Fairfax county AAP schools - Which is better??

[Anonymous]

We are looking to buy a house in Fairfax county. We are looking for a school pyramid with good AAP program

Can you please help us decide which pyramid is better? Thank you and appreciate your help

1. Navy elementary - Franklin middle - Oakton high

2. Poplar Tree elementary - Rocky run middle - Chantilly high

[Anonymous]

Our kids go to Navy and we and our neighbors love the school! Older kid is currently in AAP 6th grade and hoping our younger one will make it to AAP this year based on the scores. Teachers are more academics oriented and generally great. Also, being the center school, I believe AAP program is pretty good with AAP specific teachers for Math, Science, Language Arts and History. Navy is the reason we bought the house in the area.

Btw, AAP kids go to Rachel Carson for middle school, which I heard super competitive. I don't know much about Oakton, but I only got positive reviews from my neighbors.

[Anonymous]

If you want something more diverse (not all Asian)

Go for Sangster and Lake Braddock Secondary school

[Anonymous]

What if your kids are not accepted for AAP? Have you already had testing done?

[Anonymous]

PP here, on the flip side, most parents are well educated and above middle class. So, kids tend to feel entitled and it is our (and other parents as well) constant struggle to keep them grounded. At the same, it can get very competitive for kids (especially AAP) due to academic focussed parents.

[Anonymous]

Yes, you see a lot of asian kids in AAP (because its center school), but its lot more diverse in non-AAP. I do not have a lot of insight into non AAP for higher grades as my older kid is in AAP. I think most teachers at Navy are good either AAP or non AAP based on what I heard from my neighbors.

Our younger one is in second grade and in FCPS kids take NNAT in first grade and Cogat in second grade. If coming from other school systems, you can take these privately or use other eligibility criteria.

What I noticed is, AAP kids think they are smarter than other kids and don't interact with non-AAP kids much. I do not like this attitude from kids especially this young. I think this reflects poorly on kids and may be there should be separate schools for AAP program instead.

[Anonymous]

I've said this before, but: the people are generally very nice at Navy. Not many troubled kids. DS is in 4th in AAP, and in non-COVID times hangs out with a mixed AAP/non-AAP crowd at recess. AAP is very Asian (remind your child to take off his shoes when he goes to friends' houses, because Bob Smith's mom is Chinese.) Administration is fairly responsive, most teachers are decent, lots of parents volunteer. Slots fill up extremely fast.

Unfortunately, as far as the curriculum goes, it is a hellscape. Navy tends to pilot all of Fairfax County's bad ideas, and FCPS has a *lot* of them. Mandatory one to one laptops start in third and much of math is spent playing video games. Zero learning happens in the PBL time sucks. Movies abound. Admin is over any stupid educational trend like white on rice. It's been catastrophic for my ADD child.

One major reason the Asians do so well here is that the parents spend time teaching/supplementing things that white people think the school will be taking care of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've said this before, but: the people are generally very nice at Navy. Not many troubled kids. DS is in 4th in AAP, and in non-COVID times hangs out with a mixed AAP/non-AAP crowd at recess. AAP is very Asian (remind your child to take off his shoes when he goes to friends' houses, because Bob Smith's mom is Chinese.) Administration is fairly responsive, most teachers are decent, lots of parents volunteer. Slots fill up extremely fast.

Unfortunately, as far as the curriculum goes, it is a hellscape. Navy tends to pilot all of Fairfax County's bad ideas, and FCPS has a *lot* of them. Mandatory one to one laptops start in third and much of math is spent playing video games. Zero learning happens in the PBL time sucks. Movies abound. Admin is over any stupid educational trend like white on rice. It's been catastrophic for my ADD child.

One major reason the Asians do so well here is that the parents spend time teaching/supplementing things that white people think the school will be taking care of.

You seem like a miserable person. I feel bad for your family being stuck in the house with you all day and your judgmental self.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You seem like a miserable person. I feel bad for your family being stuck in the house with you all day and your judgmental self.

Fortunately, they're stuck at home with a bunch of workbooks.

Anyway, judgmental would be me rolling my eyes at those who, unlike most of us Asians, are not taking the time and spending their money to work with their children because they're dumb or lazy or whatever.

But I don't, because that isn't true. Most people simply don't realize what's happened to FCPS over the last twenty years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our kids go to Navy and we and our neighbors love the school! Older kid is currently in AAP 6th grade and hoping our younger one will make it to AAP this year based on the scores. Teachers are more academics oriented and generally great. Also, being the center school, I believe AAP program is pretty good with AAP specific teachers for Math, Science, Language Arts and History. Navy is the reason we bought the house in the area.

Btw, AAP kids go to Rachel Carson for middle school, which I heard super competitive. I don't know much about Oakton, but I only got positive reviews from my neighbors.

Franklin has AAP, as well, and it is an excellent program. There is no reason AAP students have to go to Carson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've said this before, but: the people are generally very nice at Navy. Not many troubled kids. DS is in 4th in AAP, and in non-COVID times hangs out with a mixed AAP/non-AAP crowd at recess. AAP is very Asian (remind your child to take off his shoes when he goes to friends' houses, because Bob Smith's mom is Chinese.) Administration is fairly responsive, most teachers are decent, lots of parents volunteer. Slots fill up extremely fast.

Unfortunately, as far as the curriculum goes, it is a hellscape. Navy tends to pilot all of Fairfax County's bad ideas, and FCPS has a *lot* of them. Mandatory one to one laptops start in third and much of math is spent playing video games. Zero learning happens in the PBL time sucks. Movies abound. Admin is over any stupid educational trend like white on rice. It's been catastrophic for my ADD child.

One major reason the Asians do so well here is that the parents spend time teaching/supplementing things that white people think the school will be taking care of.

We are at Navy too and I totally agree with this bolded part. I’ve been very disappointed with how the laptops have been used. Kids are allowed to play any kind of game at times (non educational) and some kids are abusing the computers constantly by posting inappropriate comments on class google pages. I’ve also heard of kids cheating during quizzes and tests on the computer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you see a lot of asian kids in AAP (because its center school), but its lot more diverse in non-AAP. I do not have a lot of insight into non AAP for higher grades as my older kid is in AAP. I think most teachers at Navy are good either AAP or non AAP based on what I heard from my neighbors.

Our younger one is in second grade and in FCPS kids take NNAT in first grade and Cogat in second grade. If coming from other school systems, you can take these privately or use other eligibility criteria.

What I noticed is, AAP kids think they are smarter than other kids and don't interact with non-AAP kids much. I do not like this attitude from kids especially this young. I think this reflects poorly on kids and may be there should be separate schools for AAP program instead.

My son is in Middle School taking Honors classes (honor roll student as well). Smart but not APP material. Thank Goodness. Well rounded, social and plays Travel sports.

The insight for higher grades according to regular kids: No one talks to the AAP kids except other AAP kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you see a lot of asian kids in AAP (because its center school), but its lot more diverse in non-AAP. I do not have a lot of insight into non AAP for higher grades as my older kid is in AAP. I think most teachers at Navy are good either AAP or non AAP based on what I heard from my neighbors.

Our younger one is in second grade and in FCPS kids take NNAT in first grade and Cogat in second grade. If coming from other school systems, you can take these privately or use other eligibility criteria.

What I noticed is, AAP kids think they are smarter than other kids and don't interact with non-AAP kids much. I do not like this attitude from kids especially this young. I think this reflects poorly on kids and may be there should be separate schools for AAP program instead.

My son is in Middle School taking Honors classes (honor roll student as well). Smart but not APP material. Thank Goodness. Well rounded, social and plays Travel sports.

The insight for higher grades according to regular kids: No one talks to the AAP kids except other AAP kids.

DP. Thanks for the reassurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you see a lot of asian kids in AAP (because its center school), but its lot more diverse in non-AAP. I do not have a lot of insight into non AAP for higher grades as my older kid is in AAP. I think most teachers at Navy are good either AAP or non AAP based on what I heard from my neighbors.

Our younger one is in second grade and in FCPS kids take NNAT in first grade and Cogat in second grade. If coming from other school systems, you can take these privately or use other eligibility criteria.

What I noticed is, AAP kids think they are smarter than other kids and don't interact with non-AAP kids much. I do not like this attitude from kids especially this young. I think this reflects poorly on kids and may be there should be separate schools for AAP program instead.

My son is in Middle School taking Honors classes (honor roll student as well). Smart but not APP material. Thank Goodness. Well rounded, social and plays Travel sports.

The insight for higher grades according to regular kids: No one talks to the AAP kids except other AAP kids.

I don't see that happening at Franklin. The students all interact with each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You seem like a miserable person. I feel bad for your family being stuck in the house with you all day and your judgmental self.

Fortunately, they're stuck at home with a bunch of workbooks.

Anyway, judgmental would be me rolling my eyes at those who, unlike most of us Asians, are not taking the time and spending their money to work with their children because they're dumb or lazy or whatever.

But I don't, because that isn't true. Most people simply don't realize what's happened to FCPS over the last twenty years.

Keep in mind many asian students are also taking advantage of classes outside of FCPS, where they are challenged with more advanced material.

Ours sure are.