Reply to What pyramid would you choose?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think the only meaningful difference between them is how they handle gifted education.  The Fairfax AAP program pulls high achieving students out of neighborhood schools.  For some gifted kids it may be better than Arlington's approach of serving all levels in the same schools. But, for others being singled out as special in that way could be detrimental and it may not be a good approach for kids with very different performance in different areas (e.g. my DD is a high-achiever across all subjects and would likely be in AAP if we lived in Fairfax and do great in it but DS is off the charts great in math while struggling in English.  I like that our school was able to provide the math enrichment he needed while still meeting him where he is in English).

[b]I also know some families in Fairfax complain that the "normal kids" -- not AAP, not special needs, not disadvantaged -- are not well served because they are left in schools without a high achieving peer group and the focus tends to be mostly on bringing up the kids at risk of not passing SOLs.[/b]  [/quote]

Yes, this.  Or else the "normal" kids have to attend the center schools, which place their emphasis on the AAP kids.  Either way, it sucks to be a "normal" kid in FCPS these days.[/quote]

I don't think it is fair to entirely blame FCPS or AAP for the lack of rigor in FCPS elementary general ed. I know so many parents that could care less about academics and just want more recess, no homework, don't want anything to do with the schools, push in their learning disabled child all day who is five years behind academically and has behavior issues, never holding back a child anymore in school.... I don't blame other parents who want strong academics and feel overshadowed by these parents who don't.[/quote]

Academics, and the very *minor* difference between AAP and Gen Ed, wasn't my point at all.  The "normal" kids are treated like second class citizens if they're unlucky enough to have to attend a center school.  There is a lack of rigor in Gen Ed, but AAP isn't much of an improvement.  It's all the same curriculum.  The social aspects of segregating [i]two very similar groups of kids[/i] are devastating.  Had we known this, we would have chosen APS in a heartbeat. 
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