Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are people even arguing about? AAP transportation is $1 million. Want to do away with it? Fine. That's $1 million out of the $75 million FCPS says it needs. AAP level 4 does not cost any more except testing which I'm told would happen anyway. A Center designation does not cost more money. Level 2 and 3 are the services that costs more money. Is this what people are arguing goes away? Getting rid of the AART teachers who teach Young Scholars, level 2 and level 3 advanced academics?

Creating local level 4s will cost money -- they will have to interview and hire AAP teachers at all the ESs, install trailers, deal with picking kids to fill out classes who aren't AAP-qualified, etc. Don't think it's just a quick reduction of $1m to get rid of bussing.

Oh -- I forgot about the costs of rezoning. B/c my kids' AAP center school is over 50% AAP. Get rid of busing and put a phony local level 4 in each feeder school and you will definitely have to rezone the former-center school. There are costs associated with that as well. The budget committee was given a list of items with a direct-cost listed. Indirect costs were not listed... and I believe the indirect costs of eliminating busing and adding local level 4 everywhere are substantial.

The costs will be a lot less if they redefine what "level 4" is. If they decide that level 4 is just pull outs or even grouping kids for math/reading, it will be cheaper than what I've described above... but it will also be a very watered down program. There is good reason to be concerned... not panicked, but concerned. For those of us who know and love our kids' center, there could be drastic changes... and what we know may not exist next year... but right now, it's all very vague.

Anonymous wrote:If people were being honest, they would acknowledge that the impact of sorting kids into AAP and GenEd tracks at public schools is of a different nature than a kid making a travel soccer team. Not that one predicts success, or the other guarantees failure, but the message delivered and longer-term consequences are more significant.

But, please, carry on with the rationalizations. It's fairly amusing to watch the rhetorical somersaults when the truth is fairly obvious.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1. Travel soccer teams have athletically talented kids (I could have my kids take hours of private lessons a day and they still wouldn't get in), youth orchestras have musically talented kids, and AAP has -- wait for it-- academically talented kids. According to a combination of work samples, teacher recommendations and standardized tests. And if you don't like the standardized tests, you can get an IQ test done and prove the COGAT wrong. So AAP is not just a "superior in their parents minds" thing. It's a designation that kids get after a vote by an objective panel weighs a number of factors. So yes, GE kids have been determined BY FCPS not to be as academically talented as the cutoff for the AAP pool. But, it is also a fact that any team, group or program that is not open admission (or lottery) will select some kids and not others based on talent and performance. Why is this okay in athletics but not academics? I don't accuse parents in my community of a "superiority complex" when they talk about their child making a "cut" team for a high school sport. I usually think, "Larla is a nice kid. Good for her." It takes nothing away for my kids to recognize that other kids are talented-- sometimes in areas where my kids struggle. It's not a zero sum game.

I wasn't going to come back to this thread after posting a long while back, but am glad I did. The bold statement is so true. Thanks to this PP.

+1

Where is the head slap emoji??

Travel soccer is within the boundaries of a PRIVATE entity paid for separately by parents.

We are discussing PUBLIC school and publicly funded programs.

Anonymous wrote:Also, anyone reading this board is unlikely to be FARMS, and understands exactly how the system works (and if they are FARMS, GMU will waive the WISC fee).

Anonymous wrote:

I'm wondering just how many FARMS kids have parents who will march them out to get an IQ test when they don't get into AAP. I'm thinking not a whole lot have the required $400, much less even know how the system works. Guess that's why AAP is full of white and Asian, HHI kids.

Sorry, what's HHI? From your tone I assume it's something you find distasteful. I've come up with Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and Hilton Head Island so far, but figure it's best to just ask.

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they just get rid of transportation and curb the number of appeals that get accepted in the future?

Anonymous wrote:What are people even arguing about? AAP transportation is $1 million. Want to do away with it? Fine. That's $1 million out of the $75 million FCPS says it needs. AAP level 4 does not cost any more except testing which I'm told would happen anyway. A Center designation does not cost more money. Level 2 and 3 are the services that costs more money. Is this what people are arguing goes away? Getting rid of the AART teachers who teach Young Scholars, level 2 and level 3 advanced academics?

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard any more "insider" insights from AAP teachers or principals about potential program changes?

Anonymous wrote:^oops. I'm 11:11 and thought you were quoting me and not the other poster, sorry.

Anonymous wrote:

Where is the head slap emoji??

Travel soccer is within the boundaries of a PRIVATE entity paid for separately by parents.

We are discussing PUBLIC school and publicly funded programs.


I read it more as not everyone can or will qualify for the travel team, same for AAP. It's not about parents thinking their child is superior.

But this is a thread discussing the funding of public school programs. The comparisons don't measure up and are being used as theatrics to detract from the actual discussion.

Actual discussion? Which one is that? This is a now 17 page thread with multiple topics. The travel soccer comment was made as an analogy for a limited program for which qualifying criteria must be met. Where's the detracting theatrics in that? Go back and read the context in which it was made. They might has just as easily mentioned varsity sports in public schools.

Where is the head slap emoji??

Travel soccer is within the boundaries of a PRIVATE entity paid for separately by parents.

We are discussing PUBLIC school and publicly funded programs.


I read it more as not everyone can or will qualify for the travel team, same for AAP. It's not about parents thinking their child is superior.

But this is a thread discussing the funding of public school programs. The comparisons don't measure up and are being used as theatrics to detract from the actual discussion.