AAP - What the hell is this?

[Anonymous]

Arlington County also has gifted services for visual and/or performing arts. FCPS doesn't offer such services.

http://www.apsva.us/Page/1846

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I haven't followed the AAP threads at all. My question isn't really a concern of whether my child would qualify or not - it's more about getting put in an environment that is so high stakes at such a young age. I just want a good school district where I don't have to be worrying about testing into elite programs at such an early age. Is that too much to ask for? The school districts I have looked at have fed into either George Mason, McLean, Yorktown, or Washington Lee.

It is a blip on the screen of most kids.

AAP is hardly an elite program.

Maybe not "elite" - but Arlington considers AAP and/or all "gifted and talented" education to be so "ELITIST" that they eliminated it entirely.

Instead, any child identified as above-average is pressed into involuntary servitude as a tutor to slowest kids in the class.

This program (no I'm not kidding here) has a name: cooperative learning. Google it.

It achieves 3 things: 1) it improves "median test scores" of the GROUP by helping the slowest kids at the expense of the best and brightest, 2) it slows down the brightest kids and eliminates the need for AAP or G/T classes, and 3) indoctrinates kids into the ideology of group-think over individuality or individual merit.

You angry, bro?

[Anonymous]

How many respected, mainstream 4 year colleges/universities offer scholarships to students gifted in visual and/or performing arts?

Please tell us about the availability of decent-paying careers in those areas?

Finally, can you please explain the popularity/emphasis on STEM education in elementary schools nation-wide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many respected, mainstream 4 year colleges/universities offer scholarships to students gifted in visual and/or performing arts?

Many

Anonymous wrote:Please tell us about the availability of decent-paying careers in those areas?

plenty -- especially in theatre tech, digital arts, digital animation

Anonymous wrote:Finally, can you please explain the popularity/emphasis on STEM education in elementary schools nation-wide?

Cannot explain it, unless one references the Pied Piper

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many respected, mainstream 4 year colleges/universities offer scholarships to students gifted in visual and/or performing arts?

Yale, Carnegie Mellon, USC, Wesleyan, NYU, U Miami, Purdue, Temple are a few

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I haven't followed the AAP threads at all. My question isn't really a concern of whether my child would qualify or not - it's more about getting put in an environment that is so high stakes at such a young age. I just want a good school district where I don't have to be worrying about testing into elite programs at such an early age. Is that too much to ask for? The school districts I have looked at have fed into either George Mason, McLean, Yorktown, or Washington Lee.

It is a blip on the screen of most kids.

AAP is hardly an elite program.

Maybe not "elite" - but Arlington considers AAP and/or all "gifted and talented" education to be so "ELITIST" that they eliminated it entirely.

Instead, any child identified as above-average is pressed into involuntary servitude as a tutor to slowest kids in the class.

This program (no I'm not kidding here) has a name: cooperative learning. Google it.

It achieves 3 things: 1) it improves "median test scores" of the GROUP by helping the slowest kids at the expense of the best and brightest, 2) it slows down the brightest kids and eliminates the need for AAP or G/T classes, and 3) indoctrinates kids into the ideology of group-think over individuality or individual merit.

Well maybe this is exactly what OP wants. I can't say it's better or worse than FCPS, I'm sure the Arlington parents are fine with it or they'd move elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I haven't followed the AAP threads at all. My question isn't really a concern of whether my child would qualify or not - it's more about getting put in an environment that is so high stakes at such a young age. I just want a good school district where I don't have to be worrying about testing into elite programs at such an early age. Is that too much to ask for? The school districts I have looked at have fed into either George Mason, McLean, Yorktown, or Washington Lee.

It is a blip on the screen of most kids.

AAP is hardly an elite program.

Got that right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are looking to buy a house in either Arlington or Falls Church. I have been trying to read up on schools and keep hearing about AAP in the falls church school threads. Are they really "identifying" kids in elementary school and separating them out? This high-stress, testing culture is so unappealing. My husband and I can't afford private schools and are trying our best to get into a good public school system. however, the idea of the "race" starting in elementary school make me nauseous. Do other school districts have their own version of this? Should I not worry about this? Or does AAP become a very big deal in elementary school?

My DD is only 20 months, so I do not know anything about elementary curriculum at this point.

Honey, you're no different. You're reading up on schools for your 20 month old. The (rat) race has begun for us all, you included.

+10000.