On the chopping block: AAP Centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Just responding because I was directly quoted and it was suggested that I "keep addressing all your posts to" when I actually hadn't been posting.

[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.

But I don't see the AAP parents consistently demonize the GE parents as we're often characterized as being driven, misdirected, self-serving. You don't see that?

[Anonymous]

Oh, and it is creepy to have so much hate for a group of kids and their families. It just is.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure people will lose their sh*t over this, but we were able to buy a nicer house in a nicer, more convenient neighborhood, because we knew our DCs (3rd grade and up) would divert from the very solid (Great Schools 8) neighborhood school to an outstanding school with a wonderful center (GS 10)-- 5 minutes away by car and walkable to our house. Of course it's not fair that we had this option and others don't. And this is not an argument for or against centers. It's just a reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, and it is creepy to have so much hate for a group of kids and their families. It just is.

This. Especially this kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I don't recall anyone saying "mean things" about any of the kids - but the parents who have been calling other parents out as trolls? They deserve whatever backlash they've created. If centers are cut, your kids will have a school. It's called their base school and it's part of your community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

This for example. Which was the first nasty thing said in this thread, BTW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

But I don't see the AAP parents consistently demonize the GE parents as we're often characterized as being driven, misdirected, self-serving. You don't see that?

GE parents aren't the ones insisting on special schools, programs, and busing for their kids. They don't act as if a public school system is there for one purpose only - to focus on the education of a select sub-group of kids. Why should GE parents be demonized? If anything, their kids aren't getting half the attention and resources that AAP kids are getting. And if your children were in this situation, you'd be speaking up too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure people will lose their sh*t over this, but we were able to buy a nicer house in a nicer, more convenient neighborhood, because we knew our DCs (3rd grade and up) would divert from the very solid (Great Schools 8) neighborhood school to an outstanding school with a wonderful center (GS 10)-- 5 minutes away by car and walkable to our house. Of course it's not fair that we had this option and others don't. And this is not an argument for or against centers. It's just a reality.

You are correct, it's not fair. If some kids are given the option to switch schools, then all kids should be given this same option. Either everyone should benefit, or no one. And that's the reality of a public school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[code]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It feels almost subversive to say all this, but there's a palpable tension there with parents' outsized egos being conveyed to their supposedly superior children.

Also this, which is a terrible way to talk about a child. And comments like this continue throughout this thread. While some AAP parents on this thread clearly have issues with Gen Ed parents, I haven't seen any nasty comments about the Gen Ed KIDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

This for example. Which was the first nasty thing said in this thread, BTW

I'm not this PP, but everything stated is absolutely correct and applies to the center my kids attend as well. These are facts, whether you want to hear them or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

This for example. Which was the first nasty thing said in this thread, BTW

I'm not this PP, but everything stated is absolutely correct and applies to the center my kids attend as well. These are facts, whether you want to hear them or not.

Not the facts at my school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

But I don't see the AAP parents consistently demonize the GE parents as we're often characterized as being driven, misdirected, self-serving. You don't see that?

GE parents aren't the ones insisting on special schools, programs, and busing for their kids. They don't act as if a public school system is there for one purpose only - to focus on the education of a select sub-group of kids. Why should GE parents be demonized? If anything, their kids aren't getting half the attention and resources that AAP kids are getting. And if your children were in this situation, you'd be speaking up too.

Take a deep breath. I am an AAP parent and I don't insist on special schools, programs and busing for my child. It is the system set up by the county and DD is part of it. As an AAP parent I don't act as if a public school system is there for the one purpose, to focus on my child and her classmates.

So when you lump us all together you are dead wrong. I do not lump all GE parents together. They are friends and neighbors and it doesn't matter whose kid is in which classroom. Whereas you, specifically, with your chip place firmly on shoulder should take this fight back to the administration. DCUM isn't going to help you practically and it doesn't seem like venting is good for you either, TBH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

This for example. Which was the first nasty thing said in this thread, BTW

Which school? At least give us a pyramid.

I'm not this PP, but everything stated is absolutely correct and applies to the center my kids attend as well. These are facts, whether you want to hear them or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure people will lose their sh*t over this, but we were able to buy a nicer house in a nicer, more convenient neighborhood, because we knew our DCs (3rd grade and up) would divert from the very solid (Great Schools 8) neighborhood school to an outstanding school with a wonderful center (GS 10)-- 5 minutes away by car and walkable to our house. Of course it's not fair that we had this option and others don't. And this is not an argument for or against centers. It's just a reality.

You are correct, it's not fair. If some kids are given the option to switch schools, then all kids should be given this same option. Either everyone should benefit, or no one. And that's the reality of a public school system.

I wrote this, and I see why this upsets people. I certainly don't walk around my kids school saying it. That being said, any changes have to grandfather. It's completely unfair to move kids in 3rd grade, and then turn around and move them again a year or 2 later, just when they are getting settled. Which is what is so upsetting about the Centers must go crowd. Some people seem to hate the kids there now and want them gone ASAP. Well, they've already moved once. They're established. Do you really expect us to move them again? And if not, why are you so negative towards kids currently sitting strings class, and on a science Olympiad team and in a scout troop with your kids (new troop in the new school, to help her make friends outside her classroom, that Is to help integrate her with Gen Ed kids)? What do you expect the parents who currently have kids in a Center to do? It does make me angry.