Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely won't be signing that petition. It's clear the authors care only about one group of kids - AAP - and will do and say anything to continue the favoritism shown to them. So many families, including my own, have had it with the constant inequity between what is offered to AAP students and what is "offered" Gen Ed students (hint: not nearly enough). General Education students aren't given the option of either staying at their base school or transferring to another school. In fact, they're given no options whatsoever.

Enough with AAP parents complaining that their kids have to "share" a classroom with Gen Ed students, and that the AAP kids "need" a special learning environment. I'm waiting for someone to look around at the non-AAP kids and realize that they, too, might just need a better curriculum and some attention directed their way, and that these students are, for all intensive purposes, no different than the vast majority of "AAP kids". Stop treating General Education students like second-class citizens and start realizing that AAP kids aren't somehow more worthy of extra funds and smaller classes.

As a taxpayer, I would be very happy to see AAP services cut. Enough is enough.

There are plenty of options. Have you considered applying for a magnet school or language immersion school?

Not the PP, but why should we have to apply for a magnet or language immersion school, neither of which would even be located in our area? All that most of us want is for our kids to attend a normal, community school without the over-emphasis on AAP. We're entitled to that.

No, you're not. There are lots of ESs in FCPS that are not Centers, and that would meet your definition of "normal". You chose to buy into/rent in your neighborhood, so you are "entitled" to go to that school. It's you're own problem if you didn't do the research before buying or renting and don't like what you ended up with. You're not "entitled" to your ideal version of an ES-- you're entitled to the one in your attendance zone. Most people in Fairfax County do a lot of legwork/research and spend a lot of money to get schools that are a good fit for their family. You apparently didn't (or you assumed your snowflake was Center material). Now you get the consequences-- just like the parent of a STEM heavy kid in an IB zone or of a TJ kid from Herndon-- that's not ideal either.

Must this be repeated to you over and over? Many of us moved into our neighborhoods under the assumption our kids would be attending what was then a base school (you know - one of those nice, normal, community schools that seem to be in short supply these days). But then either the base school was converted into a center, or the boundaries changed, sending our kids to a center as their base school.

You may want to read this thread a bit more thoroughly before jumping all over people who have already explained the above situation. Having a center school foisted on us - when we deliberately didn't move into a center-zoned neighborhood - is the issue. You like center schools? Great. A lot of us don't and didn't want to send our kids to one. FCPS changed the rules on us after we had already settled in our neighborhoods. Just as your kid has a choice of attending their base school or a center school, we'd also like to choose the school that works best for our kids. And a center isn't it.

Anonymous wrote:Hey here's an idea. If you want specialized classes and a curriculum that is specific to your NON special needs, try private school.

Precisely. Or homeschooling.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I absolutely won't be signing that petition. It's clear the authors care only about one group of kids - AAP - and will do and say anything to continue the favoritism shown to them. So many families, including my own, have had it with the constant inequity between what is offered to AAP students and what is "offered" Gen Ed students (hint: not nearly enough). General Education students aren't given the option of either staying at their base school or transferring to another school. In fact, they're given no options whatsoever.

Enough with AAP parents complaining that their kids have to "share" a classroom with Gen Ed students, and that the AAP kids "need" a special learning environment. I'm waiting for someone to look around at the non-AAP kids and realize that they, too, might just need a better curriculum and some attention directed their way, and that these students are, for all intensive purposes, no different than the vast majority of "AAP kids". Stop treating General Education students like second-class citizens and start realizing that AAP kids aren't somehow more worthy of extra funds and smaller classes.

As a taxpayer, I would be very happy to see AAP services cut. Enough is enough.

There are plenty of options. Have you considered applying for a magnet school or language immersion school?

Not the PP, but why should we have to apply for a magnet or language immersion school, neither of which would even be located in our area? All that most of us want is for our kids to attend a normal, community school without the over-emphasis on AAP. We're entitled to that.

You don't "have to" but if you're so unhappy with your school, there are options. I would have loved to have stayed at our base school, but it did not offer Level 4. So we had a choice of staying & not having access to a level 4 curriculum or transferring over to an overcrowded center. Not my ideal situation, but unlike you, I do not feel "entitled "to my ideal situation.

Sure you do. If Level 4 hadn't been offered at all, you would have demanded it. Correct?

So sorry if my response to you're blanket statement that "all parents of academic high achievers are the most asinine arrogant people in the world" seemed obnoxious to you. But talk about people in glass houses throwing stones. Here are some facts:

1. My DC DID spend second grade reading the childhood classics while the teacher taught the other kids stuff he already knew. It's what happens when you put a highly gifted kid who is several years advanced in math and English in a Gen Ed classroom, which is how you think things should be Sorry if his reading seems obnoxious- but what did you want him to do, exactly? His teacher kept saying it would get better in 3rd with AAP. It did. And while it may seem like a Humblebrag to you, for us it was a miserable year with a bored kid who was constantly in trouble (and yes, I know, I should have quit my job and home schooled, we've covered that).

2. Like ESL kids and kids on the spectrum, kids with intellectual disabilities (IQs of 70-80, generally known as IQs In the borderline intellectual functioning-- not my term, take it up with DSM IV) are being mainstreamed through IAs and push in services (one again-- NOT MY TERM) in Gen Ed classes. This is apparently the new alternative to pull outs. Kids with Intellectual Disabilities ARE SPECIAL ED KIDS and qualify for special Ed services. That's not insulting or inflammatory, it's a fact (and really, do you want to argue that kids with BIF don't or shouldn't qualify for special ed)? Special Ed is a broad term. But it's not inflammatory to note that some special Ed kids in mainstream classrooms have low IQ-- because, IRL, some do. some do. Some also have high IQs w/LDs (2e), are on the spectrum, are average IQs with LDs-- the term special Ed is a big umbrella in FCPS. Expecting one teacher to deal with all of these different needs at the same time is unrealistic and unfair. Calling me (the parent of kid who is 2e and therefore is also classed a sped) an ass because I point this out does not make my comment inflammatory.

And I certainly never said or implied anything negative (OR ANYTHING AT ALL) about the IQ of your dyslexic kid.

You are looking so hard for an insult (and going out of your way to make assumptions about and insult others). But NO ONE has insulted you.

So, once again, short and sweet: lots of kids qualify as special Ed. So of these have low IQs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is dyslexic. I have to pay for very expensive afterschool tutoring that my ADHD kid has to sit through after 7 hours in school.

Is she getting FAPE? According to FCPS she is.

But AAP kids who would do just fine in a regular class with pull outs is apparently a huge injustice?

Please. These parents of high academic achievers are the most asinine, arrogant people in the world.

Judging from the amount of time I spent with the Asst. Principal, Guidance Counselor and school psychologist when DC was K-2, you really don't want my bored, highly gifted, ADHD kid in your child's classroom. , he was reading Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson for fun instead of listening to the teacher, and constantly interrupting, and acting out. In the 6 years he's been in the AAP Center, we've had no behavioral complaints. Fortunately, he heads to HS next year, so he has no stake in the continuation of AAP. But if you had moved him back to a GE classroom 3 years ago, you would be the parent on DCUM griping that my DC was taking all of the teacher's time & attention, and making it hard for your DC to learn. No matter how good a teacher is, they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150. People like you will find a reason to gripe no matter what the situation is.

If your kid is so disruptive and so bored then you should homeschool him or pay for private.

My kid is not learning either way because FCPS will not provide dyslexia specific remediation, hence the reason we are paying for it after school.

And kids with dyslexia are not low IQ, you ass.

NP here. Please highlight the spot where PP stated or implied that kids with dyslexia are dumb. That would offend me a lot. Except no one said it or implied it. So maybe stop and read before you enter attack mode and start calling fellow FCPS parents the "most asinine, arrogant" people and "asses." It makes you seem like a bitch. Which I'm sure you're not

[/b]"While he was waiting for your kid to catch up to him in 2nd grade,"
This rang my obnoxious meter.


"they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with [b]an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150"

OP is clearly implying that the Special Ed kids are the ones in IQ of 70 range. Again, inflamatory.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is dyslexic. I have to pay for very expensive afterschool tutoring that my ADHD kid has to sit through after 7 hours in school.

Is she getting FAPE? According to FCPS she is.

But AAP kids who would do just fine in a regular class with pull outs is apparently a huge injustice?

Please. These parents of high academic achievers are the most asinine, arrogant people in the world.

Judging from the amount of time I spent with the Asst. Principal, Guidance Counselor and school psychologist when DC was K-2, you really don't want my bored, highly gifted, ADHD kid in your child's classroom. While he was waiting for your kid to catch up to him in 2nd grade, he was reading Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson for fun instead of listening to the teacher, and constantly interrupting, and acting out. In the 6 years he's been in the AAP Center, we've had no behavioral complaints. Fortunately, he heads to HS next year, so he has no stake in the continuation of AAP. But if you had moved him back to a GE classroom 3 years ago, you would be the parent on DCUM griping that my DC was taking all of the teacher's time & attention, and making it hard for your DC to learn. No matter how good a teacher is, they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150. People like you will find a reason to gripe no matter what the situation is.

If your kid is so disruptive and so bored then you should homeschool him or pay for private.

My kid is not learning either way because FCPS will not provide dyslexia specific remediation, hence the reason we are paying for it after school.

And kids with dyslexia are not low IQ, you ass.

NP here. Please highlight the spot where PP stated or implied that kids with dyslexia are dumb. That would offend me a lot. Except no one said it or implied it. So maybe stop and read before you enter attack mode and start calling fellow FCPS parents the "most asinine, arrogant" people and "asses." It makes you seem like a bitch. Which I'm sure you're not

Been a thing when I was young. Instead I was a disruptive bored kid who was expelled from my private ES. I also found ways to compensate with time and things got better. But today's system of identifying and trying to work with learning difference is light years better than what I grew up with. Which is why, now that my kids have the same issues (thanks genetics!!!), it is infuriating to get the "educate them elsewhere, you ass answers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is dyslexic. I have to pay for very expensive afterschool tutoring that my ADHD kid has to sit through after 7 hours in school.

Is she getting FAPE? According to FCPS she is.

But AAP kids who would do just fine in a regular class with pull outs is apparently a huge injustice?

Please. These parents of high academic achievers are the most asinine, arrogant people in the world.

Judging from the amount of time I spent with the Asst. Principal, Guidance Counselor and school psychologist when DC was K-2, you really don't want my bored, highly gifted, ADHD kid in your child's classroom. While he was waiting for your kid to catch up to him in 2nd grade, he was reading Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson for fun instead of listening to the teacher, and constantly interrupting, and acting out. In the 6 years he's been in the AAP Center, we've had no behavioral complaints. Fortunately, he heads to HS next year, so he has no stake in the continuation of AAP. But if you had moved him back to a GE classroom 3 years ago, you would be the parent on DCUM griping that my DC was taking all of the teacher's time & attention, and making it hard for your DC to learn. No matter how good a teacher is, they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150. People like you will find a reason to gripe no matter what the situation is.

If your kid is so disruptive and so bored then you should homeschool him or pay for private.

My kid is not learning either way because FCPS will not provide dyslexia specific remediation, hence the reason we are paying for it after school.

And kids with dyslexia are not low IQ, you ass.

I am an adult with dyslexia. I was in the slower classes in ES because I was a slow reader and not real good at math (kept transposing numbers). In middle school, as we got into more advanced topics, a teacher noticed that I was getting things (in math) that other kids were not. Once we got into graphs and closer to algebra, things worked differently for me. I was evaluated at that time. They did not identify dyslexia, but discovered I had a genius level IQ (150+). By then, I had developed approaches for compensating for my dyslexia -- I read somewhat differently than most people; I remain a terrible speller (I can not spot the misspelling).

The funny thing is it helps me in my world. I see symmetry that many people struggle to identify. From the symmetry of the problem space, I am able to simplify physics problems by reducing them to the minimum dimensions with a transform. I can solve real world problems 10-20x faster than many colleagues.

And I'm an adult who would have been labeled 2e (IQ 150 + ADHD) if that had bee

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is dyslexic. I have to pay for very expensive afterschool tutoring that my ADHD kid has to sit through after 7 hours in school.

Is she getting FAPE? According to FCPS she is.

But AAP kids who would do just fine in a regular class with pull outs is apparently a huge injustice?

Please. These parents of high academic achievers are the most asinine, arrogant people in the world.

Judging from the amount of time I spent with the Asst. Principal, Guidance Counselor and school psychologist when DC was K-2, you really don't want my bored, highly gifted, ADHD kid in your child's classroom. While he was waiting for your kid to catch up to him in 2nd grade, he was reading Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson for fun instead of listening to the teacher, and constantly interrupting, and acting out. In the 6 years he's been in the AAP Center, we've had no behavioral complaints. Fortunately, he heads to HS next year, so he has no stake in the continuation of AAP. But if you had moved him back to a GE classroom 3 years ago, you would be the parent on DCUM griping that my DC was taking all of the teacher's time & attention, and making it hard for your DC to learn. No matter how good a teacher is, they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150. People like you will find a reason to gripe no matter what the situation is.

If your kid is so disruptive and so bored then you should homeschool him or pay for private.

My kid is not learning either way because FCPS will not provide dyslexia specific remediation, hence the reason we are paying for it after school.

And kids with dyslexia are not low IQ, you ass.

I am an adult with dyslexia. I was in the slower classes in ES because I was a slow reader and not real good at math (kept transposing numbers). In middle school, as we got into more advanced topics, a teacher noticed that I was getting things (in math) that other kids were not. Once we got into graphs and closer to algebra, things worked differently for me. I was evaluated at that time. They did not identify dyslexia, but discovered I had a genius level IQ (150+). By then, I had developed approaches for compensating for my dyslexia -- I read somewhat differently than most people; I remain a terrible speller (I can not spot the misspelling).

The funny thing is it helps me in my world. I see symmetry that many people struggle to identify. From the symmetry of the problem space, I am able to simplify physics problems by reducing them to the minimum dimensions with a transform. I can solve real world problems 10-20x faster than many colleagues.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My child is dyslexic. I have to pay for very expensive afterschool tutoring that my ADHD kid has to sit through after 7 hours in school.

Is she getting FAPE? According to FCPS she is.

But AAP kids who would do just fine in a regular class with pull outs is apparently a huge injustice?

Please. These parents of high academic achievers are the most asinine, arrogant people in the world. [/quote]

Judging from the amount of time I spent with the Asst. Principal, Guidance Counselor and school psychologist when DC was K-2, you really don't want my bored, highly gifted, ADHD kid in your child's classroom. While he was waiting for your kid to catch up to him in 2nd grade, he was reading Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson for fun instead of listening to the teacher, and constantly interrupting, and acting out. In the 6 years he's been in the AAP Center, we've had no behavioral complaints. Fortunately, he heads to HS next year, so he has no stake in the continuation of AAP. But if you had moved him back to a GE classroom 3 years ago, you would be the parent on DCUM griping that my DC was taking all of the teacher's time & attention, and making it hard for your DC to learn. No matter how good a teacher is, they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150. People like you will find a reason to gripe no matter what the situation is. [/quote]

If your kid is so disruptive and so bored then you should homeschool him or pay for private.

My kid is not learning either way because FCPS will not provide dyslexia specific remediation, hence the reason we are paying for it after school.

And kids with dyslexia are not low IQ, you ass. [/quote]

No one said dyslexic kids, or other kids with LDs were low IQ. Over react much? My point was that the trend is to push in services for low IQ kids (NOT YOUR KID) in GE classes. And that no teacher can possibly manage to differentiate for MMR/BIF (low IQ), ESL, GE (with & w/o LD) & GT (some of whom are 2e) all in the same class. And while you are getting your panties out of a wad and the huge chip off your shoulder, realize that no one is saying FCPS is doing everything it can or should for LD Gen Ed kids, or suggesting cutting services for them (unlike the loud calls to eliminate AAP). And before you start with the nasty name calling, you should know that our family also pays a small fortune for outside tutoring for my 2e kid, who is not getting adequate support for his second "e" at school either. And, BTW, I said my kid was disruptive and bored 6 YEARS ago, before AAP started, but not since. But, I guess we could kick every kids with different social emotional & academic needs out of school and tell their (2 working) parents to homeschool or find $35,000 a year for private. But that's against the law. And a shitty way to run a school system. I'm tempted to call you an ass, or asinine or some other nasty name, right back, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, remember the first week of school is tough, especially for LD kids, and tell myself the budget fight has everyone on edge. But, seriously, get a grip before you break out the nasty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is dyslexic. I have to pay for very expensive afterschool tutoring that my ADHD kid has to sit through after 7 hours in school.

Is she getting FAPE? According to FCPS she is.

But AAP kids who would do just fine in a regular class with pull outs is apparently a huge injustice?

Please. These parents of high academic achievers are the most asinine, arrogant people in the world.

Judging from the amount of time I spent with the Asst. Principal, Guidance Counselor and school psychologist when DC was K-2, you really don't want my bored, highly gifted, ADHD kid in your child's classroom. While he was waiting for your kid to catch up to him in 2nd grade, he was reading Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson for fun instead of listening to the teacher, and constantly interrupting, and acting out. In the 6 years he's been in the AAP Center, we've had no behavioral complaints. Fortunately, he heads to HS next year, so he has no stake in the continuation of AAP. But if you had moved him back to a GE classroom 3 years ago, you would be the parent on DCUM griping that my DC was taking all of the teacher's time & attention, and making it hard for your DC to learn. No matter how good a teacher is, they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150. People like you will find a reason to gripe no matter what the situation is.

If your kid is so disruptive and so bored then you should homeschool him or pay for private.

My kid is not learning either way because FCPS will not provide dyslexia specific remediation, hence the reason we are paying for it after school.

And kids with dyslexia are not low IQ, you ass.

Anonymous wrote:^^BTW, Sp.Ed. encompasses a wide variety of needs, more intellectual disabilities to learning disabilities to emotional disabilities.
Many, if not most, of these children are perfectly capable of following a regular curriculum with accommodations. You just don't know what you're talking about.

I know that a huge range of Sped kids are pushed into Gen Ed in our ES (usually all in the same classroom with 1+ IAs). Including the sister of one of DD's friends, second grade, who is autistic and did not start speaking AT ALL until the end of K, and now has the vocabulary of a 2 year old. Or her sister, DD's friend, who is in 6th grade but reading at a first grade level (her mother is a friend of mine and told me this), and has to be reminded to go to the bathroom every hour or she wets herself. How do you teach a class where you have to differentiate for both this level of disability, plus ESL kids, and highly gifted kids? We've had a lot of great teachers, but that's an impossible task.

^^from, not more.

^^BTW, Sp.Ed. encompasses a wide variety of needs, more intellectual disabilities to learning disabilities to emotional disabilities.
Many, if not most, of these children are perfectly capable of following a regular curriculum with accommodations. You just don't know what you're talking about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is dyslexic. I have to pay for very expensive afterschool tutoring that my ADHD kid has to sit through after 7 hours in school.

Is she getting FAPE? According to FCPS she is.

But AAP kids who would do just fine in a regular class with pull outs is apparently a huge injustice?

Please. These parents of high academic achievers are the most asinine, arrogant people in the world.

Judging from the amount of time I spent with the Asst. Principal, Guidance Counselor and school psychologist when DC was K-2, you really don't want my bored, highly gifted, ADHD kid in your child's classroom. While he was waiting for your kid to catch up to him in 2nd grade, he was reading Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson for fun instead of listening to the teacher, and constantly interrupting, and acting out. In the 6 years he's been in the AAP Center, we've had no behavioral complaints. Fortunately, he heads to HS next year, so he has no stake in the continuation of AAP. But if you had moved him back to a GE classroom 3 years ago, you would be the parent on DCUM griping that my DC was taking all of the teacher's time & attention, and making it hard for your DC to learn. No matter how good a teacher is, they can't differentiate instruction for 30 Kids with an IQ range of 70 (b/c Sped kids are pushed in) to 150. People like you will find a reason to gripe no matter what the situation is.

Let's not get carried away here. I have children in both AAP and Gen Ed, and I can assure you that the difference is not so stark that a kid who was "constantly interrupting and acting out" would suddenly start behaving. I volunteered a fair amount in my child's AAP classroom one year, and the level was good, but nothing extraordinary (my AAP kid has in fact been bored throughout AAP but she just sucks it up), and there were a few kids acting out while I was there. Most likely your child just matured, or his meds if he's taking any worked well enough until he did. Otherwise, is he planning on acting out again when he heads to HS? Because he's going to be in Honors classes with a lot of erstwhile Gen Ed kids.