Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you find this fascinating, stick around, because IT NEVER ENDS. How many electrons go to their deaths in the service of tippety tappy posters convinced they know what's best for other people's children.

NP here. I agree that parents typically know what's best for their own children, or think they do. But public schools are designed to serve all children, not just your own. Given the limited resources FCPS has, the fact that an outsized share of those resources are going to provide a more advanced education predominantly for children from high income families is worth discussing.

Anonymous wrote:Someone mentioned the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado earlier. That's a good comparison for size, demographics, differences across the district, etc.

The district offers a self-contained gifted school, for which students must apply but don't need to be referred.
http://challenge.cherrycreekschools.org/Pages/default.aspx

You'd think the bulk of the students would come from the wealthier parts of the district, but they don't. Most of the kids draw from the schools where the overall demographics or caliber aren't great.

Why not a system like this? Some of the FCPS elementary schools are absolutely outstanding. It's crazy to think a smart child's needs "couldn't be me" in that environment. And leave an option where those who choose can self select to apply, for whatever reason.

And the Challenge School does not provide transportation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child in AAP. And before anyone starts with the "you didn't have to enroll her if you think base schools are fine" our center is in our base school.

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous. If AAP didn't exist, I guarantee schools would adjust as need to be accommodate the more advanced learners. Thousands of really terrific school districts across the country do just that. It's a fact.

Of course removing top-performing kids from base schools will change the base schools. But it's ludicrous for parents not to recognize those schools would also change if AAP kids moved back.

The people who defend AAP are trying to protect their ability to overtly show their child is "gifted."

Our experience is exactly the same - our base school is the center. Your description of it being an "an artificial construct" is right on the money. Nearly half the kids (3-6) are in AAP. It's really become such a joke. Lake Wobegon, VA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous.

Tell FCPS that. Maybe they've stopped, but they used to send out a letter that said, "The program is for children whose needs cannot be met in the regular classroom."

Oh wow, it's hilarious that they're still making that claim.

Anonymous wrote:

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous.

Tell FCPS that. Maybe they've stopped, but they used to send out a letter that said, "The program is for children whose needs cannot be met in the regular classroom."

Anonymous wrote:I have a child in AAP. And before anyone starts with the "you didn't have to enroll her if you think base schools are fine" our center is in our base school.

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous. If AAP didn't exist, I guarantee schools would adjust as need to be accommodate the more advanced learners. Thousands of really terrific school districts across the country do just that. It's a fact.

Of course removing top-performing kids from base schools will change the base schools. But it's ludicrous for parents not to recognize those schools would also change if AAP kids moved back.

The people who defend AAP are trying to protect their ability to overtly show their child is "gifted."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are kidding yourself if you think our kids are getting an advanced education in AAP. The stuff they are doing is nowhere near as creative as the average public school in Minnesota. I had the privelege of attending an American school overseas, and learned the hard way that America is ridiculously behind the rest of the world when it comes to education.

FCPS has watered down the AAP program so it is almost just regular school with more homework. The ONLY real difference is possible exposure to more advanced math, if that happens to be your child's area.

- signed parent of two AAP students who is not impressed

My sister lives in Colorado, and at her middle school (West) in the Cherry Creek School district, there are sixth graders walking over to the nearby high school (Cherry Creek) for Calculus.

People who think AAP is the premier gifted program in the country are deluding themselves.

I don't think people think that, but either way, this group of super gifted children is not what this thread is about. The focus is on the kids who are in the gifted program, but don't need to be there. Not how gifted is FCPS's gifted program. Start another thread for that if you want.

I think "how gifted" FCPS's program is and discussing kids who "don't need to be there" are related. The fact it is so large means that it captures kids who truly, at the end of the day, are bright but not gifted.

I contend that if FCPS parents want to claim it's one of the best school districts in the state, or country, that logically has to encompass a wider base than just the AAP centers. It's ridiculous that people are asserting that their run-of-the-mill bright children are incapable of being educated in the mainstream.

Anonymous wrote:

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous.

Hordes of illegals are not an artificial construct.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you find this fascinating, stick around, because IT NEVER ENDS. How many electrons go to their deaths in the service of tippety tappy posters convinced they know what's best for other people's children.

NP here. I agree that parents typically know what's best for their own children, or think they do. But public schools are designed to serve all children, not just your own. Given the limited resources FCPS has, the fact that an outsized share of those resources are going to provide a more advanced education predominantly for children from high income families is worth discussing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than Montgomery County which spends considerably more per child than FCPS and doesn't teach advanced math in general ed, what other school systems are teaching advanced instruction better than FCPS?

What do you mean Montgomery County doesn't teach advanced math in General Ed? Any student has the option of starting advanced math at the Compacted 4/5 level without regard to entry into HGC (highly gifted center).

How is this better than Fairfax? FCPS allows for all children to access basic grade level standards 1 grade above starting in kindergarten. They also teach basic and extended math standards for the grade above starting in 3rd for AAP. The general ed program is already at the level of MCPS, but starts 4 years earlier.

They do? I didn't know that.

Yes. It's right here. If a particular school doesn't because of staffing or a principal decision, parents can contact their school board rep. Typically K doesn't offer much advanced math instruction from the teacher (usually it's an advanced math computer game or something), but I haven't heard of any issues from 1st grade on with advanced math instruction. http://www.fcps.edu/is/math/elementary/

Anonymous wrote:I have a child in AAP. And before anyone starts with the "you didn't have to enroll her if you think base schools are fine" our center is in our base school.

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous. If AAP didn't exist, I guarantee schools would adjust as need to be accommodate the more advanced learners. Thousands of really terrific school districts across the country do just that. It's a fact.

Of course removing top-performing kids from base schools will change the base schools. But it's ludicrous for parents not to recognize those schools would also change if AAP kids moved back.

The people who defend AAP are trying to protect their ability to overtly show their child is "gifted."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other than Montgomery County which spends considerably more per child than FCPS and doesn't teach advanced math in general ed, what other school systems are teaching advanced instruction better than FCPS?

What do you mean Montgomery County doesn't teach advanced math in General Ed? Any student has the option of starting advanced math at the Compacted 4/5 level without regard to entry into HGC (highly gifted center).

How is this better than Fairfax? FCPS allows for all children to access basic grade level standards 1 grade above starting in kindergarten. They also teach basic and extended math standards for the grade above starting in 3rd for AAP. The general ed program is already at the level of MCPS, but starts 4 years earlier.

They do? I didn't know that.

Most of the "outsized share" is for testing all students, not the actual implementation of AAP. We could be like Palo Alto and scrap testing because of lack of funds, but continue with AAP.

This entire artificial construct that "gifted" children's needs couldn't be met in a non-AAP classroom is ridiculous.