Science says: never get rid of AAP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not just fund small class sizes of 15-20 ish for all students? That way every class can be mixed ability and teachers will have a manageable enough load to differentiate effectively.

Kids aren’t robots who all learn at the same pace for all topics and all subjects. One kids might “get” the Pythagorean theory immediately but take a bit long to pass fractional indices. Mixed ability classes are much more flexible, allowing kids to go at their own pace.

This would be the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, FCPS is a massive factory-style school system. Kids are widgets to move along the line as efficiently as possible.

And that would require better funding the schools/teachers.

Ignoring the fact that we have a Teacher shortage at this time, are you willing to pay more in taxes to build new schools and to double the staff size across the county?

Absolutely!

I suspect your attitude would change when your tax bill doubles or more. This is why public education remains underfunded.

Yup. People in the US complain about taxes and then want what most European Countries have in terms of education and services. You point out the tax rate difference and people go “nope”

Some people. The people who truly value education know that you have to properly fund it to make it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not just fund small class sizes of 15-20 ish for all students? That way every class can be mixed ability and teachers will have a manageable enough load to differentiate effectively.

Kids aren’t robots who all learn at the same pace for all topics and all subjects. One kids might “get” the Pythagorean theory immediately but take a bit long to pass fractional indices. Mixed ability classes are much more flexible, allowing kids to go at their own pace.

This would be the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, FCPS is a massive factory-style school system. Kids are widgets to move along the line as efficiently as possible.

And that would require better funding the schools/teachers.

Ignoring the fact that we have a Teacher shortage at this time, are you willing to pay more in taxes to build new schools and to double the staff size across the county?

Absolutely!

I suspect your attitude would change when your tax bill doubles or more. This is why public education remains underfunded.

Yup. People in the US complain about taxes and then want what most European Countries have in terms of education and services. You point out the tax rate difference and people go “nope”

Some people. The people who truly value education know that you have to properly fund it to make it happen.

Knowing something is one thing. Doing it is another.

Go ahead and jack up the average Fairfax homeowner’s tax bill by 150% and watch what happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not just fund small class sizes of 15-20 ish for all students? That way every class can be mixed ability and teachers will have a manageable enough load to differentiate effectively.

Kids aren’t robots who all learn at the same pace for all topics and all subjects. One kids might “get” the Pythagorean theory immediately but take a bit long to pass fractional indices. Mixed ability classes are much more flexible, allowing kids to go at their own pace.

This would be the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, FCPS is a massive factory-style school system. Kids are widgets to move along the line as efficiently as possible.

And that would require better funding the schools/teachers.

Ignoring the fact that we have a Teacher shortage at this time, are you willing to pay more in taxes to build new schools and to double the staff size across the county?

Absolutely!

I suspect your attitude would change when your tax bill doubles or more. This is why public education remains underfunded.

My tax bill could double and it will still be a fraction of private school tuition. I'd gladly take that hit for a vastly improved public school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not just fund small class sizes of 15-20 ish for all students? That way every class can be mixed ability and teachers will have a manageable enough load to differentiate effectively.

Kids aren’t robots who all learn at the same pace for all topics and all subjects. One kids might “get” the Pythagorean theory immediately but take a bit long to pass fractional indices. Mixed ability classes are much more flexible, allowing kids to go at their own pace.

This would be the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, FCPS is a massive factory-style school system. Kids are widgets to move along the line as efficiently as possible.

And that would require better funding the schools/teachers.

Ignoring the fact that we have a Teacher shortage at this time, are you willing to pay more in taxes to build new schools and to double the staff size across the county?

Absolutely!

I suspect your attitude would change when your tax bill doubles or more. This is why public education remains underfunded.

My tax bill could double and it will still be a fraction of private school tuition. I'd gladly take that hit for a vastly improved public school system.

They could do that without even raising taxes if they simply stopped wasting money on pointless initiatives that will never accomplish anything and focused on opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Seems to me the differences are largely with what one considers to be in-scope wrt "opportunity". My guess is that many of the initiatives you see as "pointless" are seen by others as a fundamental part of enabling equal access to a supportive learning environment where students can have the opportunity to thrive academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not just fund small class sizes of 15-20 ish for all students? That way every class can be mixed ability and teachers will have a manageable enough load to differentiate effectively.

Kids aren’t robots who all learn at the same pace for all topics and all subjects. One kids might “get” the Pythagorean theory immediately but take a bit long to pass fractional indices. Mixed ability classes are much more flexible, allowing kids to go at their own pace.

This would be the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, FCPS is a massive factory-style school system. Kids are widgets to move along the line as efficiently as possible.

And that would require better funding the schools/teachers.

Ignoring the fact that we have a Teacher shortage at this time, are you willing to pay more in taxes to build new schools and to double the staff size across the county?

Absolutely!

I suspect your attitude would change when your tax bill doubles or more. This is why public education remains underfunded.

My tax bill could double and it will still be a fraction of private school tuition. I'd gladly take that hit for a vastly improved public school system.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not just fund small class sizes of 15-20 ish for all students? That way every class can be mixed ability and teachers will have a manageable enough load to differentiate effectively.

Kids aren’t robots who all learn at the same pace for all topics and all subjects. One kids might “get” the Pythagorean theory immediately but take a bit long to pass fractional indices. Mixed ability classes are much more flexible, allowing kids to go at their own pace.

This would be the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, FCPS is a massive factory-style school system. Kids are widgets to move along the line as efficiently as possible.

And that would require better funding the schools/teachers.

Ignoring the fact that we have a Teacher shortage at this time, are you willing to pay more in taxes to build new schools and to double the staff size across the county?

Absolutely!

I suspect your attitude would change when your tax bill doubles or more. This is why public education remains underfunded.

My tax bill could double and it will still be a fraction of private school tuition. I'd gladly take that hit for a vastly improved public school system.

What does this look like to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me the differences are largely with what one considers to be in-scope wrt "opportunity". My guess is that many of the initiatives you see as "pointless" are seen by others as a fundamental part of enabling equal access to a supportive learning environment where students can have the opportunity to thrive academically.

+100. Any effort or money spent on our neediest, and often poorest, kids is seen as wasteful since it doesn't cater to the needs of our county's top 5%. Those top 5% parents want to focus on "academics" but that really means focus on programs like extra advanced AAP and advanced coding and advanced robotics clubs, etc. Things that only a fraction of FCPS kids would benefit from. Public dollars should be spent on efforts that benefit the average general public, and that money is being spent on academics for the greater good, just not in a way that boosts the top 5% even higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not just fund small class sizes of 15-20 ish for all students? That way every class can be mixed ability and teachers will have a manageable enough load to differentiate effectively.

Kids aren’t robots who all learn at the same pace for all topics and all subjects. One kids might “get” the Pythagorean theory immediately but take a bit long to pass fractional indices. Mixed ability classes are much more flexible, allowing kids to go at their own pace.

This would be the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, FCPS is a massive factory-style school system. Kids are widgets to move along the line as efficiently as possible.

And that would require better funding the schools/teachers.

Ignoring the fact that we have a Teacher shortage at this time, are you willing to pay more in taxes to build new schools and to double the staff size across the county?

Absolutely!

I suspect your attitude would change when your tax bill doubles or more. This is why public education remains underfunded.

My tax bill could double and it will still be a fraction of private school tuition. I'd gladly take that hit for a vastly improved public school system.

What does this look like to you?

If I could just wave a wand then off top of head might start with adding a jr. or co-teacher or aide to each elementary classroom. Reducing class sizes is hard to achieve from a facilities POV, but increasing adults in the room to improve the student ratio is much easier and makes a better environment for both students and teachers (share management of classroom, ability to work with and support more clusters at their level, etc.) Recruiting educational professionals is very hard these days, but the improved class environment would be a draw. I'm not sure where exactly our teacher comp is relative to Arlington, Loudon, FCC, etc. but I'd ensure that we're meeting or exceeding those nearby districts to help attract/retain. In this hypothetical I'd also put some funds toward accelerate the renovation queue (in particular for older facilities or ones with excessive trailer/modulars).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP isn’t tracking. It’s segregation.

Incorrect. It's an application system, with an equal application across SES. If anything, now with lowered standards for struggling schools, there's a greater chance of diversity in the program.

which requires parents to often file complex appeals and pay for expensive private diagnostics to ensure their children are admitted...

yes AAP is mostly for UMC families who have the $$$ to get their child placed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP isn’t tracking. It’s segregation.

Incorrect. It's an application system, with an equal application across SES. If anything, now with lowered standards for struggling schools, there's a greater chance of diversity in the program.

which requires parents to often file complex appeals and pay for expensive private diagnostics to ensure their children are admitted...

yes AAP is mostly for UMC families who have the $$$ to get their child placed

It's well past time to retire that old trope

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP isn’t tracking. It’s segregation.

Incorrect. It's an application system, with an equal application across SES. If anything, now with lowered standards for struggling schools, there's a greater chance of diversity in the program.

which requires parents to often file complex appeals and pay for expensive private diagnostics to ensure their children are admitted...

yes AAP is mostly for UMC families who have the $$$ to get their child placed

It's well past time to retire that old trope

But it's so true ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP isn’t tracking. It’s segregation.

Incorrect. It's an application system, with an equal application across SES. If anything, now with lowered standards for struggling schools, there's a greater chance of diversity in the program.

which requires parents to often file complex appeals and pay for expensive private diagnostics to ensure their children are admitted...

yes AAP is mostly for UMC families who have the $$$ to get their child placed

It's well past time to retire that old trope

But it's so true ...

So, lay out some facts to support your case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP isn’t tracking. It’s segregation.

Incorrect. It's an application system, with an equal application across SES. If anything, now with lowered standards for struggling schools, there's a greater chance of diversity in the program.

which requires parents to often file complex appeals and pay for expensive private diagnostics to ensure their children are admitted...

yes AAP is mostly for UMC families who have the $$$ to get their child placed

It's well past time to retire that old trope

But it's so true ...

So, lay out some facts to support your case.

Half the kids in DC's AAP class got in on appeals using private diagnosis. They were unable to get in the front door. This system seems rigged to favor people with $$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP isn’t tracking. It’s segregation.

Incorrect. It's an application system, with an equal application across SES. If anything, now with lowered standards for struggling schools, there's a greater chance of diversity in the program.

which requires parents to often file complex appeals and pay for expensive private diagnostics to ensure their children are admitted...

yes AAP is mostly for UMC families who have the $$$ to get their child placed

It's well past time to retire that old trope

But it's so true ...

So, lay out some facts to support your case.

Half the kids in DC's AAP class got in on appeals using private diagnosis. They were unable to get in the front door. This system seems rigged to favor people with $$$.

Those kids had enterprising parents who could buy the right scores.