tell me about your experience with regular ed in FCPS

[Anonymous]

FCPS teacher here. I'm appalled at the guidance from above to focus on projects, with no suggestions of what they should be. The CLT model allows the majority of teachers at a grade level to decide how to teach and how to evaluate, and no oversight. Then we don't have textbooks or workbooks. We can't keep making it at all up as we go, while having stations for reading and math, and differentiating for every kid or get written up for not having evidence of that, oh, and every lesson better have technology involved if a principal walks in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Now that we know what goes on in FCPS we wish we had moved to Arlington. They do not have this AAP nightmare and are able to invest the resources across the entire grade level. If we had the choice again we would have moved to Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

I don’t think it’s laziness; I think teachers are overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed by what? Assigning the kids to go make a video or poster out in the hallway? Showing "instructional" rap videos in class in place of actually teaching? Yes, that must be hugely overwhelming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gen ed is fine. I think many kids in AAP are there because their parents have hired a team of tutors. They are stressed out and overwhelmed and why? Because Mom said my kid is better and should be in AAP. Gifted Ed used to be the 3% who couldn’t be educated in the traditional program. Now it’s anyone whose Mom shoves them through the testing and holds them there with tutoring. It’s ridiculous. Let them be kids a little?

So true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two in the schools, and I think FCPS are great. Older DS is in middle school and was in GE in elementary. He was only testing on grade level in reading so he had a daily individual reading session. They did writing every day. He was advanced in math and pushed into the AAP math class. He took honors Alegebra in seventh grade and did well.

Younger DS is in elementary and has severe ADHD. His school has been very accommodating. He gets individual breaks where a teacher will walk him when he needs a break. He gets individual work with his journal and they have challenging assignments. He likes school and is learning.

Older DS's best friend goes to a local private, but is returning to FCPS for high school. His parents aren't that impressed and think it's a waste of money. Too much hand holding that will not prepare students for college and the real work world.

Sure, the schools do a good job with kids who have special needs or need extra help. They do NOT do a good job with kids who are average/high average and don't need any accommodations. They give those kids some worksheets and call it a day so they can devote more resources to the kids who need help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two in the schools, and I think FCPS are great. Older DS is in middle school and was in GE in elementary. He was only testing on grade level in reading so he had a daily individual reading session. They did writing every day. He was advanced in math and pushed into the AAP math class. He took honors Alegebra in seventh grade and did well.

Younger DS is in elementary and has severe ADHD. His school has been very accommodating. He gets individual breaks where a teacher will walk him when he needs a break. He gets individual work with his journal and they have challenging assignments. He likes school and is learning.

Older DS's best friend goes to a local private, but is returning to FCPS for high school. His parents aren't that impressed and think it's a waste of money. Too much hand holding that will not prepare students for college and the real work world.

Sure, the schools do a good job with kids who have special needs or need extra help. They do NOT do a good job with kids who are average/high average and don't need any accommodations. They give those kids some worksheets and call it a day so they can devote more resources to the kids who need help.

Speak for your own school.

My kid's elementary is doing a very good job with bright kids who are either not AAP or who decided not to go to the center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Now that we know what goes on in FCPS we wish we had moved to Arlington. They do not have this AAP nightmare and are able to invest the resources across the entire grade level. If we had the choice again we would have moved to Arlington.

Same here. We would definitely have moved to Arlington instead if we had only known the extent to which the AAP nonsense is carried out within FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Now that we know what goes on in FCPS we wish we had moved to Arlington. They do not have this AAP nightmare and are able to invest the resources across the entire grade level. If we had the choice again we would have moved to Arlington.

Same here. We would definitely have moved to Arlington instead if we had only known the extent to which the AAP nonsense is carried out within FCPS.

The segregation of Arlington county doesn't bother you?

[Anonymous]

Is that PP’s responsibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think parents convince themselves that FCPS is superior to other school districts to justify how much they pay for housing.

^^This. We were so dissapointed to find out our afluent neighborhood base elementary school was so mediocre. We have to move our child to private school after and the difference is astonishing.

[Anonymous]

I wonder, though, if these teaching methods are a trend across the country? Emphasizing projects over writing, using technology, neglecting spelling and writing (at least in the tradtitional view - I think an educational trend now has moved from memorizing to a more natural progression of sounding out to eventually get there), etc. - I think these are intentional educational trends in much of the country, correct?

I have a second grader in FCPS so I'm just starting to get annoyed with the educational content and am extremely annoyed by the whole AAP system. They seem to push some things too fast and some not enough - it's confusing. I do, however, really love the elementary school he's in for how it's run, the services it provides, and the community. My son received speech therapy for a pretty serious stutter that has been amazing. In areas like that I think FCPS is really excellent.

I'm sure every school system has its pros and cons. So we'll try to stay positive and vocal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

I don’t think it’s laziness; I think teachers are overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed by what? Assigning the kids to go make a video or poster out in the hallway? Showing "instructional" rap videos in class in place of actually teaching? Yes, that must be hugely overwhelming.

In my kids school? With SN, ESL kids. The “advanced” kids end up in AAP and the average kids are essentially neglected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Now that we know what goes on in FCPS we wish we had moved to Arlington. They do not have this AAP nightmare and are able to invest the resources across the entire grade level. If we had the choice again we would have moved to Arlington.

Same here. We would definitely have moved to Arlington instead if we had only known the extent to which the AAP nonsense is carried out within FCPS.

The segregation of Arlington county doesn't bother you?

FCPS is just as segregated, just across a larger area. Plus if I don't like my walkable school there are great choice options within a reasonable distance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gen ed is fine. I think many kids in AAP are there because their parents have hired a team of tutors. They are stressed out and overwhelmed and why? Because Mom said my kid is better and should be in AAP. Gifted Ed used to be the 3% who couldn’t be educated in the traditional program. Now it’s anyone whose Mom shoves them through the testing and holds them there with tutoring. It’s ridiculous. Let them be kids a little?

I have one in gen ed and one in aap. In middle school, I was appalled at what my AAP in MS son's friends were up to after school: music tutoring, math tutoring and tj prep. And I was annoyed that my tutor free AAP son had SO MUCH BUSY WORK. So then my other child I had do honors in middle school, it was similar to AAP but not as much work.

[Anonymous]

As a European, I’m a little surprised by how much tutoring people are doing for 2nd grade kids. Maybe more excercise and less studying?