10:17 Florida is considering a program to allow kids who are bullied to move to private school. Bullying continues at a much higher rate than snobbery over gifted education in the US and it's been proven that schools are not good at dealing with it well. We are at a school that mixes with general ed students except for two subjects, so I see your point that all kids need to learn to get along with each other, however it is important to make sure kids can find like peers as well and I believe this program really has allowed kids who have an interest in academics do work at their level and find peers who are more like them. It's not like AAP is the first gifted program in the US. Gifted programs and magnet schools have been around now for decades. And it's not like LLIV is even the only gifted program in FCPS. There are 3 levels of gifted programs in FCPS. Level 3 and 2 for some reason are never mentioned. APS has ATS, a gifted program that I've heard starts in kindergarten, and HB Woodlawn as well as TJ. Most school districts have some form of gifted education.

The poster who was "delighted" even mentions that her own kids don't care about the level of their friend's interest in academics while at the same time saying she's heard smug AAP kids brag. Is it both or just one observation? Based on her own post and my observations, I find it hard to believe that year after year AAP kids are bragging to other kids in school when she herself doesn't see that in her own kids and says it doesn't matter to anyone they know. It's all overblown on DCUM compared to the real world. The importance of AAP being talked about and the amount of smugness or bullying that goes on over AAP. There just aren't that many discussions on AAP in real life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:46. Whatever. There are general ed parents who think academics aren't important at all and flaunt how their children are more into sports and how nerdy the AAP kids are. Talk about how kids shouldn't be in school and should be playing more. Not everyone in my circle thinks AAP is a cool thing and even make fun of AAP students. The taunts go both ways.

Whatever? How old are you? It sounds like you need a new group of friends. Why would anyone make fun of kids -- AAP or Gen Ed?

Because they do. How can you not say that these parents who delight in other children surpassing some AAP child isn't a form of making fun of AAP kids?

The kids and parents who are the biggest bullies in our school also are the sports and the wealthy families. The kids go around and dismiss any kid that isn't in travel sports or who doesn't have money. The AAP kids for the most part are the studious type and like generations past are not always the most popular kids. Sometimes a child is smart, wealthy, and athletic and in AAP but there are a lot of kids in AAP who are quirky. They just aren't the type of kids generally that most often bully and make fun of others. There's no reason to delight in others doing better than them or say it's sweet justice. I agree it's great to be happy general ed kids are doing well in high school, but it's another thing to mock former AAP students.

You trade in your own stereotypes. Quirky kids don't need a special program to shelter them from bullies, athletes, and the children of the wealthy (all of whom, after all, may find their way into AAP programs); they need academic challenges and to learn to develop sufficient social skills to navigate childhood and adolescence.

The notion that kids just have to be in AAP to find peers is deeply offensive on many levels.

* There is no AAP in high school in FCPS.

* AAP participation in ES/MS does not guarantee academic success in high school.

* GenEd participation in ES/MS does not foreclose academic success in high school.

* The amount of snark and manufactured hurt feelings on this thread makes one wonder yet again whether AAP (as a separate program) is really worth it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:46. Whatever. There are general ed parents who think academics aren't important at all and flaunt how their children are more into sports and how nerdy the AAP kids are. Talk about how kids shouldn't be in school and should be playing more. Not everyone in my circle thinks AAP is a cool thing and even make fun of AAP students. The taunts go both ways.

Whatever? How old are you? It sounds like you need a new group of friends. Why would anyone make fun of kids -- AAP or Gen Ed?

Because they do. How can you not say that these parents who delight in other children surpassing some AAP child isn't a form of making fun of AAP kids?

The kids and parents who are the biggest bullies in our school also are the sports and the wealthy families. The kids go around and dismiss any kid that isn't in travel sports or who doesn't have money. The AAP kids for the most part are the studious type and like generations past are not always the most popular kids. Sometimes a child is smart, wealthy, and athletic and in AAP but there are a lot of kids in AAP who are quirky. They just aren't the type of kids generally that most often bully and make fun of others. There's no reason to delight in others doing better than them or say it's sweet justice. I agree it's great to be happy general ed kids are doing well in high school, but it's another thing to mock former AAP students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:9:46. Whatever. There are general ed parents who think academics aren't important at all and flaunt how their children are more into sports and how nerdy the AAP kids are. Talk about how kids shouldn't be in school and should be playing more. Not everyone in my circle thinks AAP is a cool thing and even make fun of AAP students. The taunts go both ways.

Whatever? How old are you? It sounds like you need a new group of friends. Why would anyone make fun of kids -- AAP or Gen Ed?

NP. I need to get off this site - they're doing it in this thread! (e.g., "sweet justice")

Anonymous wrote:9:46. Whatever. There are general ed parents who think academics aren't important at all and flaunt how their children are more into sports and how nerdy the AAP kids are. Talk about how kids shouldn't be in school and should be playing more. Not everyone in my circle thinks AAP is a cool thing and even make fun of AAP students. The taunts go both ways.

Whatever? How old are you? It sounds like you need a new group of friends. Why would anyone make fun of kids -- AAP or Gen Ed?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct. And no, no bias or preference. Teachers help students choose the appropriate level courses for the following year based on student's performance and teacher's observations, but parents/students really have the final say.

I have kids in AAP and it delights me to hear of non-AAP kids getting into schools like W&M and UVA.

Out of curiosity why does it delight you to see "regular track" kids ultimately do just as well as the advanced academic kids?

If your kid has been taking the harder courses up until HS it would be natural to want to see that effort pay off - qualifying for/taking/doing well in the tougher classes in HS and getting into the top college as a result of that effort.

It delights me because I hear so many AAP parents (here and IRL) and kids talk so smugly about how advanced they are and how much smarter they are than the "regular" kids. I hear it IRL while having three kids go through AAP in a center school where the AAP kids and the gen ed kids seem to be set up in a "have and have not" system.

I have always known that there are extremely bright kids in gen ed who didn't make the cutoff when they were in second grade. They didn't pursue it in subsequent years because it wasn't important to their families and they didn't feel their child needed it in order to be successful. So it makes me happy to see it when that plays out. There are many paths to success and I've always hated how AAP parents think that being in the program is the only path and place so much importance on it and get such a sense of validation from it, as well, thereby putting that idea in their kids' heads. It's often to the detriment of others if their kid happens to be the braggy, superior type.

Of course, I want to see my own children's effort pay off in all the ways you mentioned. Like you said, it's natural. Wanting great outcomes for non-AAP kids doesn't mean I want to see AAP kids struggle or flounder. I just enjoy seeing another path to success.

"I just enjoy seeing another path to success." Many people agree with this while also disagreeing with these statements from you. "It delights me" and "it's sweet justice". Why would there need to be justice in just seeing another path to success? And why the assumption that AAP kids don't also want other kids to be into academics? I bet in reality many AAP kids are very happy to have more kids finally find academics interesting like they have been since a younger age.

Not the PP, but you sound completely out of touch. You actually don't think Gen Ed kids "find academics interesting"?? My kids have been avid readers since kindergarten. Most of what they've learned has been on their own time, from reading books of their own choosing. I can honestly say, I've never met kids more curious about the world in my life - except, of course, for many of their good friends, none of whom were in AAP and all of whom "find academics interesting." At this point (they're teens and in college), they know more than I do in many subjects, especially history and literature.

Because they didn't get a certain score on a certain test on a certain day, they were not in AAP. As another poster said, we didn't find it important enough to pursue appealing and retesting, year after year - especially for a program that's *barely* more in depth than Gen Ed is. We felt they were learning more on their own than they'd ever be taught in a classroom. And we were right. Not being in AAP hasn't held them back one iota; in fact, quite the opposite. They've excelled in AP classes and our oldest is at an excellent university - one that even DCUM snobs rave about.

I hope any younger parents reading this and wringing their hands about AAP will realize it's *just not that important.* It really isn't. It's not some magical program that will change your child's life, especially if you also have kids who are independent, self-taught learners. Any child like that is going to succeed, regardless of a silly label bestowed on him or her in the 3rd grade.

Agreed, but then why would you feel the need to be delighted by other general ed kids surpassing AAP kids? You simply chose not to pursue it which is fine. There's no need to feel delight other than jealousy. And there is no need to go on these boards like others have done and say the general ed program is so much worse than AAP if you believe it isn't. That's all people are saying is that there is no real difference between AP classes and AAP classes and the classes are right for the kids who are ready and for the parents that want to pursue them. On this board I've found far more people upset over AAP being either not advanced enough or not inclusive enough and upset about the general ed curriculum not being good enough than people who think AAP is so much more superior. In fact there isn't a thread in the AAP forum that doesn't have some person coming on to bash the program. The amount of parents who think AAP is superior is much smaller than the group of parents who hate AAP.

9:46. Whatever. There are general ed parents who think academics aren't important at all and flaunt how their children are more into sports and how nerdy the AAP kids are. Talk about how kids shouldn't be in school and should be playing more. Not everyone in my circle thinks AAP is a cool thing and even make fun of AAP students. The taunts go both ways.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct. And no, no bias or preference. Teachers help students choose the appropriate level courses for the following year based on student's performance and teacher's observations, but parents/students really have the final say.

I have kids in AAP and it delights me to hear of non-AAP kids getting into schools like W&M and UVA.

Out of curiosity why does it delight you to see "regular track" kids ultimately do just as well as the advanced academic kids?

If your kid has been taking the harder courses up until HS it would be natural to want to see that effort pay off - qualifying for/taking/doing well in the tougher classes in HS and getting into the top college as a result of that effort.

It delights me because I hear so many AAP parents (here and IRL) and kids talk so smugly about how advanced they are and how much smarter they are than the "regular" kids. I hear it IRL while having three kids go through AAP in a center school where the AAP kids and the gen ed kids seem to be set up in a "have and have not" system.

I have always known that there are extremely bright kids in gen ed who didn't make the cutoff when they were in second grade. They didn't pursue it in subsequent years because it wasn't important to their families and they didn't feel their child needed it in order to be successful. So it makes me happy to see it when that plays out. There are many paths to success and I've always hated how AAP parents think that being in the program is the only path and place so much importance on it and get such a sense of validation from it, as well, thereby putting that idea in their kids' heads. It's often to the detriment of others if their kid happens to be the braggy, superior type.

Of course, I want to see my own children's effort pay off in all the ways you mentioned. Like you said, it's natural. Wanting great outcomes for non-AAP kids doesn't mean I want to see AAP kids struggle or flounder. I just enjoy seeing another path to success.

"I just enjoy seeing another path to success." Many people agree with this while also disagreeing with these statements from you. "It delights me" and "it's sweet justice". Why would there need to be justice in just seeing another path to success? And why the assumption that AAP kids don't also want other kids to be into academics? I bet in reality many AAP kids are very happy to have more kids finally find academics interesting like they have been since a younger age.

Not the PP, but you sound completely out of touch. You actually don't think Gen Ed kids "find academics interesting"?? My kids have been avid readers since kindergarten. Most of what they've learned has been on their own time, from reading books of their own choosing. I can honestly say, I've never met kids more curious about the world in my life - except, of course, for many of their good friends, none of whom were in AAP and all of whom "find academics interesting." At this point (they're teens and in college), they know more than I do in many subjects, especially history and literature.

Because they didn't get a certain score on a certain test on a certain day, they were not in AAP. As another poster said, we didn't find it important enough to pursue appealing and retesting, year after year - especially for a program that's *barely* more in depth than Gen Ed is. We felt they were learning more on their own than they'd ever be taught in a classroom. And we were right. Not being in AAP hasn't held them back one iota; in fact, quite the opposite. They've excelled in AP classes and our oldest is at an excellent university - one that even DCUM snobs rave about.

I hope any younger parents reading this and wringing their hands about AAP will realize it's *just not that important.* It really isn't. It's not some magical program that will change your child's life, especially if you also have kids who are independent, self-taught learners. Any child like that is going to succeed, regardless of a silly label bestowed on him or her in the 3rd grade.

Thank you for your eloquent reply, OP. I agree with everything you posted, and our children's experience is almost identical.

The snobbery and condescension of some PPs towatd Gen Ed students appalling. Gen Ed kids "finally find academics interesting?" Gen Ed kids finally wanting to work hard in school? Finally wanting to challenge themselves academically? I had no idea that AAP parents thought this way.

And do you really remember at graduation time and when college acceptances are out, which students were in AAP 4 YEARS AGO?????

Makes me sick.

Anonymous wrote:How does anyone knkw which high school kids are performing circles around the other high school kids?

You all are WAY too involved in your high schoolers lives if you are still taking a tally sheet of class grades at this point.

It becomes obvious when their AAP friends, whose parents never missed an opportunity to let you know their kid was in AAP, are dropping out of IB programs and not taking an AP class because it's too hard. Meanwhile, GEN ED kids are running circles around them in high school. Some kids peak in second grade and some peak in high school. It all evens out and it has been a wonderful thing to see that hard work truly pays off in the end.

AAP is only important for the quirky kids. I had 2 in AAP. One is the definition of quirky. We actually work to teach him social skills and not because of an any issues. Because AAP exists, it is where he found the most kids like him and kids who accepted him. Life was very hard socially until AAP. We had a lot of bullying and really just one other kid like him in his grade. Then AAP came. In 2nd grade, his teacher said he needed AAP for the social. He worked hard and his test scores barely got him in. He needed it for the social.

My other child is not quirky. We did AAP but they would have been fine either place.

If there wasn’t AAP, I think my son would have just been lost socially until high school. There he found the Robotics club and his peers - some quirky and others accepting of him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct. And no, no bias or preference. Teachers help students choose the appropriate level courses for the following year based on student's performance and teacher's observations, but parents/students really have the final say.

I have kids in AAP and it delights me to hear of non-AAP kids getting into schools like W&M and UVA.

Out of curiosity why does it delight you to see "regular track" kids ultimately do just as well as the advanced academic kids?

If your kid has been taking the harder courses up until HS it would be natural to want to see that effort pay off - qualifying for/taking/doing well in the tougher classes in HS and getting into the top college as a result of that effort.

It delights me because I hear so many AAP parents (here and IRL) and kids talk so smugly about how advanced they are and how much smarter they are than the "regular" kids. I hear it IRL while having three kids go through AAP in a center school where the AAP kids and the gen ed kids seem to be set up in a "have and have not" system.

I have always known that there are extremely bright kids in gen ed who didn't make the cutoff when they were in second grade. They didn't pursue it in subsequent years because it wasn't important to their families and they didn't feel their child needed it in order to be successful. So it makes me happy to see it when that plays out. There are many paths to success and I've always hated how AAP parents think that being in the program is the only path and place so much importance on it and get such a sense of validation from it, as well, thereby putting that idea in their kids' heads. It's often to the detriment of others if their kid happens to be the braggy, superior type.

Of course, I want to see my own children's effort pay off in all the ways you mentioned. Like you said, it's natural. Wanting great outcomes for non-AAP kids doesn't mean I want to see AAP kids struggle or flounder. I just enjoy seeing another path to success.

"I just enjoy seeing another path to success." Many people agree with this while also disagreeing with these statements from you. "It delights me" and "it's sweet justice". Why would there need to be justice in just seeing another path to success? And why the assumption that AAP kids don't also want other kids to be into academics? I bet in reality many AAP kids are very happy to have more kids finally find academics interesting like they have been since a younger age.

Not the PP, but you sound completely out of touch. You actually don't think Gen Ed kids "find academics interesting"?? My kids have been avid readers since kindergarten. Most of what they've learned has been on their own time, from reading books of their own choosing. I can honestly say, I've never met kids more curious about the world in my life - except, of course, for many of their good friends, none of whom were in AAP and all of whom "find academics interesting." At this point (they're teens and in college), they know more than I do in many subjects, especially history and literature.

Because they didn't get a certain score on a certain test on a certain day, they were not in AAP. As another poster said, we didn't find it important enough to pursue appealing and retesting, year after year - especially for a program that's *barely* more in depth than Gen Ed is. We felt they were learning more on their own than they'd ever be taught in a classroom. And we were right. Not being in AAP hasn't held them back one iota; in fact, quite the opposite. They've excelled in AP classes and our oldest is at an excellent university - one that even DCUM snobs rave about.

I hope any younger parents reading this and wringing their hands about AAP will realize it's *just not that important.* It really isn't. It's not some magical program that will change your child's life, especially if you also have kids who are independent, self-taught learners. Any child like that is going to succeed, regardless of a silly label bestowed on him or her in the 3rd grade.

Yes! In the rear view mirror, the angst of AAP will seem absolutely ridiculous. In high school, it doesn't matter. At all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now you're saying that we should despise people for having high IQ's and only cheer on people who work hard in a subject matter? The issue with the post was that the person was being vindictive.

What are you talking about??????

Comment was in response to this statement that seemed to indicate that the AP class is better than AAP because it allowed people in based on a previous honors class verses an IQ test:

"I don't remember AP tests to be intelligence tests. AP is like taking a college level course isn't it? A student wouldn't have to do well on an IQ type test to gain entrance, just do well in the subject matter in the prerequisite Honors level class in that subject."

I wrote the bolded text and am shocked that you interpreted my statement as snark or implying anything about the valor of AP vs AAP admission. I was stating the fact that students don't have to take an IQ test to qualify for AP classes. You projected your own bias onto my statement. You wrote that AP classes required testing to be admitted like AAP, which they do not require. I said nothing about AP class admission as better than AAP admission.

AP requires that you do well on tests for the prerequisite before. Not an intelligence test, but still tests.

Do you have kids in high school yet? This is just not true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Correct. And no, no bias or preference. Teachers help students choose the appropriate level courses for the following year based on student's performance and teacher's observations, but parents/students really have the final say.

I have kids in AAP and it delights me to hear of non-AAP kids getting into schools like W&M and UVA.

Out of curiosity why does it delight you to see "regular track" kids ultimately do just as well as the advanced academic kids?

If your kid has been taking the harder courses up until HS it would be natural to want to see that effort pay off - qualifying for/taking/doing well in the tougher classes in HS and getting into the top college as a result of that effort.

It delights me because I hear so many AAP parents (here and IRL) and kids talk so smugly about how advanced they are and how much smarter they are than the "regular" kids. I hear it IRL while having three kids go through AAP in a center school where the AAP kids and the gen ed kids seem to be set up in a "have and have not" system.

I have always known that there are extremely bright kids in gen ed who didn't make the cutoff when they were in second grade. They didn't pursue it in subsequent years because it wasn't important to their families and they didn't feel their child needed it in order to be successful. So it makes me happy to see it when that plays out. There are many paths to success and I've always hated how AAP parents think that being in the program is the only path and place so much importance on it and get such a sense of validation from it, as well, thereby putting that idea in their kids' heads. It's often to the detriment of others if their kid happens to be the braggy, superior type.

Of course, I want to see my own children's effort pay off in all the ways you mentioned. Like you said, it's natural. Wanting great outcomes for non-AAP kids doesn't mean I want to see AAP kids struggle or flounder. I just enjoy seeing another path to success.

"I just enjoy seeing another path to success." Many people agree with this while also disagreeing with these statements from you. "It delights me" and "it's sweet justice". Why would there need to be justice in just seeing another path to success? And why the assumption that AAP kids don't also want other kids to be into academics? I bet in reality many AAP kids are very happy to have more kids finally find academics interesting like they have been since a younger age.

Not the PP, but you sound completely out of touch. You actually don't think Gen Ed kids "find academics interesting"?? My kids have been avid readers since kindergarten. Most of what they've learned has been on their own time, from reading books of their own choosing. I can honestly say, I've never met kids more curious about the world in my life - except, of course, for many of their good friends, none of whom were in AAP and all of whom "find academics interesting." At this point (they're teens and in college), they know more than I do in many subjects, especially history and literature.

Because they didn't get a certain score on a certain test on a certain day, they were not in AAP. As another poster said, we didn't find it important enough to pursue appealing and retesting, year after year - especially for a program that's *barely* more in depth than Gen Ed is. We felt they were learning more on their own than they'd ever be taught in a classroom. And we were right. Not being in AAP hasn't held them back one iota; in fact, quite the opposite. They've excelled in AP classes and our oldest is at an excellent university - one that even DCUM snobs rave about.

I hope any younger parents reading this and wringing their hands about AAP will realize it's *just not that important.* It really isn't. It's not some magical program that will change your child's life, especially if you also have kids who are independent, self-taught learners. Any child like that is going to succeed, regardless of a silly label bestowed on him or her in the 3rd grade.

How does anyone knkw which high school kids are performing circles around the other high school kids?

You all are WAY too involved in your high schoolers lives if you are still taking a tally sheet of class grades at this point.