To the regular posters that love to come here to bash

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty sure offering advice about how to best address a grievance constitutes discussion. Arguing ad nauseum that "AAP is not a gifted program" less so.

Arguing that AAP as implemented is not a gifted program isn't a discussion, but telling people not to discuss the issues they see is? If I want to file a grievance I go to the appropriate party. If I wasn't to discuss my concerns in a public forum, I go to a board like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:obviously that will not happen being an anonymous forum and this attack spirit happens everywhere on DCUM. However, I did hope that those of you that post often on how AAP is (fill in the blank) - can you please post here on why? motivation? has your kid gone through AAP? not?

Let people rant. They show their own intelligence (or lack thereof).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:obviously that will not happen being an anonymous forum and this attack spirit happens everywhere on DCUM. However, I did hope that those of you that post often on how AAP is (fill in the blank) - can you please post here on why? motivation? has your kid gone through AAP? not?

Let people rant. They show their own intelligence (or lack thereof).

Says the person who hates to hear opinions that differ from her own and calls these dissenting opinions "rants".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:obviously that will not happen being an anonymous forum and this attack spirit happens everywhere on DCUM. However, I did hope that those of you that post often on how AAP is (fill in the blank) - can you please post here on why? motivation? has your kid gone through AAP? not?

Let people rant. They show their own intelligence (or lack thereof).

Says the person who hates to hear opinions that differ from her own and calls these dissenting opinions "rants".

You do understand there are multiple posters to these threads, don't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:obviously that will not happen being an anonymous forum and this attack spirit happens everywhere on DCUM. However, I did hope that those of you that post often on how AAP is (fill in the blank) - can you please post here on why? motivation? has your kid gone through AAP? not?

Let people rant. They show their own intelligence (or lack thereof).

Says the person who hates to hear opinions that differ from her own and calls these dissenting opinions "rants".

You do understand there are multiple posters to these threads, don't you?

Yes, I do understand this. And you're aware I was responding to the person who posted right above me? I bolded it, just to be clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't do this but I suspect those who do are really lashing out at the entitlement culture and pushing back against the preponderance of Type-A competitive parents in this area who will try to scheme and manipulate their way into the program by prepping their kids, etc.

BINGO! And I'd add that it creates this segregated culture of the "haves and have nots."

Bingo again. AAP has created more divisiveness among FCPS kids and parents than any other program I can recall, and I've lived here for over 25 yrs. It's a shame that this is happening, but FxCo taxpayers have every right to express concerns/misgivings/outright dislike of the program. I've always found it incredible that there are those who deny AAP has caused problems.

I am a product of the AAP in Fairfax county (many years ago) and based on that experience I whole heartedly agree with the PP's above. Dead on.

Based on your personal experience, would you want your kid to be in AAP?

That is so hard to say. There are way more perks - like more field trips, resources, etc. You definitely notice that you are treated on a superior level to the "base" kids. It can give one a bit of an ego - which is NOT a good thing.
Many of the extremely smart kids were somewhere on the spectrum and really needed AAP. Those kids generally ended up going to TJ followed by an Ivy and later entered the tech industry - usually as a tech architect or programmer, or they went on become doctors. The other kids were very smart but, in my opinion, not necessarily smarter than the "base" kids. I became very good friends with some of the base kids when we entered high school (as I didn't make it into TJ) and many of the base kids ended up going on to really prestigious universities and have done extremely well for themselves professionally - lawyers, doctors, some are even celebrities.
Overall, the positives - you are around only intelligent kids and you are exposed to a very intense and fulfilling curriculum.
Negatives - if you are not a math genius, then you will feel very intimidated in the program . . yet outside of the program, because you are AAP, you feel a bit superior (don't know if that makes sense)

Out of my three kids, only one could hack it. Not sure if I would send him though since he is only in 1st grade. Hope this helps.

I fail to see how this is a positive. Sounds limiting to me. And certainly not real world. I expect posters will say that these kids will all go on to top colleges where they'll still be in the smart people cocoon. Give me a kid who knows and is friends with people of all different abilities and that's who I'd bet on and want to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:obviously that will not happen being an anonymous forum and this attack spirit happens everywhere on DCUM. However, I did hope that those of you that post often on how AAP is (fill in the blank) - can you please post here on why? motivation? has your kid gone through AAP? not?

Let people rant. They show their own intelligence (or lack thereof).

Says the person who hates to hear opinions that differ from her own and calls these dissenting opinions "rants".

You do understand there are multiple posters to these threads, don't you?

Yes, I do understand this. And you're aware I was responding to the person who posted right above me? I bolded it, just to be clear.

Yes, you were responding to my post, a first-time poster in this thread. (Well, now I am a second time poster in this thread.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't do this but I suspect those who do are really lashing out at the entitlement culture and pushing back against the preponderance of Type-A competitive parents in this area who will try to scheme and manipulate their way into the program by prepping their kids, etc.

BINGO! And I'd add that it creates this segregated culture of the "haves and have nots."

Bingo again. AAP has created more divisiveness among FCPS kids and parents than any other program I can recall, and I've lived here for over 25 yrs. It's a shame that this is happening, but FxCo taxpayers have every right to express concerns/misgivings/outright dislike of the program. I've always found it incredible that there are those who deny AAP has caused problems.

I am a product of the AAP in Fairfax county (many years ago) and based on that experience I whole heartedly agree with the PP's above. Dead on.

Based on your personal experience, would you want your kid to be in AAP?

That is so hard to say. There are way more perks - like more field trips, resources, etc. You definitely notice that you are treated on a superior level to the "base" kids. It can give one a bit of an ego - which is NOT a good thing.
Many of the extremely smart kids were somewhere on the spectrum and really needed AAP. Those kids generally ended up going to TJ followed by an Ivy and later entered the tech industry - usually as a tech architect or programmer, or they went on become doctors. The other kids were very smart but, in my opinion, not necessarily smarter than the "base" kids. I became very good friends with some of the base kids when we entered high school (as I didn't make it into TJ) and many of the base kids ended up going on to really prestigious universities and have done extremely well for themselves professionally - lawyers, doctors, some are even celebrities.
Overall, the positives - you are around only intelligent kids and you are exposed to a very intense and fulfilling curriculum.
Negatives - if you are not a math genius, then you will feel very intimidated in the program . . yet outside of the program, because you are AAP, you feel a bit superior (don't know if that makes sense)

Out of my three kids, only one could hack it. Not sure if I would send him though since he is only in 1st grade. Hope this helps.

I fail to see how this is a positive. Sounds limiting to me. And certainly not real world. I expect posters will say that these kids will all go on to top colleges where they'll still be in the smart people cocoon. Give me a kid who knows and is friends with people of all different abilities and that's who I'd bet on and want to know.

Absolutely. These are the kids who succeed big-time in high school and college.

[Anonymous]

According to many posters who complain about AAP, the program is so watered down and anyone can get in, so aren't the AAP kids also surrounded by kids with varying abilities?

[Anonymous]

As a life long Fairfax resident and former "GT" student, I do it because I can tell y'all just moved here and didn't do "AAP/GT" back in the day. The program has changed and not for the better. I can tell many of you are "carpetbaggers" that moved here. I turned down AAP for one kid (Immersion parent) and another didn't get in (but again immersion parent, so I didn't care).

[Anonymous]

So you have no dog in this fight, why bother responding?

[Anonymous]

I like to bash on this forum, but I have an AAP kid.
I would not wish a true AAP kid on anyone.
AAP should be re-labeled special Ed. If your child is truly off the charts, your child needs special accommodations.
I spend more time trying to make sure my DC can communicate and be social in the "real" world. Yes he was reading at 3 (which sucks at the grocery store and they start reading the magazines aloud and asking questions). to when they figure out exponents in Kindergarten. This causes social issues, think about the shared books you don't overlap on for years. Even if they have shared sport, there is a limit to how much talk is around the sport & TV (and with so many channels, not much overlap on that now and days)

I don't want my kid to think of his identity as "smart" - he needs to be a person and a good human.

There will always be someone smarter, skinnier, prettier, etc.... and I can tell my the scores the parents post, my kid is smarter, but I hope that I am raising him to be a good human citizen, not a smart person.

I get snarky on the AAP forum because so many posters want their kids to be smart and they seem to forget about them being good people. (and I can't get snarky to my co-workers - so I vent here!)

[Anonymous]

I just want to understand why so many people are so intent on a center when there is a level 4 program at their base school.

[Anonymous]

As expected, the reasons malcontents pester this board say a lot more about them than the ever could about the AAP program. Why not lay off for a while. Maybe go set straight some varsity sports parents who feel a little too good about their kids. Perhaps then you can come back in the fall with some fresh, truly snarky material. Tedious tales of GT programs "back in the day" and flaccid insults like "carpetbagger" are just a waste of your time.

[Anonymous]

Completely agree with above poster. Who gives a whit about "back in the day"?