Anonymous wrote:"Plenty of parents think AAP is overblown . . . they have every right to post on this thread . . . " Gosh, you're right! Power to the people! It's just so heartwarming to see the majority GE parents bonding over their mutual certainty about AAP! Maybe next we can meet on the HS sports blogs or discussions of arts & theater and +1000 each other about how "we all agree" the schools should cut off funding for those activities. After all, those kids on Varsity, getting all that special treatment -- they aren't any more talented than ours, and there's really no place for elevating one child over another. You know, almost all of those parents are really pushy too -- getting their kids extra violin lessons, private coaches, etc. Why do those parents think their kids are SO special -- my kids would be just fine without a sports team, music class, orchestra, school plays, why can't theirs -- if they are TRULY that talented, FCPS isn't for them anyway, why don't they go to some fancy private school?!

It is much harder to fake talent in sports or the arts. Sure, the kids can have extra coaching and private lessons, but if they don't have the actual underlying talent, it shows. When that child is out there on the field or the stage, everyone is watching and can see whether or not they have what it takes. Each child has to constantly prove him or herself to make that varsity team or to be cast in a play or be first chair in the violin section. Yes, hard work is involved, but without talent, no amount of hard work will turn someone into a star.

On the other hand, a child can be taught how to do well on the tests for AAP. And once a child is in the program, if it proves to be a struggle, the parent can hire a tutor or take a child to a storefront math drilling service to help him to keep up with the other kids in the class. Once children are in AAP, they are in: there is no repeat of the selection process each year as there is in sports and the arts.

Sports and arts just don't work well as an analogy for AAP.

Anonymous wrote:"Plenty of parents think AAP is overblown . . . they have every right to post on this thread . . . " Gosh, you're right! Power to the people! It's just so heartwarming to see the majority GE parents bonding over their mutual certainty about AAP! Maybe next we can meet on the HS sports blogs or discussions of arts & theater and +1000 each other about how "we all agree" the schools should cut off funding for those activities. After all, those kids on Varsity, getting all that special treatment -- they aren't any more talented than ours, and there's really no place for elevating one child over another. You know, almost all of those parents are really pushy too -- getting their kids extra violin lessons, private coaches, etc. Why do those parents think their kids are SO special -- my kids would be just fine without a sports team, music class, orchestra, school plays, why can't theirs -- if they are TRULY that talented, FCPS isn't for them anyway, why don't they go to some fancy private school?!

Wow... I think you forgot to take your daily valium.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so there's the snowflake person, and the person who has a kid in aap and gen ed. And they make sure to follow, post, and regurgitate on every thread. Or maybe more than once in the same thread.

Hi you two!

You sound like the Haycock poster who thinks anyone who posts against her is the same Lemon Road parent "who needs to get over it".

Anonymous wrote:"Plenty of parents think AAP is overblown . . . they have every right to post on this thread . . . " Gosh, you're right! Power to the people! It's just so heartwarming to see the majority GE parents bonding over their mutual certainty about AAP! Maybe next we can meet on the HS sports blogs or discussions of arts & theater and +1000 each other about how "we all agree" the schools should cut off funding for those activities. After all, those kids on Varsity, getting all that special treatment -- they aren't any more talented than ours, and there's really no place for elevating one child over another. You know, almost all of those parents are really pushy too -- getting their kids extra violin lessons, private coaches, etc. Why do those parents think their kids are SO special -- my kids would be just fine without a sports team, music class, orchestra, school plays, why can't theirs -- if they are TRULY that talented, FCPS isn't for them anyway, why don't they go to some fancy private school?!

Hope you feel better, because this was an incoherent exercise in reductio ad absurdum.

"Plenty of parents think AAP is overblown . . . they have every right to post on this thread . . . " Gosh, you're right! Power to the people! It's just so heartwarming to see the majority GE parents bonding over their mutual certainty about AAP! Maybe next we can meet on the HS sports blogs or discussions of arts & theater and +1000 each other about how "we all agree" the schools should cut off funding for those activities. After all, those kids on Varsity, getting all that special treatment -- they aren't any more talented than ours, and there's really no place for elevating one child over another. You know, almost all of those parents are really pushy too -- getting their kids extra violin lessons, private coaches, etc. Why do those parents think their kids are SO special -- my kids would be just fine without a sports team, music class, orchestra, school plays, why can't theirs -- if they are TRULY that talented, FCPS isn't for them anyway, why don't they go to some fancy private school?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so there's the snowflake person, and the person who has a kid in aap and gen ed. And they make sure to follow, post, and regurgitate on every thread. Or maybe more than once in the same thread.

Hi you two!

Catching up on this thread and have to chime in. I'm wondering why you (PP) assume there are only one or two other people here who disagree with you? You seem pretty insistent that you are right about who is posting here, but the reality is you have no idea who is who, as much as you pretend you do. One could say there are only one or two people here with your viewpoint who keep posting over and over. Pretty arrogant. From my experience, both on DCUM and in "real life," plenty of parents think AAP is overblown and needs to be reduced in size and scope. And they have every right to post on this thread, as well as all others, for that matter. Why don't you express your opinion, move along, and let others do the same.

Hear hear!! What she (or he) said +100.

Count me in as another +1000. Or is that not allowed anymore as it shows you are the same poster?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so there's the snowflake person, and the person who has a kid in aap and gen ed. And they make sure to follow, post, and regurgitate on every thread. Or maybe more than once in the same thread.

Hi you two!

Catching up on this thread and have to chime in. I'm wondering why you (PP) assume there are only one or two other people here who disagree with you? You seem pretty insistent that you are right about who is posting here, but the reality is you have no idea who is who, as much as you pretend you do. One could say there are only one or two people here with your viewpoint who keep posting over and over. Pretty arrogant. From my experience, both on DCUM and in "real life," plenty of parents think AAP is overblown and needs to be reduced in size and scope. And they have every right to post on this thread, as well as all others, for that matter. Why don't you express your opinion, move along, and let others do the same.

Hear hear!! What she (or he) said +100.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, so there's the snowflake person, and the person who has a kid in aap and gen ed. And they make sure to follow, post, and regurgitate on every thread. Or maybe more than once in the same thread.

Hi you two!

Catching up on this thread and have to chime in. I'm wondering why you (PP) assume there are only one or two other people here who disagree with you? You seem pretty insistent that you are right about who is posting here, but the reality is you have no idea who is who, as much as you pretend you do. One could say there are only one or two people here with your viewpoint who keep posting over and over. Pretty arrogant. From my experience, both on DCUM and in "real life," plenty of parents think AAP is overblown and needs to be reduced in size and scope. And they have every right to post on this thread, as well as all others, for that matter. Why don't you express your opinion, move along, and let others do the same.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More class than you.

So evident in your response.

Are you quoting yourself? Weird.

If a family has a child at a high SES school they often learn very fast that their child may be bright but is not exceptional or is exceptional in only one area and that many other children have different but still worthwhile strengths too. Some of these posts are just written out of fear of the unknown like the one below and not really considering what's best for the entire school. Snowflake just means without a backbone and overly unique. It's used for many different areas besides AAP.

There is a valid reason why I want my AAP child to be with AAP students for social studies and science. My child is not some special snowflake but she has an exceptional memory. She can read something once and remember it. What has been so great about AAP is that they move very quickly. This fast pace has made a huge difference for her. To be honest, because her gen Ed early grades had such a high percentage of children learning English the teachers had to go especially slowly in those subjects and my daughter was allowed to just sit there and read a book from home. What a waste of her time. All children deserve to be challenged in school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of GE parents sound extremely serious in their tales of woe and mistreatment. They feel free to insult AAP children and parents (insults without making a case too often) but are not insulted themselves. So, it is fine for AAP parents to launch into baseless insults upon GE kids and parents now, I guess.

Right, GE kids have never, ever been insulted on this forum before. Nope, no one has called them stupid or slow or other completely ridiculous, derogatory, and baseless names. You AAP parents would never do such a thing, would you?

I don't recall insults being thrown at GE kids. Feel free to post links to what you have seen. But even if it has happened it is nowhere on par with the number of insults hurled at AAP kids and parents. Those are daily occurrences. The most recent galling ones were on the "why do AAP students argue so much" thread. The things on there were just vicious. It made me think my AAP kids should never go over to play at a Gen Ed kids house because they would be insulted and mistreated by that child's parents.

You're seriously going to claim that GE kids have never been insulted on these forums? I'm not about to waste my time searching for links, but anyone who has been on here regularly has seen them: "the stupid kids are always more docile," etc. It's laughable to insinuate that some AAP parents don't insult the Gen Ed kids.

Anonymous wrote:More class than you.

So evident in your response.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Winner of the Most Boring DCUM Thread - Ever.

+1000. Let's fight about something real, like whether all of the bonefide acceptance letters included a yellow return form; and the alleged blue form was a fabrication of a warped AAP-parent-poser. This was the subject of a real post, I kid you not.

Now that would be a great thread to create -- AAP classic posts. Along the lines of the "classic stuff you have learned on DCUM" thread with burgundy washcloths and dirty dice.

Anonymous wrote:Winner of the Most Boring DCUM Thread - Ever.

+1000. Let's fight about something real, like whether all of the bonefide acceptance letters included a yellow return form; and the alleged blue form was a fabrication of a warped AAP-parent-poser. This was the subject of a real post, I kid you not.