AAP - A new perspective

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with OP.

Every school should be implementing the Level IV curriculum across the board. This alone would make our entire school system exceptional rather than just for a subgroup of students and mediocre for the rest.

That same curriculum can be accelerated WITHIN the base school for the extremely high IQ students (this would be a much smaller number than the current AAP population) with pullouts with specialists and those that need additional support can also be given extra help WITHIN the base school via pullouts with specialists (as is already the case).

With normal pacing, every average to above-average kid will do just fine with the Level IV curriculum and this is the vast majority of FCPS.

Why are we expecting excellent curriculum for just a subset of our students, why not for the majority?

Dear Dr. Garza,
FCPS needs to wake up and see that catering to the few will in the end deteriorate our entire school system.

Having done this with a highly gifted child, and done the center program, the AAP center model is far superior to what you are suggesting, and provides the best opportunity to meeting the needs of highly gifted kids.

[Anonymous]

"needs" ?!! ha!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with OP.

Every school should be implementing the Level IV curriculum across the board. This alone would make our entire school system exceptional rather than just for a subgroup of students and mediocre for the rest.

That same curriculum can be accelerated WITHIN the base school for the extremely high IQ students (this would be a much smaller number than the current AAP population) with pullouts with specialists and those that need additional support can also be given extra help WITHIN the base school via pullouts with specialists (as is already the case).

With normal pacing, every average to above-average kid will do just fine with the Level IV curriculum and this is the vast majority of FCPS.

Why are we expecting excellent curriculum for just a subset of our students, why not for the majority?

Dear Dr. Garza,
FCPS needs to wake up and see that catering to the few will in the end deteriorate our entire school system.

Having done this with a highly gifted child, and done the center program, the AAP center model is far superior to what you are suggesting, and provides the best opportunity to meeting the needs of highly gifted kids.

Again, meeting the needs of a much smaller subset rather than the entire school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with OP.

Every school should be implementing the Level IV curriculum across the board. This alone would make our entire school system exceptional rather than just for a subgroup of students and mediocre for the rest.

That same curriculum can be accelerated WITHIN the base school for the extremely high IQ students (this would be a much smaller number than the current AAP population) with pullouts with specialists and those that need additional support can also be given extra help WITHIN the base school via pullouts with specialists (as is already the case).

With normal pacing, every average to above-average kid will do just fine with the Level IV curriculum and this is the vast majority of FCPS.

Why are we expecting excellent curriculum for just a subset of our students, why not for the majority?

Dear Dr. Garza,
FCPS needs to wake up and see that catering to the few will in the end deteriorate our entire school system.

Having done this with a highly gifted child, and done the center program, the AAP center model is far superior to what you are suggesting, and provides the best opportunity to meeting the needs of highly gifted kids.

Again, meeting the needs of a much smaller subset rather than the entire school system.

You know, whatever services my kid in an AAP center class receives to meet his educational needs has zero, absolutely zero bearing on how my other non-center school kids needs are met. None whatsoever.

In fact, I think that my other non-center kids academic needs are better served by having some kids over at the center because A) the one who does well in school is able to be challenged as one of the "brighter" kids in his class now, where if all the center kids were still there he would be at the bottom of the top or the top of the middle. and B) my child who is average and sometimes struggling at school now has a more concise pool of ability in his non-center class and gets to be in the thick of the pack and not stand out as a kid who struggles.

All of the kids are getting challenged. All of the kids age getting their needs met.

The only downfall is when the center placement affects the ego of the parents, and as a trickle down affect the confidence of the kids. Although for the most part, I lay that at the feet of the parents on how they deal with a child's disappointment. Is the parent stoking the fire by acting like the kid is a victim by not being placed at the center? Or are they taking the non-placement as an opportunity for their kid to receive the best education possible as where their needs are? It is all in the attitude.

One child receiving the mandated education that fcps has deemed necessary is not taking away from a single other student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with OP.

Every school should be implementing the Level IV curriculum across the board. This alone would make our entire school system exceptional rather than just for a subgroup of students and mediocre for the rest.

That same curriculum can be accelerated WITHIN the base school for the extremely high IQ students (this would be a much smaller number than the current AAP population) with pullouts with specialists and those that need additional support can also be given extra help WITHIN the base school via pullouts with specialists (as is already the case).

With normal pacing, every average to above-average kid will do just fine with the Level IV curriculum and this is the vast majority of FCPS.

Why are we expecting excellent curriculum for just a subset of our students, why not for the majority?

Dear Dr. Garza,
FCPS needs to wake up and see that catering to the few will in the end deteriorate our entire school system.

Having done this with a highly gifted child, and done the center program, the AAP center model is far superior to what you are suggesting, and provides the best opportunity to meeting the needs of highly gifted kids.

Again, meeting the needs of a much smaller subset rather than the entire school system.

You know, whatever services my kid in an AAP center class receives to meet his educational needs has zero, absolutely zero bearing on how my other non-center school kids needs are met. None whatsoever.

In fact, I think that my other non-center kids academic needs are better served by having some kids over at the center because A) the one who does well in school is able to be challenged as one of the "brighter" kids in his class now, where if all the center kids were still there he would be at the bottom of the top or the top of the middle. and B) my child who is average and sometimes struggling at school now has a more concise pool of ability in his non-center class and gets to be in the thick of the pack and not stand out as a kid who struggles.

All of the kids are getting challenged. All of the kids age getting their needs met.

The only downfall is when the center placement affects the ego of the parents, and as a trickle down affect the confidence of the kids. Although for the most part, I lay that at the feet of the parents on how they deal with a child's disappointment. Is the parent stoking the fire by acting like the kid is a victim by not being placed at the center? Or are they taking the non-placement as an opportunity for their kid to receive the best education possible as where their needs are? It is all in the attitude.

One child receiving the mandated education that fcps has deemed necessary is not taking away from a single other student.

Perhaps, unless we're talking about a Gen Ed child who has to attend a center school as his/her base school. This is a situation which emphasizes in the worst possible way the division of AAP kids and Gen Ed kids, by having fewer GE classes than AAP. It makes the Gen Ed students feel as though they are in the "less than" class, which is the preposterous result of expanding AAP to the non-gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with OP.

Every school should be implementing the Level IV curriculum across the board. This alone would make our entire school system exceptional rather than just for a subgroup of students and mediocre for the rest.

That same curriculum can be accelerated WITHIN the base school for the extremely high IQ students (this would be a much smaller number than the current AAP population) with pullouts with specialists and those that need additional support can also be given extra help WITHIN the base school via pullouts with specialists (as is already the case).

With normal pacing, every average to above-average kid will do just fine with the Level IV curriculum and this is the vast majority of FCPS.

Why are we expecting excellent curriculum for just a subset of our students, why not for the majority?

Dear Dr. Garza,
FCPS needs to wake up and see that catering to the few will in the end deteriorate our entire school system.

Having done this with a highly gifted child, and done the center program, the AAP center model is far superior to what you are suggesting, and provides the best opportunity to meeting the needs of highly gifted kids.

Again, meeting the needs of a much smaller subset rather than the entire school system.

You know, whatever services my kid in an AAP center class receives to meet his educational needs has zero, absolutely zero bearing on how my other non-center school kids needs are met. None whatsoever.

In fact, I think that my other non-center kids academic needs are better served by having some kids over at the center because A) the one who does well in school is able to be challenged as one of the "brighter" kids in his class now, where if all the center kids were still there he would be at the bottom of the top or the top of the middle. and B) my child who is average and sometimes struggling at school now has a more concise pool of ability in his non-center class and gets to be in the thick of the pack and not stand out as a kid who struggles.

All of the kids are getting challenged. All of the kids age getting their needs met.

The only downfall is when the center placement affects the ego of the parents, and as a trickle down affect the confidence of the kids. Although for the most part, I lay that at the feet of the parents on how they deal with a child's disappointment. Is the parent stoking the fire by acting like the kid is a victim by not being placed at the center? Or are they taking the non-placement as an opportunity for their kid to receive the best education possible as where their needs are? It is all in the attitude.

One child receiving the mandated education that fcps has deemed necessary is not taking away from a single other student.

The point of the OP's post and mine is that the curriculum that Level IV uses is better and can be used across the board for all students, it's not profoundly gifted material. It would make the entire school system better and keep FCPS as one of the best school systems in the country.

The kids who are actually highly gifted and not just advanced, can have specialized instruction in the same school at a faster pace. The kids that need more support will continue to receive it in the same school.

Your center kid will still be moving faster and challenged, your gen ed kid will still feel special in their classroom.

And, no, all the kids' needs are not being met. The AAP kids needs are with centers, the LD kids are with specialists, the rest of the kids are being taught a hobnob (hello SuperTeacherWorksheets and no real math curriculum) of various curricula with very little to no differentiation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with OP.

Every school should be implementing the Level IV curriculum across the board. This alone would make our entire school system exceptional rather than just for a subgroup of students and mediocre for the rest.

That same curriculum can be accelerated WITHIN the base school for the extremely high IQ students (this would be a much smaller number than the current AAP population) with pullouts with specialists and those that need additional support can also be given extra help WITHIN the base school via pullouts with specialists (as is already the case).

With normal pacing, every average to above-average kid will do just fine with the Level IV curriculum and this is the vast majority of FCPS.

Why are we expecting excellent curriculum for just a subset of our students, why not for the majority?

Dear Dr. Garza,
FCPS needs to wake up and see that catering to the few will in the end deteriorate our entire school system.

Having done this with a highly gifted child, and done the center program, the AAP center model is far superior to what you are suggesting, and provides the best opportunity to meeting the needs of highly gifted kids.

Again, meeting the needs of a much smaller subset rather than the entire school system.

You know, whatever services my kid in an AAP center class receives to meet his educational needs has zero, absolutely zero bearing on how my other non-center school kids needs are met. None whatsoever.

In fact, I think that my other non-center kids academic needs are better served by having some kids over at the center because A) the one who does well in school is able to be challenged as one of the "brighter" kids in his class now, where if all the center kids were still there he would be at the bottom of the top or the top of the middle. and B) my child who is average and sometimes struggling at school now has a more concise pool of ability in his non-center class and gets to be in the thick of the pack and not stand out as a kid who struggles.

All of the kids are getting challenged. All of the kids age getting their needs met.

The only downfall is when the center placement affects the ego of the parents, and as a trickle down affect the confidence of the kids. Although for the most part, I lay that at the feet of the parents on how they deal with a child's disappointment. Is the parent stoking the fire by acting like the kid is a victim by not being placed at the center? Or are they taking the non-placement as an opportunity for their kid to receive the best education possible as where their needs are? It is all in the attitude.

One child receiving the mandated education that fcps has deemed necessary is not taking away from a single other student.

The point of the OP's post and mine is that the curriculum that Level IV uses is better and can be used across the board for all students, it's not profoundly gifted material. It would make the entire school system better and keep FCPS as one of the best school systems in the country.

The kids who are actually highly gifted and not just advanced, can have specialized instruction in the same school at a faster pace. The kids that need more support will continue to receive it in the same school.

Your center kid will still be moving faster and challenged, your gen ed kid will still feel special in their classroom.

And, no, all the kids' needs are not being met. The AAP kids needs are with centers, the LD kids are with specialists, the rest of the kids are being taught a hobnob (hello SuperTeacherWorksheets and no real math curriculum) of various curricula with very little to no differentiation.

I don't have a problem with the curriculum being offered to as many kids who need it.

And I feel like my non-center kids are being offered the same curriculum opportunity, just at a different pace. My non-center kid who can handle it does the same advanced math at his non center school.

I also see a lot of similar parts of the AAP curriculum being used in the non-AAP classes at my kid's center school.

So yes, one kid's needs being met is not taking away from others.

[Anonymous]

And, no, all the kids' needs are not being met. The AAP kids needs are with centers, the LD kids are with specialists, the rest of the kids are being taught a hobnob (hello SuperTeacherWorksheets and no real math curriculum) of various curricula with very little to no differentiation.

Well, that is a problem with your school then. Talk to your principal to try to fix it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And, no, all the kids' needs are not being met. The AAP kids needs are with centers, the LD kids are with specialists, the rest of the kids are being taught a hobnob (hello SuperTeacherWorksheets and no real math curriculum) of various curricula with very little to no differentiation.

Well, that is a problem with your school then. Talk to your principal to try to fix it.

I have to believe this is an over generalization. Each teacher has to comply with the POS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I completely agree with OP.

Every school should be implementing the Level IV curriculum across the board. This alone would make our entire school system exceptional rather than just for a subgroup of students and mediocre for the rest.

That same curriculum can be accelerated WITHIN the base school for the extremely high IQ students (this would be a much smaller number than the current AAP population) with pullouts with specialists and those that need additional support can also be given extra help WITHIN the base school via pullouts with specialists (as is already the case).

With normal pacing, every average to above-average kid will do just fine with the Level IV curriculum and this is the vast majority of FCPS.

Why are we expecting excellent curriculum for just a subset of our students, why not for the majority?

Dear Dr. Garza,
FCPS needs to wake up and see that catering to the few will in the end deteriorate our entire school system.

Having done this with a highly gifted child, and done the center program, the AAP center model is far superior to what you are suggesting, and provides the best opportunity to meeting the needs of highly gifted kids.

Again, meeting the needs of a much smaller subset rather than the entire school system.

You know, whatever services my kid in an AAP center class receives to meet his educational needs has zero, absolutely zero bearing on how my other non-center school kids needs are met. None whatsoever.

In fact, I think that my other non-center kids academic needs are better served by having some kids over at the center because A) the one who does well in school is able to be challenged as one of the "brighter" kids in his class now, where if all the center kids were still there he would be at the bottom of the top or the top of the middle. and B) my child who is average and sometimes struggling at school now has a more concise pool of ability in his non-center class and gets to be in the thick of the pack and not stand out as a kid who struggles.

All of the kids are getting challenged. All of the kids age getting their needs met.

The only downfall is when the center placement affects the ego of the parents, and as a trickle down affect the confidence of the kids. Although for the most part, I lay that at the feet of the parents on how they deal with a child's disappointment. Is the parent stoking the fire by acting like the kid is a victim by not being placed at the center? Or are they taking the non-placement as an opportunity for their kid to receive the best education possible as where their needs are? It is all in the attitude.

One child receiving the mandated education that fcps has deemed necessary is not taking away from a single other student.

The point of the OP's post and mine is that the curriculum that Level IV uses is better and can be used across the board for all students, it's not profoundly gifted material. It would make the entire school system better and keep FCPS as one of the best school systems in the country.

The kids who are actually highly gifted and not just advanced, can have specialized instruction in the same school at a faster pace. The kids that need more support will continue to receive it in the same school.

Your center kid will still be moving faster and challenged, your gen ed kid will still feel special in their classroom.

And, no, all the kids' needs are not being met. The AAP kids needs are with centers, the LD kids are with specialists, the rest of the kids are being taught a hobnob (hello SuperTeacherWorksheets and no real math curriculum) of various curricula with very little to no differentiation.

+1000
I love the parents that say, "Your child's needs are being met." What they really mean is, "My child's needs are being met in AAP, and therefore you need to be quiet and deal with the status quo."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
+1000
I love the parents that say, "Your child's needs are being met." What they really mean is, "My child's needs are being met in AAP, and therefore you need to be quiet and deal with the status quo."

OK, Angry Anti-AAP parents, so what are you doing to effect change in the schools besides flooding the DCUM AAP forum with put-downs? Are you regularly attending meetings, contacting school officials, volunteering and pushing for enrichment through regular classroom and PTA activities? Are you afterschooling your individual kids or are do you have a broader countywide perspective?

[Anonymous]

^^ Are there grass roots organizations or are you working through established channels?

[Anonymous]

^^ Have you collected any data (either hard statistics or real-world LONGTERM examples from other school districts) to argue your points more convincingly?

[Anonymous]

PP, you sound like the one who is angry. In response to your questions (or demands?), my answer would be a resounding "YES," to all of the above. I have worked hard to affect change through all of the channels listed. As have many of my friends and acquaintances who feel AAP has gotten out of control and strayed far from its original intent. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be usually side with the AAP contingent. So there ya go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, you sound like the one who is angry. In response to your questions (or demands?), my answer would be a resounding "YES," to all of the above. I have worked hard to affect change through all of the channels listed. As have many of my friends and acquaintances who feel AAP has gotten out of control and strayed far from its original intent. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be usually side with the AAP contingent. So there ya go.

I'm not angry, I'm curious about what is being done to change this educational travesty, as anti-AAP parents describe it.

Specifically, what have you and your friends done? Talked to your child's principal? Solicited other likeminded parents formally at a PTA meeting or informally at the bus stop or online? Have you ever penned a letter about this subject? If so, to whom did you send it?

If you've "worked hard" than you wouldn't mind sharing your particular actions. Maybe you can get some more people here onboard with your efforts.