Reply to Why do schools not let mingle gen-ed kids with AAP.

Forum Index » Advanced Academic Programs (AAP)

Reply to "Why do schools not let mingle gen-ed kids with AAP."

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. I do understand that schools must be keeping kids separate from managing perspective.  It is heart aching to see the kids feel that they have a restricted/almost no  access in school  to the friends that they made in k-2, or they have made in other activities that they do outside of school because they are AAP / Gen Ed or vice versa. i wish the schools could come up with more innovative ways to mingle the kids. I am not trying to say one is superior than other or so. I have respect for both the programs,just wish that  outside of the boundaries of academic needs, kids should not have to stay away from each other. [/quote]

I also think your complaint is school specific.  Our AAP center has very few kids coming from the non-AAP part of the center school.  There are something like 13 schools feeding into the AAP part of the school.   The AAP kids are not pining to sit with "friends" in the non-AAP part of the school.  They simply don't know them.  And the reverse would be true as well.  The non-AAP kids don't know anything about the AAP kids (except for a few kids in each grade who moved over).

I do find it strange that you put the onus on the people who are new to the school and blame them for not interacting with the non-AAP kids and parents.   The AAP kids are welcomed by being assigned to the trailers.  If anything, the AAP kids have an argument for being treated like 2nd class citizens who aren't yet welcomed into the school!  [/quote]

Think about what you've said. 13 schools feeding into one school. First off, that's probably the largest AAP center in the county then. Usually it's about 3-4 schools. Think just for a moment though what that must be like for a neighborhood school to have kids from 13 other schools come in. Perhaps they bought before any redistricting happened and now they have to live with the situation or move. Maybe the AAP population exploded. I have less tolerance for people who bought knowing this would be the case. Yes, if one child is coming into 5th grade, the class should be welcoming before the new child is, but to have 13 schools coming in all excited to start their first year at the school and now the general ed kids have to see their friends who got into the AAP center no longer hanging out with them because of this new distinction and also no mingling because the AAP parents demanded that every class be ability grouped. If you have 13 schools feeding into it, the reason some are in trailers is because the school is TOO BIG! Not because of any AAP/general ed separation. And typically the kids who need the most help such as the younger grades or special needs children would be allocated inside the building. Would you really want the down syndrome outside in a trailer while your kid was inside? I think both sides should be welcoming, but obviously at your school the general ed population is entirely overwhelmed by the AAP population.[/quote]

Responding to the last pp -- if the AAP part of the center was not there, the school would be shut down or neighboring schools would be redistricted to that base school that is no longer a center school.

My kid (in AAP) has 75 new kids to get to know in his grade that are AAP kids (he knew about 5 kids coming into it).  I think getting to know those 75 kids is plenty enough social effort for an 8 yr. old especially b/c they are not likely to see each other outside of school.  He doesn't need to get to know the another 50 kids (non-AAP).  We aren't looking down on them -- and there is plenty of diversity in DC's AAP grade level.

I'm sorry OP and other posters feel that their kids are left out in some way.  I think it's really a matter of being happy where you are and blossoming and not thinking that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  There are friends to be made wherever you are.

I don't understand the need to manufacture social interactions -- people gravitate toward those with whom they have the most in common (common experiences, common problems).  AAP kids at this center are already dealing with a lot of changes (busing, increased homework, new classmates, different building, different policies, different teachers for specials).  I think it's a good policy decision to keep their social circle closer to 80 rather than 130 (including the ones DC already knew from the neighborhood school).  At some point, mixing it up becomes a detriment to establishing true friendships.  Mixing it up also could increase jealousy or comparisons -- AAP kids would be jealous if they found out that other kids in the same grade don't have to do _______ (project/homework/etc.).

For those who are concerned about the non-AAP kids who now don't get to see their friends -- how about calling them up and inviting them over for a playdate!  That's what we do with DC's non-AAP friends at the neighborhood school... we let them get together outside of school!  It's not that complicated.

[/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