Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone would say that being in an AAP center program is a bad thing for a student who is identified as gifted, via the usual tests and observation.

I don't think anyone would say that special programs are a bad thing for kids with learning disabilities, autism, or who don't speak much English.

So leave those programs alone, as they are doing the job in helping meet those students' needs.

Change your focus to the kids in gen ed who desperately need the attention and more differentiation and more challenging work. Stop trying to blame the one program you can blame and still feel PC. It's misguided.

This is a great point. ELL has to have as many kids as AAP, and certainly makes huge demands on the resources. Special Ed is smaller, but again, is very resource intensive. AAP cost nothing extra except busing. And certainly there is an argument to be made that it brings in tax dollars that more than offset it's cost if parents and business move here, instead of MD, Alington, DC, Loudon, PW County, etc because of AAP. As the Arlington vs FCPS NMSF debate on the other thread (why is FCPS so much more successful than Arlington at having kids get NMSFs?). AAP also creates a successful pipeline to TJ and produces students who make the whole school system look good. Nevertheless, it's the program GE parents want to target-- because it looks bad to gripe about Special Ed and ELL. And because they aren't jealous of the kids in Special Ed and ELL.

Uh, no. The reason AAP is such a target is because ALL taxpayers are funding this program, but unlike Special Ed, most kids admitted to AAP are not gifted and don't need special services. No one is arguing that we need to do away with programs like Special Ed - obviously, there's a tremendous need for those kids to receive services. Taxpayers are happy to help. What we're not happy to do, however, is spend money on frivolous programs for enormous groups of mostly average kids who don't need special intervention at all. In fact, that "enrichment" we're paying for could easily benefit ALL kids, but isn't. If calling inequity "jealousy" makes you feel better, then so be it. But as long as we're all footing the bill for your kid's extra (and unnecessary) enrichment, expect some push back by those of us who realize this is a PUBLIC school system, not an exclusive private school within a school for some but not all.

oh well! Get over it, it's not going anywhere. Thank God!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14 pages in, it's striking that GE parents hate AAP, but they can't really string together a rational reason. AAP helps the kids in AAP, is good for FCPS, is good for the county, probably brings in more money than it costs to bus the kids, takes nothing away from GE kids, except a subset of the students that the GE parents loudly disparage as unexceptional at best and socially awkward disruptive troublemakers at worst. And, in general, the FCPS GE curriculum is very good-- stronger than most of the country and comparable to APS. So the problem is???

It seems like lots of DCUM over privileged helicopter type parents have bumped up against a major area where they can't buy or do "the best" for Larla for the first time ever. With AAP in play, they have to settle for something less prestigious for Larla in the area of education. And it's not that they need FCPS GE to be better for their kid (or they would focus on that). They just don't want there to be something perceived as "better" they don't get. Even if it's not better for their specific kid-- they still have live with their friends and neighbors knowing that they were not invited to the party.

And it's sad-- because the kids really don't care who has the harder spelling list or math worksheet. But it eats the parents alive, and they turn around and make their kids miserable.

I would agree with this but for the fact that you don't shy away at all from ascribing a uniform set of views to "GE parents," as if all GE parents think and act the same. It creates the impression that you'd be more than happy to band together with all the other AAP parents and have a good laugh about the angst-ridden, bummed-out GE parents whose kids didn't quite make the cut.

A more nuanced view would allow for the possibility that, DCUM diatribes notwithstanding, most parents of GE kids are find with their kids being in the GE program and that, conversely, there are more than a handful of AAP parents who bend every rule in the book just so that their own Larlas can be part of the AAP program and afford them local bragging rights.

Anonymous wrote:14 pages in, it's striking that GE parents hate AAP, but they can't really string together a rational reason. AAP helps the kids in AAP, is good for FCPS, is good for the county, probably brings in more money than it costs to bus the kids, takes nothing away from GE kids, except a subset of the students that the GE parents loudly disparage as unexceptional at best and socially awkward disruptive troublemakers at worst. And, in general, the FCPS GE curriculum is very good-- stronger than most of the country and comparable to APS. So the problem is???

It seems like lots of DCUM over privileged helicopter type parents have bumped up against a major area where they can't buy or do "the best" for Larla for the first time ever. With AAP in play, they have to settle for something less prestigious for Larla in the area of education. And it's not that they need FCPS GE to be better for their kid (or they would focus on that). They just don't want there to be something perceived as "better" they don't get. Even if it's not better for their specific kid-- they still have live with their friends and neighbors knowing that they were not invited to the party.

And it's sad-- because the kids really don't care who has the harder spelling list or math worksheet. But it eats the parents alive, and they turn around and make their kids miserable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Uh, no. The reason AAP is such a target is because ALL taxpayers are funding this program, but unlike Special Ed, most kids admitted to AAP are not gifted and don't need special services. No one is arguing that we need to do away with programs like Special Ed - obviously, there's a tremendous need for those kids to receive services. Taxpayers are happy to help. What we're not happy to do, however, is spend money on frivolous programs for enormous groups of mostly average kids who don't need special intervention at all. In fact, that "enrichment" we're paying for could easily benefit ALL kids, but isn't. If calling inequity "jealousy" makes you feel better, then so be it. But as long as we're all footing the bill for your kid's extra (and unnecessary) enrichment, expect some push back by those of us who realize this is a PUBLIC school system, not an exclusive private school within a school for some but not all.

Well put.

Anonymous wrote:
Uh, no. The reason AAP is such a target is because ALL taxpayers are funding this program, but unlike Special Ed, most kids admitted to AAP are not gifted and don't need special services. No one is arguing that we need to do away with programs like Special Ed - obviously, there's a tremendous need for those kids to receive services. Taxpayers are happy to help. What we're not happy to do, however, is spend money on frivolous programs for enormous groups of mostly average kids who don't need special intervention at all. In fact, that "enrichment" we're paying for could easily benefit ALL kids, but isn't. If calling inequity "jealousy" makes you feel better, then so be it. But as long as we're all footing the bill for your kid's extra (and unnecessary) enrichment, expect some push back by those of us who realize this is a PUBLIC school system, not an exclusive private school within a school for some but not all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone would say that being in an AAP center program is a bad thing for a student who is identified as gifted, via the usual tests and observation.

I don't think anyone would say that special programs are a bad thing for kids with learning disabilities, autism, or who don't speak much English.

So leave those programs alone, as they are doing the job in helping meet those students' needs.

Change your focus to the kids in gen ed who desperately need the attention and more differentiation and more challenging work. Stop trying to blame the one program you can blame and still feel PC. It's misguided.

This is a great point. ELL has to have as many kids as AAP, and certainly makes huge demands on the resources. Special Ed is smaller, but again, is very resource intensive. AAP cost nothing extra except busing. And certainly there is an argument to be made that it brings in tax dollars that more than offset it's cost if parents and business move here, instead of MD, Alington, DC, Loudon, PW County, etc because of AAP. As the Arlington vs FCPS NMSF debate on the other thread (why is FCPS so much more successful than Arlington at having kids get NMSFs?). AAP also creates a successful pipeline to TJ and produces students who make the whole school system look good. Nevertheless, it's the program GE parents want to target-- because it looks bad to gripe about Special Ed and ELL. And because they aren't jealous of the kids in Special Ed and ELL.

Uh, no. The reason AAP is such a target is because ALL taxpayers are funding this program, but unlike Special Ed, most kids admitted to AAP are not gifted and don't need special services. No one is arguing that we need to do away with programs like Special Ed - obviously, there's a tremendous need for those kids to receive services. Taxpayers are happy to help. What we're not happy to do, however, is spend money on frivolous programs for enormous groups of mostly average kids who don't need special intervention at all. In fact, that "enrichment" we're paying for could easily benefit ALL kids, but isn't. If calling inequity "jealousy" makes you feel better, then so be it. But as long as we're all footing the bill for your kid's extra (and unnecessary) enrichment, expect some push back by those of us who realize this is a PUBLIC school system, not an exclusive private school within a school for some but not all.

However, this is how FCPS chooses to provide state mandated gifted education. Do away with AAP and you still have to figure out how to provide gifted children an education. There's a tremendous need at both ends of the spectrum.

Sure. But the ends of the spectrum don't need to encompass the vast middle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you have 25 - 50% in AAP, the term "gifted" has lost all meaning.

There are NOT 25-50% of fcps kids in AAP centers/level IV.

You need to try to brush up on facts.

No, you need to brush up on your facts. Of the three schools closest to my house: One has 35%, one has 33% and the other has 25%. There are schools with up to 50% kids in AAP. That is a fact.

If you you know that the three schools closest to your home have these specific numbers, several things are true: (1) you live in a very specific area in the Western part of the county that's a TJ feeder zone, (2) you have way too much time on your hands, (3) which you spend on some weird obsession you have with a program that your child doesn't even attend, and (4) you would be a lot happier if you just moved somewhere like Lake Braddock. Or heck-- try a Stuart zoned school. Your kid will look like a rocket scientist by virtue of the fact they speak English. If your kids can't keep up, you should definately teach them that the solution is just to surround themselves with lower performing people.

^^ beyond any issues related to the children, here is another reason why people dislike AAP: the parents.

Same reason people with gifted kids want to run to centers and out of Gen. Ed. - the parents.

Really? Are you that socially awkward that you need a special school? Sorry if normal folks intimidate you.

Very few of the handful of butthurt Gen Ed parents who latch on to threads like this would seem to fit any commonly accepted definition of "normal."

"Butthurt"? Yes, definitely awkward. My kid just started 2nd and these threads really just make me want to avoid AAP altogether.

NP here: I haven't been in on these ridiculous posts, but I have to say that you don't seem like you have any intention of avoiding AAP if you have a brand new 2nd grader and are already on this forum. I'm really not trying to be mean at all...just seems like you are actually wanting your child in (as opposed to perhaps someone who starts posting and reviewing this section after the pool letters are mailed.)

Huh? It popped up on Recent Topics. We are probably moving in the next year or so and we are keeping schools in mind. After hearing about AAP from our neighbors we are definitely questioning FCPS overall. OP's post caught my eye since we've been thinking that the whole way G&T is handled here is BS.