

+100 Well said and so true!

I would say, by and large, 20-30% of the kids in GenED could do fine in AAP, and would be no different than 1/2 the AAP students. Whether that is a huge overlap or not is up to interpretation. Like any cutoff, there will be issues at the edges. Certainly, the best non-AAP student is smarter than the worst AAP student. But, the top half of AAP are certainly smarter that the vast majority of non-AAP student. But, if you cut the boundary so that AAP was half the size, you would still end up with issues at the edges.

FCPS has created a system where the kids that NEED AAP are getting in (at probably the 99.5% level). To do that, they also admit 3-4x as many kids that do not need it, but will do fine in it.

I think that is actually a good tradeoff.

I disagree. By admitting only the students who absolutely need a different learning environment - and that number has got to be minuscule - AAP would become more similar to what GT once was. There wouldn't be this ridiculous jockeying to get in because it would be understood that AAP was a special ed program, reserved only for kids with exceptional ability.

Disagree.

Having a kid who is at that upper 99% range in multiple testing scenarios, what you describe (a miniscule group of students only in the upper 99% range) is one of the worst possible ideas, particularly at the elementary level.

A center program that is about two, maybe three classes is ideal. What you are proposing would be very negative for those kids at the very top.

The very tiny portion of kids "at the top" shouldn't be dictating how the majority of kids are taught.

So which is it?

A tiny minority dictating the program or a large, bloated majority? It can't be both.

I personally think it is neither. What happens in my one kid's AAP class has zero bearing on how my bright gen ed kid and his peers are being taught.

But if you think a miniscule minority of kids segragated into tiny classes away from everyone else and only with the handful of kids who score in the upper 99% is the way to run a gifted program, you are very ill informed. The current system is not ideal but it is a good system. I would rather they err on the side of including a few more kids than ideal than to miss a bunch of kids in the 97-98% range.

I think you misunderstood my comment. The point is that a tiny minority of highly gifted kids shouldn't require massive amounts of kids to be placed in AAP and the resulting centers. How is that fair to General Ed. students? If gifted kids are the exception to the rule, the schools should reflect that ratio. I don't think the current system is ideal by any means. At our center school, my child is in one of only TWO General Ed classes for his grade. In the meantime, there are FOUR AAP classes; the other grades have similar ratios. So this means my child is with the same handful of kids throughout elementary school. Why is this somehow ok with you and other AAP parents? As long as your child has plenty of different classmates each year, then I guess the system is working just fine.

Here again to counter this mentality. What do you want from me? To attend supervisor meetings, to bring it up with the principal? What can I do to show it is not OK with me. Tell you that ... because I'm getting the feeling you're just looking for a place to vent and have people commiserate with you and that's why you are a fixture here.

It's also a little strange to not have any kids in AAP and spend so much time stalking an AAP forum.

I see - so then parents who have kids attending a center school shouldn't have any say in how their school is administered? You've got to be kidding. This is the school my children attend. You'd better believe I have a stake in what goes on there.

You get that trolling an anonymous Internet forum have exactly zero impact on how your kids' school is run, right? It may make you feel better, to vent, bit I doubt a single DCUMer has ever effected any sort of large scale change in a government bureaucracy. If you want to have a say in how your school is administered, become active in the PTA, go to a school board meeting, serve on a principal selection committee or campaign for a member of the school board. But don't troll DCUM and tell us or yourself that you are "having a say" about anything. You're a troll venting in anonymous forum who feels the need to be nasty to other parents. At least have the decency to own it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again - with a very tiny exception, the vast majority of AAP kids are normal. There's a huge overlap between AAP and Gen Ed kids, as all of us know. If we were talking about GT, from more than a decade ago, then yes, those kids were exceptional. But the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that the AAP of today is simply not a gifted model any longer. There is no need for FCPS to continue creating an artificial "peer group" for a massive group of basically mainstream kids.

+100 Well said and so true!

I would say, by and large, 20-30% of the kids in GenED could do fine in AAP, and would be no different than 1/2 the AAP students. Whether that is a huge overlap or not is up to interpretation. Like any cutoff, there will be issues at the edges. Certainly, the best non-AAP student is smarter than the worst AAP student. But, the top half of AAP are certainly smarter that the vast majority of non-AAP student. But, if you cut the boundary so that AAP was half the size, you would still end up with issues at the edges.

FCPS has created a system where the kids that NEED AAP are getting in (at probably the 99.5% level). To do that, they also admit 3-4x as many kids that do not need it, but will do fine in it.

I think that is actually a good tradeoff.

I disagree. By admitting only the students who absolutely need a different learning environment - and that number has got to be minuscule - AAP would become more similar to what GT once was. There wouldn't be this ridiculous jockeying to get in because it would be understood that AAP was a special ed program, reserved only for kids with exceptional ability.

Disagree.

Having a kid who is at that upper 99% range in multiple testing scenarios, what you describe (a miniscule group of students only in the upper 99% range) is one of the worst possible ideas, particularly at the elementary level.

A center program that is about two, maybe three classes is ideal. What you are proposing would be very negative for those kids at the very top.

The very tiny portion of kids "at the top" shouldn't be dictating how the majority of kids are taught.

So which is it?

A tiny minority dictating the program or a large, bloated majority? It can't be both.

I personally think it is neither. What happens in my one kid's AAP class has zero bearing on how my bright gen ed kid and his peers are being taught.

But if you think a miniscule minority of kids segragated into tiny classes away from everyone else and only with the handful of kids who score in the upper 99% is the way to run a gifted program, you are very ill informed. The current system is not ideal but it is a good system. I would rather they err on the side of including a few more kids than ideal than to miss a bunch of kids in the 97-98% range.

I think you misunderstood my comment. The point is that a tiny minority of highly gifted kids shouldn't require massive amounts of kids to be placed in AAP and the resulting centers. How is that fair to General Ed. students? If gifted kids are the exception to the rule, the schools should reflect that ratio. I don't think the current system is ideal by any means. At our center school, my child is in one of only TWO General Ed classes for his grade. In the meantime, there are FOUR AAP classes; the other grades have similar ratios. So this means my child is with the same handful of kids throughout elementary school. Why is this somehow ok with you and other AAP parents? As long as your child has plenty of different classmates each year, then I guess the system is working just fine.

Here again to counter this mentality. What do you want from me? To attend supervisor meetings, to bring it up with the principal? What can I do to show it is not OK with me. Tell you that ... because I'm getting the feeling you're just looking for a place to vent and have people commiserate with you and that's why you are a fixture here.

It's also a little strange to not have any kids in AAP and spend so much time stalking an AAP forum.

I see - so then parents who have kids attending a center school shouldn't have any say in how their school is administered? You've got to be kidding. This is the school my children attend. You'd better believe I have a stake in what goes on there.

You get that trolling an anonymous Internet forum have exactly zero impact on how your kids' school is run, right? It may make you feel better, to vent, bit I doubt a single DCUMer has ever effected any sort of large scale change in a government bureaucracy. If you want to have a say in how your school is administered, become active in the PTA, go to a school board meeting, serve on a principal selection committee or campaign for a member of the school board. But don't troll DCUM and tell us or yourself that you are "having a say" about anything. You're a troll venting in anonymous forum who feels the need to be nasty to other parents. At least have the decency to own it.

You are seriously out of line. I am not in any way a troll, and neither are the other parents who are expressing (or "venting") their opinions about proposed changes in AAP centers. You have an incredible nerve, accusing us of trolling when we have just as much right to discuss center options as any other parent with kids at these schools. It must make you feel good, dismissing us with insults to diminish what we're trying to say. Real mean girl tactics, wouldn't you say?

Curious: why are you venting on this forum? Because your kid attends a center school, correct? This is so amazing - mine does too! And of course, I "get" that the obvious thing to do to affect any change is to become active in the PTA (thanks for the advice - I'm an officer), go to a school board meeting (done), serve on a principal selection committee (also done), and campaign for a member of the school board (definitely planning on it). How dare you insinuate that the only thing I must be doing is "trolling" an Internet forum and not seriously trying to affect change in concrete ways? If you plan on continuing to insult those of us whose opinions differ from yours by calling us trolls, I'd be happy to report your posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again - with a very tiny exception, the vast majority of AAP kids are normal. There's a huge overlap between AAP and Gen Ed kids, as all of us know. If we were talking about GT, from more than a decade ago, then yes, those kids were exceptional. But the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that the AAP of today is simply not a gifted model any longer. There is no need for FCPS to continue creating an artificial "peer group" for a massive group of basically mainstream kids.

+100 Well said and so true!

I would say, by and large, 20-30% of the kids in GenED could do fine in AAP, and would be no different than 1/2 the AAP students. Whether that is a huge overlap or not is up to interpretation. Like any cutoff, there will be issues at the edges. Certainly, the best non-AAP student is smarter than the worst AAP student. But, the top half of AAP are certainly smarter that the vast majority of non-AAP student. But, if you cut the boundary so that AAP was half the size, you would still end up with issues at the edges.

FCPS has created a system where the kids that NEED AAP are getting in (at probably the 99.5% level). To do that, they also admit 3-4x as many kids that do not need it, but will do fine in it.

I think that is actually a good tradeoff.

I disagree. By admitting only the students who absolutely need a different learning environment - and that number has got to be minuscule - AAP would become more similar to what GT once was. There wouldn't be this ridiculous jockeying to get in because it would be understood that AAP was a special ed program, reserved only for kids with exceptional ability.

Disagree.

Having a kid who is at that upper 99% range in multiple testing scenarios, what you describe (a miniscule group of students only in the upper 99% range) is one of the worst possible ideas, particularly at the elementary level.

A center program that is about two, maybe three classes is ideal. What you are proposing would be very negative for those kids at the very top.

The very tiny portion of kids "at the top" shouldn't be dictating how the majority of kids are taught.

So which is it?

A tiny minority dictating the program or a large, bloated majority? It can't be both.

I personally think it is neither. What happens in my one kid's AAP class has zero bearing on how my bright gen ed kid and his peers are being taught.

But if you think a miniscule minority of kids segragated into tiny classes away from everyone else and only with the handful of kids who score in the upper 99% is the way to run a gifted program, you are very ill informed. The current system is not ideal but it is a good system. I would rather they err on the side of including a few more kids than ideal than to miss a bunch of kids in the 97-98% range.

I think you misunderstood my comment. The point is that a tiny minority of highly gifted kids shouldn't require massive amounts of kids to be placed in AAP and the resulting centers. How is that fair to General Ed. students? If gifted kids are the exception to the rule, the schools should reflect that ratio. I don't think the current system is ideal by any means. At our center school, my child is in one of only TWO General Ed classes for his grade. In the meantime, there are FOUR AAP classes; the other grades have similar ratios. So this means my child is with the same handful of kids throughout elementary school. Why is this somehow ok with you and other AAP parents? As long as your child has plenty of different classmates each year, then I guess the system is working just fine.

Here again to counter this mentality. What do you want from me? To attend supervisor meetings, to bring it up with the principal? What can I do to show it is not OK with me. Tell you that ... because I'm getting the feeling you're just looking for a place to vent and have people commiserate with you and that's why you are a fixture here.

It's also a little strange to not have any kids in AAP and spend so much time stalking an AAP forum.

I see - so then parents who have kids attending a center school shouldn't have any say in how their school is administered? You've got to be kidding. This is the school my children attend. You'd better believe I have a stake in what goes on there.

You get that trolling an anonymous Internet forum have exactly zero impact on how your kids' school is run, right? It may make you feel better, to vent, bit I doubt a single DCUMer has ever effected any sort of large scale change in a government bureaucracy. If you want to have a say in how your school is administered, become active in the PTA, go to a school board meeting, serve on a principal selection committee or campaign for a member of the school board. But don't troll DCUM and tell us or yourself that you are "having a say" about anything. You're a troll venting in anonymous forum who feels the need to be nasty to other parents. At least have the decency to own it.

You are seriously out of line. I am not in any way a troll, and neither are the other parents who are expressing (or "venting") their opinions about proposed changes in AAP centers. You have an incredible nerve, accusing us of trolling when we have just as much right to discuss center options as any other parent with kids at these schools. It must make you feel good, dismissing us with insults to diminish what we're trying to say. Real mean girl tactics, wouldn't you say?

Curious: why are you venting on this forum? Because your kid attends a center school, correct? This is so amazing - mine does too! And of course, I "get" that the obvious thing to do to affect any change is to become active in the PTA (thanks for the advice - I'm an officer), go to a school board meeting (done), serve on a principal selection committee (also done), and campaign for a member of the school board (definitely planning on it). How dare you insinuate that the only thing I must be doing is "trolling" an Internet forum and not seriously trying to affect change in concrete ways? If you plan on continuing to insult those of us whose opinions differ from yours by calling us trolls, I'd be happy to report your posts.

Go for it.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I just troll, too....

when I fought like hell this past year to get the school board to change a decision re: our school. Wrote multiple letters, showed up at meetings, etc. And believe it or not, they did actually change their original position based on our input.

Thanks for playing this game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading these posts, I don't see a lot of AAP parents who are saying mean things about Gen Ed kids-- but boy is it clear that there are a lot of Gen Ed parents who are very vocal about not wanting AAP kids in their school. If you think your kids don't pick up on that attitude, you're wrong. Also, I've had kids in 3 FCPS schools at various levels, some AAP Centers and some LLIV a centers, and I have yet to run across a PTA a that isn't grateful for every parent volunteer-- AAP or Gen Ed. If you want a say in how your school is run, show up and volunteer, instead of griping on DCUM.

Why can't we show up, be actively involved AND gripe on dcum?

PTA mom of two non AAP students at a center school. Proud to say that I've quietly given hundreds of hours of my time to the school via the PTA and otherwise.

It's not that WE don't want the AAP students in our school, but we'd sure like some acknowledgment and equal services given to our non-center students.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease and the AAP parents as a majority are, in a word, squeaky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I just troll, too....

when I fought like hell this past year to get the school board to change a decision re: our school. Wrote multiple letters, showed up at meetings, etc. And believe it or not, they did actually change their original position based on our input.

Thanks for playing this game.

I absolutely believe they did. But not because you posed anonymously on DCUM. Because you became actively involved IRL. There's a huge difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I just troll, too....

when I fought like hell this past year to get the school board to change a decision re: our school. Wrote multiple letters, showed up at meetings, etc. And believe it or not, they did actually change their original position based on our input.

Thanks for playing this game.

I absolutely believe they did. But not because you posed anonymously on DCUM. Because you became actively involved IRL. There's a huge difference.

well, someone is saying that anyone with an opinion that doesn't have an AAP kid is just trolling and bitching. At least 2 of us (and I am sure there are more) say otherwise. I'm not a troll - I'm pretty deeply involved and believe very strongly in being part of the solution, not the problem.

[Anonymous]

You seem unable to acknowledge that there are several posters here with the same viewpoint, not just this one you keep addressing all your posts to.

You are actually talking to several posters with the same opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You seem unable to acknowledge that there are several posters here with the same viewpoint, not just this one you keep addressing all your posts to.

You are actually talking to several posters with the same opinion.

There is no "us vs. one poster" situation in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I just troll, too....

when I fought like hell this past year to get the school board to change a decision re: our school. Wrote multiple letters, showed up at meetings, etc. And believe it or not, they did actually change their original position based on our input.

Thanks for playing this game.

I absolutely believe they did. But not because you posed anonymously on DCUM. Because you became actively involved IRL. There's a huge difference.

Not the PP, but isn't that what every single one of us is doing here (including you) - venting our frustrations on an anonymous message board? As another PP said, why shouldn't we come here vent AND be involved "in real life" in changing policies? It's so ridiculous to call someone a troll simply because you disagree with their opinion.

As the mom of two GE students who attend a center school, you'd better believe I'm also going to post on this forum whenever I feel like it. I think AAP parents pay a lot of lip service to the whole "we're all one big happy family/school" mantra, but when it comes to the GE parents discussing their experiences at center schools, the AAP parents love to shoot them down with moronic statements like, "Why are you here? It's kind of creepy for a non-AAP parent to be "trolling" or posting here". Kind of exemplifies the whole AAP parent mentality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading these posts, I don't see a lot of AAP parents who are saying mean things about Gen Ed kids-- but boy is it clear that there are a lot of Gen Ed parents who are very vocal about not wanting AAP kids in their school. If you think your kids don't pick up on that attitude, you're wrong. Also, I've had kids in 3 FCPS schools at various levels, some AAP Centers and some LLIV a centers, and I have yet to run across a PTA a that isn't grateful for every parent volunteer-- AAP or Gen Ed. If you want a say in how your school is run, show up and volunteer, instead of griping on DCUM.

Why can't we show up, be actively involved AND gripe on dcum?

PTA mom of two non AAP students at a center school. Proud to say that I've quietly given hundreds of hours of my time to the school via the PTA and otherwise.

It's not that WE don't want the AAP students in our school, but we'd sure like some acknowledgment and equal services given to our non-center students.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease and the AAP parents as a majority are, in a word, squeaky.

Precisely. I couldn't agree more and will continue to speak up for my kids, whether they attend a center (not their choice, by the way) or not. This entire thread is a perfect example of why centers create far more problems than certain parents claim they solve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I just troll, too....

when I fought like hell this past year to get the school board to change a decision re: our school. Wrote multiple letters, showed up at meetings, etc. And believe it or not, they did actually change their original position based on our input.

Thanks for playing this game.

I absolutely believe they did. But not because you posed anonymously on DCUM. Because you became actively involved IRL. There's a huge difference.

Not the PP, but isn't that what every single one of us is doing here (including you) - venting our frustrations on an anonymous message board? As another PP said, why shouldn't we come here vent AND be involved "in real life" in changing policies? It's so ridiculous to call someone a troll simply because you disagree with their opinion.


As the mom of two GE students who attend a center school, you'd better believe I'm also going to post on this forum whenever I feel like it. I think AAP parents pay a lot of lip service to the whole "we're all one big happy family/school" mantra, but when it comes to the GE parents discussing their experiences at center schools, the AAP parents love to shoot them down with moronic statements like, "Why are you here? It's kind of creepy for a non-AAP parent to be "trolling" or posting here". Kind of exemplifies the whole AAP parent mentality.

And it exemplifies the GE parent mentality to say mean things about ES aged kids on an anonymous forum. And to push so hard to push my kids out of what has become their school too. And say they should have to leave, and change schools again. When they are happy members of their school community and are friends w/ both AAP and GE kids and do extracurriculars with AAP and GE kids. I hate how hostile people are toward a bunch of 8-12 year olds, and that they would have to learn in an environment where some of the adults make it clear that they are not wanted. Fortunately, in my kids Center, the adults (Gen Ed and AAP) act like--- adults. But the DCUM community is just mean.