right. bad information from a school board session.

AAP students currently represent 35% of the Kilmer student body vs. 58% in Gen. Ed (remainder are in special ed). Even so don't see a danger in losing "critical mass" with more than 200 AAP kids in both 7 and 8th grade classes. Instead, I again am wondering why 35% of kids in a school would need special services and am wondering how many of the 58% could do a similar level of work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will Kilmer have enough critical mass if the Cooper kids are moved back?

Kilmer AAP currently outnumbers gen ed. I think they'll be just fine. Critical mass isn't the problem at either Kilmer or Longfellow.

False. Rocky Run is the only middle school in Fairfax where AAP outnumbers GenEd.

Anonymous wrote:Will Kilmer have enough critical mass if the Cooper kids are moved back?

Kilmer AAP currently outnumbers gen ed. I think they'll be just fine. Critical mass isn't the problem at either Kilmer or Longfellow.

Will Kilmer have enough critical mass if the Cooper kids are moved back?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing unlikely, due in part to $$. The inequities across the district would need to be addressed as well, with some schools not having a critical mass of students that qualify. This issue was raised many times during the discussion. Once they figure that problem out, then I'm guessing they will march forward.

Critical mass is not a concern of FCPS. They just created new a AAP center at Lemon Road, knowing it would not have critical mass, and have now had to commit themselves to 2 classes in 4th and 5th grades no matter how small the classes are. They have not committed to two classes for 3rd grade.

Sure it is. Critical mass is part of the report to the School Board and will be discussed tonight.

There is always the lip service.

I have no idea what you mean. You sound like a disgruntled Lemon Road parent.

No, I am a disgruntled participant in the proposed revisions to the SR&R that were rejected by the School Board.

Anonymous wrote:From all the responses: it seems like the decision is in "go slow" mode so my conclusion is that there will perhaps be more GT Center Middle Schools in 2 years but NOT ALL Middle Schools in FXCNTY will have a GT Center. Really it seems like MOST middle schools WILL NOT have a GT Center in 2 years time but, perhaps, eventually..

+1

I think AAP Centers at middle schools will expand where there are areas of overcrowding only, at least for the next 2 - 5 years.

From all the responses: it seems like the decision is in "go slow" mode so my conclusion is that there will perhaps be more GT Center Middle Schools in 2 years but NOT ALL Middle Schools in FXCNTY will have a GT Center. Really it seems like MOST middle schools WILL NOT have a GT Center in 2 years time but, perhaps, eventually..

Likely. I think Franklin MS will become an AAP center. Franklin is under capacity and Rachel Carson (current MS center) is over capacity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing unlikely, due in part to $$. The inequities across the district would need to be addressed as well, with some schools not having a critical mass of students that qualify. This issue was raised many times during the discussion. Once they figure that problem out, then I'm guessing they will march forward.

Critical mass is not a concern of FCPS. They just created new a AAP center at Lemon Road, knowing it would not have critical mass, and have now had to commit themselves to 2 classes in 4th and 5th grades no matter how small the classes are. They have not committed to two classes for 3rd grade.

Sure it is. Critical mass is part of the report to the School Board and will be discussed tonight.

There is always the lip service.

I have no idea what you mean. You sound like a disgruntled Lemon Road parent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing unlikely, due in part to $$. The inequities across the district would need to be addressed as well, with some schools not having a critical mass of students that qualify. This issue was raised many times during the discussion. Once they figure that problem out, then I'm guessing they will march forward.

Critical mass is not a concern of FCPS. They just created new a AAP center at Lemon Road, knowing it would not have critical mass, and have now had to commit themselves to 2 classes in 4th and 5th grades no matter how small the classes are. They have not committed to two classes for 3rd grade.

Sure it is. Critical mass is part of the report to the School Board and will be discussed tonight.

There is always the lip service.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing unlikely, due in part to $$. The inequities across the district would need to be addressed as well, with some schools not having a critical mass of students that qualify. This issue was raised many times during the discussion. Once they figure that problem out, then I'm guessing they will march forward.

Critical mass is not a concern of FCPS. They just created new a AAP center at Lemon Road, knowing it would not have critical mass, and have now had to commit themselves to 2 classes in 4th and 5th grades no matter how small the classes are. They have not committed to two classes for 3rd grade.

Sure it is. Critical mass is part of the report to the School Board and will be discussed tonight.

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing unlikely, due in part to $$. The inequities across the district would need to be addressed as well, with some schools not having a critical mass of students that qualify. This issue was raised many times during the discussion. Once they figure that problem out, then I'm guessing they will march forward.

Critical mass is not a concern of FCPS. They just created new a AAP center at Lemon Road, knowing it would not have critical mass, and have now had to commit themselves to 2 classes in 4th and 5th grades no matter how small the classes are. They have not committed to two classes for 3rd grade.

Cooper is a no brainer. Cooper is expected to have room, Longfellow is bursting. There are enough AAP kids in the Cooper boundary to run a decent program. Howver, I do expect the "change is bad", the" we don't want *our* children to be the first ones" contigents to push back.

I think if they make Cooper an AAP center next year, they should wait a year or two before thinking about Thoreau and some of the other schools that feed into Marshall, Madison, and Oakton.

Anonymous wrote:Unlikely, but there will be quite a few more- where it makes sense (like Cooper).

I think it's likely that's where we're headed given that it was an AAP task force recommendation that was only slowed because not all middle schools were deemed ready. but I think the ones that are, Thoreau, Cooper, etc. will go that route sooner rather than later.