We moved from Arlington to Fairfax for the AAP program. You will not find anything as challenging in the Arlington schools. The math instruction is particularly weak, except at one or two schools.

Anonymous wrote:
Really, I don't. I'm supremely confident in your decision. You, on the other hand, are overcompensating. Again, you might wish to reflect on why.

As am I. Try harder to contain your Freudian slips next time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"...freak show that it is"

You wish yours were as successful as FCPS AAP...

If anything is freakish it's some of the mothers. LOL

No, really, I chose Arlington over FCPS because I thought the AAP program there was weak and ridiculous. Combined with the much larger class sizes overall, FCPS just seemed like it wouldn't give my children what they needed to thrive. We're very happy in APS.

Compared to FCPS, APS underperforms year-in, year-out. The Arlington moms try, but fail, to make up for it with the non-stop hyping of APS.

I'm not worried about it, darling. But identifying some distinction seems mightily important to you. I recommend you reflect on why.

You ought to worry about it, rather than call a consistently higher-performing system a "freak show."

Really, I don't. I'm supremely confident in your decision. You, on the other hand, are overcompensating. Again, you might wish to reflect on why.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"...freak show that it is"

You wish yours were as successful as FCPS AAP...

If anything is freakish it's some of the mothers. LOL

No, really, I chose Arlington over FCPS because I thought the AAP program there was weak and ridiculous. Combined with the much larger class sizes overall, FCPS just seemed like it wouldn't give my children what they needed to thrive. We're very happy in APS.

Compared to FCPS, APS underperforms year-in, year-out. The Arlington moms try, but fail, to make up for it with the non-stop hyping of APS.

I'm not worried about it, darling. But identifying some distinction seems mightily important to you. I recommend you reflect on why.

You ought to worry about it, rather than call a consistently higher-performing system a "freak show."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"...freak show that it is"

You wish yours were as successful as FCPS AAP...

If anything is freakish it's some of the mothers. LOL

No, really, I chose Arlington over FCPS because I thought the AAP program there was weak and ridiculous. Combined with the much larger class sizes overall, FCPS just seemed like it wouldn't give my children what they needed to thrive. We're very happy in APS.

Compared to FCPS, APS underperforms year-in, year-out. The Arlington moms try, but fail, to make up for it with the non-stop hyping of APS.

I'm not worried about it, darling. But identifying some distinction seems mightily important to you. I recommend you reflect on why.

A little more info: in Arlington kids are referred for specific subjects- math, for instance. There is an ongoing identification process involving teachers, the school's gifted resources specialist and teachers. Generally a teacher or the gifted resources specialist first identifies a "gifted" child based on schoolwork, but parents can refer a child as well. Once a child is identified a packet is mailed home that includes a little info about the program, a form for parents to fill out with their observations of their child's strengths in the subject, and an approval form that needs to be returned within 10 days. If the form is not returned the process is terminated. If the parents approve the child may be pulled out of class multiple times for a series of tests (this was our 2nd grader's experience with math; not sure if the process is the same for other subjects). Once all the pieces are in place a committee composed of the child's teacher, the gifted resources specialist, the principal and possibly a couple of other people meet to make a final decision (within 90 days of the packet going home). I don't know how much of this process might be bypassed for a child coming from another AP program; perhaps at least the testing part could be bypassed?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"...freak show that it is"

You wish yours were as successful as FCPS AAP...

If anything is freakish it's some of the mothers. LOL

No, really, I chose Arlington over FCPS because I thought the AAP program there was weak and ridiculous. Combined with the much larger class sizes overall, FCPS just seemed like it wouldn't give my children what they needed to thrive. We're very happy in APS.

Compared to FCPS, APS underperforms year-in, year-out. The Arlington moms try, but fail, to make up for it with the non-stop hyping of APS.

APS considers portfolios of student work? Well, I'll be damned.

(From the parents' end, you get a letter from school with a form to fill out -- one page, both sides -- about what traits your child shows. Then your kid gets pulled out. Easy-peasy, but -- and I say this so that a certain poster won't have to -- not sufficient if your child is highly gifted, in which case the only thing to do is more to Fairfax.)

Anonymous wrote:"...freak show that it is"

You wish yours were as successful as FCPS AAP...

If anything is freakish it's some of the mothers. LOL

No, really, I chose Arlington over FCPS because I thought the AAP program there was weak and ridiculous. Combined with the much larger class sizes overall, FCPS just seemed like it wouldn't give my children what they needed to thrive. We're very happy in APS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All children are gifted in Arlington, didn't you know?

Ha, I jest.

There's a robust gifted program in Arlington, but it doesn't have all the trappings that make the FCPS program the freak show that it is.

Arlington's gifted program is difficult to get into, however.

OP here, I couldn't find any information on this program that you are referring to on their website. What are the qualifications to get into the gifted program?

Very similar to AAP.

http://www.apsva.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=1838

They just revamped the entire process. If a teacher or parent refers and the child is not accepted, the child is ineligible for consideration for 1 year from the denial. It's very test-driven. They don't really consider portfolios of student work anymore.

Anonymous wrote:All children are gifted in Arlington, didn't you know?

Ha, I jest.

There's a robust gifted program in Arlington, but it doesn't have all the trappings that make the FCPS program the freak show that it is.

Arlington's gifted program is difficult to get into, however.

OP here, I couldn't find any information on this program that you are referring to on their website. What are the qualifications to get into the gifted program?

"...freak show that it is"

You wish yours were as successful as FCPS AAP...

If anything is freakish it's some of the mothers. LOL

All children are gifted in Arlington, didn't you know?

Ha, I jest.

There's a robust gifted program in Arlington, but it doesn't have all the trappings that make the FCPS program the freak show that it is.

Arlington's gifted program is difficult to get into, however.

No, it doesn't. There are gifted pull-outs, and you can tell your school about your child's qualification when you enroll her/him, but if the AAP program is important to you, stay in Fairfax.

I'm really not familiar with Arlington county public schools but do they have the equivalent of AAP starting in 3rd grade? And if so, can a student who was accepted to AAP in FCPS automatically qualify (or redo)? Thanks for any help..