Possible AAP changes at ES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks are accusing FCPS of going in this "new direction" for advanced academics with politically charged implications. What else is FCPS supposed to do with changing demographics and dropping socio-economic levels? FCPS is a public school system charged with educating everyone. Fairfax County is at a point of development far beyond the old days of a predominantly wealthy, white population where public education was easy.

There's no easy answer to mixing students vs. separating them, having Centers vs. local AAP. It's a lose-lose situation but the core issue is far beyond what FCPS can address. The issue is class size, space availability, and need for hundreds more specialized teachers and assistants to educate children that have more needs than ever.

Draw lines to more equally distribute kids who require those extra resources

Do you mean busing? Or rehoming families? Boundary lines aren't really the problem.

The county is choosing where to build subsidized and low income housing. Some areas have more than schools can handle and some areas have none.

The county and the school district are two separate entities. They work together or align, sometimes. But they're not the same.

They are both controlled by the same political party.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone heard of changes at their school? Our school is center and they have not said anything. I think grouping kids by ability and changing it by quarter is a great idea. However, pushing kids in that don’t belong will not benefit anyone.

I know one kid that would not have qualified for AAP if their were in our school, mom shared her scores with me. Child came from a lower performing school and now is struggling in AAP at our center. She has a ton of homework because she can’t finish the work at school. Her self esteem is lower. Not great for everyone involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks are accusing FCPS of going in this "new direction" for advanced academics with politically charged implications. What else is FCPS supposed to do with changing demographics and dropping socio-economic levels? FCPS is a public school system charged with educating everyone. Fairfax County is at a point of development far beyond the old days of a predominantly wealthy, white population where public education was easy.

There's no easy answer to mixing students vs. separating them, having Centers vs. local AAP. It's a lose-lose situation but the core issue is far beyond what FCPS can address. The issue is class size, space availability, and need for hundreds more specialized teachers and assistants to educate children that have more needs than ever.

Draw lines to more equally distribute kids who require those extra resources

Do you mean busing? Or rehoming families? Boundary lines aren't really the problem.

It's rather clear that the arbitrary lines do contribute to the problem by concentrating high-needs populations at a smaller number school, thus making it more difficult to reach a critical mass of LLIV students who attend those schools. The word bussing gets tossed around in an accusatory manner quite often, but it is not 'bussing' to redistribute boundaries in a coherent way given that population and poverty demographics have shifted immensely in the past two decades.

I'm not talking about driving kids from Sandburg to Cooper. In many cases, small adjustments along borders are the difference between 400 FARMs children assigned to one school while the neighboring school has practically none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard of changes at their school? Our school is center and they have not said anything. I think grouping kids by ability and changing it by quarter is a great idea. However, pushing kids in that don’t belong will not benefit anyone.

I know one kid that would not have qualified for AAP if their were in our school, mom shared her scores with me. Child came from a lower performing school and now is struggling in AAP at our center. She has a ton of homework because she can’t finish the work at school. Her self esteem is lower. Not great for everyone involved.

And that bolded statement is exactly what's wrong with AAP right now. The us vs. them mentality has to go.

[Anonymous]

If AAP center schools are going to continue to exist, they can't entirely eradicate AAP designation from base schools, as many of them currently allow the option to go to the center if qualifying for AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If AAP center schools are going to continue to exist, they can't entirely eradicate AAP designation from base schools, as many of them currently allow the option to go to the center if qualifying for AAP.

Centers seem to exist on borrowed time at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks are accusing FCPS of going in this "new direction" for advanced academics with politically charged implications. What else is FCPS supposed to do with changing demographics and dropping socio-economic levels? FCPS is a public school system charged with educating everyone. Fairfax County is at a point of development far beyond the old days of a predominantly wealthy, white population where public education was easy.

There's no easy answer to mixing students vs. separating them, having Centers vs. local AAP. It's a lose-lose situation but the core issue is far beyond what FCPS can address. The issue is class size, space availability, and need for hundreds more specialized teachers and assistants to educate children that have more needs than ever.

Draw lines to more equally distribute kids who require those extra resources

Do you mean busing? Or rehoming families? Boundary lines aren't really the problem.

The county is choosing where to build subsidized and low income housing. Some areas have more than schools can handle and some areas have none.

The county and the school district are two separate entities. They work together or align, sometimes. But they're not the same.

They are both controlled by the same political party.

Voters need to remember this fact before the next election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If AAP center schools are going to continue to exist, they can't entirely eradicate AAP designation from base schools, as many of them currently allow the option to go to the center if qualifying for AAP.

Centers seem to exist on borrowed time at this point.

It's going to take time and resources to get LL AAP at all schools, and it seems like some are almost resistant to it. I'm not writing off centers yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard of changes at their school? Our school is center and they have not said anything. I think grouping kids by ability and changing it by quarter is a great idea. However, pushing kids in that don’t belong will not benefit anyone.

I know one kid that would not have qualified for AAP if their were in our school, mom shared her scores with me. Child came from a lower performing school and now is struggling in AAP at our center. She has a ton of homework because she can’t finish the work at school. Her self esteem is lower. Not great for everyone involved.

And that bolded statement is exactly what's wrong with AAP right now. The us vs. them mentality has to go.

It is fact of life. Every child is different and should be met at their level. Do I believe they should continue to be assessed and moved as needed? Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard of changes at their school? Our school is center and they have not said anything. I think grouping kids by ability and changing it by quarter is a great idea. However, pushing kids in that don’t belong will not benefit anyone.

I know one kid that would not have qualified for AAP if their were in our school, mom shared her scores with me. Child came from a lower performing school and now is struggling in AAP at our center. She has a ton of homework because she can’t finish the work at school. Her self esteem is lower. Not great for everyone involved.

And that bolded statement is exactly what's wrong with AAP right now. The us vs. them mentality has to go.

It is fact of life. Every child is different and should be met at their level. Do I believe they should continue to be assessed and moved as needed? Absolutely.

Yes, but you don't have the right to say which children do and do not belong or what the parameters that determine that "belonging" are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks are accusing FCPS of going in this "new direction" for advanced academics with politically charged implications. What else is FCPS supposed to do with changing demographics and dropping socio-economic levels? FCPS is a public school system charged with educating everyone. Fairfax County is at a point of development far beyond the old days of a predominantly wealthy, white population where public education was easy.

There's no easy answer to mixing students vs. separating them, having Centers vs. local AAP. It's a lose-lose situation but the core issue is far beyond what FCPS can address. The issue is class size, space availability, and need for hundreds more specialized teachers and assistants to educate children that have more needs than ever.

Draw lines to more equally distribute kids who require those extra resources

Do you mean busing? Or rehoming families? Boundary lines aren't really the problem.

The county is choosing where to build subsidized and low income housing. Some areas have more than schools can handle and some areas have none.

The county and the school district are two separate entities. They work together or align, sometimes. But they're not the same.

What’s your point, PP? The county needs to tell those asses McLean and Great Falls to pound sand. Build low income housing through out the county. Don’t allow anything but mixed use spaces (apts/condos/townhomes/single family) in the same neighborhoods and throughout the county.

[Anonymous]

I never said I would decide how the kids are assessed. I do have any power over FCPS. If I did I would change the 10% cap per school. This means that maybe some schools are sending kids to AAP with lower score than other schools where more qualified kids get denied. We will never really know, since how they make the decision is not black and white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks are accusing FCPS of going in this "new direction" for advanced academics with politically charged implications. What else is FCPS supposed to do with changing demographics and dropping socio-economic levels? FCPS is a public school system charged with educating everyone. Fairfax County is at a point of development far beyond the old days of a predominantly wealthy, white population where public education was easy.

There's no easy answer to mixing students vs. separating them, having Centers vs. local AAP. It's a lose-lose situation but the core issue is far beyond what FCPS can address. The issue is class size, space availability, and need for hundreds more specialized teachers and assistants to educate children that have more needs than ever.

Draw lines to more equally distribute kids who require those extra resources

Do you mean busing? Or rehoming families? Boundary lines aren't really the problem.

The county is choosing where to build subsidized and low income housing. Some areas have more than schools can handle and some areas have none.

The county and the school district are two separate entities. They work together or align, sometimes. But they're not the same.

What’s your point, PP? The county needs to tell those asses McLean and Great Falls to pound sand. Build low income housing through out the county. Don’t allow anything but mixed use spaces (apts/condos/townhomes/single family) in the same neighborhoods and throughout the county.

I live in McLean and our schools are overcrowded. You need to differentiate between the McLean and Langley pyramids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks are accusing FCPS of going in this "new direction" for advanced academics with politically charged implications. What else is FCPS supposed to do with changing demographics and dropping socio-economic levels? FCPS is a public school system charged with educating everyone. Fairfax County is at a point of development far beyond the old days of a predominantly wealthy, white population where public education was easy.

There's no easy answer to mixing students vs. separating them, having Centers vs. local AAP. It's a lose-lose situation but the core issue is far beyond what FCPS can address. The issue is class size, space availability, and need for hundreds more specialized teachers and assistants to educate children that have more needs than ever.

Draw lines to more equally distribute kids who require those extra resources

Do you mean busing? Or rehoming families? Boundary lines aren't really the problem.

The county is choosing where to build subsidized and low income housing. Some areas have more than schools can handle and some areas have none.

The county and the school district are two separate entities. They work together or align, sometimes. But they're not the same.

They are both controlled by the same political party.

Voters need to remember this fact before the next election.

Right, because Republicans have a real progressive view on housing policy and will push for more affordable housing to be located in/near high-income enclaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of folks are accusing FCPS of going in this "new direction" for advanced academics with politically charged implications. What else is FCPS supposed to do with changing demographics and dropping socio-economic levels? FCPS is a public school system charged with educating everyone. Fairfax County is at a point of development far beyond the old days of a predominantly wealthy, white population where public education was easy.

There's no easy answer to mixing students vs. separating them, having Centers vs. local AAP. It's a lose-lose situation but the core issue is far beyond what FCPS can address. The issue is class size, space availability, and need for hundreds more specialized teachers and assistants to educate children that have more needs than ever.

Draw lines to more equally distribute kids who require those extra resources

Do you mean busing? Or rehoming families? Boundary lines aren't really the problem.

The county is choosing where to build subsidized and low income housing. Some areas have more than schools can handle and some areas have none.

The county and the school district are two separate entities. They work together or align, sometimes. But they're not the same.

What’s your point, PP? The county needs to tell those asses McLean and Great Falls to pound sand. Build low income housing through out the county. Don’t allow anything but mixed use spaces (apts/condos/townhomes/single family) in the same neighborhoods and throughout the county.

Agreed, but the County continues to fail to do so. Route 1 corridor in Alexandria is about to get a massive 33-acre affordable housing development, as if that region of struggling schools needs even more concentrated poverty. Franconia Government center is also turning into multi-family affordable units. What affordable housing is western Fairfax building? Multiple senior living developments.