Eliminating AAP Centers

[Anonymous]

^^^^
Sorry, I should have clarified: this is in the 4th grade alone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The resources and money thrown at AAP centers would be better utilized improving the academics for all classrooms. As the previous poster pointed out, they ALL end up together in high school. In the end there is no substantial difference, certainly not enough to warrant the amount spent on centers, the bussing, the testing, especially drafting a special test JUST for Fairfax County.

Truly gifted children with outstanding IQs should be given special instruction in their base school, similar to other children with special needs. Advanced Academics for such a large percentage of students is a waste. The majority are not geniuses that NEED specialized instruction.

The fact is that so many kids in FCPS are smart enough for advanced academics, they had to change the guidelines that are used nationwide to determine eligibility.

Since so many kids are able, why not just implement the instruction across the board? This would improve the entire school system rather than just certain parts. The AAP curriculum is not rocket science. It can be used in Gen Ed and I bet most kids would get along just fine.

BUT, this will never happen because the voice of the Pro-AAP side is much louder and vocal.

This seems so logical. What is the counter argument that prevents this?
BTW, our base school is a whopping 40% AAP (2 of 5 classrooms), but that's a subject of a different thread.

I hear you. Our school has 4 AAP classes and 2 Gen Ed. What's wrong with this picture??

Center school?

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's a center school, but the point is that general ed students shouldn't be in the minority in any school. Which is why centers either need to be eliminated and AAP kids educated in their base school, or AAP needs to be severely cut back.

[Anonymous]

It absolutely makes sense to have more AAP classes than GE in a grade in a center school. It draws from many schools. Were you not aware your neighborhood school was a center school when you bought your house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate AAP

I don't disagree, but I don't think they are allowed to under Virginia law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It absolutely makes sense to have more AAP classes than GE in a grade in a center school. It draws from many schools. Were you not aware your neighborhood school was a center school when you bought your house?

Oh for God's sake... this tired argument again? The point many of us are trying to make is that there should not be a public school where Gen. Ed. students are in the minority. Thus, the argument for either making centers AAP only or doing away with centers altogether, vastly reducing the AAP population, and keeping AAP students in their base school. I'm not sure why a public school system is spending so much time, energy, testing, and busing on this one group of kids, when we are all paying taxes into this system.

[Anonymous]

They spend the trwting money on ALL the kids, not just a tiny group.

The busing costs are not that much more either as many of these kids would be bus riders no matter what school they go to.

[Anonymous]

The busing costs are not that much more either as many of these kids would be bus riders no matter what school they go to.

FALSE. Many kids would be walkers to their base school. And, the expense of busing to a base school would be cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Busing for AAP costs about 200-400K/year. Not nothing, but not a lot.

Other than busing and selection, there is no extra expenses for AAP. Nothing Extra.

[Anonymous]

Other than busing and selection, there is no extra expenses for AAP. Nothing Extra.

False.
Administrative costs and unintended consequences of additional staffing because of lopsided classroom size due to the division of Gened and AAP.

[Anonymous]

Also, $200000 to 400K? That's a pretty big span which indicates to me that it is not accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Other than busing and selection, there is no extra expenses for AAP. Nothing Extra.

False.
Administrative costs and unintended consequences of additional staffing because of lopsided classroom size due to the division of Gened and AAP.

They would have to staff teachers for those kids whether or not they were at an AAP center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they should have center only schools. It would solve the haves v. have nots problem. I have one AAP and one not. The not is on a school with LLIV. I think it's totally unfair that the LLIV kids get their own (much smaller) class and the "have nots" get a class twice the size and shockingly little differentiation (i.e. homeroom homogenous instruction for math and LA). The difference is appalling between what my 2 kids (one center in AAP on one Gen Ed in a non-center school with LLIV) get. I'm beyond pissed off.

FCPS was always like that and I assume has gotten worse especially for those schools with over 25% in Local level iv. We were in a district with only a 2x week pullout for GT and the teachers differentiated in the classroom. Math and reading groups with variations in science/social studies. This is the fault of oversight by instructional services and cluster directors. The AAP dept 's power and responsibilities have grown since we moved here.

The sheer volume in AAP represents an absurdity that at the middle school level all are not taught in base schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should have center only schools. It would solve the haves v. have nots problem. I have one AAP and one not. The not is on a school with LLIV. I think it's totally unfair that the LLIV kids get their own (much smaller) class and the "have nots" get a class twice the size and shockingly little differentiation (i.e. homeroom homogenous instruction for math and LA). The difference is appalling between what my 2 kids (one center in AAP on one Gen Ed in a non-center school with LLIV) get. I'm beyond pissed off.

FCPS was always like that and I assume has gotten worse especially for those schools with over 25% in Local level iv. We were in a district with only a 2x week pullout for GT and the teachers differentiated in the classroom. Math and reading groups with variations in science/social studies. This is the fault of oversight by instructional services and cluster directors. The AAP dept 's power and responsibilities have grown since we moved here.

The sheer volume in AAP represents an absurdity that at the middle school level all are not taught in base schools.

I would think local level IV would cause far more drama since many of the kids are pupil place by the pricipal instead of selected by an anonymous committee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should have center only schools. It would solve the haves v. have nots problem. I have one AAP and one not. The not is on a school with LLIV. I think it's totally unfair that the LLIV kids get their own (much smaller) class and the "have nots" get a class twice the size and shockingly little differentiation (i.e. homeroom homogenous instruction for math and LA). The difference is appalling between what my 2 kids (one center in AAP on one Gen Ed in a non-center school with LLIV) get. I'm beyond pissed off.

FCPS was always like that and I assume has gotten worse especially for those schools with over 25% in Local level iv. We were in a district with only a 2x week pullout for GT and the teachers differentiated in the classroom. Math and reading groups with variations in science/social studies. This is the fault of oversight by instructional services and cluster directors. The AAP dept 's power and responsibilities have grown since we moved here.

The sheer volume in AAP represents an absurdity that at the middle school level all are not taught in base schools.

I would think local level IV would cause far more drama since many of the kids are pupil place by the pricipal instead of selected by an anonymous committee.

No principal placed kids in our LLIV, so the LLIV class is half the size of the regular classrooms.