On the chopping block: AAP Centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not all about taunting or bullying. It's just a pervasive feeling that the GenEd kids are an afterthought. That they are lesser. That they aren't worthy.

That self esteem issue comes from home and what kind of attitudes parents put on their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:haha - the extracurricular activities at our center school are an absolute joke. And please, the parents do NOT show up for the PTA - as long as they can get their precious babies into the couple ultracompetitive academic clubs that have hogged all the meeting spaces while not making these families be PTA members, the AAP parents don't show up.

At my child's AAP center school, the jump rope club hogs all the meeting space. Academic clubs (open to all, no try outs) are held in the front lobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

I'm sorry this was your and your child's experience at your one center school, but in six years of AAP center schools (ES and MS) this was nothing like the experience our kid, our family or the many other families we knew well through school ever had.

DCUM is full of people saying their center schools are hotbeds of "hyper-competitive parents." I knew only one family like that in six years (and the school at one point told those parents to cool their jets and wouldn't allow their kid to do some stuff the parents insisted was the kid's "right"--yes, administrators CAN say no to parents who are pushy).

And there are lots of depictions on DCUM of AAP kids as arrogant little jerks taunting other kids. Never saw it and I was in both our center schools -- a lot. There certainly may be some centers like that, but if that was the case at YOUR child's school, did you or other parents (of AAP students or general ed students) ever do anything about it? Come up with some ways for the kids to mix more? Point out to anyone in authority that teasing was taking place and needed to be addressed? Volunteer to make the school as a whole a more cooperative, positive environment?

[Anonymous]

Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not all about taunting or bullying. It's just a pervasive feeling that the GenEd kids are an afterthought. That they are lesser. That they aren't worthy.

That self esteem issue comes from home and what kind of attitudes parents put on their kids.

At every age, grade in school kids were and are differentiated and separated out into different learning groups (highest/lowest). The AAP kids will be differentiated out and be taught material at a much faster paste, getting into higher level material and further along regardless of being in a center school or base school. There has always been gifted kids pulled out and receiving what seems like "more." The issue is that this county has a much higher concentration of gifted kids than other counties and areas of the country, so the program is much larger. This is a fault of our area attracting a population of over achievers. Not a fault of the school district or AAP. The school district is simply accommodating the population it serves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

The "base school" kids will have to compete with AAP kids in middle and high school. If the AAP kids are with them in elementary, the gen ed kids get the oopportunity to learn to compete and develop their strengths. I don't think separating gen ed kids from AAP kids so they can shine in an artificial environment prepares them for the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

I agree wholeheartedly.

My oldest was at center. My very clever second child missed the cut off to apply.

She was initially disappointed when she found out she would not be switching schools too, mainly because she wanted to do a specific activity that our oldest was very involved in that was only offered at the center. This was her disappointment, not ours. We felt the base school would be best for her, especially with some of the highest performers leaving for center.

We were right. As you said, the center pulling out a dozen or so students allows more students to take the lead and rise to the top of the class. This is what happened for our kid. Particularly in math and science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

The "base school" kids will have to compete with AAP kids in middle and high school. If the AAP kids are with them in elementary, the gen ed kids get the oopportunity to learn to compete and develop their strengths. I don't think separating gen ed kids from AAP kids so they can shine in an artificial environment prepares them for the real world.

Everyone does not have to progress at the same point to reach the same place at the end (in this case, high school).

It is a different journey with the same destination (for all but the TJ crowd). And that is a very good thing. Kods develop at different paces but most of them should end up at roughly the same place if things are done right.

And given that most of the kids, AAP and gen ed end up in very similar places in high school tells me the fcps and the center system is doing it right and allowing the vast majority of our students to progress to the same or similar place at the pace that is right for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

The "base school" kids will have to compete with AAP kids in middle and high school. If the AAP kids are with them in elementary, the gen ed kids get the oopportunity to learn to compete and develop their strengths. I don't think separating gen ed kids from AAP kids so they can shine in an artificial environment prepares them for the real world.

Everyone does not have to progress at the same point to reach the same place at the end (in this case, high school).

It is a different journey with the same destination (for all but the TJ crowd). And that is a very good thing. Kods develop at different paces but most of them should end up at roughly the same place if things are done right.

And given that most of the kids, AAP and gen ed end up in very similar places in high school tells me the fcps and the center system is doing it right and allowing the vast majority of our students to progress to the same or similar place at the pace that is right for them.

Where does the school district publish these stats. This would be very telling... If this is true and not an opinion based on 20 or so kids one may know or stories on forums. The separating out of the AAP kids may in fact give the next academic levels of students the extra time with teachers, the extra academic success as a top academic performers in base classes and base schools and leadership skills to propel them into the same classes as AAP kid in high school and beyond. I also have 1 at an AAP Center and 1 at the Base School. At the AAP orientation the principal stated many AAP students have a hard time at first adjusting to being simply a fish in the sea (Center) and not the big fish (base school). Most it seems fail to realize the positives of the current system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

The "base school" kids will have to compete with AAP kids in middle and high school. If the AAP kids are with them in elementary, the gen ed kids get the oopportunity to learn to compete and develop their strengths. I don't think separating gen ed kids from AAP kids so they can shine in an artificial environment prepares them for the real world.

This does not make sense, you are missing a couple things. Regardless of local level 4, the students found gifted are still going to be pull out for gifted services, separate from the general Ed kids. The same complaint will still exist, some kids receiving more services.
In most school districts the gifted services is under the Special Ed Dept. I guarantee the school district will still provide some type of gifted services and the same AAP qualified kids will still get pulled out for "extra" or "more" services. This is nothing new and happens everywhere. Kids will still get noticed for being pulled out into the smart class or program. This area has attracted very high achieving and academically gifted adults, due to the location and industries here. These adults have kids, therefore this area has a higher number of gifted over achieving, advanced kids than most cities. This is fact, you can read those results on the CoGAT score sheets. In turn, the AAP is much larger than other school districts, making it more of a "thing," or more visible here than in other cities or what parents may be use to from their own experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

Not at our center. Which center(s) are you referring too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. It's about time. It's a tremendous waste of money and resources.

"Base kid" is a common taunt at our center school.

The AAP students are so segregated and operate in their own rarefied air beginning as young as third grade.

Very much an "us v. them" mentality fueled by hyper-competitive parents.

Enough!

The ugly reality is that FCPS is back to ersatz segregation, with the "elites" getting preferential treatment and in some center schools, "base kids" are the minority.

Interesting to note that some of the FCPS center schools HAD to become centers to avoid permanent closure.

Not at our center. Which center(s) are you referring too?

Yeah, I would also like to know which center has this happening.

[Anonymous]

We moved when DD was in 5th grade and she moved from a LLIV Center to an AAP Center. By far, the conflict between AAP and Gen Ed was worse in LLIV, where there was one AAP ("smart") class where the kids stayed together for 4 years. And the nastiness started with the parents, not the kids. But you better believe it trickled down, and to the kids, who absolutely copy their parents.

The center is much bigger, with 3 AAP and 3 Gen Ed classes. The kids mix a lot better (DD does several extracurricualrs with some kids from AAP and some from Gen Ed), and the parents have a much better attitiude. Certainly, DD has remarked that all of the kids (AAP and Gen Ed) are so much nicer.

Don't kids yourselves. If kids are taunting each other, it's becasue they have picked up on the parents' resentment or superiority complex-- not because Centers exist. Don't trash AAP/Gen Ed and then act shocked that atmosphere in your school is toxic. The "us vs. them" problem isn't going to be solved by moving most kids back to base schools. If anything, the AAP kids stick out more when there is only one class. Things will get better when both AAP an Gen Ed parents get their egos in check and model appropriate behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

Spare me. The kids who went to AAP from my kid's class were by and large not the "leaders". Being a leader and giftedness don't always go together no matter how much parents want to prove their kids excel in all areas.

BTW, my GT kid was also anything but hyper competitive by nature. He loves learning and he loves exploring on his own. Most of the other kids I knew who were obvious center kids in his age group were also not ultra-competitive. So please don't project from your experience on "many if not most" AAP kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many parents of students at base schools do not realize that removing that gifted level of learner, lends for many opportunities for the next level of learner. The sense of being at the top of the class, moving up to leadership roles in the classroom and school. This builds confidence. Many if not most of the AAP kids are competitive by nature, academically ahead and quick learners, they also made up the majority if not the entire highest level reading/math groups etc. opportunities will be lost for base kids...

The "base school" kids will have to compete with AAP kids in middle and high school. If the AAP kids are with them in elementary, the gen ed kids get the oopportunity to learn to compete and develop their strengths. I don't think separating gen ed kids from AAP kids so they can shine in an artificial environment prepares them for the real world.

This does not make sense, you are missing a couple things. Regardless of local level 4, the students found gifted are still going to be pull out for gifted services, separate from the general Ed kids. The same complaint will still exist, some kids receiving more services.
In most school districts the gifted services is under the Special Ed Dept. I guarantee the school district will still provide some type of gifted services and the same AAP qualified kids will still get pulled out for "extra" or "more" services. This is nothing new and happens everywhere. Kids will still get noticed for being pulled out into the smart class or program. This area has attracted very high achieving and academically gifted adults, due to the location and industries here. These adults have kids, therefore this area has a higher number of gifted over achieving, advanced kids than most cities. This is fact, you can read those results on the CoGAT score sheets. In turn, the AAP is much larger than other school districts, making it more of a "thing," or more visible here than in other cities or what parents may be use to from their own experience.

Did you read the previous post? You don't seem to be responding to it.