Robinson dumping AP classes and focusing on IB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

Calculus-based physics is not offered. IB math does not integrate well with taking calculus junior year. IB limits students students to taking 3-4 HL classes, when the very top students would be capable of taking all 6 subjects HL (and with AP, they could take a full AP course load across all subjects).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Ok I get that your prefer AP vs. IB but saying IB serves zero purpose, that kids won't get into colleges taking IB, and that IB is a "sad" option shows that you don't know anything about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of how Robinson ended up with IB in the first place, it would make sense to reassess current community preferences (and regardless of whether a particular IB teacher or parent at Robinson would like to maintain the status quo and/or eliminate AP courses there). We already know that we pay more for IB because the IBO requires dedicated resources at each school that offers the IB diploma.

Why? Do we poll the community on school start time, class sizes, lunch offerings, elective options, or after school offerings? No. Can you imagine the mess if every few years they had to poll parents and then change course offerings based on what was popular with that particular crowd?

Look, I'm not an IB fan (i think it's way too much work for math teachers to grade 20 page papers on top of teaching advanced concepts) but the thought of changing programs because this year's families don't like it seems ridiculous. There are AP options within 5 minutes from Robinson.

If they were intending to eliminate lunch offerings or electives, it would make perfect sense to solicit input from students and their families. Likewise, if they are now undertaking to curtail the number of AP courses, including in some core areas, it would be an opportune time to find out whether the community would prefer more AP and less IB.

Any good organization tries to figure out what is working well and what is not working well, and any good business tries to assess why it might be losing market share. FCPS strenuously resists any such outreach, except when it can ignore the results. They never want to admit what they once thought might be preferable no longer is preferable, much less that they may have made a mistake in the first place. But the fact that FCPS stopped dead in its tracks by the mid-00s in terms of converting AP schools to IB, after an initial spate of conversations in the late 90s and early 00s, suggests they already know the county over-invested in IB.

They are dropping ONE out of FOUR AP classes. This isn't a full AP program getting sliced to 2 courses. They have never had many AP classes. ONE class is going away because it has an identical IB offering. No one is changing the whole landscape at Robinson.

Wait.....so you are telling me someone started a thread not being 100 percent truthful and everyone is responding completely overreacting in the FCPS forum? Nah, no way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

Calculus-based physics is not offered. IB math does not integrate well with taking calculus junior year. IB limits students students to taking 3-4 HL classes, when the very top students would be capable of taking all 6 subjects HL (and with AP, they could take a full AP course load across all subjects).

Ok no calc based physics is not good, but I assume top students can just get a teacher exception if they want to take more than 3-4 IB courses, right? (About the math not integrating well, I'm not sure what that means, is it that students don't learn the necessary prerequisites for calculus by the end of 10th grade in IB classes?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

For some reason, parents here like to showcase their complete ignorance about STEM and IB. Likely because they themselves grew up as very non-STEM oriented kids and look at it from the outside in. There's this enormous misconception that STEM kids just need to know how to plug-and-chug AP math equations without the "bull" that IB adds.

Completely missing the point that any high-level engineering or science career involves significant amounts of critical reading and writing.

[Anonymous]

Was 4 AP courses the maximum number Robinson ever offered? Or have they been cutting back over time. Never would have expected them to offer 28 or so AP courses like an AP-only school but thought it was more than 4, at least at one point.

Either way soliciting feedback from the community on their preferences is a good idea. It would demonstrate that FCPS actually cares about what families want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

Calculus-based physics is not offered. IB math does not integrate well with taking calculus junior year. IB limits students students to taking 3-4 HL classes, when the very top students would be capable of taking all 6 subjects HL (and with AP, they could take a full AP course load across all subjects).

So is IB less stressful, without as much of the rat race of racking up AP classes? I don’t need my child to take 10+ AP classes, but it seems like that’s what is required if they want to go to a top tier college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

Calculus-based physics is not offered. IB math does not integrate well with taking calculus junior year. IB limits students students to taking 3-4 HL classes, when the very top students would be capable of taking all 6 subjects HL (and with AP, they could take a full AP course load across all subjects).

So is IB less stressful, without as much of the rat race of racking up AP classes? I don’t need my child to take 10+ AP classes, but it seems like that’s what is required if they want to go to a top tier college.

If they can get 4s and 5s and go to a public university, those 10 classes will save the family a lot of money

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

Calculus-based physics is not offered. IB math does not integrate well with taking calculus junior year. IB limits students students to taking 3-4 HL classes, when the very top students would be capable of taking all 6 subjects HL (and with AP, they could take a full AP course load across all subjects).

Ok no calc based physics is not good, but I assume top students can just get a teacher exception if they want to take more than 3-4 IB courses, right? (About the math not integrating well, I'm not sure what that means, is it that students don't learn the necessary prerequisites for calculus by the end of 10th grade in IB classes?)

No. The IB organization limits students to 3-4 HL classes.

IB HL exams must be taken at the end of senior year. They cannot be taken earlier. So if a student is in calculus junior year, they have to wait a whole year to take the IB exam. This restriction keeps students from taking HL courses until their senior year, while you could take a class like AP Bio or AP Chem as a junior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

Calculus-based physics is not offered. IB math does not integrate well with taking calculus junior year. IB limits students students to taking 3-4 HL classes, when the very top students would be capable of taking all 6 subjects HL (and with AP, they could take a full AP course load across all subjects).

Ok no calc based physics is not good, but I assume top students can just get a teacher exception if they want to take more than 3-4 IB courses, right? (About the math not integrating well, I'm not sure what that means, is it that students don't learn the necessary prerequisites for calculus by the end of 10th grade in IB classes?)

No. The IB organization limits students to 3-4 HL classes.

IB HL exams must be taken at the end of senior year. They cannot be taken earlier. So if a student is in calculus junior year, they have to wait a whole year to take the IB exam. This restriction keeps students from taking HL courses until their senior year, while you could take a class like AP Bio or AP Chem as a junior.

Plenty of Robinson students take IB HL courses as juniors and just delay the test until senior year (I agree that is a stupid requirement, but it doesn't prevent kids from taking the class early). They had a full section of matrix algebra this year with 30+ kids in it, so kids are finding ways to make it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was 4 AP courses the maximum number Robinson ever offered? Or have they been cutting back over time. Never would have expected them to offer 28 or so AP courses like an AP-only school but thought it was more than 4, at least at one point.

Either way soliciting feedback from the community on their preferences is a good idea. It would demonstrate that FCPS actually cares about what families want.

For at least the last 4 years, yes--those have been the only ones. Not sure before then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Robinson parent and hate the IB program. I wish that Robinson would get with the program and just do AP like the other, higher ranked schools. IB serves zero purpose and is detriment to RSS kids trying to get into colleges.

We bought a house in this district because it was what we could afford at the time. I did not choose RSS for IB. It was forced on us. Can we move? No, that's an unrealistic option at this time. I also don't want to ship my kids out to LB just for APs and kill their school day.

IB is a sad option, and I wish they would poll parents on this topic because I don't know many that actually want this waste of time for the kids.

Wait why do you hate IB? I thought writing and reading are supposed to be challenging and rigorous. Are the math/science classes not up to par? I'm confused what you mean about calling it a waste of time for the kids.. is it because there are too many requirements to obtain the diploma, like the TOK class?

Calculus-based physics is not offered. IB math does not integrate well with taking calculus junior year. IB limits students students to taking 3-4 HL classes, when the very top students would be capable of taking all 6 subjects HL (and with AP, they could take a full AP course load across all subjects).

So is IB less stressful, without as much of the rat race of racking up AP classes? I don’t need my child to take 10+ AP classes, but it seems like that’s what is required if they want to go to a top tier college.

Parents of IB diploma kids are always emphasizing that the diploma program is at least as rigorous as 10-12 AP classes, except when someone asks if taking a lot of AP classes is a "rat race" or "pressure cooker." Then they are nowhere to be found.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where in the world are you getting that it is easier to get into TJ from Robinson now?

Every MS is guaranteed seats at TJ now. The top 1.5% of the 8th grade class will be offered a seat at TJ if they meet the minimum requirements (3.5 GPA, Algebra Honors in 8th grade, Honors Science and Math in 7th and 8th grade, and at least one other honors class) and the student applies. This means that the top 9 or so students who apply will be accepted at TJ.

I am not sure how many MS feed into Robinson but if it is 4, guessing here, you could be sending the 36 kids who are STEM focused to TJ and not Robinson, which would be a full class of potential AP Science and Math kids to TJ.

I have no clue what the TJ feeding pattern for Robinson looked like before the admissions changes at TJ but I know that many of the MS in FCPS went from 0 or 1 kid to 6-9 kids.

1 middle school feeds into Robinson. It’s Robinson Secondary School, grades 7-12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Robinson is an IB school. It makes no sense for them to offer random AP classes. And they don’t have the enrollment to justify them anymore. Pupil place to an AP school if you want AP.

GREAT, now they're going to dump all the AP students to an already crowded Lake Braddock. Ugh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where in the world are you getting that it is easier to get into TJ from Robinson now?

Every MS is guaranteed seats at TJ now. The top 1.5% of the 8th grade class will be offered a seat at TJ if they meet the minimum requirements (3.5 GPA, Algebra Honors in 8th grade, Honors Science and Math in 7th and 8th grade, and at least one other honors class) and the student applies. This means that the top 9 or so students who apply will be accepted at TJ.

I am not sure how many MS feed into Robinson but if it is 4, guessing here, you could be sending the 36 kids who are STEM focused to TJ and not Robinson, which would be a full class of potential AP Science and Math kids to TJ.

I have no clue what the TJ feeding pattern for Robinson looked like before the admissions changes at TJ but I know that many of the MS in FCPS went from 0 or 1 kid to 6-9 kids.

1 middle school feeds into Robinson. It’s Robinson Secondary School, grades 7-12.

Like I said, I didn’t know so I appreciate the posts pointing out that kids leaving for TJ isn’t that big of a deal. So maybe the top 9 students from the MS are not going to Robinson.