Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is now four posts in a row of ridiculous agreement against an obvious straw man notion no one has espoused. It's like watching three-year-olds watch Blue's Clues.

Is the "straw man" notion you're referring to the one in which multiple posters have said that to be successful in high school honors and AP classes, students must take elementary and middle school AAP and/or honors classes? Because several posters have claimed just that, and then been completely refuted by those of us who actually have kids in high school. Oh, and also the ludicrous claim that high school honors/AP/IB classes are full of only prior AAP kids - and no prior Gen Ed kids. It's kind of funny that you would say "no one has espoused" that, when the exact opposite is true. So what exactly is your straw man?

Hmm, I did find one poster suggesting that "I'm not sure how a kids who doesn't take honors or is in aap will be successful in, say, honors English." Seems pretty harmless. Is that what you meant by multiple posters insisting this or insisting that? The thing is, AAP haters such as yourself care waay more about these topics than anyone else here. Something I've yet to figure out. So a catty phrase answering another somehow is rephrased, rebutted, +10,000-ed, and tossed around by the same group of goblins until it's snowballed and shaped into some giant controversy regarded as The Official Position of all who don't hate AAP as much as you do. It's hilarious to witness how one troll post can send the y'all into apoplectic spasms that span pages.

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash: MS AAP is not stressful or that hard. I can't imagine honors is more so. I have a kid in a MS AAP program with an excellent reputation and excellent TJ placement. He spends maybe an hour a day on homework, plus music practice. Most homework is actually from honors level math & foreign language, which is not done at the honors level. Straight As, so this is clearly enough. He is never losing sleep for homework, and never seems stressed about tests, grades, etc.

He is very involved in 2 school based extracurriculars-- one of which requires up to 20 hours a week of outside time, plus weekend competition. The other one is arts based and has outside performances. so he is busy-- but not because of course selection. You are deluding yourself if you justify GE placement in MS by saying you are saving your kid from mountains of homework.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I would be interested in. Hearing from a teacher in a FCPS MS AAP Center. Are self-selected honors and AAP classes doing the same work at the same level in your school? Or are the AAP classes stronger? I'd be especially interested in light of the fact that my AAP kid starts HS next year. Is he going to find honors work to be step down for a couple years until he hits IB (at one of the strong IB schools?). Or will it continue at the same pace as AAP has? Or can we hope for harder in 9th grade? Because, at this point, we are seeing high As with minimal effort at a "strong" AAP Center MS.

NP here. I guess my answer would be, who cares? Once in high school, your child will be in classes filled with all kind of kids, including those who were never in AAP, but who are now (finally) able to self-select honors, AP or IB classes. I guarantee your child will not find any of his high school classes a "step down" ( ) from middle school, regardless of what level he is currently in. He will be surrounded by kids of all abilities, many of whom will be far brighter than he, regardless of prior AAP experience. It's amazing how that works.

I guess I care, because my kid is in AAP at a RR/Carson/Longfellow, making great grades (a 4.0, but all core academic subjects 97 or greater), putting forth zero effort, and complaining about being bored all the time. So, I wish FCPS to finally challenge him. If these same kids, who are not pushing him now, funnel to HS with him, and then the classes get further watered down, then yes, I guess getting a challenging "honors curriculum isn't realistic. Maybe your brilliant kid who couldn't make AAP will run circles around him-- it would be nice if someone did. But I sorta doubt it. Here's hoping for TJ.

Oh dear. What a dilemma. Now I know why so many TJ kids seem to be socially challenged (to put it mildly) and struggle later in life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is what I would be interested in. Hearing from a teacher in a FCPS MS AAP Center. Are self-selected honors and AAP classes doing the same work at the same level in your school? Or are the AAP classes stronger? I'd be especially interested in light of the fact that my AAP kid starts HS next year. Is he going to find honors work to be step down for a couple years until he hits IB (at one of the strong IB schools?). Or will it continue at the same pace as AAP has? Or can we hope for harder in 9th grade? Because, at this point, we are seeing high As with minimal effort at a "strong" AAP Center MS.

NP here. I guess my answer would be, who cares? Once in high school, your child will be in classes filled with all kind of kids, including those who were never in AAP, but who are now (finally) able to self-select honors, AP or IB classes. I guarantee your child will not find any of his high school classes a "step down" ( ) from middle school, regardless of what level he is currently in. He will be surrounded by kids of all abilities, many of whom will be far brighter than he, regardless of prior AAP experience. It's amazing how that works.

I guess I care, because my kid is in AAP at a RR/Carson/Longfellow, making great grades (a 4.0, but all core academic subjects 97 or greater), putting forth zero effort, and complaining about being bored all the time. So, I wish FCPS to finally challenge him. If these same kids, who are not pushing him now, funnel to HS with him, and then the classes get further watered down, then yes, I guess getting a challenging "honors curriculum isn't realistic. Maybe your brilliant kid who couldn't make AAP will run circles around him-- it would be nice if someone did. But I sorta doubt it. Here's hoping for TJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the point
"Success" is correlated to HHI income and education of the mother
Chances are if you are reading this board you have a high income and education
Your child will be successful. The school has very little impact on the actual outcome of your child.
In the end its your income and education level that matters not whether you were in AAP, how many honors classes you took in middle school, or how many APs you took in high school
Or to put it another way. Schools have little impact in actually moving someone from one economic standard of living to another

Or maybe their success is because HHI well educated mothers are likely to move Heaven and Earth to make sure their kids are in classes like AAP and honors.

Hmm. I'm a HHI, well-educated mother who hasn't had to "move heaven and earth" to make sure of anything. Our kids chose the classes they wanted to take, when they wanted to take them, and did well in all of them. We didn't have to push them into anything... unlike so many parents who have kids in AAP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the point
"Success" is correlated to HHI income and education of the mother
Chances are if you are reading this board you have a high income and education
Your child will be successful. The school has very little impact on the actual outcome of your child.
In the end its your income and education level that matters not whether you were in AAP, how many honors classes you took in middle school, or how many APs you took in high school
Or to put it another way. Schools have little impact in actually moving someone from one economic standard of living to another

Or maybe their success is because HHI well educated mothers are likely to move Heaven and Earth to make sure their kids are in classes like AAP and honors.

"And did well in all of them". That part is significant. Assuming you are a HHI, well-educated mother, having your children do well in school is generally considered very important. Yes, there are a few people in this demographic that might not care much about their kid's academic performance but they are outliers. And most people who prize high school performance also prize things like aap and honors classes. Other parents who also care about education might tell themselves that it's not the name of the class that matters, but whether their children are learning and doing well, but they still want their kids to do well. And if truth be told, they would probably prefer that their kids were learning in AAPmor honors courses than in general Ed.
Hmm. I'm a HHI, well-educated mother who hasn't had to "move heaven and earth" to make sure of anything. Our kids chose the classes they wanted to take, when they wanted to take them, and did well in all of them. We didn't have to push them into anything... unlike so many parents who have kids in AAP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is now four posts in a row of ridiculous agreement against an obvious straw man notion no one has espoused. It's like watching three-year-olds watch Blue's Clues.

Is the "straw man" notion you're referring to the one in which multiple posters have said that to be successful in high school honors and AP classes, students must take elementary and middle school AAP and/or honors classes? Because several posters have claimed just that, and then been completely refuted by those of us who actually have kids in high school. Oh, and also the ludicrous claim that high school honors/AP/IB classes are full of only prior AAP kids - and no prior Gen Ed kids. It's kind of funny that you would say "no one has espoused" that, when the exact opposite is true. So what exactly is your straw man?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proof? Just look at any HS honors or AP class. Most of the kids were in honors or AAP in MS. Most of the GE classes are a continuance of the same GE students from MS.

Your assertion is not proof.

Your demand for proof is not a counter argument. Wouldn't it be more effective to put up your own proof that most Gen Ed students who opt out of honors in middle school go on to embrace it in high school.

You think there are a ton of kids who can't hack honors/AAP English or math in MS, but suddenly have not just the talent, but the foundation, to go up to honors in HS? I seriously doubt it. There are always exceptions, but I'm sure most kids on the GE MS track stay there is HS.

Wait until high school, then get back to us.

Unless they are dumbing down the curriculum and slowing the pace, I'm not sure how a kids who doesn't take honors or is in aap will be successful in, say, honors English.

Why would they need to do either? There is absolutely no middle school prerequisite for any high school honors class. Kids who don't take middle school honors aren't at some kind of disadvantage once they decide to start high school honors. How silly.

Not silly. Skills build on each other. A child who is not learning to read and analyze harder texts and write more/ at a greater depth in honors or AAP MS English is going to gave a harder time when those things are expected of him or her in honors HS and they have to do them for the first time. A kid with no honors English experience is going to be at a disadvantage in AP or IB. You want that for your kid, and think they can make the jump? Fine. Just don't hold my kid back because your kid is trying to pick up skills my kid learned in MS.

Oh, sweetie. My older kids have already gone through high school, graduated with honors, and now attend excellent colleges. How old is your snowflake? Middle school? I think you're another one of those naive parents who's convinced yourself that AAP is actually some kind of track your kid needs to be on in order to do well in high school. Sorry, but no - one has nothing to do with another. Smart kids are everywhere, just so you know.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proof? Just look at any HS honors or AP class. Most of the kids were in honors or AAP in MS. Most of the GE classes are a continuance of the same GE students from MS.

Your assertion is not proof.

Your demand for proof is not a counter argument. Wouldn't it be more effective to put up your own proof that most Gen Ed students who opt out of honors in middle school go on to embrace it in high school.

You think there are a ton of kids who can't hack honors/AAP English or math in MS, but suddenly have not just the talent, but the foundation, to go up to honors in HS? I seriously doubt it. There are always exceptions, but I'm sure most kids on the GE MS track stay there is HS.

Wait until high school, then get back to us.

Unless they are dumbing down the curriculum and slowing the pace, I'm not sure how a kids who doesn't take honors or is in aap will be successful in, say, honors English.

Why would they need to do either? There is absolutely no middle school prerequisite for any high school honors class. Kids who don't take middle school honors aren't at some kind of disadvantage once they decide to start high school honors. How silly.

Not silly. Skills build on each other. A child who is not learning to read and analyze harder texts and write more/ at a greater depth in honors or AAP MS English is going to gave a harder time when those things are expected of him or her in honors HS and they have to do them for the first time. A kid with no honors English experience is going to be at a disadvantage in AP or IB. You want that for your kid, and think they can make the jump? Fine. Just don't hold my kid back because your kid is trying to pick up skills my kid learned in MS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the point
"Success" is correlated to HHI income and education of the mother
Chances are if you are reading this board you have a high income and education
Your child will be successful. The school has very little impact on the actual outcome of your child.
In the end its your income and education level that matters not whether you were in AAP, how many honors classes you took in middle school, or how many APs you took in high school
Or to put it another way. Schools have little impact in actually moving someone from one economic standard of living to another

Or maybe their success is because HHI well educated mothers are likely to move Heaven and Earth to make sure their kids are in classes like AAP and honors.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+10,000 finally some sense on this board

AAP has NO BEARING on future success of your child lol

That's a lot of caps. Are you sure that you re not desperately trying to convince yourself that your 25 year old is not going to end up living in your basement? Because it certainly seems like you are overcompensating for something.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Proof? Just look at any HS honors or AP class. Most of the kids were in honors or AAP in MS. Most of the GE classes are a continuance of the same GE students from MS.

Your assertion is not proof.

Your demand for proof is not a counter argument. Wouldn't it be more effective to put up your own proof that most Gen Ed students who opt out of honors in middle school go on to embrace it in high school.

You think there are a ton of kids who can't hack honors/AAP English or math in MS, but suddenly have not just the talent, but the foundation, to go up to honors in HS? I seriously doubt it. There are always exceptions, but I'm sure most kids on the GE MS track stay there is HS.

Wait until high school, then get back to us.

Unless they are dumbing down the curriculum and slowing the pace, I'm not sure how a kids who doesn't take honors or is in aap will be successful in, say, honors English.

Then you must not get around much. This describes my son and most of his male friends who didn't really "get" the point of school until high school. It's called maturity and brain development and it happens at a different pace for everyone. Not all of us start out as students, including the many people who contribute great things to world when they grow up -- and it may just help that in the interim they've gotten to slack off, play some sports and start figuring out who they are separate from a report card.