Reply to Why such obvious hate toward AAP parents or hope-to-be in AAP parents

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In my view, the AAP hate is caused by a simple fact:

Historically, the program takes about 15-20% of the student population.
Probably only 1 kid per school is truly noticeably more "gifted" than everyone else, and probably the next 50% of the population is smart enough to do the AAP work.

But the kids really aren't that distinguishable... so it leads to a bit of a crap shoot about who gets in and who doesn't.  And that breeds animosity.[/quote]

This. +1000
The notion of pulling out 15-20% of the kids for a program is absurd. Their learning needs can be met in the base elementary school. I know because I've been teaching in FCPS for over 15 years, both at center and non-center schools.  There is such a pathetic desperation in so many of these posts---about scores, re-testing, waiting for letters, etc. and yes, I know I'm about to get flamed because parents are "just trying to do what's best for their child." [b]But that's exactly my point: all this energy is to get your kid into an overcrowded class that really isn't that different from a non-AAP classroom.[/b] And the sad part is that is that the program isn't meeting every kids' needs. There are truly, truly gifted kids who do need something different. But the AAP classroom really isn't set up for that because there are so many kids in there that are bright, but not at all ready or capable of the pace that those 1% gifted kids need.

Putting on my flame-retardant coat...but the OP asked. [/quote]

My two kids were absolutely miserable in their base school. They were picked on, harassed, pointed out as "being weird" and "different" and they spent many nights crying about they were treated at school (especially at recess on the playground). We worked with the principal and the school counselor and the teacher. We got nowhere until 2nd grade when someone finally listened, and by then each of my kids were in-pool and ultimately were found Center eligible.

Now they are in AAP at a Center. They have friends that "get" them. My oldest is in 6th grade and loves his school and his friends. My youngest is in 3rd grade and has had his first year of school where he has been happy.

Maybe the center and non-center schools you have taught at for over 15 years are different from our base school and our center school. But I will tell you as a parent that has seen the difference first-hand for the past several years -- there is a big difference.[/quote]

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