APS is failing my gifted child

[Anonymous]

There are rural counties dragging down that Virginia spending average. Arlington isn’t underfunded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grade gifted kid is just being failed by this school system. No differentiation, no peers in their class that I can see, ridiculous low level instruction. Think 2-letter spelling tests. There are tears every night about how terrible school is and how they aren’t learning anything.

Please, any advice? What’s a viable option? Move to Fairfax? I hear AAP is no great thing. Are there any privates that are more challenging? Thanks for any advice or lessons learned.

This seems odd. My now 4th grader definitely came home with more complex spelling lists in third grade. My K kid was the one coming home with 2-3 letter sight word lists. Have you asked the teacher about the curriculum and differentiation?

There is no differentiation. They’ve said there’s differentiation since K but there is not. They say they group gifted kids together but they don’t. I saw the spelling test myself. I’ve given up on any changes internal to the school. The gifted coordinator supposedly gives worksheets to the teachers, but the gifted kids don’t get them and are stuck learning 2-letter words with the kids who can’t read.

So I’m looking for other specific options where I’ll pay to move or pay for private. But I don’t want to move for more of the same!

Ok well none of this aligns with my family’s experience in APS. Which school is giving third graders 2 letter spelling words?

even first grade taught 3 or 4 letter words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compare APS to excellent school districts in high COL areas.

Also:
https://www.apsva.us/post/superintendent-presents-proposed-fy-2025-budget-to-maintain-core-services/
“ According to an independent review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and three of Virginia’s five bordering states. School divisions in other states receive 14% more per student than school divisions in Virginia, on average. This equates to about $1,900 less per student for Virginia. The JLARC estimates that annually, APS is underfunded by approximately $51 million.”

Huh? I just compared APS to our neighboring districts. Some are even better performing. Some even higher COL.

Delulu

DC area school districts are mid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compare APS to excellent school districts in high COL areas.

Also:
https://www.apsva.us/post/superintendent-presents-proposed-fy-2025-budget-to-maintain-core-services/
“ According to an independent review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and three of Virginia’s five bordering states. School divisions in other states receive 14% more per student than school divisions in Virginia, on average. This equates to about $1,900 less per student for Virginia. The JLARC estimates that annually, APS is underfunded by approximately $51 million.”

Huh? I just compared APS to our neighboring districts. Some are even better performing. Some even higher COL.

Delulu

DC area school districts are mid.

Including APS. Still, compared to our neighboring districts, APS isn’t skimping on spending. So try again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compare APS to excellent school districts in high COL areas.

Also:
https://www.apsva.us/post/superintendent-presents-proposed-fy-2025-budget-to-maintain-core-services/
“ According to an independent review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and three of Virginia’s five bordering states. School divisions in other states receive 14% more per student than school divisions in Virginia, on average. This equates to about $1,900 less per student for Virginia. The JLARC estimates that annually, APS is underfunded by approximately $51 million.”

JLARC doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I, too, can manipulate the stats to make it fit my narrative.

The numbers don’t lie.

It’s an independent, bipartisan commission that is looking for cost savings.

Other areas of the country actually value education more and have better funding models. You get what you pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compare APS to excellent school districts in high COL areas.

Also:
https://www.apsva.us/post/superintendent-presents-proposed-fy-2025-budget-to-maintain-core-services/
“ According to an independent review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and three of Virginia’s five bordering states. School divisions in other states receive 14% more per student than school divisions in Virginia, on average. This equates to about $1,900 less per student for Virginia. The JLARC estimates that annually, APS is underfunded by approximately $51 million.”

Huh? I just compared APS to our neighboring districts. Some are even better performing. Some even higher COL.

Delulu

DC area school districts are mid.

Including APS. Still, compared to our neighboring districts, APS isn’t skimping on spending. So try again.

If you look outside of the swampy hellhole of the DC area, you’ll find areas of the country with excellent schools. They are well funded because their community values education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year our APS elementary school paid for IXL accounts for kids who they considered at risk for failing the math SOL so they could get extra practice. Advanced and gifted kids didn't get an IXL account and were told to read quietly at their desk after finishing their work. It was really unfair and made many of the advanced kids upset that they didn't have access to IXL to work on new material.

APS has really decided that it doesn't need to meet the needs of advanced and gifted students. It's a remarkable turnaround from our experience pre-covid.

And this is one reason why voters need to think, and school board and county board candidates need to realize that Arlington County cannot be everything for everyone, all the time, and receive ever more and more students. Space is one huge issue, but the other paramount issue is getting the needs met of various learners. This is one of the richest counties in the U.S. with an ever increasing population with many needs. And yet, all we hear are 'cuts, cuts, cuts', and 'we have no money'. Something is out of balance here.

Yup.

APS is not properly funded.

We need VA and the CB to step up and properly fund APS.

Why doesn't APE lobby for that? I'll wait.

Doesn’t APS get half of Arlington’s tax revenue already? How much more should we give them? Don’t we need to fund other things too?

Perhaps the problem is mismanagement of ample funding. Let’s take a look at “needs”.

Again, I will ask why doesn't APE lobby for more funds from county and state? This is what they would do if they actually cared about public education.

Still waiting.

Why didn’t they say anything when Youngkin proposed budget CUTS?

They have yet to say one critical word about him.

APE wants to defund public schools, so does their guy Youngkin. APE wants to use our taxpayer dollars to pay for vouchers for their kids to attend private schools. Half of them have kids in private already. They want US to pay for it!

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but when you compare APS to other areas of the country, it doesn’t stand out as being super low. Like — of course — NYC is going to spend more per student, but the COL is astronomically higher than Arlington.

I do think some rural counties of Virginia need more funding. But Arlington isn’t some outlier like you’re claiming it to be. (And JLARC didn’t claim that either.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year our APS elementary school paid for IXL accounts for kids who they considered at risk for failing the math SOL so they could get extra practice. Advanced and gifted kids didn't get an IXL account and were told to read quietly at their desk after finishing their work. It was really unfair and made many of the advanced kids upset that they didn't have access to IXL to work on new material.

APS has really decided that it doesn't need to meet the needs of advanced and gifted students. It's a remarkable turnaround from our experience pre-covid.

And this is one reason why voters need to think, and school board and county board candidates need to realize that Arlington County cannot be everything for everyone, all the time, and receive ever more and more students. Space is one huge issue, but the other paramount issue is getting the needs met of various learners. This is one of the richest counties in the U.S. with an ever increasing population with many needs. And yet, all we hear are 'cuts, cuts, cuts', and 'we have no money'. Something is out of balance here.

Yup.

APS is not properly funded.

We need VA and the CB to step up and properly fund APS.

Why doesn't APE lobby for that? I'll wait.

Doesn’t APS get half of Arlington’s tax revenue already? How much more should we give them? Don’t we need to fund other things too?

Perhaps the problem is mismanagement of ample funding. Let’s take a look at “needs”.

Again, I will ask why doesn't APE lobby for more funds from county and state? This is what they would do if they actually cared about public education.

Still waiting.

Why didn’t they say anything when Youngkin proposed budget CUTS?

They have yet to say one critical word about him.

APE wants to defund public schools, so does their guy Youngkin. APE wants to use our taxpayer dollars to pay for vouchers for their kids to attend private schools. Half of them have kids in private already. They want US to pay for it!

Exactly.
[/quote


Actually, Youngkin is calling for accountability in K-12, which is exactly what OP wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compare APS to excellent school districts in high COL areas.

Also:
https://www.apsva.us/post/superintendent-presents-proposed-fy-2025-budget-to-maintain-core-services/
“ According to an independent review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and three of Virginia’s five bordering states. School divisions in other states receive 14% more per student than school divisions in Virginia, on average. This equates to about $1,900 less per student for Virginia. The JLARC estimates that annually, APS is underfunded by approximately $51 million.”

Huh? I just compared APS to our neighboring districts. Some are even better performing. Some even higher COL.

Delulu

DC area school districts are mid.

Including APS. Still, compared to our neighboring districts, APS isn’t skimping on spending. So try again.

If you look outside of the swampy hellhole of the DC area, you’ll find areas of the country with excellent schools. They are well funded because their community values education.

Where? Specific examples please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compare APS to excellent school districts in high COL areas.

Also:
https://www.apsva.us/post/superintendent-presents-proposed-fy-2025-budget-to-maintain-core-services/
“ According to an independent review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and three of Virginia’s five bordering states. School divisions in other states receive 14% more per student than school divisions in Virginia, on average. This equates to about $1,900 less per student for Virginia. The JLARC estimates that annually, APS is underfunded by approximately $51 million.”

Huh? I just compared APS to our neighboring districts. Some are even better performing. Some even higher COL.

Delulu

DC area school districts are mid.

Including APS. Still, compared to our neighboring districts, APS isn’t skimping on spending. So try again.

If you look outside of the swampy hellhole of the DC area, you’ll find areas of the country with excellent schools. They are well funded because their community values education.

Where? Specific examples please.

I bet they’re all affluent areas with little to no diversity — racial or socioeconomic.

Super easy to have excellent schools with a privileged, homogenous population. (Hint: it’s not about the money spent per student.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but when you compare APS to other areas of the country, it doesn’t stand out as being super low. Like — of course — NYC is going to spend more per student, but the COL is astronomically higher than Arlington.

I do think some rural counties of Virginia need more funding. But Arlington isn’t some outlier like you’re claiming it to be. (And JLARC didn’t claim that either.)

I just said it’s underfunded. As are other districts in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but when you compare APS to other areas of the country, it doesn’t stand out as being super low. Like — of course — NYC is going to spend more per student, but the COL is astronomically higher than Arlington.

I do think some rural counties of Virginia need more funding. But Arlington isn’t some outlier like you’re claiming it to be. (And JLARC didn’t claim that either.)

I just said it’s underfunded. As are other districts in VA.

And you’re wrong. So take a seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, but when you compare APS to other areas of the country, it doesn’t stand out as being super low. Like — of course — NYC is going to spend more per student, but the COL is astronomically higher than Arlington.

I do think some rural counties of Virginia need more funding. But Arlington isn’t some outlier like you’re claiming it to be. (And JLARC didn’t claim that either.)

I just said it’s underfunded. As are other districts in VA.

And you’re wrong. So take a seat.

I mean I'll go with JLARC over an anti public school rando who won't even put their name to their opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year our APS elementary school paid for IXL accounts for kids who they considered at risk for failing the math SOL so they could get extra practice. Advanced and gifted kids didn't get an IXL account and were told to read quietly at their desk after finishing their work. It was really unfair and made many of the advanced kids upset that they didn't have access to IXL to work on new material.

APS has really decided that it doesn't need to meet the needs of advanced and gifted students. It's a remarkable turnaround from our experience pre-covid.

And this is one reason why voters need to think, and school board and county board candidates need to realize that Arlington County cannot be everything for everyone, all the time, and receive ever more and more students. Space is one huge issue, but the other paramount issue is getting the needs met of various learners. This is one of the richest counties in the U.S. with an ever increasing population with many needs. And yet, all we hear are 'cuts, cuts, cuts', and 'we have no money'. Something is out of balance here.

Yup.

APS is not properly funded.

We need VA and the CB to step up and properly fund APS.

Why doesn't APE lobby for that? I'll wait.

Doesn’t APS get half of Arlington’s tax revenue already? How much more should we give them? Don’t we need to fund other things too?

Perhaps the problem is mismanagement of ample funding. Let’s take a look at “needs”.

Again, I will ask why doesn't APE lobby for more funds from county and state? This is what they would do if they actually cared about public education.

Still waiting.

Gee, how interesting that APE won't answer this question! We all know they are on here!