Dear AAP Parents

[Anonymous]

There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Fairness doesn't mean giving every child the same thing, it means giving them what they need." Rick Lavoie

I don't really think it's "fair" for my kid to sit in class twiddling her thumbs because she's figured out how to solve for the unknown in algebra while the rest of the class is still working on adding 3 digit numbers.

Honestly, I can't figure out why the non-AAP parents are so jealous. From my experience with my DC, AAP has meant math a year ahead and getting additional work on the other subjects with a little CML thrown in. Although I think non- AAP students are also given the opportunity to do CML. I regret sticking with LLIV, because my kid is still bored and twiddling her thumbs in class.

I'm totally mystified why other parents think it's unreasonable for me to expect the schools to meet my child's educational needs and provide instruction that challenges her and allows her to learn.

And, seriously, kids who learn quickly and easily should suffer through being bored and ignored in class unless their parents can afford $30,000+ in tuition for private school?

+1

No one would dare say that a SNs kid on the lower end of the spectrum doesn't deserve a different curriculum.

Interestingly, no one has said that about SNs kids on either end of the spectrum. But then, we're talking about true SNs kids. Not kids who are somewhat advanced in some subjects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

I guess Virginia law does not count in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

It is a Regulation.

http://leg1.state.va.us/000/reg/TOC08020.HTM#C0040

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

Gifted education is a mandated program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AAP is simply enrichment or extensions of core instruction.

Not at my kids AAP Centers. Perhaps this is the case at your AAP Center.

Oh, please. The principal at our center has clearly stated that AAP is the exact same curriculum that all the other kids get, but with more extensions. By now, all parents are aware of this. But you go ahead and pretend otherwise; kind of feeds into the whole segregation aspect that so many AAP parents thrive on.

It's more than just the curriculum, even though you acknowledge there are differences. It goes faster and in more depth - which you acknowledge, at least partially.

It's also the way the kids are taught and understood. In my experience, my DC is given more room to explore areas much more deeply that she is strong in and given some latitude in class time to share her research and projects. It also provides an opportunity to work with other kids that are like-minded.

Reality is that when you're an adult, you will gravitate towards being friends that are of similar intelligence and have things in common with you or your family. To deny that is just denying reality. Why shouldn't these kids get to experience this in the academic portion of their day? They spend time with a variety of kids throughout the rest of their day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the highest votes for budget cuts is elimination of aap centers. Hopefully this happens the tax payer public has voted.

https://fcps.uservoice.com/forums/302115-what-are-your-ideas-for-balancing-the-potential-1/filters/top

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Not the PP, but I can't imagine what you find funny about this. Voters are trying to tell the school board what matters to them. AAP is not one of those things for most people.

That is extremely narrow-minded view. In that case, let's just cut special needs, music, arts, etc. since none of that matter to a lot of people as well.

Special-needs programs are for kids with special needs. AAP doesn't qualify. It is simply an enrichment program, which could easily be implemented in all classes. Music and art benefit all kids - not just a certain contingent.

If the enrichment offered by our public school system doesn't meet with your approval, there's always private school or homeschooling.

This simply isn't true. Special needs covers both the upper and lower bounds of kids intellectual and educational needs.

For kids that are highly gifted, they need something different than what is provided in the general classroom. If they chose to do away with the centers, I'd be fine with that as long as the base schools have teachers and curriculums to support kids that are truly gifted.

The problem IMO is that they don't have enough kids in each school to support having them pulled out for every academic class for special instruction. This would isolate them even more socially.

Having these kids together provides an opportunity to see that there are other kids like them which provides a social acceptance and acknowledgement of their abilities that they don't receive otherwise. They have plenty of other time in their day to socialize with kids of different abilities outside of the academic instruction time.

If you have a kid that excels in a sport and plays on a travel team, do you feel the same way about the travel team as you do AAP? If my kid isn't as good as your kid why should your kid get higher level instruction and mine does not. My kid could learn more skills by being around you kid - that's not fair. Your kid should be forced to play that sport with kids of much lower ability during the whole season and never be allowed to play on a team with kids of their high skill level because you'll make my kid feel bad.

If my kid excels intellectually (very high IQ; 1:10,000 kids) why don't they need a different curriculum outside of the gen ed curriculum? Your highly skilled sports kid would get bored and quit their sport if forced to play with kids that were of average skill.

Please have some sympathy for parents with kids like mine (which I know are not ALL kids in APP). The truly gifted kids know who the other highly gifted kids are and who the high achiever kids are in AAP right away, but this doesn't mean they don't want to play or work with any other kids. They just know who to go to when they want to talk about subjects that their other classmates won't be interested in or understand. Adults are the same way, so you can't judge gifted kids for this behavior.

This is exactly the point. The vast majority of kids in AAP are NOT highly gifted, and this is no secret. The point is that segregating kids who are virtually identical to most other kids in Gen Ed - i.e. the lower end of kids in AAP and the higher end in Gen Ed - is destructive. It teachers those in Gen Ed that they are somehow inferior to their counterparts who are in AAP, when they clearly are not. No one, to my knowledge, has suggested doing away with gifted instruction for those who are actually unable to function in a Gen Ed classroom. But the idea of admitting huge numbers of basically average kids into a segregated program like AAP, while keeping others in Gen Ed who are perfectly able to do AAP work, is moronic.

I agree - signed a mom with 1 highly gifted kid and 1 smart, high achiever (but not nearly as highly gifted). The youngest isn't old enough for AAP, but if I had to guess he'll probably qualify for AAP, but it's because he's a hard working, high achiever. His sister, however, is naturally gifted and only tries hard at what she wants to. Big difference in educational needs and I'd be happy with DS in gen ed and DD in a better suited gifted program. However, if they take away AAP and leaver her with no considerations it would be a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are private travel teams anything like a publicly funded school system?

Exactly. Thank you.

Already explained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Fairness doesn't mean giving every child the same thing, it means giving them what they need." Rick Lavoie

I don't really think it's "fair" for my kid to sit in class twiddling her thumbs because she's figured out how to solve for the unknown in algebra while the rest of the class is still working on adding 3 digit numbers.

Honestly, I can't figure out why the non-AAP parents are so jealous. From my experience with my DC, AAP has meant math a year ahead and getting additional work on the other subjects with a little CML thrown in. Although I think non- AAP students are also given the opportunity to do CML. I regret sticking with LLIV, because my kid is still bored and twiddling her thumbs in class.

I'm totally mystified why other parents think it's unreasonable for me to expect the schools to meet my child's educational needs and provide instruction that challenges her and allows her to learn.

And, seriously, kids who learn quickly and easily should suffer through being bored and ignored in class unless their parents can afford $30,000+ in tuition for private school?

And I'm totally mystified as to why parents think it's unreasonable to open AAP up to any student capable of doing the work. This has nothing to do with jealousy, and everything to do with a public school system spending more money, time, and attention on some kids than on others. It's an issue of inequity.

There is no reason to do away with advanced academics; they should simply be open and available to anyone interested and able. This goes for language arts, science, and social studies, as thankfully qualified Gen Ed kids are already included in AAP math. It's really not a stretch to then open up the other subjects as well. Not all AAP kids are actually advanced in all subjects either, by the way. Making AAP accessible to all would allow everyone to cycle into and out of the appropriate class, as needed. This is not a difficult concept.

PP here with highly gifted DD and not highly gifted DS. I would oppose this and vote for eliminating AAP and only having special accommodations for those in the top few percent. My DD would get lost in this type of instruction just as she did in gen ed. I do think they could make the gen ed curriculum more challenging, but I would prefer to have the top 3% receive the special ed they need and the rest of the curriculum increased for gen ed where needed.

How would you feel about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

Not one person has said that being highly gifted is a disability. It is considered "special needs" in education and psychology. Soooo....there you go.
-aap identified child's parent who think you are not as bright as your child

[Anonymous]

Everyone here is saying "just put the AAP kids in the GenEd rooms and provide enrichment for everyone..." Except you don't seem to understand there is no time in the school day for that. The GenEd classes have to spend all their minutes slogging away at the basics so they can pass the standardized tests. Those classrooms have very little, if any, time for other enrichment programs. Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

Gifted education is a mandated program.

Yes. Perhaps gifted education is mandated. But we all know that AAP is not gifted anymore. That's the joke of it all. It's simply a new version of tracking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

Gifted education is a mandated program.

Yes and it can be given as pull-outs from the child's base school. There is no mandate for AAP and centers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

Gifted education is a mandated program.

Yes. Perhaps gifted education is mandated. But we all know that AAP is not gifted anymore. That's the joke of it all. It's simply a new version of tracking.

The name was changed so the child was not labeled; the service was named instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no disability law that states being advanced is a disability. Therefore aap is not a law or mandate. I am starting to think the aap parents are dumb as a box of rock turds.

-aap identified child's parent who thinks centers are stupid

Gifted education is a mandated program.

Yes and it can be given as pull-outs from the child's base school. There is no mandate for AAP and centers.

There are economies of scale by grouping kids together.