I wouldn't confuse behavior with academic aptitude. The single most disruptive kid we've encountered is in the AAP class. And judging by some of the parents here you're going to have kids raised with abominable manners and a terrible attitude. |
The most important factor is access to advanced math. This can be in AAP or GE. DC was GE at an AAP center school and was pushed into AAP for math. DC’s outcomes have been as good or better than most of the full time AAP students. Advanced math in elementary school sets students up for the more challenging middle and high school track.
As for peer group, I’m not sure that surrounding your children with “nerdy” or quirky kids is really for their benefit. Knowing how to interact with a wide range of students is more helpful for life. No matter how smart or talented, strong interpersonal skills is a defining trait between those that lead and those that follow. |
+1. I am the pp. My kid is not in AAP (yet?) but I could totally believe this. |
We were new to FCPS for second grade. I found that outside of whole class lessons, my child was basically ignored. I also found there seemed to be a lot of behavioral issues, though perhaps that could have been a teacher problem with general classroom management. He is now in third grade being somewhat challenged and the classroom behavior is better than last year. I like that he has made friends who are serious about school. I overheard one of his neighborhood friends talking about their gen ed class and it sounded like a mess. |
There are a lot of behavior issues in gen ed classes at our school, which I’ve seen with my older child. Every year I have to request he be separated from other kids who are known to throw chairs and laptops, kids who have given others concussions or punched classmates in the face…I just want my other kids away from that if at all possible. I absolutely think there’s less of that in AAP classes. I don’t actually care about the instruction. |
This is what the teacher recs are mostly about. |
Ugh, that's awful and I don't blame you and my motivations/instincts are quite similar. Would you say this is in a pretty good elementary school? I don't have a lot of experience (DC is in 2nd at a decent school). I'm not sure what's to come. |
It’s an excellent school, and the teachers are wonderful. There’s only so much that can be done with dangerous kids - they stick them with aides, meet with the parents, give IEPs out easily - but reliably all the parents in each grade know what kids they want to avoid. So many parents request to avoid the same kids that it’s safer to get them into AAP rather than running the risk of having your kid get another concussion in music class or another black eye because a child rages during art class and tears everything off the walls prompting a lockdown. |
Wow. Is this sort of thing widespread in FCPS? |
More than you know - teachers keep quiet about this stuff and students assume It's normal/parents already know about it |
Teacher here. Every grade at every school has these kids. Some have IEPS and some don’t. The problem is it is very hard to be expelled from public schools. They need to have alternative elementary schools like they do for high school. |
To avoid poors |
Because I don't want her to be in a class where kids are getting chairs thrown at their heads? What does this have to do with "the poors"? |
I am not sure if it is widespread but in my high SES school (Oakton pyramid), my son went through second grade that was quite disruptive. My son said at one point principal was called to class for something every day. From our birthday party I observed those kids are just more mature/aggressive/street smart and just different breed from friends of my kid. My kid went into AAP and he said he was amazed that the AAP class was so quiet and he was able to focus on lessons. |
Freely admitting that this was a driving factor for me. Poor kids (generally) have bad habits (not their faults) that I didn't want my daughter picking up on. Can't really relate to the race part because I know lots of high performing white, hispanic, asian, black, middle eastern people and I know low performing members of those groups too. If anything interactions with the poor whites (in this area often liberal not conservative) were the biggest fear. Lazy attitudes and expectations of handouts and student loan forgiveness. Yes, AAP segregates, and that's the point. |