Cooper Middle School New AAP center

[Anonymous]

Also, the teachers at Longfellow have much more experience with the TJ admissions process, recommendation writing, etc. The bottom line is that currently few if any students go to TJ from Cooper. Hopefully that will change but that is the bottom line as of now.

[Anonymous]

PP, I agree that Longfellow has many great programs. But, your comment about not being able to apply for private seemed to imply a deficiency at Cooper. Could you speak to this more, or was this not your intent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, the teachers at Longfellow have much more experience with the TJ admissions process, recommendation writing, etc. The bottom line is that currently few if any students go to TJ from Cooper. Hopefully that will change but that is the bottom line as of now.

Do you think this is the result of the school or the students electing to attend this school? If those kids are required to go to Cooper, would Cooper's TJ numbers go up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, the teachers at Longfellow have much more experience with the TJ admissions process, recommendation writing, etc. The bottom line is that currently few if any students go to TJ from Cooper. Hopefully that will change but that is the bottom line as of now.

Do you think this is the result of the school or the students electing to attend this school? If those kids are required to go to Cooper, would Cooper's TJ numbers go up?

Currently yes, I think more students seriously planning to apply to TJ currently attend Longfellow and Kilmer over Cooper. I am guessing the TJ admits would have to rise but not necessarily. There may be the "intangible X factor" that these students get from attending the established centers that might be lost at Cooper-no one can say. Time will tell.

[Anonymous]

I know we are a very small segment of the population affected but it is a bummer that my kid from Kent Gardens who has left his friends there to go to Churchill will have to abandon all of his new Churchill friend at middle school to move back to Longfellow. I know they've started an AAP program at Kent Gardens (which is great) but I wish there could be some way for him to stay in the same pyramid (McLean) all throughout his schooling while still going to AAP (which yes - he really benefits from).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, I agree that Longfellow has many great programs. But, your comment about not being able to apply for private seemed to imply a deficiency at Cooper. Could you speak to this more, or was this not your intent?

Not the PP, but have found that peer group plays a strong role for my academically average student-I think it plays a huge factor in student success to have a strong peer group that can provide a constant challenge, and you seem to get more like-minded peers at the centers than in LLIV, which I believe was the original intent for centers in the first place. Cooper will get there, but will take years to be of the same caliber and as well regarded as Longfellow and Kilmer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, I agree that Longfellow has many great programs. But, your comment about not being able to apply for private seemed to imply a deficiency at Cooper. Could you speak to this more, or was this not your intent?

Not the PP, but have found that peer group plays a strong role for my academically average student-I think it plays a huge factor in student success to have a strong peer group that can provide a constant challenge, and you seem to get more like-minded peers at the centers than in LLIV, which I believe was the original intent for centers in the first place. Cooper will get there, but will take years to be of the same caliber and as well regarded as Longfellow and Kilmer.

But again, this is comparing Cooper to Longfellow/Kilmer. The PP seemed to insinuate that her child would be better at a private than at Cooper. I would like to hear more about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course people have different personal opinions which is why at the end of the day the decision should be made based on the efficient use of facilities. It's flat-out ridiculous to overcrowd some schools with students who are zoned for Cooper while Cooper sits there under-capacity.

Hear, hear!!! +1000

[Anonymous]

Maybe they should charge for pupil placement and eliminate busing. Then they wouldn't need to take away the center option, as only the most motivated students and parents would remain.

[Anonymous]

Holy macaroni! Y'all are riding the crazy train when you are complaining about your child attending a school like Cooper! Can you get real, just for a minute. Take a breath.

Then realize that all three schools are great options.

It's PUBLIC school. You are debating the merits of three of the best middle schools in the state! If it isn't good enough for you, then send your kid to private... this public stuff won't ever be good enough for you.

It gets to the level of insufferable when people are complaining about their kid being forced to attend Cooper instead of Longfellow. Good grief.

(which "10" school is better???????)

[Anonymous]

Maybe they should have a lottery system-designate a certain number of spots at the centers and then draw numbers. If you number comes up you can choose, and if not you go the base school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We would have applied to private school for middle school had we known the option for the center would be removed for Fall 2016. Some of the kids at Spring Hill have already received a form to declare their middle school. To push this through for next Fall is ridiculous and so typical of Janie Strauss and how she maneuvers.

If you had been paying attention to the school board in the past 3-5 years, you would have known. The writing has been on the wall for years. If anything, it is surprising that is has taken so long.

Agreed, and I can't believe some of the Langley parents are still complaining about Janie Strauss winning her race. At some point they will realize that, if they wanted to unseat Janie, they needed to find a Dranesville candidate who stood for more than just placing the interests of Langley parents over those of everyone else in the district and county.

Please enlighten us: how did Pete Kurzenhauser stand for "placing the interests of Langley parents over those of everyone else in the district and county"? You're ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We would have applied to private school for middle school had we known the option for the center would be removed for Fall 2016. Some of the kids at Spring Hill have already received a form to declare their middle school. To push this through for next Fall is ridiculous and so typical of Janie Strauss and how she maneuvers.

So Cooper is just fine for the Gen Ed students, but not for AAP snowflakes? You really should be looking into private school then. I'm a Cooper parent who doesn't want Cooper to turn into an AAP center - and parents like you are exactly the reason why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We would have applied to private school for middle school had we known the option for the center would be removed for Fall 2016. Some of the kids at Spring Hill have already received a form to declare their middle school. To push this through for next Fall is ridiculous and so typical of Janie Strauss and how she maneuvers.

So Cooper is just fine for the Gen Ed students, but not for AAP snowflakes? You really should be looking into private school then. I'm a Cooper parent who doesn't want Cooper to turn into an AAP center - and parents like you are exactly the reason why.

Well too bad-if the school board gets their way, AAP students by the hundreds will be flooding Cooper in Fall 2016. So much for your "small AAP free school".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Holy macaroni! Y'all are riding the crazy train when you are complaining about your child attending a school like Cooper! Can you get real, just for a minute. Take a breath.

Then realize that all three schools are great options.

It's PUBLIC school. You are debating the merits of three of the best middle schools in the state! If it isn't good enough for you, then send your kid to private... this public stuff won't ever be good enough for you.

It gets to the level of insufferable when people are complaining about their kid being forced to attend Cooper instead of Longfellow. Good grief.

(which "10" school is better???????)

+1000
Entitled AAP parents will never allow for any school being good enough for their snowflakes unless it's a center. Gosh, I wonder how on earth GT kids ever managed back when there were no centers at all? And those were actually gifted kids, not the average bunch we have nowadays.