Reply to Luther Jackson or Thoreau?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]AAP is just 4 classes. One is math, which is pretty standard no matter where you go.

So can someone explain to me just how different the experience will be when it boils down to 3 classes a year?  Is there more to consider besides just the classes?

Also, does the teaching matter that much?  If they're in a class of all AAP kids, is t that the main thing?  Are the teacher at one school really head and shoulders above another to make a difference?

Not trying to be argumentative, really would appreciate it if someone could explain it. [/quote]

Honestly, my concern has nothing to do with the 3/4 classes and everything to do with the fact that [b]Thoreau students are consistently considered not prepared for high school[/b], whereas LJ students are. The TMS principal even admitted this at the meeting in November, though he did give a list of ways in which they're trying to address this. [/quote]

It has come up in this forum before, but it is all the kids from Thoreau, including the AAP kids. I might speculate even especially them and the honors

I think you are exaggerating here.  How is it possible that Madison HS is one of the top HS in FCPS and the entire state if in fact, the students coming from TMS (who make up 85% of the Madison HS classes) are "not prepared for high school?"

How is it that the kids at Thoreau are passing their SOLs at such a high rate?  You can make the argument that the AAP program at LJMS has X, Y, and Z; but when you start saying that TMS kids are "not prepared for high school" -- I cannot take you seriously.[/quote]
Well, I guess you weren't at the meeting in November and haven't talked to parents of current JMHS students.[/quote]

Is it the block scheduling?  Who isn't prepared, the AAP kids, non-AAP kids, or all kids?  Also, we can talk/argue past each other all day but remember that those of us with a decision to make appreciate the specific, thoughtful, and helpful responses.   [/quote]

It's all the kids, including AAP and possibly especially honors. It's an acknowledged problem at JMHS, though I hope it will improve now that Thoreau and JMHS have swapped administrators. Many of the kids have trouble with the 9th grade workload. The AAP workload at LJMS is intense so those kids are used to it. Also, a lot of the problem has been related to open enrollment honors at JMHS, just as AAP ends. That means that in freshman year, school goes from three levels of instruction (regular, honors, and AAP) down to two (regular and honors).  Thoreau called everything "honors" so the incoming freshmen from Thoreau tended to overestimate their ability to handle HS honors classes. It has been frustrating for them, the advanced kids who can't take anything higher than honors, and the teachers who have to try to teach to a very wide range. [/quote]

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