Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't this partly be because there are NOT AAP centers at these schools? Seems like the odds are stacked against Cooper and Thoreau if their strongest students are leaving to go to other schools.

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Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Well how nice that you have a choice. My kid is in honors classes, not AAP, at Kilmer because it is our base school. DC is hardly unnoticed though despite overcrowding caused by too many kids from outside the area. Seems an odd worry. One would think being in AAP would be enough?

What does PP mean, "going unnoticed"? Does this mean socially, academically, what?

I meant both, socially and academically. For a child who is reserved and quite an overcrowded school would be terrible. They would get lost in the cracks

Kilmer will have a lot of kids under any circumstances. The only issue is how overcrowded it becomes relative to the current building capacity. If this is a serious concern, and she's not aiming for TJ, you really might want to send her to Cooper instead. If she's aiming for TJ, Kilmer sends a lot more kids there than Cooper.

Thank you for your reply

Which means absolutely NOTHING in terms of your daughter's chances. I always think this reasoning is so silly. If she's that smart she will get in from Thoreau which also offers Algebra and Geometry -- the two main classes TJ looks at. She might even have a better chance of standing out at the school that sends less kids to TJ.

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Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Well how nice that you have a choice. My kid is in honors classes, not AAP, at Kilmer because it is our base school. DC is hardly unnoticed though despite overcrowding caused by too many kids from outside the area. Seems an odd worry. One would think being in AAP would be enough?

What does PP mean, "going unnoticed"? Does this mean socially, academically, what?

I meant both, socially and academically. For a child who is reserved and quite an overcrowded school would be terrible. They would get lost in the cracks

Kilmer will have a lot of kids under any circumstances. The only issue is how overcrowded it becomes relative to the current building capacity. If this is a serious concern, and she's not aiming for TJ, you really might want to send her to Cooper instead. If she's aiming for TJ, Kilmer sends a lot more kids there than Cooper.

Thank you for your reply

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Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Well how nice that you have a choice. My kid is in honors classes, not AAP, at Kilmer because it is our base school. DC is hardly unnoticed though despite overcrowding caused by too many kids from outside the area. Seems an odd worry. One would think being in AAP would be enough?

What does PP mean, "going unnoticed"? Does this mean socially, academically, what?

I meant both, socially and academically. For a child who is reserved and quite an overcrowded school would be terrible. They would get lost in the cracks

Kilmer will have a lot of kids under any circumstances. The only issue is how overcrowded it becomes relative to the current building capacity. If this is a serious concern, and she's not aiming for TJ, you really might want to send her to Cooper instead. If she's aiming for TJ, Kilmer sends a lot more kids there than Cooper.

Anonymous wrote:So does Longfellow. In fact, do ANY kids currently attending Cooper go to TJ? Anyone have those stats?

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What I (and many other parents) are upset about is this attitude from the AAP parents that Cooper is somehow "less-than" since it doesn't have an AAP center. That somehow, the school simply isn't "worthy" of the AAP kids. As has been stated multiple times, Cooper is an excellent middle school, in every way. We don't understand why these parents, who have insisted FCPS turn itself inside out for them and their many demands, don't just pay for a private school that would meet their criteria of what their children "must have". Why should a public school system be expected to cater to this incredibly self-centered group?

While I think the "if I don't get exactly what I want, I'll pack up my marbles and go private" attitude invites ridicule, part of what some Cooper parents seem to be saying is that they don't think FCPS will do enough to make AAP a success at Cooper. Instead, they'll just announce that Cooper is going to have AAP, and then leave it up to a principal who in the past hasn't suggested she really wants AAP to work out the details. Particularly for parents who have their sights set on TJHSST for their kids, that doesn't great compared to Longfellow or Kilmer.

I think people need clear direction from the School Board as to what the plans are for Cooper. It's one thing for Arlene Randall to say Cooper is fine without AAP when there is no AAP center there. It's another thing if the School Board and FCPS tell her that Cooper will be offering Local Level IV services, that they will assist with a plan to seed Cooper with experienced AAP teachers, and that she can be part of Cooper's future or start looking for another job. It's the uncertainty that seems to bring out the worst fears.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Well how nice that you have a choice. My kid is in honors classes, not AAP, at Kilmer because it is our base school. DC is hardly unnoticed though despite overcrowding caused by too many kids from outside the area. Seems an odd worry. One would think being in AAP would be enough?

What does PP mean, "going unnoticed"? Does this mean socially, academically, what?

I meant both, socially and academically. For a child who is reserved and quite an overcrowded school would be terrible. They would get lost in the cracks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Well how nice that you have a choice. My kid is in honors classes, not AAP, at Kilmer because it is our base school. DC is hardly unnoticed though despite overcrowding caused by too many kids from outside the area. Seems an odd worry. One would think being in AAP would be enough?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Well how nice that you have a choice. My kid is in honors classes, not AAP, at Kilmer because it is our base school. DC is hardly unnoticed though despite overcrowding caused by too many kids from outside the area. Seems an odd worry. One would think being in AAP would be enough?

What does PP mean, "going unnoticed"? Does this mean socially, academically, what?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Well how nice that you have a choice. My kid is in honors classes, not AAP, at Kilmer because it is our base school. DC is hardly unnoticed though despite overcrowding caused by too many kids from outside the area. Seems an odd worry. One would think being in AAP would be enough?

Anonymous wrote:^ PP here..I am now debating whether or not she should even attend Kilmer. I rather have her taking Honors at Cooper to avoid the overcrowding issue at Kilmer. AAP isn't worth it to me if it means her going unnoticed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What I (and many other parents) are upset about is this attitude from the AAP parents that Cooper is somehow "less-than" since it doesn't have an AAP center. That somehow, the school simply isn't "worthy" of the AAP kids. As has been stated multiple times, Cooper is an excellent middle school, in every way. We don't understand why these parents, who have insisted FCPS turn itself inside out for them and their many demands, don't just pay for a private school that would meet their criteria of what their children "must have". Why should a public school system be expected to cater to this incredibly self-centered group?

While I think the "if I don't get exactly what I want, I'll pack up my marbles and go private" attitude invites ridicule, part of what some Cooper parents seem to be saying is that they don't think FCPS will do enough to make AAP a success at Cooper. Instead, they'll just announce that Cooper is going to have AAP, and then leave it up to a principal who in the past hasn't suggested she really wants AAP to work out the details. Particularly for parents who have their sights set on TJHSST for their kids, that doesn't great compared to Longfellow or Kilmer.

I think people need clear direction from the School Board as to what the plans are for Cooper. It's one thing for Arlene Randall to say Cooper is fine without AAP when there is no AAP center there. It's another thing if the School Board and FCPS tell her that Cooper will be offering Local Level IV services, that they will assist with a plan to seed Cooper with experienced AAP teachers, and that she can be part of Cooper's future or start looking for another job. It's the uncertainty that seems to bring out the worst fears.

I think you're missing the point of the previous post; that is AAP parents who feel they "aren't getting exactly what they want," are the ones who should think seriously about writing that check for private school rather than insisting that FCPS do their bidding vis-a-vis yet another AAP center. The point is that a public school system is just that - public - and shouldn't be expected to cowtow to certain special interest groups at the expense of all others.