Reply to The entire AAP program should be eliminated

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Reply to "The entire AAP program should be eliminated"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have really mixed feelings about this. I was in the G&T program as a child and it was a really important and valuable experience for me. My family was working class and I received no real support for academics at home. But I was very academically inclined (loved school, early reader, super engaged in class, and yes, tested well). The G&T program offered me access to all kinds of things my parents would never have been able to afford or even thought to introduce me to. I'm really grateful for those experiences and in my case, G&T worked in favor of equity because it introduced me to other opportunities and interests that otherwise I wouldn't have known about.

I should also note I'm white and from a very white area with little diversity. There was plenty of economic diversity in our G&T program (my two best friends in grade school were in it with me, were both on government assistance, and one had a single mom and absentee father -- they really did base admission to the G&T program on interest and merit and people didn't just buy their way in). So the idea of a G&T program being anti-equity was really foreign to me.

But now living in this area, I see how absolutely obsessive and privileged so many people are, and the way they will stop at nothing to give their kids every possible academic advantage. I don't know what the answer is, but I know AAP programs here do not function like the G&T program I grew up with. I do think there are real equity problems now and I don't know the answer. My kid is still young (PK age) but is a lot like I was at that age -- early reader, very interested in school, love learning. I could see her thriving in an AAP program, and I could also see her getting frustrated and bored without one. But I also don't want to work to get her into AAP just so she can spend all her time around smart but very intense kids with wealthy and even more intense parents who are all just obsessively focused on getting into TJ and going to Ivies and making a lot of money. Even if she also got access to great learning opportunities, I don't know if that's worth it. We are not wealthy and I value diversity.

I think something has to be done and it would make me sad if the only option is "no more AAP". But what are the other options? I am skeptical about the idea that most teachers can adequately teach to different levels. I'm sure some talented folks can, but we're talking about the average teacher.

Anyway, this feels like something rich, hyper-competitive white people ruined for everyone else and I'm frustrated.[/quote]

Where the parent often fits in is parent referral and appeals.  To improve - I think somehow I think they can instruct teachers to refer more students (including or especially URMs and/or FARMs students) and for students in those categories they can also perhaps automatically appeal students in those categories and perhaps solicit more teacher feedback / work for those students for the appeal.

People think it's easier to blame rich white people - rather than try to think outside the box a little bit to solve the problem.  I don't even think what I am suggesting is that hard to implement.[/quote]

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