Reply to Moving because of declining schools

Forum Index » VA Public Schools other than FCPS

Reply to "Moving because of declining schools"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My takeaway might be that something about a big public middle school doesn’t work for your specific child.  I wouldn’t assume moving to another large public school (which let’s face it that’s what we have here in this area) will fix it.  I’m saying that without knowing your particular issues.

There are options within APS.  Have you looked into programs at the Career Center?[/quote]

Our issue is that when we were elem we had pull out GT programs, and then it switched to pushing and was worthless. My kids are so unchallenged and bored and there is no differentiation until high school, teachers spend all their time on remedial learning and discipline. So much discipline. WL should offer challenging classes, but the crazy super size high school with too little common space worries me.

Career Center would be a better fit if our kids were vocationally minded, but far from that. [/quote]

There are more programs at Career Center than people realize.

There is definitely differentiation in math.  I think if that is your issue, find the money for private.  But I would also wait out the effects of the pandemic.  Yes, the bright kids whose parents kept things up during the pandemic, now those kids are a bit bored and not challenged.  The teachers have a lot to sort through emotionally and academically with kids back in school.

[/quote]

Yes, we are in advanced math.  The boredom and frustration was present all through 5th and 6th once GT went away.  Basically spent all day reading to themselves waiting for rest of class to do their thing.[/quote]

Are you talking about during virtual school?  I have a current 6th grader who was in 5th grade last year.   Also GT.  My kid did not spend all day reading to themselves.

But it sounds like you're not well served by public schools at this moment in time.  I wouldn't move though.  Moving is not going to solve it.[/quote]

5th and 6th were pre-pandemic; 7th was pandemic year.  They all were meh at best.  So would love to hear what you child did when the teacher worked with the rest of class on work she had already completed?  This wasn't just my DD, I heard it from multiple parents (other GT students).  Virtual was actually better in that regard, as it gave our DD a lot more options for what to do in her downtime than just sit and read.[/quote]

Ok, so my kid was 4th pre-pandemic and she and a few of her classmates worked on a long-term math project together.  So when they were done with work in math they went and did that.  The group project options had been pushed in by GT as an option for the kids.  You didn't have to be GT to participate, which was the model at my kids' elementary school the whole way through. I don't want to go into too many details on the project as it might identify me, but my kid was super into it.  A lot of creativity and leadership skills.  The kids liked it so much they worked on it during recess even.

Is my child occupied every second?  I'm sure not.   Sounds like you want tracking - completely separate classes.  You should have gone AAP in FCPS but it sounds like your kid is too old.  I would just wait it out and try W-L.  I have heard good things about it.  Do the IB program.  If you have younger kids still, move to FCPS and get into AAP.[/quote]

Not tracking, just a teachers who have enough classtime, ratios, and resources to engage my child with something at their level.  They meet the class baseline and that's it, they are left on their own.  She doesn't need a separate class, your project is exactly the type of thing, especially a group project.  Maybe our GT was just bad that last few years?  I feel like they did nothing compared to prior years projects and enrichment.  I mean, these are motivated kids, all you need is to give them an idea, a framework, and latitude and they will go at it.  But a single student sitting at their desk, what can they kick off on their own without any resources?[/quote]

So maybe your starting point is figuring out what your GT person at your kids' school is actually doing.[/quote]

I met with her many times, and she said she was "developing" something and popping into the kids classes.  My kid didn't even know she was the GT teacher.  It is ridiculous.[/quote]

I’ve never told the kids who the gifted teacher is when she visits. She’s just a teacher in our room doing a lesson or pulling kids out.[/quote]
The gifted kids figure it out.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics