Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I failed as a parent today! My child (2nd grader) came home crying today because apparently three of her friends are switching schools to go to an AAP center next year. I’m happy with my child’ performance and school, and didn’t even consider pushing for this. But she’s been crying for over an hour about how she is “stupid” and will have no friends next year. She doesn’t even want to see these girls tomorrow because they told her they aren’t friends with her anymore. I had absolutely on idea this is something kids talk about- this is my first kid. Have other parents experienced this ?

This sounds very unreal.

+1 I was about to post the same reaction as PP.
The rest of the story is completely believable and justifiably heartbreaking, and honestly was enough to convey the hurt and disappointment. But this additional statement just doesn’t feel authentic. It feels more like the OP clumsily jammed it in there to make the situation appear even more crappy than it is, maybe thinking that it needed an extra gut punch or something.
But honestly even without that “and they told her they aren’t friends with her anymore” most people would be sympathetic to OP and her DD. It didn’t need the added drama.
And yes, it does seem like this is drama that OP just threw in there but is not something that 2nd grade friends would articulate in the immediate aftermath of receiving AAP results. It sounds more like OP is fearful that they will decide this or that they will say this later when there is reduced contact. But I just can’t see the AAP girls outright stating pre-emptively “so we aren’t friends with you anymore” to their friend who is standing right in front of them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely the kids talk about this. I am sorry Op. AAP sucks. Damage control time. Strengthen relationships with friends who will remain. Immediately. Do not chase the friends who will be leaving.

AAP doesn’t suck. Not allowing gifted and talented kids the space to grow and be challenged sucks.

AAP is not a gifted and talented program. So yes, it does suck.

Of course it's not for the gifted. Anyone who is delusional enough to think otherwise is... incorrect.

That said, availability of AAP is the best thing about FCPS.

Anonymous wrote:...and again, this thread got moved back to AAP.

MODS - it should NOT be here, it should be in the general forum. The point of the thread is to include feedback from people who don't have kids in AAP! Those people do not spend time in the AAP forum.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure this is the AAP talk meant for the AAP forum 😂

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I failed as a parent today! My child (2nd grader) came home crying today because apparently three of her friends are switching schools to go to an AAP center next year. I’m happy with my child’ performance and school, and didn’t even consider pushing for this. But she’s been crying for over an hour about how she is “stupid” and will have no friends next year. She doesn’t even want to see these girls tomorrow because they told her they aren’t friends with her anymore. I had absolutely on idea this is something kids talk about- this is my first kid. Have other parents experienced this ?

This sounds very unreal.

NP. I assure you, this is absolutely real. The same scenario happened with my child back in 2nd grade too. What made it even worse was that he attended a center school already and so had to see these mean kids for the rest of his elementary years - they were in the AAP classes and he was in GE. When they all found out they had gotten in, they made a lunch table for only themselves, and anyone not accepted to AAP was not allowed to sit there. This lasted for a few days until I and a few other parents notified the teachers and then that ended. But as another poster said, the damage had been done. My son was called "dumb" and the kids who had been his best friends immediately shunned him.

Being told as a SEVEN year old that you're either "smarter" than other kids, or "not as smart" is incredibly damaging. The truth is, the vast majority of these kids are identical in ability. Only a very few at either end of the spectrum are so different that they need a specialized curriculum.

The AAP nonsense continued through middle school. Once high school rolled around, my son took all honors and AP classes and excelled. He was accepted to a top 20 college. He says to this day that nothing ever made him feel as bad as those kids who were chosen for AAP. And it was all so unnecessary. The school could have simply had flexible groupings for the four core subjects, fthat kids could cycle into and out of as needed. Instead, they choose to divide and label kids into two giant groups - groups full of almost identical kids. It's a total sham.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I failed as a parent today! My child (2nd grader) came home crying today because apparently three of her friends are switching schools to go to an AAP center next year. I’m happy with my child’ performance and school, and didn’t even consider pushing for this. But she’s been crying for over an hour about how she is “stupid” and will have no friends next year. She doesn’t even want to see these girls tomorrow because they told her they aren’t friends with her anymore. I had absolutely on idea this is something kids talk about- this is my first kid. Have other parents experienced this ?

This sounds very unreal.

NP. I assure you, this is absolutely real. The same scenario happened with my child back in 2nd grade too. What made it even worse was that he attended a center school already and so had to see these mean kids for the rest of his elementary years - they were in the AAP classes and he was in GE. When they all found out they had gotten in, they made a lunch table for only themselves, and anyone not accepted to AAP was not allowed to sit there. This lasted for a few days until I and a few other parents notified the teachers and then that ended. But as another poster said, the damage had been done. My son was called "dumb" and the kids who had been his best friends immediately shunned him.

Being told as a SEVEN year old that you're either "smarter" than other kids, or "not as smart" is incredibly damaging. The truth is, the vast majority of these kids are identical in ability. Only a very few at either end of the spectrum are so different that they need a specialized curriculum.

The AAP nonsense continued through middle school. Once high school rolled around, my son took all honors and AP classes and excelled. He was accepted to a top 20 college. He says to this day that nothing ever made him feel as bad as those kids who were chosen for AAP. And it was all so unnecessary. The school could have simply had flexible groupings for the four core subjects, that kids could cycle into and out of as needed. Instead, they choose to divide and label kids into two giant groups - groups full of almost identical kids. It's a total sham.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, another boy said to DC that he is too bright for them and will move to an AAP class. Good riddance to this arrogance!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I failed as a parent today! My child (2nd grader) came home crying today because apparently three of her friends are switching schools to go to an AAP center next year. I’m happy with my child’ performance and school, and didn’t even consider pushing for this. But she’s been crying for over an hour about how she is “stupid” and will have no friends next year. She doesn’t even want to see these girls tomorrow because they told her they aren’t friends with her anymore. I had absolutely on idea this is something kids talk about- this is my first kid. Have other parents experienced this ?

This sounds very unreal.

NP. I assure you, this is absolutely real. The same scenario happened with my child back in 2nd grade too. What made it even worse was that he attended a center school already and so had to see these mean kids for the rest of his elementary years - they were in the AAP classes and he was in GE. When they all found out they had gotten in, they made a lunch table for only themselves, and anyone not accepted to AAP was not allowed to sit there. This lasted for a few days until I and a few other parents notified the teachers and then that ended. But as another poster said, the damage had been done. My son was called "dumb" and the kids who had been his best friends immediately shunned him.

Being told as a SEVEN year old that you're either "smarter" than other kids, or "not as smart" is incredibly damaging. The truth is, the vast majority of these kids are identical in ability. Only a very few at either end of the spectrum are so different that they need a specialized curriculum.

The AAP nonsense continued through middle school. Once high school rolled around, my son took all honors and AP classes and excelled. He was accepted to a top 20 college. He says to this day that nothing ever made him feel as bad as those kids who were chosen for AAP. And it was all so unnecessary. The school could have simply had flexible groupings for the four core subjects, that kids could cycle into and out of as needed. Instead, they choose to divide and label kids into two giant groups - groups full of almost identical kids. It's a total sham.

- Discipline kids poor behavior.
- Stop mainstreaming every single kid, many who need different accommodations that takes years to get out of the general education classes.
- Gate honors/GT classes again.
- Stop the flow of ESOL kids into gened classes when they can barely speak English.

This would allow flexible groupings to be viable. As it stands now, AAP is just normal school that many are clamoring for.

Or live in a rich part of the county.

The rude, arrogant comment happened in the rich part.

Right, AAP isn’t as important there as is it is to lower and middle SES schools that are plagued by issues that make general classrooms unworkable. AAP becomes critical special education in those circumstances.

Flexible grouping and less separation work fine at rich schools because they are not plagued by so many issues.

I have taught AAP at the best schools in the county and at Title I schools with decent ratings. AAP is needed for the lower SES , higher ESOL schools. I taught 7 years at one of those schools. There is a subset of kids that are years behind by 4th grade, there needs to be a program like AAP so the high-achieving (or even on grade level) students aren’t held back.

Then those schools need appropriate leveled teaching, but not "advanced" for the regular kids per se. Just the nomenclature is annoying.

Like separate classes? Yeah I agree. Maybe we could make one school in an area be a focal point for those classes to get a larger grouping of kids who need that leveled teaching?