New Budget Recommendations -- eliminate AAP busing and centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And all this fighting is over $1 million for bussing which is probably negated by the high class sizes in AAP classes? Do you have any idea how much is being spent for level 1 and 2 special needs and ESOL?

A) The AAP classes at our center are all smaller than the GE classes.
B) "Level 1 and 2" is just a label that means nothing.
C) I have no problem with FCPS spending funds on special needs kids, who have actual special needs.
D) ESOL is another program that needs to be vetted and reformed.

A) The AAP classes throughout FCPS are much larger than general ed classes. There is a report about this. They are larger even when taking out any classes that receive Title 1 funding.
B) Level 2 at our school means you get compacted math or take one subject above grade level for any year at the school. I think level 1 is some additional enrichment all children get from time to time. Level 3 are the students who get pull outs with the AART.

Then keep your kid at their base school or send them to private where you can buy all the attention they need.

+100 Why, exactly, are we supposed to care that some AAP classes are larger than GE classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This just made me laugh. Is there anything AAP parents don't complain about? The teachers aren't trained to their exacting specifications; the "peer group" just isn't good enough for them, so their kids require special centers; free transportation to said centers must remain intact; middle schools without the appropriate academic clubs just aren't up to snuff... shall I go on? You'd think FCPS was a private school, just listening to the entitlement mentality rife among this crowd.

Oh please don't, your last non-sequitur response was insufferable enough. Besides, anything you'd say would just be the same words rearranged in a different way saying the same old thing.

Hmm - just a reminder: you're responding to more than one person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people who are complaining the loudest about level 4 have children in the level 3 program which is the most expensive level in FCPS because it involves an extra highly trained teacher. We should be talking about eliminating that level if people are really serious about cutting AAP costs.

I'm not sure where you came up with that... the people "complaining the loudest" about AAP are those who are sick and tired of FCPS bending over backwards to make this program just perfect for those kids, while doing nothing about the General Ed program. Enough is enough. FCPS is made up of far more kids than just those in AAP, yet you would never know it by seeing how much time, energy, and funds are spent on AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This just made me laugh. Is there anything AAP parents don't complain about? The teachers aren't trained to their exacting specifications; the "peer group" just isn't good enough for them, so their kids require special centers; free transportation to said centers must remain intact; middle schools without the appropriate academic clubs just aren't up to snuff... shall I go on? You'd think FCPS was a private school, just listening to the entitlement mentality rife among this crowd.

Oh please don't, your last non-sequitur response was insufferable enough. Besides, anything you'd say would just be the same words rearranged in a different way saying the same old thing.

Hmm - just a reminder: you're responding to more than one person.

Hmm, put your shock emoji away. I was responding only to the text referenced.

[Anonymous]

Then keep your kid at their base school or send them to private where you can buy all the attention they need.

+100 Why, exactly, are we supposed to care that some AAP classes are larger than GE classes?

+BBQ. You don't and you aren't, that's the point. Now please don't expect an outpouring of sympathy if some school has smaller AAP classes or more of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once again, blanket statements about FCPS are difficult as there are many Center schools without the environment received by the PP.

The post you're referring to was not a "blanket statement." It was a description of the specific experience my child (and others at his school) experienced, and as such, is perfectly valid. The point is that if AAP kids don't have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to switch schools, then no other children should have to either.

But your DC and the AAP kids at the Center are treated EXSCTLY ALIKE. Neither gets to transfer. Cea ter based AAP kids don't get to opt for LLIV, even if it is best for them.

Actually a few center based AAP kids did opt for LLIV at a nearby elementary school because the center wasn't for them.

So nice to know that AAP kids are entitled to a choice between the base school or center. Gotta make sure their every "need" is met, but forget about the needs of GE students.

GE and AAP kids aren't allowed to transfer if the AAP center is their base school. The students that elected to go from their base center school to a LLIV school would have had to submit extra paperwork to prove something beyond AAP needs. I've never heard of this happening, but I suppose it can. Honestly some of the GE parents here are way crazier than the AAP parents with their ridiculous competitive comments. I thought they were supposed to be the normal ones.

You can thank AAP for this divisiveness. This behavior never occurred when the program was GT and only accepted a fraction of the number of kids that AAP currently accepts. Accepting more and more mainstream students, rather than only the few who actually need a special program, is going to cause resentment. There's far too much overlap and too many similarities between the vast majority of AAP and Gen Ed students to make a definitive dividing line between them, and it's no wonder parents (and kids) are sick of it.

we have friends with AAP kids who have recently talked (bragged) about their child's Latin stem homework, and coding homework. How can the rest of us NOT feel like a select group of kids are getting something better than the GE population? My kid had a GBRS of 13 and NNAT and CogAT scores just on the other side of the line (so she is like the 95th percentile).... She could totally do the work, but doesn't get the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Then keep your kid at their base school or send them to private where you can buy all the attention they need.

+100 Why, exactly, are we supposed to care that some AAP classes are larger than GE classes?

+BBQ. You don't and you aren't, that's the point. Now please don't expect an outpouring of sympathy if some school has smaller AAP classes or more of them.

Well, since there never has been, I certainly wouldn't expect it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once again, blanket statements about FCPS are difficult as there are many Center schools without the environment received by the PP.

The post you're referring to was not a "blanket statement." It was a description of the specific experience my child (and others at his school) experienced, and as such, is perfectly valid. The point is that if AAP kids don't have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to switch schools, then no other children should have to either.

But your DC and the AAP kids at the Center are treated EXSCTLY ALIKE. Neither gets to transfer. Cea ter based AAP kids don't get to opt for LLIV, even if it is best for them.

Actually a few center based AAP kids did opt for LLIV at a nearby elementary school because the center wasn't for them.

So nice to know that AAP kids are entitled to a choice between the base school or center. Gotta make sure their every "need" is met, but forget about the needs of GE students.

GE and AAP kids aren't allowed to transfer if the AAP center is their base school. The students that elected to go from their base center school to a LLIV school would have had to submit extra paperwork to prove something beyond AAP needs. I've never heard of this happening, but I suppose it can. Honestly some of the GE parents here are way crazier than the AAP parents with their ridiculous competitive comments. I thought they were supposed to be the normal ones.

You can thank AAP for this divisiveness. This behavior never occurred when the program was GT and only accepted a fraction of the number of kids that AAP currently accepts. Accepting more and more mainstream students, rather than only the few who actually need a special program, is going to cause resentment. There's far too much overlap and too many similarities between the vast majority of AAP and Gen Ed students to make a definitive dividing line between them, and it's no wonder parents (and kids) are sick of it.

we have friends with AAP kids who have recently talked (bragged) about their child's Latin stem homework, and coding homework. How can the rest of us NOT feel like a select group of kids are getting something better than the GE population? My kid had a GBRS of 13 and NNAT and CogAT scores just on the other side of the line (so she is like the 95th percentile).... She could totally do the work, but doesn't get the opportunity.

Same situation here. FCPS needs to make AAP the normal curriculum in all schools, and make the cutoff for AAP much higher so that only a small group of incredibly gifted kids are receiving gifted services. AAP doesn't strike me as a "gifted curriculum" since there are so many kids not in the program who could absolutely do the work. I think FCPS underestimates its students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once again, blanket statements about FCPS are difficult as there are many Center schools without the environment received by the PP.

The post you're referring to was not a "blanket statement." It was a description of the specific experience my child (and others at his school) experienced, and as such, is perfectly valid. The point is that if AAP kids don't have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to switch schools, then no other children should have to either.

But your DC and the AAP kids at the Center are treated EXSCTLY ALIKE. Neither gets to transfer. Cea ter based AAP kids don't get to opt for LLIV, even if it is best for them.

Actually a few center based AAP kids did opt for LLIV at a nearby elementary school because the center wasn't for them.

So nice to know that AAP kids are entitled to a choice between the base school or center. Gotta make sure their every "need" is met, but forget about the needs of GE students.

GE and AAP kids aren't allowed to transfer if the AAP center is their base school. The students that elected to go from their base center school to a LLIV school would have had to submit extra paperwork to prove something beyond AAP needs. I've never heard of this happening, but I suppose it can. Honestly some of the GE parents here are way crazier than the AAP parents with their ridiculous competitive comments. I thought they were supposed to be the normal ones.

You can thank AAP for this divisiveness. This behavior never occurred when the program was GT and only accepted a fraction of the number of kids that AAP currently accepts. Accepting more and more mainstream students, rather than only the few who actually need a special program, is going to cause resentment. There's far too much overlap and too many similarities between the vast majority of AAP and Gen Ed students to make a definitive dividing line between them, and it's no wonder parents (and kids) are sick of it.

we have friends with AAP kids who have recently talked (bragged) about their child's Latin stem homework, and coding homework. How can the rest of us NOT feel like a select group of kids are getting something better than the GE population? My kid had a GBRS of 13 and NNAT and CogAT scores just on the other side of the line (so she is like the 95th percentile).... She could totally do the work, but doesn't get the opportunity.

Same situation here. FCPS needs to make AAP the normal curriculum in all schools, and make the cutoff for AAP much higher so that only a small group of incredibly gifted kids are receiving gifted services. AAP doesn't strike me as a "gifted curriculum" since there are so many kids not in the program who could absolutely do the work. I think FCPS underestimates its students.

I couldn't agree more! I have a 4th grader who is unbelievably bored out of her mind with most of the AAP work. The math and science are a joke. She likes Caesars' English. She loves reading and goes through many books a week, so the "book clubs" at school go way to slow for her liking. She's enjoying VA history right now and that's about it. They really should make the program for the top 1-2%.

On the other hand, I have another child that can easily handle the AAP curriculum, which I believe most of the kids in GE could handle. I'm all for moving the AAP curriculum to the GE classrooms and bringing back a true GT program for the top 1-2%-ers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once again, blanket statements about FCPS are difficult as there are many Center schools without the environment received by the PP.

The post you're referring to was not a "blanket statement." It was a description of the specific experience my child (and others at his school) experienced, and as such, is perfectly valid. The point is that if AAP kids don't have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to switch schools, then no other children should have to either.

But your DC and the AAP kids at the Center are treated EXSCTLY ALIKE. Neither gets to transfer. Cea ter based AAP kids don't get to opt for LLIV, even if it is best for them.

Actually a few center based AAP kids did opt for LLIV at a nearby elementary school because the center wasn't for them.

So nice to know that AAP kids are entitled to a choice between the base school or center. Gotta make sure their every "need" is met, but forget about the needs of GE students.

GE and AAP kids aren't allowed to transfer if the AAP center is their base school. The students that elected to go from their base center school to a LLIV school would have had to submit extra paperwork to prove something beyond AAP needs. I've never heard of this happening, but I suppose it can. Honestly some of the GE parents here are way crazier than the AAP parents with their ridiculous competitive comments. I thought they were supposed to be the normal ones.

You can thank AAP for this divisiveness. This behavior never occurred when the program was GT and only accepted a fraction of the number of kids that AAP currently accepts. Accepting more and more mainstream students, rather than only the few who actually need a special program, is going to cause resentment. There's far too much overlap and too many similarities between the vast majority of AAP and Gen Ed students to make a definitive dividing line between them, and it's no wonder parents (and kids) are sick of it.

we have friends with AAP kids who have recently talked (bragged) about their child's Latin stem homework, and coding homework. How can the rest of us NOT feel like a select group of kids are getting something better than the GE population? My kid had a GBRS of 13 and NNAT and CogAT scores just on the other side of the line (so she is like the 95th percentile).... She could totally do the work, but doesn't get the opportunity.

Same situation here. FCPS needs to make AAP the normal curriculum in all schools, and make the cutoff for AAP much higher so that only a small group of incredibly gifted kids are receiving gifted services. AAP doesn't strike me as a "gifted curriculum" since there are so many kids not in the program who could absolutely do the work. I think FCPS underestimates its students.

I couldn't agree more! I have a 4th grader who is unbelievably bored out of her mind with most of the AAP work. The math and science are a joke. She likes Caesars' English. She loves reading and goes through many books a week, so the "book clubs" at school go way to slow for her liking. She's enjoying VA history right now and that's about it. They really should make the program for the top 1-2%.

On the other hand, I have another child that can easily handle the AAP curriculum, which I believe most of the kids in GE could handle. I'm all for moving the AAP curriculum to the GE classrooms and bringing back a true GT program for the top 1-2%-ers.

+1000 to the two immediate PPs. If they ever do implement this much needed change, it will be so much better. But sadly, too late for my DC who has had to live with this nonsense throughout elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once again, blanket statements about FCPS are difficult as there are many Center schools without the environment received by the PP.

The post you're referring to was not a "blanket statement." It was a description of the specific experience my child (and others at his school) experienced, and as such, is perfectly valid. The point is that if AAP kids don't have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to switch schools, then no other children should have to either.

But your DC and the AAP kids at the Center are treated EXSCTLY ALIKE. Neither gets to transfer. Cea ter based AAP kids don't get to opt for LLIV, even if it is best for them.

Actually a few center based AAP kids did opt for LLIV at a nearby elementary school because the center wasn't for them.

So nice to know that AAP kids are entitled to a choice between the base school or center. Gotta make sure their every "need" is met, but forget about the needs of GE students.

GE and AAP kids aren't allowed to transfer if the AAP center is their base school. The students that elected to go from their base center school to a LLIV school would have had to submit extra paperwork to prove something beyond AAP needs. I've never heard of this happening, but I suppose it can. Honestly some of the GE parents here are way crazier than the AAP parents with their ridiculous competitive comments. I thought they were supposed to be the normal ones.

You can thank AAP for this divisiveness. This behavior never occurred when the program was GT and only accepted a fraction of the number of kids that AAP currently accepts. Accepting more and more mainstream students, rather than only the few who actually need a special program, is going to cause resentment. There's far too much overlap and too many similarities between the vast majority of AAP and Gen Ed students to make a definitive dividing line between them, and it's no wonder parents (and kids) are sick of it.

we have friends with AAP kids who have recently talked (bragged) about their child's Latin stem homework, and coding homework. How can the rest of us NOT feel like a select group of kids are getting something better than the GE population? My kid had a GBRS of 13 and NNAT and CogAT scores just on the other side of the line (so she is like the 95th percentile).... She could totally do the work, but doesn't get the opportunity.

Same situation here. FCPS needs to make AAP the normal curriculum in all schools, and make the cutoff for AAP much higher so that only a small group of incredibly gifted kids are receiving gifted services. AAP doesn't strike me as a "gifted curriculum" since there are so many kids not in the program who could absolutely do the work. I think FCPS underestimates its students.

I couldn't agree more! I have a 4th grader who is unbelievably bored out of her mind with most of the AAP work. The math and science are a joke. She likes Caesars' English. She loves reading and goes through many books a week, so the "book clubs" at school go way to slow for her liking. She's enjoying VA history right now and that's about it. They really should make the program for the top 1-2%.

On the other hand, I have another child that can easily handle the AAP curriculum, which I believe most of the kids in GE could handle. I'm all for moving the AAP curriculum to the GE classrooms and bringing back a true GT program for the top 1-2%-ers.

+1000 to the two immediate PPs. If they ever do implement this much needed change, it will be so much better. But sadly, too late for my DC who has had to live with this nonsense throughout elementary school.

PP here - one post up. Sadly, we're considering private school for this reason. The school environment is great, but the academics are just not cutting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once again, blanket statements about FCPS are difficult as there are many Center schools without the environment received by the PP.

The post you're referring to was not a "blanket statement." It was a description of the specific experience my child (and others at his school) experienced, and as such, is perfectly valid. The point is that if AAP kids don't have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to switch schools, then no other children should have to either.

But your DC and the AAP kids at the Center are treated EXSCTLY ALIKE. Neither gets to transfer. Cea ter based AAP kids don't get to opt for LLIV, even if it is best for them.

Actually a few center based AAP kids did opt for LLIV at a nearby elementary school because the center wasn't for them.

So nice to know that AAP kids are entitled to a choice between the base school or center. Gotta make sure their every "need" is met, but forget about the needs of GE students.

GE and AAP kids aren't allowed to transfer if the AAP center is their base school. The students that elected to go from their base center school to a LLIV school would have had to submit extra paperwork to prove something beyond AAP needs. I've never heard of this happening, but I suppose it can. Honestly some of the GE parents here are way crazier than the AAP parents with their ridiculous competitive comments. I thought they were supposed to be the normal ones.

You can thank AAP for this divisiveness. This behavior never occurred when the program was GT and only accepted a fraction of the number of kids that AAP currently accepts. Accepting more and more mainstream students, rather than only the few who actually need a special program, is going to cause resentment. There's far too much overlap and too many similarities between the vast majority of AAP and Gen Ed students to make a definitive dividing line between them, and it's no wonder parents (and kids) are sick of it.

we have friends with AAP kids who have recently talked (bragged) about their child's Latin stem homework, and coding homework. How can the rest of us NOT feel like a select group of kids are getting something better than the GE population? My kid had a GBRS of 13 and NNAT and CogAT scores just on the other side of the line (so she is like the 95th percentile).... She could totally do the work, but doesn't get the opportunity.

Did you get a WISC? Appeal? Does your child get LLIII services? Our school has the GE kids doing Wordly Wise while the AAP kids are doing Cesar's English. Most parents like the vocabulary in the Wordly Wise better than the Cesar's English. The AAP class is also much larger and only meets with the teacher once a week. The GE kids get to meet with the teacher twice a week. Our entire school is doing an Hour of Code. Grass isn't always greener.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once again, blanket statements about FCPS are difficult as there are many Center schools without the environment received by the PP.

The post you're referring to was not a "blanket statement." It was a description of the specific experience my child (and others at his school) experienced, and as such, is perfectly valid. The point is that if AAP kids don't have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to switch schools, then no other children should have to either.

But your DC and the AAP kids at the Center are treated EXSCTLY ALIKE. Neither gets to transfer. Cea ter based AAP kids don't get to opt for LLIV, even if it is best for them.

Actually a few center based AAP kids did opt for LLIV at a nearby elementary school because the center wasn't for them.

So nice to know that AAP kids are entitled to a choice between the base school or center. Gotta make sure their every "need" is met, but forget about the needs of GE students.

GE and AAP kids aren't allowed to transfer if the AAP center is their base school. The students that elected to go from their base center school to a LLIV school would have had to submit extra paperwork to prove something beyond AAP needs. I've never heard of this happening, but I suppose it can. Honestly some of the GE parents here are way crazier than the AAP parents with their ridiculous competitive comments. I thought they were supposed to be the normal ones.

You can thank AAP for this divisiveness. This behavior never occurred when the program was GT and only accepted a fraction of the number of kids that AAP currently accepts. Accepting more and more mainstream students, rather than only the few who actually need a special program, is going to cause resentment. There's far too much overlap and too many similarities between the vast majority of AAP and Gen Ed students to make a definitive dividing line between them, and it's no wonder parents (and kids) are sick of it.

we have friends with AAP kids who have recently talked (bragged) about their child's Latin stem homework, and coding homework. How can the rest of us NOT feel like a select group of kids are getting something better than the GE population? My kid had a GBRS of 13 and NNAT and CogAT scores just on the other side of the line (so she is like the 95th percentile).... She could totally do the work, but doesn't get the opportunity.

Did you get a WISC? Appeal? Does your child get LLIII services? Our school has the GE kids doing Wordly Wise while the AAP kids are doing Cesar's English. Most parents like the vocabulary in the Wordly Wise better than the Cesar's English. The AAP class is also much larger and only meets with the teacher once a week. The GE kids get to meet with the teacher twice a week. Our entire school is doing an Hour of Code. Grass isn't always greener.

At our school, all 5th grade classes have Caesar's English.

[Anonymous]

Which proves some schools are giving AAP materials to their general ed students already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which proves some schools are giving AAP materials to their general ed students already.

Which explains why some of us are desperate to keep our centers and others don't see the point of centers at all. All politics is local.