AAP Center Elimination Rumors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that there is not that much difference between Gen Ed and AAP other than math, I type that a lot. We deferred AAP in favor of LI. Our school had a separate Advanced Math class that started in 5th grade that was great. DS joined the AAP program in MS and had no problem walking into the classes and getting As. Math gives you the one grade jump and then the opportunity for a two grade jump if you take Algebra 1H in 7th grade. I was worried that DS might struggle in the other classes since he was not in a AAP class but nope. AAP just isn't that deep.

Most people want AAP for the guarentee of the Advanced Math, it removes the possibility of your kid being dropped from the Advanced Math group.

I think Centers for the AAP kids out of Title 1 schools make sense. There are fewer kids who are advanced and pooling that population to give that group of kids a legit cohort makes sense.

We do have friends at our LI program that have commented that the Center made a world of difference for their LIV kids in Gen Ed because the Gen Ed classes were smaller and there was a smaller cohort of kids who were ahead in the course material. The LI classes were maxed and half of the LI kids were in Advanced Math. There were 5 kids in Advanced Math in the Gen Ed grouping. Being able to move to the Center made a huge difference for the kids ahead in the Gen Ed program. We would have had a strong LLIV class if you combined the LI and Gen Ed kids in the school but that is not how the school worked.

I don't think Centers are needed at most other schools. Any school that has more than 10 kids selected for AAP has enough kids to make a LLIV class. You can add in the kids in LIII and the Advanced Math kids and fill a class pretty easily. If being in the advanced group is that important to parents, they can decide if they are ok with the kid being in the same class for 4 years.

I don't know how much the bus savings would be, but I am guessing it is enough to pay for some of the monitors and aids that are beign cut because of the budget shortfall. Dropping MS Centers is an easy call to make, you should have enough AAP kids feeding into each of the MS that they can run their own AAP classes. Again, the savings on bus runs might not be massive but I would bet it is a few monitor and aid positions. We need those positions in the ES to give Teachers the time to plan and grade.

Let's get real, please. It's not even about advanced math, it's about people wanting their children in a "superior" cohort of kids. That's it. Nobody wants to admit it, but for 90% of AAP parents (the 90% whose children aren't children), they don't care about the academics, they care about their children's peers. For people like me at a high SES school, it really doesn't matter. I would love for my child to get advanced math, but it's fine, she'll take math honors in 7th and Algebra honors in 8th grade, and end up in all AP classes in high school. For families like mine in schools like ours, AAP really isn't a big deal at all. For my friend whose child is at a Title I school, IT MATTERS. She wants her kid out of that school and at the AAP Center and I absolutely DO NOT BLAME HER.

Haha that's hilarious. My DD at a title 1 school chose to stay for local level 4. Two of the kids from her 2nd grade cohort, one of which cried all the time and another who would act out and get in trouble every day both went to the center school. Thinking going to a center school is going to solve any problems when in reality all it does is increase the amount of time it takes to get to and from school.

Sounds like your school has a better cohort of kids than hers does. She has to worry about violence in the classroom, and LLIV moves her kid away from some of that, but for whatever reason, all the ADHD kids were clustered into the LLIV class the previous two years, so she assumes it will happen to her child's grade, too, and she doesn't want her kid in a 2e LLIV room. I get it.

Our center program also has a ton of 2e kids. Sounds like she needs to move to a private school if she wants a program that can exclude those with special needs.

[Anonymous]

Our school is a center. One of the teachers was ready to quit. There was a 2e child who threw a fit almost every day. Screaming, flailing around, etc. Mom knew her "rights." Quite challenging for the teacher. She was more upset with the mom than the kid. A case where the kid had issues and likely belonged in a different type of environment-- not AAP or gened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

Returning to a small and very selective GT program - as there used to be - would mean that only those kids who absolutely couldn't be educated in a "normal" classroom would get services. And the kids at the other end of the spectrum should also get SPED services that are separate - mainstreaming does not work. Then all of the kids in the middle, to include average through advanced, would break into flexible groupings for each subject. It would be understood that only the kids at the VERY top and the VERY bottom need to be educated in a separate environment. No one had any problem with this system prior to AAP. It's a far more sane and common sense approach to educating kids of different abilities, the vast majority of whom are indistinguishable from one another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

DP. So you're admitting that your kid is at the bottom of aap? Otherwise you would be happy to get rid of the low performers and elevate the class as a whole.

+1
The parents who have truly gifted kids never make this argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

DP. So you're admitting that your kid is at the bottom of aap? Otherwise you would be happy to get rid of the low performers and elevate the class as a whole.

No. My kids are legitimately gifted. I don't covet what those kids have and have no reason to be spiteful like you apparently do. Low performers haven't impacted our school 's AAP classrooms. The teachers don't appear to slow down for stragglers. They move through material and you either get it or you don't.

Every AAP parent says this, LOL!

+100
It's such a tell. The only reason AAP was opened up to the masses is because of the ridiculous "equity" push. Same with TJ. Both AAP and TJ admissions need to go back to merit ONLY, and take only the top 5% of students. The ones who absolutely need a gifted curriculum - which AAP is certainly not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

+1000

The parents who moan and groan are doing a greater disservice to their kids than anything else.

Um, you realize this is a parents' discussion board and no one is "moaning and groaning" to their own kids, right? This is a place to vent. I'm sure you come here and vent about issues that are important to you. And you and the PP you're agreeing with epitomize smug condescension in your erroneous claim that "the kids are really where they need to be and (we) should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone's learning needs." Sorry, no. The "system" is a failure because it sees fit to label kids at the age of seven and lock them into two separate groups with ZERO flexibility. Applying every year isn't "flexible." You've wasted an entire year in the meantime.

Flexible groupings are actually flexible because kids can cycle into and out of the appropriate group - per subject - FOR THEM, at any time.

Actually, I do think plenty of parents are feeding these ideas of exclusion to their kids, filling their heads with ideas that the AAP kids are no longer their friends. It's toxic, and my experience is that it's more parent-driven than anything.

Your child's year isn't "wasted" unless you let it be while you wallow in your own hatred over children who have something your kids don't.

It's clear you have no idea whatsoever - or rather, refuse to acknowledge - what's really going on here. Many AAP kids become absolutely insufferable, starting as early as 2nd grade when they're first told they'll be in AAP the following year. They will often cut out their Gen Ed kids right then, though some wait until a little later to do so. The Gen Ed kids then come home devasted because Larla has told them they're "just not smart enough to be in AAP" with all the other Larlas. At that point, parents have to address the situation at home.

That you think it's the *parents* bringing all of this up to their kids makes you sound idiotic. I would have preferred my kids never experienced any of this ridiculous division, but that wasn't to be.

This absolutely happened to my child. In 6th grade, they literally do not interact with each other at all. This is in a small LLIV school - there are only three classes per grade, and the AAP girls do not interact with the girls from the other two classes, even if they were the best of friends in K-2 and even if they are on the same sports teams. They act like they don't even go to school together.

Yep. Same experience at a center school. After 2nd grade, it's pretty much, "You're dead to me" on the part of AAP kids when the AAP / GE divide starts. Before that, really. Happened to our DC as soon as kids found out, spring of 2nd grade. My kid had no idea what AAP even was as we had never discussed it with them. They came home devastated after being smugly told by "friends" that they just weren't smart enough. Imagine being told that at age 7/8. It's absolutely disgraceful that FCPS has been letting this happen, year after year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

Returning to a small and very selective GT program - as there used to be - would mean that only those kids who absolutely couldn't be educated in a "normal" classroom would get services. And the kids at the other end of the spectrum should also get SPED services that are separate - mainstreaming does not work. Then all of the kids in the middle, to include average through advanced, would break into flexible groupings for each subject. It would be understood that only the kids at the VERY top and the VERY bottom need to be educated in a separate environment. No one had any problem with this system prior to AAP. It's a far more sane and common sense approach to educating kids of different abilities, the vast majority of whom are indistinguishable from one another.

Many people had a problem with this system. You just weren’t one of them.

[Anonymous]

Just wait. When they don't get in TJ, self-esteem flies away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

Returning to a small and very selective GT program - as there used to be - would mean that only those kids who absolutely couldn't be educated in a "normal" classroom would get services. And the kids at the other end of the spectrum should also get SPED services that are separate - mainstreaming does not work. Then all of the kids in the middle, to include average through advanced, would break into flexible groupings for each subject. It would be understood that only the kids at the VERY top and the VERY bottom need to be educated in a separate environment. No one had any problem with this system prior to AAP. It's a far more sane and common sense approach to educating kids of different abilities, the vast majority of whom are indistinguishable from one another.

Many people had a problem with this system. You just weren’t one of them.

The only people who had a problem were those who were just convinced their kid was actually gifted - probably like you. There were groupings for advanced learners within Gen Ed, so most had no problem at all with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wait. When they don't get in TJ, self-esteem flies away.

+1
I mean, surely FCPS has done a study on AAP kids and outcomes once in high school and beyond? Once high school starts, all of these kids are in honors and AP classes together and many of the prior "GE" kids far outpace prior "AAP" kids, to include attending much better colleges. The labeling at the age of seven is doing no one any favors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wait. When they don't get in TJ, self-esteem flies away.

+1
I mean, surely FCPS has done a study on AAP kids and outcomes once in high school and beyond? Once high school starts, all of these kids are in honors and AP classes together and many of the prior "GE" kids far outpace prior "AAP" kids, to include attending much better colleges. The labeling at the age of seven is doing no one any favors.

+1

DD was one of those who outpaced. Lots of awards; AP scholar; commended National merit. I will say that I did not want her to leave our local school and withdrew her from consideration.

Bottom line: Smart is smart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

Returning to a small and very selective GT program - as there used to be - would mean that only those kids who absolutely couldn't be educated in a "normal" classroom would get services. And the kids at the other end of the spectrum should also get SPED services that are separate - mainstreaming does not work. Then all of the kids in the middle, to include average through advanced, would break into flexible groupings for each subject. It would be understood that only the kids at the VERY top and the VERY bottom need to be educated in a separate environment. No one had any problem with this system prior to AAP. It's a far more sane and common sense approach to educating kids of different abilities, the vast majority of whom are indistinguishable from one another.

Sure. Wake me up when we end mainstreaming and reduce the ESOL numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

Returning to a small and very selective GT program - as there used to be - would mean that only those kids who absolutely couldn't be educated in a "normal" classroom would get services. And the kids at the other end of the spectrum should also get SPED services that are separate - mainstreaming does not work. Then all of the kids in the middle, to include average through advanced, would break into flexible groupings for each subject. It would be understood that only the kids at the VERY top and the VERY bottom need to be educated in a separate environment. No one had any problem with this system prior to AAP. It's a far more sane and common sense approach to educating kids of different abilities, the vast majority of whom are indistinguishable from one another.

Many people had a problem with this system. You just weren’t one of them.

The only people who had a problem were those who were just convinced their kid was actually gifted - probably like you. There were groupings for advanced learners within Gen Ed, so most had no problem at all with it.

I was in the GT program in the 80s. Pretty sure I don’t need you to explain what it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

DP. So you're admitting that your kid is at the bottom of aap? Otherwise you would be happy to get rid of the low performers and elevate the class as a whole.

No. My kids are legitimately gifted. I don't covet what those kids have and have no reason to be spiteful like you apparently do. Low performers haven't impacted our school 's AAP classrooms. The teachers don't appear to slow down for stragglers. They move through material and you either get it or you don't.

Every AAP parent says this, LOL!

+100
It's such a tell. The only reason AAP was opened up to the masses is because of the ridiculous "equity" push. Same with TJ. Both AAP and TJ admissions need to go back to merit ONLY, and take only the top 5% of students. The ones who absolutely need a gifted curriculum - which AAP is certainly not.

No, the tell is those of you who don't realize that there is a whole world outside of FCPS for gifted people. There are a lot of resources for gifted children to be able to learn and grow outside of school and FCPS isn't the beginning or end of education. There really isn't a need to obsess over AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Centers are needed in schools where there aren’t enough level 4 kids to make a whole class.

Ok. But there are schools that have a large enough cohort. In my opinion, the centers should only be allowed if the cohort is too small. Why should we bus kids to a center when there is a large enough cohort with a designated class. I know our center pulls from two schools. Both of these schools including my own, has a designated AAP class (not cluster model) and routinely has enough kids (12-17 kids)

It's crazy that you are anti busing AAP kids but are just fine with a 1:12 teacher to student ratio only for AAP. Doubtful that general ed classes have that ratio.

Wow. No, mommy, principals place other smart students into the Level IV class to make sure it is a similar size to the other classrooms. Most of these kids would have gotten into AAP if they were in a Title I or lower SES school anyway, so it works out. Your little baby is not "gifted" as much as you want to think s/he is. Principal placed kids do just as well if not better than the kids who got into AAP because their 2nd grade teacher liked them.

Principal placed kids get there because parents suck up to them.
Second grade teachers of the student are not on the selection committee for full time AAP.
Principal placing kids who did not make the cut into classrooms are part of the reason people prefer centers. The peer group has all been selected by a neutral centralized committee rather than who sucks up to the principal.

AAP is an advanced program. It must be hard for you to accept that even with a lower standard than gifted your kid still didn't make the cut. It's not the end of the world.

You're absolutely right, it's not the end of the world, yet here you are getting suuuuper defensive and freaking out and insulting people that you 100% know are telling the truth but oh boy, you just can't handle the fact that your child isn't as precious as you think s/he is. Trust me, my kids are going to end up in the exact same AP classes as yours in high school and will probably blow them out of the water.

You were the first to bring up kids saying my "little baby isnt gifted as I think he is." Well it's a good thing there are tests that independently confirmed giftedness for them. No sucking up needed.

It's very weird that you are comparing your kids future academic success to that of strangers. You sound very insecure about needing that annual principal placement for your future academic rockstar.

Yeah some people are really bothered by their kids not being selected for AAP. I enjoy listening to them complain and denigrate others kids.

If they stood back and took a second to breathe, they would understand that the kids are really where they need to be and should be happy the system allows this much flexibility for everyone’s learning needs.

Where is the flexibility for the remedial children? Where are their centers? Why do they have to be lumped in with all of the normal children while your special snowflake gets advanced math and extra special worksheets in AAP?

Are you serious? The elimination of leveled classrooms/tracking and the mainstreaming of remedial and special ed students was the result of parents of those students pushing for mainstreaming. Parents of advanced and on-level kids didn't do any of this to you - point your finger at your own counterparts from the last decades.

Currently, you could advocate for more tracking in every school - but I'd be ready from blowback from other parents who don't want to see their kid in the remedial class, even if it would be the best fit.

LOLing at you saying AAP parents didn't cause this. PLEASE. Parents are absolutely the reason there is a bloated AAP program full of normal children who belong in GenEd.

+1
I blame FCPS for allowing this system to get so bloated and out of control. What a joke it is now, compared to when they had a tiny and excellent GT program.

So your kid didn't make it into AAP but you're arguing to reduce the number of other kids' access to AAP.
What do you get out of this? Your kid isn't getting in either way. Is it spite that drives this behavior?

Returning to a small and very selective GT program - as there used to be - would mean that only those kids who absolutely couldn't be educated in a "normal" classroom would get services. And the kids at the other end of the spectrum should also get SPED services that are separate - mainstreaming does not work. Then all of the kids in the middle, to include average through advanced, would break into flexible groupings for each subject. It would be understood that only the kids at the VERY top and the VERY bottom need to be educated in a separate environment. No one had any problem with this system prior to AAP. It's a far more sane and common sense approach to educating kids of different abilities, the vast majority of whom are indistinguishable from one another.

Many people had a problem with this system. You just weren’t one of them.

The only people who had a problem were those who were just convinced their kid was actually gifted - probably like you. There were groupings for advanced learners within Gen Ed, so most had no problem at all with it.

I was in the GT program in the 80s. Pretty sure I don’t need you to explain what it was.

Reaching back 40 years to flex your knowledge of the GT program

DCUM is so unserious sometimes