Why is the GT program in APS so anemic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It leaves my child, who is 2e (needs support in one area and significant advancement in another) - at a loss with respect to both subjects. APS cannot seem to get it right for either support or acceleration. The “challenge” math is what my kiddo did two years ago.

This is elementary. They refuse to budge or expand on the math. Why is it so anemic? It’s giving me so much panic. This child was previously so far ahead and now is bored and just…depressed. We moved here from out of state and I am aghast. How can they fail to differentiate at all? What was the point of the beginning of year tests? If we move again, this kid will be so behind. Are all APS schools so stubborn? Maybe we could transfer? If your elementary differentiates well, can you plug them?

Don’t panic. Supplement at Russian School of Math/Kumon.

Let your child focus on friendships/social-emotional skills during these early years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, which school and which grade? Some schools do a better job with enrichment for gifted learners than others.

It got better for my kids in late elementary when they were grouped by ability and their groups were preparing for the advanced MS math track which both were placed in. This included my 2E kiddo.

NP here - my gifted kid is also so bored. We aren't doing any enrichment at home and they are testing 2-3 years ahead in math and reading. I'd love to know which APS elementary schools do better at enrichment. It sounds like very little enrichment is happening now even though I know there is a cluster in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, which school and which grade? Some schools do a better job with enrichment for gifted learners than others.

It got better for my kids in late elementary when they were grouped by ability and their groups were preparing for the advanced MS math track which both were placed in. This included my 2E kiddo.

NP here - my gifted kid is also so bored. We aren't doing any enrichment at home and they are testing 2-3 years ahead in math and reading. I'd love to know which APS elementary schools do better at enrichment. It sounds like very little enrichment is happening now even though I know there is a cluster in the classroom.

ATS does, since it self selects for proactive parents.

[Anonymous]

You need to show up at meetings and open office hours and discuss it with board members. Some of them privately aknowledge it’s crap but they have no willl to go against the virtue signalers. They need courage and hearing from the community helps them find it sometimes.

[Anonymous]

My kid is currently deemed gifted in math, science, and reading. I think his reading is handled well enough (he gets a pull out and is in a book club with other kids at his level. They read higher level books and have higher level discussions and work). I think this is a pull out method, so I don't think APS switched to push in everywhere.

Math, I don't really think they do anything. But it is in Spanish so I guess that challenges him a bit more. He never mentions being bored, but he did say his report card lied when it said his teacher would continue to challenge him lol. That being said, I really think it is fine. I was in gifted program in ES when I was a kid and don't really remember it being anything groundbreaking until I got to MS or HS. DS1 will have more opportunities once he moves up to higher levels. As for now he enjoys being there and hanging out with friends. During the pandemic we did hire a tutor for more enrichment activities.

Science is laughable IMO. But hopefully that improves too and it should be high school. I don't know I am not really concerned we do stuff at home that keeps him engaged and school (for now) can just be for fun and friendship. He has many years to be challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It leaves my child, who is 2e (needs support in one area and significant advancement in another) - at a loss with respect to both subjects. APS cannot seem to get it right for either support or acceleration. The “challenge” math is what my kiddo did two years ago.

This is elementary. They refuse to budge or expand on the math. Why is it so anemic? It’s giving me so much panic. This child was previously so far ahead and now is bored and just…depressed. We moved here from out of state and I am aghast. How can they fail to differentiate at all? What was the point of the beginning of year tests? If we move again, this kid will be so behind. Are all APS schools so stubborn? Maybe we could transfer? If your elementary differentiates well, can you plug them?

As someone with a kid in college and one about to enter, let me just advise you to stop stressing so much about GT in elementary school. At the margins, it doesn’t really do much except exist to assuage the egos and sooth the anxiety of parents who think their children are “advanced.”

The real differentiation won’t really happen until high school when they can plot a course. This GT stuff in elementary is pointless and it’s not worth wringing your hands over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience with APS is in elementary the focus is much stronger on remediation, which is probably fair and how they should be expending their resources.

What grade is your kid in? Mine is in 3rd and the push in for gifted kids got better at this age. Up until then she was pretty bored.

At the end of the day, public education is a mass product that needs to meet the needs of the most people. If your kid has unique needs in multiple areas and you're not happy with what you're seeing, look into private.

Gifted kids are never bored.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to show up at meetings and open office hours and discuss it with board members. Some of them privately aknowledge it’s crap but they have no willl to go against the virtue signalers. They need courage and hearing from the community helps them find it sometimes.

What does this even *mean?*?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to show up at meetings and open office hours and discuss it with board members. Some of them privately aknowledge it’s crap but they have no willl to go against the virtue signalers. They need courage and hearing from the community helps them find it sometimes.

What does this even *mean?*?

Push in gifted is BS but has been wrapped in equity jargon. Once you claim something is more equitable the school board cowers even if they think it’s a bad program or idea. They need to hear from more community members that are upset to bolster their resolve to do the right thing (ie provide actual gifted services to kids that are bored out of their minds).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience with APS is in elementary the focus is much stronger on remediation, which is probably fair and how they should be expending their resources.

What grade is your kid in? Mine is in 3rd and the push in for gifted kids got better at this age. Up until then she was pretty bored.

At the end of the day, public education is a mass product that needs to meet the needs of the most people. If your kid has unique needs in multiple areas and you're not happy with what you're seeing, look into private.

Gifted kids are never bored.

What a boring post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It leaves my child, who is 2e (needs support in one area and significant advancement in another) - at a loss with respect to both subjects. APS cannot seem to get it right for either support or acceleration. The “challenge” math is what my kiddo did two years ago.

This is elementary. They refuse to budge or expand on the math. Why is it so anemic? It’s giving me so much panic. This child was previously so far ahead and now is bored and just…depressed. We moved here from out of state and I am aghast. How can they fail to differentiate at all? What was the point of the beginning of year tests? If we move again, this kid will be so behind. Are all APS schools so stubborn? Maybe we could transfer? If your elementary differentiates well, can you plug them?

As someone with a kid in college and one about to enter, let me just advise you to stop stressing so much about GT in elementary school. At the margins, it doesn’t really do much except exist to assuage the egos and sooth the anxiety of parents who think their children are “advanced.”

The real differentiation won’t really happen until high school when they can plot a course. This GT stuff in elementary is pointless and it’s not worth wringing your hands over.

That's the problem. If you have a 2nd grader reading at a 5th grade level and not getting differentiation to read and explore more advanced books or deeper discussions that's a problem. If you've got a 4th grader ready for 6th grade math concepts and APS isn't giving them access, that's a problem. It's the equity conundrum. APS claims that every child should be met where they are and get a year's worth of academic growth. Reality is, for kids ahead on the curve they usually don't.

They shouldn't have to wait until high school to actually be challenged.

[Anonymous]

APS only adopted the one year of growth for each student language after parents pushed for it for years. Now they say it but don't do much about it. Which is progress I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It leaves my child, who is 2e (needs support in one area and significant advancement in another) - at a loss with respect to both subjects. APS cannot seem to get it right for either support or acceleration. The “challenge” math is what my kiddo did two years ago.

This is elementary. They refuse to budge or expand on the math. Why is it so anemic? It’s giving me so much panic. This child was previously so far ahead and now is bored and just…depressed. We moved here from out of state and I am aghast. How can they fail to differentiate at all? What was the point of the beginning of year tests? If we move again, this kid will be so behind. Are all APS schools so stubborn? Maybe we could transfer? If your elementary differentiates well, can you plug them?

As someone with a kid in college and one about to enter, let me just advise you to stop stressing so much about GT in elementary school. At the margins, it doesn’t really do much except exist to assuage the egos and sooth the anxiety of parents who think their children are “advanced.”

The real differentiation won’t really happen until high school when they can plot a course. This GT stuff in elementary is pointless and it’s not worth wringing your hands over.

That's the problem. If you have a 2nd grader reading at a 5th grade level and not getting differentiation to read and explore more advanced books or deeper discussions that's a problem. If you've got a 4th grader ready for 6th grade math concepts and APS isn't giving them access, that's a problem. It's the equity conundrum. APS claims that every child should be met where they are and get a year's worth of academic growth. Reality is, for kids ahead on the curve they usually don't.

They shouldn't have to wait until high school to actually be challenged.

No, it’s not a problem. You just think it’s a problem because you have a myopic and inflated sense of your own child’s abilities. But it isn’t a *problem* in the sense of public education.

If you want to foster it, supplement. Your need for a label and special acknowledgment/services is just weird. That isn’t the purpose of public education. And at those ages most kids eventually catch up anyway — it’s just a temporary period of outpacing peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to show up at meetings and open office hours and discuss it with board members. Some of them privately aknowledge it’s crap but they have no willl to go against the virtue signalers. They need courage and hearing from the community helps them find it sometimes.

What does this even *mean?*?

Push in gifted is BS but has been wrapped in equity jargon. Once you claim something is more equitable the school board cowers even if they think it’s a bad program or idea. They need to hear from more community members that are upset to bolster their resolve to do the right thing (ie provide actual gifted services to kids that are bored out of their minds).

My question had to do with your weird phrase “virtue signalers.” No one understands what you mean, although you carry on like it’s self evident.

And again, truly gifted children are never bored. They’re always actively finding ways to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It leaves my child, who is 2e (needs support in one area and significant advancement in another) - at a loss with respect to both subjects. APS cannot seem to get it right for either support or acceleration. The “challenge” math is what my kiddo did two years ago.

This is elementary. They refuse to budge or expand on the math. Why is it so anemic? It’s giving me so much panic. This child was previously so far ahead and now is bored and just…depressed. We moved here from out of state and I am aghast. How can they fail to differentiate at all? What was the point of the beginning of year tests? If we move again, this kid will be so behind. Are all APS schools so stubborn? Maybe we could transfer? If your elementary differentiates well, can you plug them?

As someone with a kid in college and one about to enter, let me just advise you to stop stressing so much about GT in elementary school. At the margins, it doesn’t really do much except exist to assuage the egos and sooth the anxiety of parents who think their children are “advanced.”

The real differentiation won’t really happen until high school when they can plot a course. This GT stuff in elementary is pointless and it’s not worth wringing your hands over.

That's the problem. If you have a 2nd grader reading at a 5th grade level and not getting differentiation to read and explore more advanced books or deeper discussions that's a problem. If you've got a 4th grader ready for 6th grade math concepts and APS isn't giving them access, that's a problem. It's the equity conundrum. APS claims that every child should be met where they are and get a year's worth of academic growth. Reality is, for kids ahead on the curve they usually don't.

They shouldn't have to wait until high school to actually be challenged.

There are no ramifications for the school system if every kid passes SOLs and goes to NOVA. There is no benefit if many kids are challenged and head to Ivy League schools; that is not being measured in anyway. The only performance the administration cares about is passing SOLs. That’s the bar; once your kid is above that bar they are an after thought so teachers can focus on the non passers which do impact school funding etc. gifted services was watered down because the mediocre kids were even more bored when the gifted kids left to their GT club and the teacher focuses on underperforming kids.