tell me about your experience with regular ed in FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Where have you been in the past five years? Have you ever heard of places like Sunshine Academy or Best Academy? They are designed to train kids for TJ since 1st grade. My tiger mom's wife have the kids going to both Sunshine academy and Best academy on weekdays, weekends and summer for math and reading, and piano lessons on weekdays and weekends.

I hate to say this but I am contributing to this rat race as much as anyone. Being Asians is not easy. There are "expectations"

[Anonymous]

For those of you supplementing at home, what exactly do you do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Yes. There is a huge backlash against common core and pro hands on learning that has caused this trend against spelling, grammar, writing, handwriting. Anything written is now seen as "bad" and anything hands on is now seen as "good". Anything done in a small group is "good" and anything done as a class is "bad". Unfortunately many of the projects doled out have no resources for the kids to refer to in order to do them per the objectives of the project. So half the time the teacher doesn't have time to really teach the kids to understand the project and the kids get off track and meanwhile also aren't picking up on the skills taken out of the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

We see this as well. Dr. Brabrand says he wants to hear about these issues. Can you please bring them up? More weight if sent out as part of the FEA or a group like that than an individual teacher or parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not find general ed to be fine or FCPS fine in any way. I am at one of the supposed best elementary schools. The quality of the educational is very disappointing. A lot of time moving room to room, very large classes, lots of time giving iready or DRA testing and during that time the single teacher is out of the room. No snap words, no spelling correction at the young age or basic spelling later. AAP available is known to be better because at least those teachers find it unacceptable that 4th and 5th graders who have been deemed advanced cannot spell or do basic math quickly. It makes me super angry and sad because we bought here for the school and are now applying to private school. Most of the teachers are less than 28. Way too young without a balance of older more seasoned teachers. As I tour the privates, I recall all the negativity public school advocates say about private school teachers and qualifications and what I see are mature and career teachers who hold masters or phds In their fields. I see private schools require spelling and handwriting in addition to all of the other subjects. They don’t use the gimmicks of iPads to show that they are using tech. They don’t move the kids room to room in endless stations so that no single teacher actually has an idea what the kids are capable of. Neither of my kids abiltiities or weaknesses are known to their teachers because they are taught by assistance so or by each other or by iPad. It is so incredibly disappointing. Public school has a bigger mission than private but at my school, the FARMs and esol are less than 2%. The administration is not loaded down with other challenges. It just thinks this is ok. There is a feeling that if the kids can pass the state standards, that is enough. If you take the time to review the state standards for each grade and subject, you will agree that it is definitely essential to learn the items listed but you will also probably find that you actually expect much much more and they just don’t do it.

I wonder if our kids go to the same school. My kids are at a well-regarded center school and I agree 100% with this post. Extremely disappointing.

I'll add that, perhaps because it is a center school, parents push really hard to get their kids into AAP and about 40-50% of the kids from base school get in. My child who scored 96 percentile on CogAT and NNAT, had pullouts for math in first and second, plus above grade level reading did not get into AAP. I thought "fine, it's a selective program" and didn't appeal. But everyone anywhere near his level at our school is in AAP! He is NOT getting a good education in Gen Ed. There is something very wrong with this system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is why parents push for AAP. It depends on where you are in the county. AAP is where my kids are getting spelling, grammar, writing, and where they are assigned on or above grade level books to be read outside of class. At our base school, little or nothing is expected outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Let me clarify that it's not overwhelming homework. Usually it's required reading and math practice.

[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.

What is "this"? I don't like the way AAP is organized and personally feel that a gifted program that serves the needs of kids who are actually gifted (or kids who actually have needs!) would be better. Other than not having AAP, what does the Arlington do well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not find general ed to be fine or FCPS fine in any way. I am at one of the supposed best elementary schools. The quality of the educational is very disappointing. A lot of time moving room to room, very large classes, lots of time giving iready or DRA testing and during that time the single teacher is out of the room. No snap words, no spelling correction at the young age or basic spelling later. AAP available is known to be better because at least those teachers find it unacceptable that 4th and 5th graders who have been deemed advanced cannot spell or do basic math quickly. It makes me super angry and sad because we bought here for the school and are now applying to private school. Most of the teachers are less than 28. Way too young without a balance of older more seasoned teachers. As I tour the privates, I recall all the negativity public school advocates say about private school teachers and qualifications and what I see are mature and career teachers who hold masters or phds In their fields. I see private schools require spelling and handwriting in addition to all of the other subjects. They don’t use the gimmicks of iPads to show that they are using tech. They don’t move the kids room to room in endless stations so that no single teacher actually has an idea what the kids are capable of. Neither of my kids abiltiities or weaknesses are known to their teachers because they are taught by assistance so or by each other or by iPad. It is so incredibly disappointing. Public school has a bigger mission than private but at my school, the FARMs and esol are less than 2%. The administration is not loaded down with other challenges. It just thinks this is ok. There is a feeling that if the kids can pass the state standards, that is enough. If you take the time to review the state standards for each grade and subject, you will agree that it is definitely essential to learn the items listed but you will also probably find that you actually expect much much more and they just don’t do it.

+1

I have heard this from several different kinds of families.

[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.

+1

People who grew up in FCPS take issue with that, but it is the truth.

[Anonymous]

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

+1

I do too. Also, in AAP, there are a few disruptive kids that maybe should be in GE, but their tiger parents found a way around the system, and no one wants to cave to potentially insinuated racial issues. Newsflash: it is not the parents in AAP, it should be the child.

[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.

+1

People who grew up in FCPS take issue with that, but it is the truth.

Lets be clear though that Arlington identifies gifted students in kindergarten and they have kids switch classes for "AAP" type instruction. In addition, Arlington has a slew of magnet schools. So in some ways regarding advanced children Arlington is very similar to Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is why parents push for AAP. It depends on where you are in the county. AAP is where my kids are getting spelling, grammar, writing, and where they are assigned on or above grade level books to be read outside of class. At our base school, little or nothing is expected outside of school.

OP here. Maybe I should have been more of a tiger parent? I just figured if my child belonged in AAP, she would end up there. She does really well in school, but I am starting to realize standardized tests are not her strength. This means regular ed, which is why I started this post.

[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.

+1

People who grew up in FCPS take issue with that, but it is the truth.

Lets be clear though that Arlington identifies gifted students in kindergarten and they have kids switch classes for "AAP" type instruction. In addition, Arlington has a slew of magnet schools. So in some ways regarding advanced children Arlington is very similar to Fairfax.

+1

This is the way it should be. Less of a chance of being coached/tutored "into" AAP. IME, if you need such coaching/tutoring, you don't belong in AAP, and it does the child no favors, but Tiger moms won't hear of it.

[Anonymous]

OP, the real issue is that there are students in AAP who do not belong, which might be a different issue than whether or not YOUR child belongs. Just because certain parents are trying to save face (by putting there child in AAP, when they clearly have no business there, if you are an AAP parent you see this once in a while, and it is obvious -- though no one would suspect it otherwise).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is why parents push for AAP. It depends on where you are in the county. AAP is where my kids are getting spelling, grammar, writing, and where they are assigned on or above grade level books to be read outside of class. At our base school, little or nothing is expected outside of school.

OP here. Maybe I should have been more of a tiger parent? I just figured if my child belonged in AAP, she would end up there. She does really well in school, but I am starting to realize standardized tests are not her strength. This means regular ed, which is why I started this post.