AAP info session in school - seeking AAP parents opinions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is a huge deal for all the kids (GE and AAP) who have been in one ES for 4+ years and get moved to a different school. How would you feel if your DC was told s/he had to move schools, away from friends, teachers s/he knows and the programs/supports s/he has? I'd be furious (and my DCs aren't ES age, so it wouldn't affect us directly). But really-- these are thousands of actual kids you are shuffling around.

first world problems. I see you had no issues moving to a center. Do you only make friends with kids who go to the center? Do you shun your own neighborhood friends?

PLEASE get over it.

Seriously. This is so low in the whole scheme of things to get worked up about. These kids were obviously able to make the transition to the center at some point. So the kids return to their neighborhood school... along with all the other neighborhood kids. See how that works? Nothing difficult about it at all, though I'm sure there will be parents who act like the sky is falling, just as they did when we (finally) went to full-day Mondays. The sky didn't fall then, and it won't fall now.

You think slicing off 1/2 of a school's population is no big deal? Really? Taking 350 kids out of one school is no problem? (multiply by oh... 20 or more schools) Something to fiddle with over the summer? Wow.

How on earth is sending kids back to the base schools they are assigned to in any way complicated?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't send your two kids to different schools. That will be their predominate memory - that they were so different from each other, they couldn't even go to the same school.

Don't do this to kids

That's ridiculous! My kids go to different schools (one for AAP, the other not). They do not harbor any resentment -- unless you count the fact that the AAP kid resents that he has more work than the non-AAP kid.

Not the PP, but I think that's wishful thinking on your part. Have you ever seriously wondered what your non-AAP child thinks (not says) about the fact that his sibling gets to go to a different school, but s/he does not?

My non AAP kid talks about it all the time with me. The younger sibking is happy to be at the base school. Kid loves math and is in the same advanced math program as the center sibling was in, and on the same middle school math trajectory. Kid hates writing and is happy not to be at the center where they write more and do caesars English. Kid likes being at the base school with most of the kids friends. A couple of close friends went to center and kid still does activities with them. The non AAP happy to talk about the center and make suggestions to the AAP friends of activities that older sibling really enjoyed.

My non AAP kid is not jealous in the least of older AAP sibling or AAP friends. In fact, when I asked if kid wanted to try to apply for the center next year, kid thought about it for a minute and gave a firm no, for all the reasons mentioned above. There is one activity that makes kid want the center a little but not enough to make the kid jealous or want to switch schools.

I think if I were a parent like you who was obsessed with and insanely jealous of AAP then perhaps the non AAP kid would feel bad about school or be jealous as well. But with most normal parents who value their kids as individuals with different needs, and who don't obsess about who is or is not in AAP, their kids will not really care beyond perhaps an initial disappointment at not seeing friends at school daily.

Oh, ok. I see you don't have two kids (one AAP and one Gen Ed) who both attend a center as their base school. Perhaps if you did, your Gen Ed child's experience would be vastly different from what you describe above. When GE kids have to attend centers, they see many of their friends from K-2 moving into AAP - but not them. They come home crying and upset, not understanding why they aren't in class with their best friends anymore (who, remember, still attend the same school), and why there are so many kids in the AAP classes but so few in General Ed, with them.

So you see, since your non-AAP kid obviously doesn't have to attend a center (and is fortunate not to have to), they have no reason to feel bad about themselves. Those kids who DO have centers as their base schools, see this dynamic every single day, and guess what? It's no fun at all to be in their shoes. If it makes you feel better to label parents who don't like center schools as "obsessed and insanely jealous (???)," then knock yourself out. I'm sure it's easier to insult parents who have actual concerns than to really try putting yourself in their shoes for a moment and imagining how your non-AAP kid might feel if s/he had to go to a school in which s/he felt inferior every single day.

Okay, so this doesn't make any sense. Every year your kid has a chance of NOT being in the same class as their best friend even if they BOTH stayed in GE or BOTH went into AAP. So, if they were both in GE or both in AAP but didn't get placed in the same class would they seriously cry or get upset?? Also, the AAP and GE classes have classes together in all of the specials, eat lunch together, and have recess together.

So, it's a crapshoot whether or not your kid will be in her bestie's class every year no matter if they or their friend is in GE or AAP! So, if your kid is crying then you have a different emotional issue to deal with (separation anxiety maybe over hurt feelings for feeling slighted). Also, if you DD feels inferior than you are doing something wrong as a parent. Don't the GE classes continue to have differentiation within the classroom (different math and reading groups)? If she's not in the TOP group does she feel inferior? If so, than you have other issues to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have several friends who have kids at a center school where some are AAP and some are not. The experiences that they relay is not at all what you are experience. In fact, they often recommend their center school to people moving into the area as a wonderful school. If what you are describing was happening to them they would jot be recommending their school to others or if they did the recommendation would come with a big BUT...

At my non center kid's school, the classes shuffle from year to year and my kids are never with their best friends. It happens. No tears. It is all in how you approach things.

At my AAP kid's school, they shuffle classes as well from year to year. Out of the 3 AAP classes, my kid never had a single class with half of them. There were more non AAP kids my kid got to know/have classes with in specials, recess and after school clubs.

Your experience is not universal, and might be happening at some centers but not all.

If your childis crying over AAP you need to look at what role you have innher being perpetually and perhaps unreasonably upset about AAP for so long. Having this type of sustained reaction is not reasonable or healthy. You need to focus on what you can control which is how you teach your child to react to and overcome the hands that you are dealt.

Oh, please. Do you know how many parents are in this same situation and talk about it amongst themselves, and not with their kids, as you seem to imply? It's amusing (and incredibly off-putting) that you can't imagine how you would feel if your child was the one in this scenario. If the shoe were on the other foot (i.e. the choice of center schools offered to the General Ed. students, but not the AAP kids), you and parents like you would be furious. So don't pretend this is an equitable situation and that GE students should just "overcome the hands they are dealt."

It's interesting to compare this to the outcry seen on this thread from AAP parents who are "frothing at the mouth" (to use a favorite, repeated expression) at the very idea of closing centers. I'm wondering if centers do eventually close, will you be teaching your child how to react to overcome the hands they are dealt? Doubtful. It's easy to tell people to suck it up when you're happy with your own child's situation, isn't it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is a huge deal for all the kids (GE and AAP) who have been in one ES for 4+ years and get moved to a different school. How would you feel if your DC was told s/he had to move schools, away from friends, teachers s/he knows and the programs/supports s/he has? I'd be furious (and my DCs aren't ES age, so it wouldn't affect us directly). But really-- these are thousands of actual kids you are shuffling around.

first world problems. I see you had no issues moving to a center. Do you only make friends with kids who go to the center? Do you shun your own neighborhood friends?

PLEASE get over it.

Seriously. This is so low in the whole scheme of things to get worked up about. These kids were obviously able to make the transition to the center at some point. So the kids return to their neighborhood school... along with all the other neighborhood kids. See how that works? Nothing difficult about it at all, though I'm sure there will be parents who act like the sky is falling, just as they did when we (finally) went to full-day Mondays. The sky didn't fall then, and it won't fall now.

You think slicing off 1/2 of a school's population is no big deal? Really? Taking 350 kids out of one school is no problem? (multiply by oh... 20 or more schools) Something to fiddle with over the summer? Wow.

How on earth is sending kids back to the base schools they are assigned to in any way complicated?

I know it's a very complicated idea, but try to keep up: Because when 120 kids get there, there is no room for them. And the Center is now half empty. 5 kids per grade go center, no big deal. 40-50 kids do, huge issue. And it's not like FCPS has a ton of extra room at any school. How can you not see that, at least in places like Vienna & Western Fairfax there would need to be mass rezoning-- of all ES & MS kids (not just AAP) to new base schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is a huge deal for all the kids (GE and AAP) who have been in one ES for 4+ years and get moved to a different school. How would you feel if your DC was told s/he had to move schools, away from friends, teachers s/he knows and the programs/supports s/he has? I'd be furious (and my DCs aren't ES age, so it wouldn't affect us directly). But really-- these are thousands of actual kids you are shuffling around.

first world problems. I see you had no issues moving to a center. Do you only make friends with kids who go to the center? Do you shun your own neighborhood friends?

PLEASE get over it.

I don't like to punish kids because their parents are idiots. But I hope your DC gets rezoned next summer. May be then you will grow some compassion for the needs of ES aged kids.

They could just not have additional kids start at the center and phase them out. I would be shocked though if centers get axed. FCPS is too invested in the program because it makes FCPS attractive to upper middle class families who think their kids are special.

Would save pennies ... why would they eliminate a major program with little financial benefit???? They wouldn't. The whole point of the "eliminate AAP" discussion is a farce IF the reason is saving money. If they want to make a shift for philosophical reasons -- then fine... but it doesn't make any sense to eliminate it if the reason is budgetary.

$4.3 MILLION is hardly pennies! That's a significant chunk of change. Pair that with some other needed cuts and it could make a nice dent in the deficit.

Its pennies in a budget of billions+

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have several friends who have kids at a center school where some are AAP and some are not. The experiences that they relay is not at all what you are experience. In fact, they often recommend their center school to people moving into the area as a wonderful school. If what you are describing was happening to them they would jot be recommending their school to others or if they did the recommendation would come with a big BUT...

At my non center kid's school, the classes shuffle from year to year and my kids are never with their best friends. It happens. No tears. It is all in how you approach things.

At my AAP kid's school, they shuffle classes as well from year to year. Out of the 3 AAP classes, my kid never had a single class with half of them. There were more non AAP kids my kid got to know/have classes with in specials, recess and after school clubs.

Your experience is not universal, and might be happening at some centers but not all.

If your childis crying over AAP you need to look at what role you have innher being perpetually and perhaps unreasonably upset about AAP for so long. Having this type of sustained reaction is not reasonable or healthy. You need to focus on what you can control which is how you teach your child to react to and overcome the hands that you are dealt.

Oh, please. Do you know how many parents are in this same situation and talk about it amongst themselves, and not with their kids, as you seem to imply? It's amusing (and incredibly off-putting) that you can't imagine how you would feel if your child was the one in this scenario. If the shoe were on the other foot (i.e. the choice of center schools offered to the General Ed. students, but not the AAP kids), you and parents like you would be furious. So don't pretend this is an equitable situation and that GE students should just "overcome the hands they are dealt."

It's interesting to compare this to the outcry seen on this thread from AAP parents who are "frothing at the mouth" (to use a favorite, repeated expression) at the very idea of closing centers. I'm wondering if centers do eventually close, will you be teaching your child how to react to overcome the hands they are dealt? Doubtful. It's easy to tell people to suck it up when you're happy with your own child's situation, isn't it?

I want my kid to stay at the base school: with neighborhood friends, closer to our house, shorter bus ride, not having to change schools in 3rd But we can't get an AAP program there. I would love my kids to go to our base MS, which has a great reputation and is walkable. But only 15-20 LLIV kids attend, so nowhere near a full team. If my kids could get the right education for them at base schools, I's be fine without going Center. And I would not have an issue if you had the option to move you child to a different school an educational program that met there needs: like language immersion, magnet, special Ed, etc. Delighted in fact. But-- wait-- you do have that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't send your two kids to different schools. That will be their predominate memory - that they were so different from each other, they couldn't even go to the same school.

Don't do this to kids

That's ridiculous! My kids go to different schools (one for AAP, the other not). They do not harbor any resentment -- unless you count the fact that the AAP kid resents that he has more work than the non-AAP kid.

Not the PP, but I think that's wishful thinking on your part. Have you ever seriously wondered what your non-AAP child thinks (not says) about the fact that his sibling gets to go to a different school, but s/he does not?

My non AAP kid talks about it all the time with me. The younger sibking is happy to be at the base school. Kid loves math and is in the same advanced math program as the center sibling was in, and on the same middle school math trajectory. Kid hates writing and is happy not to be at the center where they write more and do caesars English. Kid likes being at the base school with most of the kids friends. A couple of close friends went to center and kid still does activities with them. The non AAP happy to talk about the center and make suggestions to the AAP friends of activities that older sibling really enjoyed.

My non AAP kid is not jealous in the least of older AAP sibling or AAP friends. In fact, when I asked if kid wanted to try to apply for the center next year, kid thought about it for a minute and gave a firm no, for all the reasons mentioned above. There is one activity that makes kid want the center a little but not enough to make the kid jealous or want to switch schools.

I think if I were a parent like you who was obsessed with and insanely jealous of AAP then perhaps the non AAP kid would feel bad about school or be jealous as well. But with most normal parents who value their kids as individuals with different needs, and who don't obsess about who is or is not in AAP, their kids will not really care beyond perhaps an initial disappointment at not seeing friends at school daily.

Oh, ok. I see you don't have two kids (one AAP and one Gen Ed) who both attend a center as their base school. Perhaps if you did, your Gen Ed child's experience would be vastly different from what you describe above. When GE kids have to attend centers, they see many of their friends from K-2 moving into AAP - but not them. They come home crying and upset, not understanding why they aren't in class with their best friends anymore (who, remember, still attend the same school), and why there are so many kids in the AAP classes but so few in General Ed, with them.

So you see, since your non-AAP kid obviously doesn't have to attend a center (and is fortunate not to have to), they have no reason to feel bad about themselves. Those kids who DO have centers as their base schools, see this dynamic every single day, and guess what? It's no fun at all to be in their shoes. If it makes you feel better to label parents who don't like center schools as "obsessed and insanely jealous (???)," then knock yourself out. I'm sure it's easier to insult parents who have actual concerns than to really try putting yourself in their shoes for a moment and imagining how your non-AAP kid might feel if s/he had to go to a school in which s/he felt inferior every single day.

Okay, so this doesn't make any sense. Every year your kid has a chance of NOT being in the same class as their best friend even if they BOTH stayed in GE or BOTH went into AAP. So, if they were both in GE or both in AAP but didn't get placed in the same class would they seriously cry or get upset?? Also, the AAP and GE classes have classes together in all of the specials, eat lunch together, and have recess together.

So, it's a crapshoot whether or not your kid will be in her bestie's class every year no matter if they or their friend is in GE or AAP! So, if your kid is crying then you have a different emotional issue to deal with (separation anxiety maybe over hurt feelings for feeling slighted). Also, if you DD feels inferior than you are doing something wrong as a parent. Don't the GE classes continue to have differentiation within the classroom (different math and reading groups)? If she's not in the TOP group does she feel inferior? If so, than you have other issues to worry about.

You're clearly not getting it. We're not talking about only one best friend, for crying out loud (see bolded, above). The issue (one among many) is of dividing up and segregating groups of friends for the rest of their elementary school years. They may be together for specials, etc., but that's really not the same thing at all.

And because it is a very rare AAP kid who is actually advanced across the board, it makes no sense to sequester these kids into centers when they could simply attend AAP or advanced classes in their own school, along side other kids who need advanced coursework in some subjects but not all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't send your two kids to different schools. That will be their predominate memory - that they were so different from each other, they couldn't even go to the same school.

Don't do this to kids

That's ridiculous! My kids go to different schools (one for AAP, the other not). They do not harbor any resentment -- unless you count the fact that the AAP kid resents that he has more work than the non-AAP kid.

Not the PP, but I think that's wishful thinking on your part. Have you ever seriously wondered what your non-AAP child thinks (not says) about the fact that his sibling gets to go to a different school, but s/he does not?

My non AAP kid talks about it all the time with me. The younger sibking is happy to be at the base school. Kid loves math and is in the same advanced math program as the center sibling was in, and on the same middle school math trajectory. Kid hates writing and is happy not to be at the center where they write more and do caesars English. Kid likes being at the base school with most of the kids friends. A couple of close friends went to center and kid still does activities with them. The non AAP happy to talk about the center and make suggestions to the AAP friends of activities that older sibling really enjoyed.

My non AAP kid is not jealous in the least of older AAP sibling or AAP friends. In fact, when I asked if kid wanted to try to apply for the center next year, kid thought about it for a minute and gave a firm no, for all the reasons mentioned above. There is one activity that makes kid want the center a little but not enough to make the kid jealous or want to switch schools.

I think if I were a parent like you who was obsessed with and insanely jealous of AAP then perhaps the non AAP kid would feel bad about school or be jealous as well. But with most normal parents who value their kids as individuals with different needs, and who don't obsess about who is or is not in AAP, their kids will not really care beyond perhaps an initial disappointment at not seeing friends at school daily.

Oh, ok. I see you don't have two kids (one AAP and one Gen Ed) who both attend a center as their base school. Perhaps if you did, your Gen Ed child's experience would be vastly different from what you describe above. When GE kids have to attend centers, they see many of their friends from K-2 moving into AAP - but not them. They come home crying and upset, not understanding why they aren't in class with their best friends anymore (who, remember, still attend the same school), and why there are so many kids in the AAP classes but so few in General Ed, with them.

So you see, since your non-AAP kid obviously doesn't have to attend a center (and is fortunate not to have to), they have no reason to feel bad about themselves. Those kids who DO have centers as their base schools, see this dynamic every single day, and guess what? It's no fun at all to be in their shoes. If it makes you feel better to label parents who don't like center schools as "obsessed and insanely jealous (???)," then knock yourself out. I'm sure it's easier to insult parents who have actual concerns than to really try putting yourself in their shoes for a moment and imagining how your non-AAP kid might feel if s/he had to go to a school in which s/he felt inferior every single day.

If you read OPs post, I have two kids where one attends the base school and one attends a center which is EXACTLY what OP is asking about.

She didn't ask about your situation, an only child attending a center school where her best friend is in AAP and she is not.

OPs question is about sibling. In different schools. Not onlies in a center school gen ed program. Not even siblings attending the same center school where one is AAP and onenis not. Different schools. Different programs. Not a bigs deal. It is all in how that parent approaches things.

And you clearly didn't read my post, which never stated I have an only child attending a center. I have two kids, one in AAP and one in GE, and both attend the center. And - again - I'm not talking about my child being upset at not being in class with his/her "best friend." That would be silly. I'm referring to large groups of kids all of a sudden (in 3rd grade) being separated into AAP/GE. Please read more carefully.

[Anonymous]

P, to answer your question:
All three of our kids did the AAP program. They liked it. The AAP program is a basic necessity for a bright child. There are so many students at so many different levels of ability (and language skills) that this gives them a chance to learn basic skills that they are still using as HS students. Because the class moved along faster, there was time for many fun extra projects that did take a little time but helped them understand the work in a fun context. The school tends to oversell how hard it is. It is not that hard -- just on a basic level for most kids. If your child struggles, you can always go back to gen ed.

[Anonymous]

^^ and, although you may not believe it, I don't want my kid to associate with only AAP kids-- which is why we do school based extracurriculars that have GE & AAP and are encourage them to play with all the neighborhood kids, not just the ones the go to school with and Have DD invite friends she makes in her mixed AAP/GE string class over to play. I think the should fully integrate-- into our neighborhood & school. And they know never to volunteer their center status (or school in the neighborhood) unless directly asked. But then, my kids know that they are blessed with gift in some areas, like music and academics, but struggle in other, like haVing ADHD & being terrible lathered. Which makes them not better than the bright GE kid across the street who is travel soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't send your two kids to different schools. That will be their predominate memory - that they were so different from each other, they couldn't even go to the same school.

Don't do this to kids

That's ridiculous! My kids go to different schools (one for AAP, the other not). They do not harbor any resentment -- unless you count the fact that the AAP kid resents that he has more work than the non-AAP kid.

Not the PP, but I think that's wishful thinking on your part. Have you ever seriously wondered what your non-AAP child thinks (not says) about the fact that his sibling gets to go to a different school, but s/he does not?

My non AAP kid talks about it all the time with me. The younger sibking is happy to be at the base school. Kid loves math and is in the same advanced math program as the center sibling was in, and on the same middle school math trajectory. Kid hates writing and is happy not to be at the center where they write more and do caesars English. Kid likes being at the base school with most of the kids friends. A couple of close friends went to center and kid still does activities with them. The non AAP happy to talk about the center and make suggestions to the AAP friends of activities that older sibling really enjoyed.

My non AAP kid is not jealous in the least of older AAP sibling or AAP friends. In fact, when I asked if kid wanted to try to apply for the center next year, kid thought about it for a minute and gave a firm no, for all the reasons mentioned above. There is one activity that makes kid want the center a little but not enough to make the kid jealous or want to switch schools.

I think if I were a parent like you who was obsessed with and insanely jealous of AAP then perhaps the non AAP kid would feel bad about school or be jealous as well. But with most normal parents who value their kids as individuals with different needs, and who don't obsess about who is or is not in AAP, their kids will not really care beyond perhaps an initial disappointment at not seeing friends at school daily.

Oh, ok. I see you don't have two kids (one AAP and one Gen Ed) who both attend a center as their base school. Perhaps if you did, your Gen Ed child's experience would be vastly different from what you describe above. When GE kids have to attend centers, they see many of their friends from K-2 moving into AAP - but not them. They come home crying and upset, not understanding why they aren't in class with their best friends anymore (who, remember, still attend the same school), and why there are so many kids in the AAP classes but so few in General Ed, with them.

So you see, since your non-AAP kid obviously doesn't have to attend a center (and is fortunate not to have to), they have no reason to feel bad about themselves. Those kids who DO have centers as their base schools, see this dynamic every single day, and guess what? It's no fun at all to be in their shoes. If it makes you feel better to label parents who don't like center schools as "obsessed and insanely jealous (???)," then knock yourself out. I'm sure it's easier to insult parents who have actual concerns than to really try putting yourself in their shoes for a moment and imagining how your non-AAP kid might feel if s/he had to go to a school in which s/he felt inferior every single day.

If you read OPs post, I have two kids where one attends the base school and one attends a center which is EXACTLY what OP is asking about.

She didn't ask about your situation, an only child attending a center school where her best friend is in AAP and she is not.

OPs question is about sibling. In different schools. Not onlies in a center school gen ed program. Not even siblings attending the same center school where one is AAP and onenis not. Different schools. Different programs. Not a bigs deal. It is all in how that parent approaches things.

And you clearly didn't read my post, which never stated I have an only child attending a center. I have two kids, one in AAP and one in GE, and both attend the center. And - again - I'm not talking about my child being upset at not being in class with his/her "best friend." That would be silly. I'm referring to large groups of kids all of a sudden (in 3rd grade) being separated into AAP/GE. Please read more carefully.

This still doesn't make any sense. You have a pool of kids who are split up into a different combo of classes EVERY SINGLE year. So, when AAP starts in 3rd grade, they now add more 3rd graders to the pool and the shuffle begins again. I know that the pools are split in two (GE and AAP and then shuffled into classes) but there is still no different than if your kid didn't get into a class with some of her friends.

It's doubtful that ALL of her friends got put into AAP and she has no friends left in the GE classes. So, just like ANY OTHER YEAR some of her friends were not put into her class. In addition, for the friends that did go to AAP, she's more likely to see/have them in class (specials) than her other friends that got put into a different GE class where she would only see them at recess.

The ONLY difference is that you are making a big deal about her not being

Truth time: without knowing your Center, you'll only get general comments. But , in general, it is hard on the AAP kids to switch, at first and the first quarter can be tough-- more socially than academically. She needs Your support while they transition. I highly recommend trying to switch to the Center school scout program, joining an after school program, being actiVe in the PTA, going to PTA family events, encouraging her to invite new kids from school over, etc. to help ease the transition. And by the end of the first quarter, most kids are adjusting well. But a lot of kids have a tough first week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is a huge deal for all the kids (GE and AAP) who have been in one ES for 4+ years and get moved to a different school. How would you feel if your DC was told s/he had to move schools, away from friends, teachers s/he knows and the programs/supports s/he has? I'd be furious (and my DCs aren't ES age, so it wouldn't affect us directly). But really-- these are thousands of actual kids you are shuffling around.

first world problems. I see you had no issues moving to a center. Do you only make friends with kids who go to the center? Do you shun your own neighborhood friends?

PLEASE get over it.

Seriously. This is so low in the whole scheme of things to get worked up about. These kids were obviously able to make the transition to the center at some point. So the kids return to their neighborhood school... along with all the other neighborhood kids. See how that works? Nothing difficult about it at all, though I'm sure there will be parents who act like the sky is falling, just as they did when we (finally) went to full-day Mondays. The sky didn't fall then, and it won't fall now.

You think slicing off 1/2 of a school's population is no big deal? Really? Taking 350 kids out of one school is no problem? (multiply by oh... 20 or more schools) Something to fiddle with over the summer? Wow.

How on earth is sending kids back to the base schools they are assigned to in any way complicated?

I know it's a very complicated idea, but try to keep up: Because when 120 kids get there, there is no room for them. And the Center is now half empty. 5 kids per grade go center, no big deal. 40-50 kids do, huge issue. And it's not like FCPS has a ton of extra room at any school. How can you not see that, at least in places like Vienna & Western Fairfax there would need to be mass rezoning-- of all ES & MS kids (not just AAP) to new base schools?

And I'll repeat for you, because you seem to need the repetition: THEN REZONE. Half empty centers would now become base schools of their own, with room for the rezoned students. I would be fine with rezoning all kids. All of them. In fact, we've already been through a re-zoning and somehow, we made it through just fine. It's truly not a big deal, but you can continue to make it one.

You're okay in theory. If it was your kid in mid to late ES being rezoned, I doubt you'd think it was fine.

Not at all. I have kids in all stages of elementary school right now and would be fine with a rezoning if it meant centers would become a thing of the past. As I said earlier, we've already been through a rezoning and the sky didn't fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is a huge deal for all the kids (GE and AAP) who have been in one ES for 4+ years and get moved to a different school. How would you feel if your DC was told s/he had to move schools, away from friends, teachers s/he knows and the programs/supports s/he has? I'd be furious (and my DCs aren't ES age, so it wouldn't affect us directly). But really-- these are thousands of actual kids you are shuffling around.

first world problems. I see you had no issues moving to a center. Do you only make friends with kids who go to the center? Do you shun your own neighborhood friends?

PLEASE get over it.

I don't like to punish kids because their parents are idiots. But I hope your DC gets rezoned next summer. May be then you will grow some compassion for the needs of ES aged kids.

They could just not have additional kids start at the center and phase them out. I would be shocked though if centers get axed. FCPS is too invested in the program because it makes FCPS attractive to upper middle class families who think their kids are special.

Would save pennies ... why would they eliminate a major program with little financial benefit???? They wouldn't. The whole point of the "eliminate AAP" discussion is a farce IF the reason is saving money. If they want to make a shift for philosophical reasons -- then fine... but it doesn't make any sense to eliminate it if the reason is budgetary.

$4.3 MILLION is hardly pennies! That's a significant chunk of change. Pair that with some other needed cuts and it could make a nice dent in the deficit.

Its pennies in a budget of billions+

So your "solution" is to simply do nothing unless there's one enormous program which, by cutting it, would solve all the budget issues in one fell swoop? How ridiculous. Obviously, many smaller programs will have to be cut to even put a dent in the deficit. And again: $4.3 million is considerable, and doesn't even benefit all kids, as music and art does. Centers should definitely be cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is a huge deal for all the kids (GE and AAP) who have been in one ES for 4+ years and get moved to a different school. How would you feel if your DC was told s/he had to move schools, away from friends, teachers s/he knows and the programs/supports s/he has? I'd be furious (and my DCs aren't ES age, so it wouldn't affect us directly). But really-- these are thousands of actual kids you are shuffling around.

first world problems. I see you had no issues moving to a center. Do you only make friends with kids who go to the center? Do you shun your own neighborhood friends?

PLEASE get over it.

I don't like to punish kids because their parents are idiots. But I hope your DC gets rezoned next summer. May be then you will grow some compassion for the needs of ES aged kids.

They could just not have additional kids start at the center and phase them out. I would be shocked though if centers get axed. FCPS is too invested in the program because it makes FCPS attractive to upper middle class families who think their kids are special.

Would save pennies ... why would they eliminate a major program with little financial benefit???? They wouldn't. The whole point of the "eliminate AAP" discussion is a farce IF the reason is saving money. If they want to make a shift for philosophical reasons -- then fine... but it doesn't make any sense to eliminate it if the reason is budgetary.

$4.3 MILLION is hardly pennies! That's a significant chunk of change. Pair that with some other needed cuts and it could make a nice dent in the deficit.

Its pennies in a budget of billions+

So your "solution" is to simply do nothing unless there's one enormous program which, by cutting it, would solve all the budget issues in one fell swoop? How ridiculous. Obviously, many smaller programs will have to be cut to even put a dent in the deficit. And again: $4.3 million is considerable, and doesn't even benefit all kids, as music and art does. Centers should definitely be cut.

Ummm. not all kids take music & art after ES-- and in ES, not all kids take band or strings or chorus. Not all kids are in immersion, and not all kids need ESL support. Not all kids have 504 or IEPs and need the school psychologist. Not all kids play HS athletics or are involved in HS/ MS after school activities. Not all students take the bus, and not all students pupil place in HS. Certainly, not all kids attend TJ. Almost every budget cut that it not administrative (non-instructional staff, etc) affects only some kids. AAP is not different-- and more kids use AAP than immersion or magnet, or play a varsity HS sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is a huge deal for all the kids (GE and AAP) who have been in one ES for 4+ years and get moved to a different school. How would you feel if your DC was told s/he had to move schools, away from friends, teachers s/he knows and the programs/supports s/he has? I'd be furious (and my DCs aren't ES age, so it wouldn't affect us directly). But really-- these are thousands of actual kids you are shuffling around.

first world problems. I see you had no issues moving to a center. Do you only make friends with kids who go to the center? Do you shun your own neighborhood friends?

PLEASE get over it.

I don't like to punish kids because their parents are idiots. But I hope your DC gets rezoned next summer. May be then you will grow some compassion for the needs of ES aged kids.

They could just not have additional kids start at the center and phase them out. I would be shocked though if centers get axed. FCPS is too invested in the program because it makes FCPS attractive to upper middle class families who think their kids are special.

Would save pennies ... why would they eliminate a major program with little financial benefit???? They wouldn't. The whole point of the "eliminate AAP" discussion is a farce IF the reason is saving money. If they want to make a shift for philosophical reasons -- then fine... but it doesn't make any sense to eliminate it if the reason is budgetary.

$4.3 MILLION is hardly pennies! That's a significant chunk of change. Pair that with some other needed cuts and it could make a nice dent in the deficit.

Its pennies in a budget of billions+

So your "solution" is to simply do nothing unless there's one enormous program which, by cutting it, would solve all the budget issues in one fell swoop? How ridiculous. Obviously, many smaller programs will have to be cut to even put a dent in the deficit. And again: $4.3 million is considerable, and doesn't even benefit all kids, as music and art does. Centers should definitely be cut.

If they cut AAP/centers, is there a plan to institute an actual gifted program?