WAPO article about sever FFX school budget cuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people on here really want to defund AAP; has about as much chance of ever happening as the Tea Party efforts to defund Obamacare.

Hello idiot (#4today). I think you are wrong here. AAP is on its way out in the elementary schools. And, by the way, the affordable care act is here to stay.

I don't call people names, but I seriously do not think AAP is on the way out anymore than Obamacare is on the way out.

Sadly, probably not, but at least the Affordable Care Act is supported by a majority of the population. Nor does it discriminate in who it provides services for like AAP.

I know I'm going to regret this but how does it discriminate? (I'm talking unlawful discrimination, not in the sense that it favors the smart kids).

Sorry, but was not talking about discrimination in the legal sense, as I'm no lawyer. Although I'm sure FCPS's continuous efforts to adjust AAP entrance requirements to include more underrepresented African Americans and Latinos in AAP speaks to their fears about possibly crossing that line.

What I meant was it favors smart kids and those whose parents know how to work the system.

And it's also discriminatory (maybe not in the legal sense, but very much in the actual sense) to give one group of students certain benefits, but not the other. Especially when the parents of ALL of these kids are paying the same amount in taxes to support these schools. And if AAP parents were to switch places with the Gen Ed parents, you can bet they would feel exactly the same way.

In theory all kids are receiving the education best suited to them.

Sure it does. Because your kid is getting the benefit of this situation. I'd love to hear your thoughts if the situation were reversed.

[Anonymous]

So should my child get the same number of teachers that Hybla Valley gets? Because that isn't happening now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:17 pages? I knew it - the AAP crazies got out of their pen again.

I beg to differ. This is talking about where to cut the wasted tax dollars in FCPS schools. Looking for $148 million in cuts FY2014. AAP in elementary schools would be a good chunk to start with. It is not necessary and as it exist today a waste of $10million in tax dollars. Not to mention it is creating a community of divisiness, putting a lot of stress on very young children, offering a better education to a select few, creating wasteful spending, creating elitist entitled children, and bottom line wasting my tax dollars!!!

+100 And I am so tired of hearing the old, "But that's just a drop in the bucket" line. $10 million is a significant chunk of $148 million, and when combined with cutting other needless programs, the shortfall could be made up relatively easily. We have to start somewhere and to sneer at $10 million not being consequential enough is ridiculous. It's plenty consequential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if we make a shorter school year, ending before Memorial Day weekend? So little is done in June anyway.

Great Idea!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In theory all kids are receiving the education best suited to them.

Sure it does. Because your kid is getting the benefit of this situation. I'd love to hear your thoughts if the situation were reversed.

Please see posts at 12:47 and 13:11.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:17 pages? I knew it - the AAP crazies got out of their pen again.

I beg to differ. This is talking about where to cut the wasted tax dollars in FCPS schools. Looking for $148 million in cuts FY2014. AAP in elementary schools would be a good chunk to start with. It is not necessary and as it exist today a waste of $10million in tax dollars. Not to mention it is creating a community of divisiness, putting a lot of stress on very young children, offering a better education to a select few, creating wasteful spending, creating elitist entitled children, and bottom line wasting my tax dollars!!!

no, those who need it benefit from it very much. State law requires a special program for advanced learners. A few disgruntled people like yourself not withstanding, AAP and TJ are an understandable source of pride for the FCPS.

True: for GIFTED learners, not your average good student-learners!! When AAP students are outnumbering GE students, the system has run amok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if we make a shorter school year, ending before Memorial Day weekend? So little is done in June anyway.

Great Idea!

I would love to be able to hang out at the pool as soon as it opens!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:17 pages? I knew it - the AAP crazies got out of their pen again.

I beg to differ. This is talking about where to cut the wasted tax dollars in FCPS schools. Looking for $148 million in cuts FY2014. AAP in elementary schools would be a good chunk to start with. It is not necessary and as it exist today a waste of $10million in tax dollars. Not to mention it is creating a community of divisiness, putting a lot of stress on very young children, offering a better education to a select few, creating wasteful spending, creating elitist entitled children, and bottom line wasting my tax dollars!!!

no, those who need it benefit from it very much. State law requires a special program for advanced learners. A few disgruntled people like yourself not withstanding, AAP and TJ are an understandable source of pride for the FCPS.

True: for GIFTED learners, not your average good student-learners!! When AAP students are outnumbering GE students, the system has run amok.

Do you mean at AAP centers? You know that the AAP kids there come from several schools, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:17 pages? I knew it - the AAP crazies got out of their pen again.

I beg to differ. This is talking about where to cut the wasted tax dollars in FCPS schools. Looking for $148 million in cuts FY2014. AAP in elementary schools would be a good chunk to start with. It is not necessary and as it exist today a waste of $10million in tax dollars. Not to mention it is creating a community of divisiness, putting a lot of stress on very young children, offering a better education to a select few, creating wasteful spending, creating elitist entitled children, and bottom line wasting my tax dollars!!!

no, those who need it benefit from it very much. State law requires a special program for advanced learners. A few disgruntled people like yourself not withstanding, AAP and TJ are an understandable source of pride for the FCPS.

It is way more than a few. I'd be interested to see if buy-in and support for this program extends much beyond the families of the 18% of kids who get in. And I say that as a parent who has had a child in AAP. You are kidding yourself if you think this program is widely supported. Sure FCPS administration loves it because it makes the system look good, but given what it has turned into, support is dwindling and as the county grows I would not be surprised to see these programs back in the base schools where they belong.

I'd love to see an actual vote by Fairfax County residents (read: taxpayers) on whether or not AAP, at least center-based AAP, should continue to be funded. I think those who feel it's so very important would be in for a rude awakening when they realize just how many think it's a huge waste of money.

[Anonymous]

Increased class sizes, reduced staffing... they need to take a closer look for the 1.8, 1.7million, etc... cuts. Most all school's have to high of student teacher ratio already. Send your ideas for cuts to:
Karen Garza
Superintendent
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:17 pages? I knew it - the AAP crazies got out of their pen again.

I beg to differ. This is talking about where to cut the wasted tax dollars in FCPS schools. Looking for $148 million in cuts FY2014. AAP in elementary schools would be a good chunk to start with. It is not necessary and as it exist today a waste of $10million in tax dollars. Not to mention it is creating a community of divisiness, putting a lot of stress on very young children, offering a better education to a select few, creating wasteful spending, creating elitist entitled children, and bottom line wasting my tax dollars!!!

no, those who need it benefit from it very much. State law requires a special program for advanced learners. A few disgruntled people like yourself not withstanding, AAP and TJ are an understandable source of pride for the FCPS.

It is way more than a few. I'd be interested to see if buy-in and support for this program extends much beyond the families of the 18% of kids who get in. And I say that as a parent who has had a child in AAP. You are kidding yourself if you think this program is widely supported. Sure FCPS administration loves it because it makes the system look good, but given what it has turned into, support is dwindling and as the county grows I would not be surprised to see these programs back in the base schools where they belong.

I'd love to see an actual vote by Fairfax County residents (read: taxpayers) on whether or not AAP, at least center-based AAP, should continue to be funded. I think those who feel it's so very important would be in for a rude awakening when they realize just how many think it's a huge waste of money.

Do you think the base schools would be better off with all the AAP kids, 3rd through 6th grade, coming back from the centers? How would they be accommodated when there is no extra space and class sizes are already large?

[Anonymous]

^ Center schools are typically the ones that did have the extra capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am drafting a letter to Garza. There is minimal cut proposed to the AAP centers and they are completely unnecessary to provide an appropriate education to the students of FCPS. I am sick of this program getting $10million of my tax dollars appropriated to it with absolutely no benefit to the entire student population of FCPS.

BS. There are plenty of things FCPS spends a ton of money on that only benefit an "elite" subset of kids--including all high school bands, orchestras, and sports teams. Where are the 50+ comments complaining that these are unfair and a waste of money because they don't positively affect instructional outcomes for all kids? The focus on AAP, to the exclusion of plenty of other things that could be cut, is ridiculous.

How are band and orchestra elite? If your child learns an instrument, he or she can join either group. AAP is actually an "invitation-only" group, based mainly on test scores. You don't need an invitation to join band or orchestra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good afternoon Idiot (first time today)

just so I'm in on this inside joke, who qualifies as an "idiot."?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:17 pages? I knew it - the AAP crazies got out of their pen again.

I beg to differ. This is talking about where to cut the wasted tax dollars in FCPS schools. Looking for $148 million in cuts FY2014. AAP in elementary schools would be a good chunk to start with. It is not necessary and as it exist today a waste of $10million in tax dollars. Not to mention it is creating a community of divisiness, putting a lot of stress on very young children, offering a better education to a select few, creating wasteful spending, creating elitist entitled children, and bottom line wasting my tax dollars!!!

no, those who need it benefit from it very much. State law requires a special program for advanced learners. A few disgruntled people like yourself not withstanding, AAP and TJ are an understandable source of pride for the FCPS.

True: for GIFTED learners, not your average good student-learners!! When AAP students are outnumbering GE students, the system has run amok.

Do you mean at AAP centers? You know that the AAP kids there come from several schools, right?

Umm, yes I do know this. But do you know that center schools are also neighborhood schools for the kids who live in-boundary? And for those kids, many of whom are in GE, the AAP center model is a pretty unpleasant place to go to school. The majority of kids there are in AAP and if you're in GE, your class is considered "less-than". I'm wondering how you would (honestly) feel if you had a GE child who was very smart, but not in AAP, and who came home wondering why he or she was somehow considered less intelligent than the other kids simply by virtue of what class he or she was in. I imagine you'd be pretty pissed about it.