Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

I don’t think it’s laziness; I think teachers are overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed by what? Assigning the kids to go make a video or poster out in the hallway? Showing "instructional" rap videos in class in place of actually teaching? Yes, that must be hugely overwhelming.

In my kids school? With SN, ESL kids. The “advanced” kids end up in AAP and the average kids are essentially neglected.

This is why parents push for AAP. It depends on where you are in the county. AAP is where my kids are getting spelling, grammar, writing, and where they are assigned on or above grade level books to be read outside of class. At our base school, little or nothing is expected outside of school.

OP here. Maybe I should have been more of a tiger parent? I just figured if my child belonged in AAP, she would end up there. She does really well in school, but I am starting to realize standardized tests are not her strength. This means regular ed, which is why I started this post.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Now that we know what goes on in FCPS we wish we had moved to Arlington. They do not have this AAP nightmare and are able to invest the resources across the entire grade level. If we had the choice again we would have moved to Arlington.

+1

People who grew up in FCPS take issue with that, but it is the truth.

Lets be clear though that Arlington identifies gifted students in kindergarten and they have kids switch classes for "AAP" type instruction. In addition, Arlington has a slew of magnet schools. So in some ways regarding advanced children Arlington is very similar to Fairfax.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

I don’t think it’s laziness; I think teachers are overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed by what? Assigning the kids to go make a video or poster out in the hallway? Showing "instructional" rap videos in class in place of actually teaching? Yes, that must be hugely overwhelming.

In my kids school? With SN, ESL kids. The “advanced” kids end up in AAP and the average kids are essentially neglected.

This is why parents push for AAP. It depends on where you are in the county. AAP is where my kids are getting spelling, grammar, writing, and where they are assigned on or above grade level books to be read outside of class. At our base school, little or nothing is expected outside of school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Now that we know what goes on in FCPS we wish we had moved to Arlington. They do not have this AAP nightmare and are able to invest the resources across the entire grade level. If we had the choice again we would have moved to Arlington.

+1

People who grew up in FCPS take issue with that, but it is the truth.

Anonymous wrote:I think parents convince themselves that FCPS is superior to other school districts to justify how much they pay for housing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Now that we know what goes on in FCPS we wish we had moved to Arlington. They do not have this AAP nightmare and are able to invest the resources across the entire grade level. If we had the choice again we would have moved to Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:I do not find general ed to be fine or FCPS fine in any way. I am at one of the supposed best elementary schools. The quality of the educational is very disappointing. A lot of time moving room to room, very large classes, lots of time giving iready or DRA testing and during that time the single teacher is out of the room. No snap words, no spelling correction at the young age or basic spelling later. AAP available is known to be better because at least those teachers find it unacceptable that 4th and 5th graders who have been deemed advanced cannot spell or do basic math quickly. It makes me super angry and sad because we bought here for the school and are now applying to private school. Most of the teachers are less than 28. Way too young without a balance of older more seasoned teachers. As I tour the privates, I recall all the negativity public school advocates say about private school teachers and qualifications and what I see are mature and career teachers who hold masters or phds In their fields. I see private schools require spelling and handwriting in addition to all of the other subjects. They don’t use the gimmicks of iPads to show that they are using tech. They don’t move the kids room to room in endless stations so that no single teacher actually has an idea what the kids are capable of. Neither of my kids abiltiities or weaknesses are known to their teachers because they are taught by assistance so or by each other or by iPad. It is so incredibly disappointing. Public school has a bigger mission than private but at my school, the FARMs and esol are less than 2%. The administration is not loaded down with other challenges. It just thinks this is ok. There is a feeling that if the kids can pass the state standards, that is enough. If you take the time to review the state standards for each grade and subject, you will agree that it is definitely essential to learn the items listed but you will also probably find that you actually expect much much more and they just don’t do it.

Anonymous wrote:This is why APS is really the best school system in the area. If I were you, I would look at moving to Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the differences between how school was when we were children and how FCPS is now are considered best practices and would probably dissatisfy posters if their children were in other highly rated school districts around the country.

Constant project based learning and use of media above all else are not "best practices." It's sheer laziness and the kids get nothing out of it.

I don’t think it’s laziness; I think teachers are overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed by what? Assigning the kids to go make a video or poster out in the hallway? Showing "instructional" rap videos in class in place of actually teaching? Yes, that must be hugely overwhelming.

In my kids school? With SN, ESL kids. The “advanced” kids end up in AAP and the average kids are essentially neglected.

Anonymous wrote:I do not find general ed to be fine or FCPS fine in any way. I am at one of the supposed best elementary schools. The quality of the educational is very disappointing. A lot of time moving room to room, very large classes, lots of time giving iready or DRA testing and during that time the single teacher is out of the room. No snap words, no spelling correction at the young age or basic spelling later. AAP available is known to be better because at least those teachers find it unacceptable that 4th and 5th graders who have been deemed advanced cannot spell or do basic math quickly. It makes me super angry and sad because we bought here for the school and are now applying to private school. Most of the teachers are less than 28. Way too young without a balance of older more seasoned teachers. As I tour the privates, I recall all the negativity public school advocates say about private school teachers and qualifications and what I see are mature and career teachers who hold masters or phds In their fields. I see private schools require spelling and handwriting in addition to all of the other subjects. They don’t use the gimmicks of iPads to show that they are using tech. They don’t move the kids room to room in endless stations so that no single teacher actually has an idea what the kids are capable of. Neither of my kids abiltiities or weaknesses are known to their teachers because they are taught by assistance so or by each other or by iPad. It is so incredibly disappointing. Public school has a bigger mission than private but at my school, the FARMs and esol are less than 2%. The administration is not loaded down with other challenges. It just thinks this is ok. There is a feeling that if the kids can pass the state standards, that is enough. If you take the time to review the state standards for each grade and subject, you will agree that it is definitely essential to learn the items listed but you will also probably find that you actually expect much much more and they just don’t do it.

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teacher here. I'm appalled at the guidance from above to focus on projects, with no suggestions of what they should be. The CLT model allows the majority of teachers at a grade level to decide how to teach and how to evaluate, and no oversight. Then we don't have textbooks or workbooks. We can't keep making it at all up as we go, while having stations for reading and math, and differentiating for every kid or get written up for not having evidence of that, oh, and every lesson better have technology involved if a principal walks in.

Anonymous wrote:I wonder, though, if these teaching methods are a trend across the country? Emphasizing projects over writing, using technology, neglecting spelling and writing (at least in the tradtitional view - I think an educational trend now has moved from memorizing to a more natural progression of sounding out to eventually get there), etc. - I think these are intentional educational trends in much of the country, correct?

I have a second grader in FCPS so I'm just starting to get annoyed with the educational content and am extremely annoyed by the whole AAP system. They seem to push some things too fast and some not enough - it's confusing. I do, however, really love the elementary school he's in for how it's run, the services it provides, and the community. My son received speech therapy for a pretty serious stutter that has been amazing. In areas like that I think FCPS is really excellent.

I'm sure every school system has its pros and cons. So we'll try to stay positive and vocal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen ed is fine. I think many kids in AAP are there because their parents have hired a team of tutors. They are stressed out and overwhelmed and why? Because Mom said my kid is better and should be in AAP. Gifted Ed used to be the 3% who couldn’t be educated in the traditional program. Now it’s anyone whose Mom shoves them through the testing and holds them there with tutoring. It’s ridiculous. Let them be kids a little?

I have one in gen ed and one in aap. In middle school, I was appalled at what my AAP in MS son's friends were up to after school: music tutoring, math tutoring and tj prep. And I was annoyed that my tutor free AAP son had SO MUCH BUSY WORK. So then my other child I had do honors in middle school, it was similar to AAP but not as much work.