Did your child want to leave AAP after being admitted? If so, did you let them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bad decision. Your kid is going to lose out on a quality peer group forever. Even if they never see the people again, it shapes their development early on.

See this mom. The perfect example of a mom whose child doesn't belong in AAP but she refuses to let him/her out. Child is trapped and their life is hell for all of ES and MS. Poor child.

But do these kids really exist? (I mean, kids who are hating AAP and the environment but their hypercompetitive parent forces them to continue??)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We moved DS to another school because his AAP cohort was horrible.

My DD's cohort was terrible as well - widespread bullying, lots of behavioral issues, overcrowded, just really a terrible experience. I regret making her stick it out as long as I did. The work definitely was not too hard. There was a ridiculous amount of online busywork, especially math, and the teaching (especially 4th grade) was absolutely underwhelming. We left for Catholic in 5th and did not regret it.

Are you sure this wasn't an issue with the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know some kids who wanted to switch to the gen ed classes. It wasn’t because of the academics, it was always because of their friends and also their “image”. AAP kids don’t tend to be the popular kids.

But it's not true that AAP is just for geeks and nerds, right? There are kids there with social skills who are not totally socially inept. At least that's not what I've heard, though it could vary by school.

[Anonymous]

Our base school saw a decent number of kids return from the Center, it was not good for socialization and the parents/kids were hyper competitive. The people I know who preferred the Center had social issues at the base school, a few people complained about bullying at the base school. We deferred and stayed at the base school in favor of the language immersion program.

[Anonymous]

Not my experience. My kid is in 3rd, started at a center this year. He had good friends at base, but base was switching to cluster model, so center seemed like good opportunity.

My limited perception is that class is a lot of nice kids who like to read. But general school experience seems similar to base (I hear mostly about recess, lunch).

I do appreciate that teacher grades harder and provides a lot of feedback. No homework or anything that creates pressure, but it seems like my son is being pushed. Who knows though — could be more of a teacher thing vs. center thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leave AAP? No, of course not. Both kids loved it.

Leave the Churchill Road AAP Center? YES. I know 2 families who tried it, then fled.

Churchill Road is an overly-competitive, cut-throat environment driven by a core of really arrogant, pushy, nasty parents who have generally supplemented the heck out of their poor kids.

My own two opted NOT to transfer to Churchill, and both are doing extremely well in HS after finishing AAP without Churchill.

Is this generally the case with center schools or just some of them?

[Anonymous]

In my kid's cohort, no kids returned to the base but in 3rd and 4th, a large number left for private school or homeschooling. I got to witness the 4th grade teacher in action thanks to covid, and she was awful. Her teaching was terrible, and she came across as really dim. It wasn't just the covid. My kid was complaining about her all year.

She's an AART now. Is that another case of failing upward?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leave AAP? No, of course not. Both kids loved it.

Leave the Churchill Road AAP Center? YES. I know 2 families who tried it, then fled.

Churchill Road is an overly-competitive, cut-throat environment driven by a core of really arrogant, pushy, nasty parents who have generally supplemented the heck out of their poor kids.

My own two opted NOT to transfer to Churchill, and both are doing extremely well in HS after finishing AAP without Churchill.

Is this generally the case with center schools or just some of them?

We were at a mid-SES center and kids generally came rather than left. We had kids from the vast majority of our feeder schools, but most especially the other similar-SES ones (versus the low-SES ones, which sent a lot fewer kids). We even had kids from well-loved ES-es with local level IV classes. So I guess our center was considered good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leave AAP? No, of course not. Both kids loved it.

Leave the Churchill Road AAP Center? YES. I know 2 families who tried it, then fled.

Churchill Road is an overly-competitive, cut-throat environment driven by a core of really arrogant, pushy, nasty parents who have generally supplemented the heck out of their poor kids.

My own two opted NOT to transfer to Churchill, and both are doing extremely well in HS after finishing AAP without Churchill.

Is this generally the case with center schools or just some of them?

We were at a mid-SES center and kids generally came rather than left. We had kids from the vast majority of our feeder schools, but most especially the other similar-SES ones (versus the low-SES ones, which sent a lot fewer kids). We even had kids from well-loved ES-es with local level IV classes. So I guess our center was considered good?

What center?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bad decision. Your kid is going to lose out on a quality peer group forever. Even if they never see the people again, it shapes their development early on.

See this mom. The perfect example of a mom whose child doesn't belong in AAP but she refuses to let him/her out. Child is trapped and their life is hell for all of ES and MS. Poor child.

But do these kids really exist? (I mean, kids who are hating AAP and the environment but their hypercompetitive parent forces them to continue??)

Not AAP related but similar. I graded AP exams when I was in grad school, great money for an intense week of grading. There were a good number of exams that only had written in them “I am only here because my parents made me.” Many of those had some impolite comments about their parents following the statement. It was surprising to me how many students took AP classes and the exam because they had to.

While AAP is not AP, I am sure that there are kids in AAP who would rather be at their base school with friends in gen ed or in gen ed if their school has LLIV. I know that there are kids in Algebra 1 H in 7th grade because their parents made them. I know kids who were at RSM because their parents made them attend to make sure that they made it into Algebra 1 H in 7th grade. Plenty of parents force their kids into classes and programs that the kids don’t want to be in.

This is why I suspect that there are kids who intentionally bomb the TJ essays so that they have an out for not attending TJ. They don’t really want to go and their parents made them. By bombing the essay or writing “I don’t want to go” they get their way and can let their parents complain about their not being accepted.

[Anonymous]

I have had 2 kids go through the center (one currently) and have not seen kids leave for base.

I have seen families move completely, either into or out of FCPS, and I have seen kids switch from base to center. Haven’t really seen any switch from center to base though it may happen somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Fun anecdote:

My DH begged to be realized from the then-newer FCPS GT program because he didn’t like being separated from his friends (this was when the program was pull out and after school) but most importantly, he told his parents that he just wanted to be a “normal kid without extra homework!”

So, he quit by I think 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

For above average students AAP is too easy..For students who get admitted on non-academic factors, it's too much class and homework, and eventually quit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is truly a shame that parents won't put their kids in the right classroom to fit their needs just because they view AAP as some sort of status symbol. If a kid isn't fitting in, is struggling in the AAP class, then nobody should be ashamed of it. Really sad that it has come to this.

It's not a shame and is the right thing to do.

You are the worst of the worst. If your child is struggling, they shouldn't be there.

Surrounded by low quality individuals? YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND.

OMG, just stop trolling, you're failing miserably. Just like your child in advanced math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fun anecdote:

My DH begged to be realized from the then-newer FCPS GT program because he didn’t like being separated from his friends (this was when the program was pull out and after school) but most importantly, he told his parents that he just wanted to be a “normal kid without extra homework!”

So, he quit by I think 5th grade.

Can kids in AAP be "normal kids" or is it still like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bad decision. Your kid is going to lose out on a quality peer group forever. Even if they never see the people again, it shapes their development early on.

See this mom. The perfect example of a mom whose child doesn't belong in AAP but she refuses to let him/her out. Child is trapped and their life is hell for all of ES and MS. Poor child.

But do these kids really exist? (I mean, kids who are hating AAP and the environment but their hypercompetitive parent forces them to continue??)

Not AAP related but similar. I graded AP exams when I was in grad school, great money for an intense week of grading. There were a good number of exams that only had written in them “I am only here because my parents made me.” Many of those had some impolite comments about their parents following the statement. It was surprising to me how many students took AP classes and the exam because they had to.

While AAP is not AP, I am sure that there are kids in AAP who would rather be at their base school with friends in gen ed or in gen ed if their school has LLIV. I know that there are kids in Algebra 1 H in 7th grade because their parents made them. I know kids who were at RSM because their parents made them attend to make sure that they made it into Algebra 1 H in 7th grade. Plenty of parents force their kids into classes and programs that the kids don’t want to be in.

This is why I suspect that there are kids who intentionally bomb the TJ essays so that they have an out for not attending TJ. They don’t really want to go and their parents made them. By bombing the essay or writing “I don’t want to go” they get their way and can let their parents complain about their not being accepted.

This is interesting, but why would they intentionally bomb the AP exams? Just to rebel against their controlling parents?