Reply to Too many in AAP and the new F.A.T.

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Reply to "Too many in AAP and the new F.A.T."

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

Not every kid needs a curriculum beyond the standard. I have two very different students, one that works hard for honor roll in Gen Ed, the other, who has an IQ of 146 (not my idea to get WISC-IV, previous school district provided it) who puts forth minimal effort and gets straight A's. If more average students were in my youngest child's class I think DC would be less served and more bored than ever.

I understand where you're coming from, I really do. I just think it [b]opens the flood gates[/b] to offer advanced studies at an early age to every child and parent who wants it. If a child consistently exhibits the need for more challenging work then of course they should be entitled to it. But if that child got there by way of prep classes and hours long sessions going over math facts with mommy then they are just going to drag down the rest of the group. We see it all the time in older students who sign up for all AP classes and they need tutoring, counseling and retesting to pass. [/quote]

I see your point. But, I am less worried about opening the flood gate than guarding the gate so tight that only a small fraction of qualified kids could get access to a rewarding educational experience.

I do think hard work is a central pillar of academic success. Kids who test well, can solve elementary math problems or puzzles quickly and effortlessly in the early years do not necessarily succeed academically in later years. As an educator, I am not prepared to differentiate between those who have to work hard to get an "A" in a class vs those who get the same grade with less effort, especially in elementary and middle school years. My experience tells me that students who work hard to grasp scientific concepts eventually develop a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the concepts than their "sharper" but less committed peers.  It seems to me that we use the school as a sieve for identifying and separating "extra-ordinary" from "ordinary" kids. We then offer the "gifted" group ample opportunities to succeed but leave the "ordinary" kids kind of behind.[b] Then, a generation later we start complaining about a wide-spread lack of technical competency in the workforce, and lament the demise of our global competitiveness. [/b][/quote]

This is really a lot of nonsense.  First, kids in gen. Ed. aren't exactly "left behind." That's just baseless kvetching.  The curricula in gen. Ed. and AAP are about the same. The latter is a bit more accelerated in math, and some projects a little more in depth.  (assuming of course the kids do the projects themselves, rahther than their parents, which is a big prblem).

Second, this view is at odds with the many, many posts I've read on DCUM and elsewhere that after students get out of school and into real life, the kids who were in Gen. Ed. will do just as well if not better than the AAP kids.  They will excel in business, law, filmamking - whatever they want to go into.  Go to a 10 or 20 yr. reunion and see who is successful and see if you find any comnnection between what program they were in nin elementary school. Just nonsense really.[/quote]

If there is such little difference in the curriculum, what would the problem be with offering to everyone? [/quote]

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