I agree with the PP from 6:27 am. It is too darn late to do option 1 for Cooper, but they could manipulate the decision by not offering transportation for option 2 in 2017. Brilliant!

Yes, this is posted on the FCPS website:

http://www.fcps.edu/regions/r1/cooper-aap.shtml

We are zoned for Cooper, and this is the message we received.

Dear Parents:
Over the past three years, in response to growing student enrollment in Fairfax County Public Schools’ Advanced Academic Programs (AAP), Cooper Middle School has offered a Level IV Program for students identified to receive Level IV AAP services. During this time, Principal Arlene Randall met with parents from feeder schools within the Langley and McLean high school pyramids to better understand community desires for the Advanced Academic Program. Simultaneously, the instructional team at Cooper developed a program based on the foundation of a rigorous curriculum delivered by a collaborative team of teachers and counselors certified and passionate about teaching gifted children.
Fairfax County Public Schools provides a wide variety of programming in its schools, and as such, school facilities are built and remodeled based on the programs offered in the school buildings. Although we are fortunate to have robust Advanced Academic Programs in our pyramids, the division’s continued enrollment growth has caused Kilmer and Longfellow middle schools to become overcrowded, while Cooper Middle School is under capacity by more than 300 students. Given that Cooper now offers a well-established Level IV Program, one solution to this problem is to designate Cooper Middle School as an AAP center.

We invite parents, students, and community members to attend a meeting with Principal Randall, instructional staff, and current AAP students and families to learn more about Cooper’s existing Level IV Advanced Academic Program and ask questions. The meetings will be held in Cooper Middle School’s Shirley Miller cafeteria on December 2 and December 8. Please attend the evening associated with the elementary school your child attends.

December 2 6:45 - 8:00 P.M. December 8 6:45 - 8:00 P.M.
Churchill Road, Franklin Sherman, and Spring Hill elementary schools Colvin Run, Forestville, and Great Falls elementary schools

Additionally, we will share specific information about what is required for a school to operate as an AAP center and will seek feedback on two options for opening an AAP center at Cooper Middle School:

Timeline Option 1
September 2016 Cooper based rising 7th grade center-eligible students currently assigned to Kilmer and Longfellow are required to attend the new Cooper MS center. Rising 8th grade center–eligible students have the option to attend Cooper or their current center.
September 2017 Cooper based rising 7th and 8th grade center-eligible students currently assigned to Kilmer and Longfellow are required to attend Cooper’s center.
September 2018 Cooper based rising 7th and 8th grade center-eligible students currently assigned to Kilmer and Longfellow are required to attend Cooper’s center

Option 2
September 2016 - Cooper based rising 7th and 8th grade center-eligible students currently assigned to Kilmer and Longfellow have the option to attend the new Cooper MS center or their current center.
September 2017 - Cooper based rising 7th grade students currently assigned to Kilmer and Longfellow are required to attend Cooper’s center. Rising 8th grade students have the option to attend Cooper or their current center.
September 2018 - Cooper based rising 7th and 8th grade center-eligible students are required to attend Cooper’s center.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with eliminating busing to MS Centers is that, with later HS start times, TJ buses leave from Center MSs this year. So TJ students bus to the closest Center MS with base & AAP students, then TJ. Something would need to be done to accommodate them. They could bus from all MSs, but this would result in 1/2 full buses & cost $$, rather than save it.

I don't think this is the case for Longfellow as there is still a bus stop at McLean HS. Plus, I don't think TJ bussing issues at a few MS should be a reason that bussing should continue for middle school students. It would add one more bus stop to the TJ busses and eliminate dozens from the current MS Center school busses.

Why are any TJ busses leaving from middle schools? Why wouldn't they just leave from the high schools?

There are probably about the same # of MSs & HSs, but if a bus is a 1/3 full of TJ kids, why not give the MS AAP students a ride too? There should not be any extra cost. PM is a different matter, of course, since kids are bused from TJ well after MS ends.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with eliminating busing to MS Centers is that, with later HS start times, TJ buses leave from Center MSs this year. So TJ students bus to the closest Center MS with base & AAP students, then TJ. Something would need to be done to accommodate them. They could bus from all MSs, but this would result in 1/2 full buses & cost $$, rather than save it.

I don't think this is the case for Longfellow as there is still a bus stop at McLean HS. Plus, I don't think TJ bussing issues at a few MS should be a reason that bussing should continue for middle school students. It would add one more bus stop to the TJ busses and eliminate dozens from the current MS Center school busses.

Why are any TJ busses leaving from middle schools? Why wouldn't they just leave from the high schools?

MSs have the earlier start time this year, so in parts of the county with a long commute (like RR & Carson), HS starts too late for kids to bus tfromHS, then TJ. They may bus from HS in parts of the county closer to AtJ.

Sorry. Now I realize they leave from middle schools instead of high schools. Aren't there the same number of middle schools to high schools though?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with eliminating busing to MS Centers is that, with later HS start times, TJ buses leave from Center MSs this year. So TJ students bus to the closest Center MS with base & AAP students, then TJ. Something would need to be done to accommodate them. They could bus from all MSs, but this would result in 1/2 full buses & cost $$, rather than save it.

I don't think this is the case for Longfellow as there is still a bus stop at McLean HS. Plus, I don't think TJ bussing issues at a few MS should be a reason that bussing should continue for middle school students. It would add one more bus stop to the TJ busses and eliminate dozens from the current MS Center school busses.

Why are any TJ busses leaving from middle schools? Why wouldn't they just leave from the high schools?

Anonymous wrote:The problem with eliminating busing to MS Centers is that, with later HS start times, TJ buses leave from Center MSs this year. So TJ students bus to the closest Center MS with base & AAP students, then TJ. Something would need to be done to accommodate them. They could bus from all MSs, but this would result in 1/2 full buses & cost $$, rather than save it.

I don't think this is the case for Longfellow as there is still a bus stop at McLean HS. Plus, I don't think TJ bussing issues at a few MS should be a reason that bussing should continue for middle school students. It would add one more bus stop to the TJ busses and eliminate dozens from the current MS Center school busses.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure they could do something different with TJ busing.

It really is a genius manipulative move on the county's part to have their cake and eat it too.

Since AAP busing wasn't on the table for cuts a year ago, I think it is just the most efficient was to TJ bus. Before last year, TJ bused from HSs. With the flip in MS/HS start times, they needed to have kids leave from MSs in order to get them to TJ in time-- particularly kids from the Western part of the county. It really seems like simple, efficient logistics.

I'm sure they could do something different with TJ busing.

It really is a genius manipulative move on the county's part to have their cake and eat it too.

The problem with eliminating busing to MS Centers is that, with later HS start times, TJ buses leave from Center MSs this year. So TJ students bus to the closest Center MS with base & AAP students, then TJ. Something would need to be done to accommodate them. They could bus from all MSs, but this would result in 1/2 full buses & cost $$, rather than save it.

Anonymous wrote:This is the scenario I think will happen: Students will have the option to attend the new center school or the old center school for 2016-2017 with transportation. I think for the 2017-2018 school year there will be no transportation granted- a year and a half notice should be enough time to prepare. That way the current 7th graders at the Center schools will be able to attend as they have been this year, but the rising 7th graders will have more incentive to go to the base school. It doesn't matter if they are called LLIV or AAP center for 2016-2017 year at this point it is just semantics.

I would be just fine with this scenario and think it's the most fair to all. Don't care about transportation as I will drive DC anyhow since so early. But you are right-if they remove it for 2017, it is more incentive to go to base school over center for many.

Do you know someone on the school board or have any inside info PP?

This is the scenario I think will happen: Students will have the option to attend the new center school or the old center school for 2016-2017 with transportation. I think for the 2017-2018 school year there will be no transportation granted- a year and a half notice should be enough time to prepare. That way the current 7th graders at the Center schools will be able to attend as they have been this year, but the rising 7th graders will have more incentive to go to the base school. It doesn't matter if they are called LLIV or AAP center for 2016-2017 year at this point it is just semantics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Also, Franklin had less than 10 level IV kids last year (their first year) and about 20 this year. Seems safe to say they are just not ready for the 150 plus AAP Level IV kids a grade that would transfer in.

I don't think this number is correct. Franklin has listed 235 LIV students from 2014-15, and that number should hold fairly steady for this year. No way there are only 20 in the school this year, and certainly not 10 last year. Not sure where you are getting your information from (I got mine from the FCPS Dashboard), but there are well over 20 LIV kids at Franklin. My son is in classes with all LIV kids, many of whom came up from his ES AAP program (that was all LIV students). It's serving as a center program for all intents and purposes. I'm not sure that I'd want all of the students back from Carson that are there from Franklin - that might overcrowd the school.

It is correct. Dashboard lists kids who take all honors classes as level IV, even if they are not AAP certified. I got my numbers from the Franklin administration a few weeks when we were looking at where to send DC-- and the number of AAP qualified kids was way too low for us to feel okay with this as a choice, particularly coming out of Oak Hill. They expect the program to slowly pick up steam.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Also, Franklin had less than 10 level IV kids last year (their first year) and about 20 this year. Seems safe to say they are just not ready for the 150 plus AAP Level IV kids a grade that would transfer in.

I don't think this number is correct. Franklin has listed 235 LIV students from 2014-15, and that number should hold fairly steady for this year. No way there are only 20 in the school this year, and certainly not 10 last year. Not sure where you are getting your information from (I got mine from the FCPS Dashboard), but there are well over 20 LIV kids at Franklin. My son is in classes with all LIV kids, many of whom came up from his ES AAP program (that was all LIV students). It's serving as a center program for all intents and purposes. I'm not sure that I'd want all of the students back from Carson that are there from Franklin - that might overcrowd the school.

Instead, you would rather they over crowd a school outside of their neighborhood? Why should students in one base MS area over crowd a school in another base school area? If all the students in a base school district over crowd the school, then there should be a redrawing of the districts, not moving one group from one school just to over crowd another.