Sound off if you think AAP is BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:a few disgruntled naysayers to the contrary, most parents who have kids with any shot at all at getting in are going to apply. And refer or appeal if necessary.
Very lucky to have this option in FCPS. Because of it we were able to hold off on sending DC to private until HS.

Really? Private would have been the only other option? Who are these fragile flowers who can't seem to learn in an environment not specifically designed for the. A very small portion are gifted, I get that. The rest? Just very entitled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure which is more entertaining and crazy, this thread or the N Virginia travel soccer thread.

+1 Crazy parents everywhere. If my kid can't larticipate, I want to make sure no kid can. It's nuts, because it certainly doesn't solve the problem of my kid having two left feet. Or the GE kid just not being able to hack it in AAP.

I hate that we apnow expect our kids to line taught to the level of the weat kid in the school or on the team, because some parent has an overly fragile ego. It's the worst of the every kid is gifted/ talented/ deserves a medal metlty.

This has nothing to do with fragile egos. One more time: I had kids in AAP and Gen Ed. I referred none of my kids. That is how I think it should be. The referral/appeal/prepping for the test system is how this all got so cray-cray.

btw, AAP and non-AAP kid going to the same top 20 college. How did that ever happen??????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure which is more entertaining and crazy, this thread or the N Virginia travel soccer thread.

+1 Crazy parents everywhere. If my kid can't larticipate, I want to make sure no kid can. It's nuts, because it certainly doesn't solve the problem of my kid having two left feet. Or the GE kid just not being able to hack it in AAP.

I hate that we apnow expect our kids to line taught to the level of the weat kid in the school or on the team, because some parent has an overly fragile ego. It's the worst of the every kid is gifted/ talented/ deserves a medal metlty.

This has nothing to do with fragile egos. One more time: I had kids in AAP and Gen Ed. I referred none of my kids. That is how I think it should be. The referral/appeal/prepping for the test system is how this all got so cray-cray.

btw, AAP and non-AAP kid going to the same top 20 college. How did that ever happen??????

Why did you send your child to AAP if you think it is so..."cray-cray"? Wouldn't he/she done just fine in Gen Ed? Gone to the same college, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Not reading the whole thread, because I'm sure it contains the same AAP bashing as every other thread with the exact same parents. All four of you should get together and start a climb. So *Yawn*. And get over it. Your kid was not in the top 15%. So cope.

But also, imagine if you took all of the ranting and raving and channeled it somewhere productive, like starting an FCAG type advocacy group for GE kids. Less fun that venting ad infinitim, I know. But it could lead to constructive suggestions to make GE better (since no matter how you contort your arguments, your kids will never sit on an AAP classroom).

Or you could continue with the sour grapes, tweenage girl type griping. Which no one takes seriously.

You, my friend, are responsible for the horrible reputation of AAP parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Half the people critical of AAP have kids in the "program"? That's vague and nonsensical. What part of the program? The level III pull-outs? The local level IV? Or the level IV centers? If you have kids in a level IV center and you hate it, did you ever stop to think that it's your particular toxic school and not all centers that may be the problem?

In reality, the majority of parents who have kids in level IV centers are positive about them. As intelligent and critical thinkers, we all have our critiques of everything. The real issue to focus on is what's going on in Gen Ed, which is riddled with problems.

The bolded is simply your opinion - nothing more, and certainly not "reality." How on earth would you know what the "majority of parents" think about anything? Have you conducted a scientific poll? More likely, it's just wishful thinking on your part that parents at centers are just peachy with the way AAP is handled. And of course, you're speaking for parents of Gen Ed kids who *also* attend centers, right? Because I can assure you, there are many parents within that group who do not have positive things to say about their kids' experience attending center schools.

The way in which AAP is implemented affects all children - not just those in AAP. As such, parents of all kids are entitled to voice their concerns with this program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many parents have great distain for the program as a whole.

If you don't know this, be grateful for how many are courteous and civil out in the community, face to face, when not contributing to this forum.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Half the people critical of AAP have kids in the "program"? That's vague and nonsensical. What part of the program? The level III pull-outs? The local level IV? Or the level IV centers? If you have kids in a level IV center and you hate it, did you ever stop to think that it's your particular toxic school and not all centers that may be the problem?

In reality, the majority of parents who have kids in level IV centers are positive about them. As intelligent and critical thinkers, we all have our critiques of everything. The real issue to focus on is what's going on in Gen Ed, which is riddled with problems.

The bolded is simply your opinion - nothing more, and certainly not "reality." How on earth would you know what the "majority of parents" think about anything? Have you conducted a scientific poll? More likely, it's just wishful thinking on your part that parents at centers are just peachy with the way AAP is handled. And of course, you're speaking for parents of Gen Ed kids who *also* attend centers, right? Because I can assure you, there are many parents within that group who do not have positive things to say about their kids' experience attending center schools.

The way in which AAP is implemented affects all children - not just those in AAP. As such, parents of all kids are entitled to voice their concerns with this program.

Do you realize how addled you sound?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

It is not a gifted program. FCPS did away with its gifted program (in early 2000s??). Now it is Advanced Academics. There is a difference - AAP is intended to be more inclusive. It is not intended to be only for the gifted. So gifted still has its meaning - it just doesn't apply to FCPS AAP.

Thank you for this clarification. Lots of AAP parents think their student is gifted when they are just "high performers."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

It is not a gifted program. FCPS did away with its gifted program (in early 2000s??). Now it is Advanced Academics. There is a difference - AAP is intended to be more inclusive. It is not intended to be only for the gifted. So gifted still has its meaning - it just doesn't apply to FCPS AAP.

Thank you for this clarification. Lots of AAP parents think their student is gifted when they are just "high performers."

Scores don't lie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be one of those parents that tutor, push the administration, whatever. My kid needs the best education possible and I'm not convinced he'll get it in his non-aap school.

There is no guarantee he will get it at an AAP school, either. There can be significant behavior/social issues in many of those classrooms that limit learning, particularly in sensitive children. I believe the AAP system in FCPS is thoroughly broken and only benefits parents who want to say their child is in it.

Yes! These classrooms can be a bit chaotic with all the different trains of thought, competition, and a number of students with ADHD!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the original concept - where there exists a very small percentage of kids that have a high IQ and at one time were not able to access a curriculum that met their needs. I do believe maybe *AT MOST* and I'm being generous - 5% of FCPS kids have a very high IQ and have exceptionally gifted capabilities. Those kids should have special resources. Fine.

That being said, the situation that has devolved over the past 3 decades is a joke. I am seeing overbearing parents pushing their kids to steal a ticket into the program and I am getting sick of it. Schools have between 25% - 50% gifted students across the board. What is the point of that?

What if we decided to create a special classroom for children gifted in sports? Why not? Time and time again, those gifted in sports become our brilliant leaders of the future? Why not continue to foster those values in the classroom?

What if we decided to create special classrooms for children gifted in beauty? How would society react to that? One could argue that beauty is a major factor to success. Intelligence is not a definitive indicator of success.

Anyone else see how ridiculous and unequal this has all become? If you don't then please help me understand otherwise.

I am most interested in hearing responses from parents of kids who are non-AAP.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's BS because the curriculum is something that should be used in every single classroom in FCPS. It's not a special curriculum for the highly gifted.
It can easily be used in every GenEd class.

What they should have is one center for extremely gifted kids. Kids that are off the charts intelligent that simply cannot function in a regular classroom. Implement a curriculum for them that is truly for highly gifted kids.

The kids in the current AAP would be absolutely fine with the rest of their peers and their peers would do absolutely fine with the current AAP curriculum.

It's has turned into a circus like competition that simply lowers the learning standards for the rest of the general FCPS community.

An MCPS parent here. I feel the same about MCPS HGC (ES Magnets) and MS Magnets.

Substandard curriculum. My kid is no genius and he is just cruising through these programs. The only reason we wanted him to be in these magnet programs because the quality of instruction in the rest of the schools in non-magnet classes is even worse. And we looked at private schools too and they were even worse than MCPS. This is mediocre at its best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's BS because the curriculum is something that should be used in every single classroom in FCPS. It's not a special curriculum for the highly gifted.
It can easily be used in every GenEd class.

What they should have is one center for extremely gifted kids. Kids that are off the charts intelligent that simply cannot function in a regular classroom. Implement a curriculum for them that is truly for highly gifted kids.

The kids in the current AAP would be absolutely fine with the rest of their peers and their peers would do absolutely fine with the current AAP curriculum.

It's has turned into a circus like competition that simply lowers the learning standards for the rest of the general FCPS community.

I so much agree. Why segregated classes. Curriculum needs to be revised rather kids go through all these tests. So unfair for kids at a tender age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's BS because the curriculum is something that should be used in every single classroom in FCPS. It's not a special curriculum for the highly gifted.
It can easily be used in every GenEd class.

What they should have is one center for extremely gifted kids. Kids that are off the charts intelligent that simply cannot function in a regular classroom. Implement a curriculum for them that is truly for highly gifted kids.

The kids in the current AAP would be absolutely fine with the rest of their peers and their peers would do absolutely fine with the current AAP curriculum.

It's has turned into a circus like competition that simply lowers the learning standards for the rest of the general FCPS community.

I so much agree. Why segregated classes. Curriculum needs to be revised rather kids go through all these tests. So unfair for kids at a tender age.

It would help to get rid of TJ.

[Anonymous]

This thread always makes me chuckle.