Anonymous wrote:As an FCPS teacher I can tell you that there really is no general Ed. I teach at Lee High School and if your kid is not in honors or IB/AP they are essentially in a Sped or ESOL class. Your kid will pass the SOL so we don't focus on them, we focus on the Sped and ESOL kids because they only pass SOLs less than 50 percent of the time.

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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.

+1

This is the way it should be. Less of a chance of being coached/tutored "into" AAP. IME, if you need such coaching/tutoring, you don't belong in AAP, and it does the child no favors, but Tiger moms won't hear of it.

These kids are coached and tutored because that is a part of their culture, not necessarily because the "need" it. Also, the tutored/coached kids seem to do just fine in AAP. I don't have a problem with tiger moms, they are doing what they think is best for their kids. If that means they get into AAP, so be it. If you choose not to tutor/coach because you don't think it's important, then you need to accept that that might mean your kids may not be with an academically advanced peer group. Each person makes their own decisions. Non-tiger moms won't hear of that.

Anonymous wrote:PP here - I think it also depends on what you want for your child. I know parents at our base (the one I think has low expectations) who are happy that they don't have to deal with homework or projects. The school takes care of everything and there is no spill over into their evenings.

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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.

+1

This is the way it should be. Less of a chance of being coached/tutored "into" AAP. IME, if you need such coaching/tutoring, you don't belong in AAP, and it does the child no favors, but Tiger moms won't hear of it.

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

+1

I do too. Also, in AAP, there are a few disruptive kids that maybe should be in GE, but their tiger parents found a way around the system, and no one wants to cave to potentially insinuated racial issues. Newsflash: it is not the parents in AAP, it should be the child.

??? Because the kids are disruptive they belong in Gen Ed? There are many disruptive gifted kids. Why should they be foisted on the Gen Ed kids? Gen Ed can have its disruptive kids and AAP can have its disruptive kids.

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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.

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

+1

I do too. Also, in AAP, there are a few disruptive kids that maybe should be in GE, but their tiger parents found a way around the system, and no one wants to cave to potentially insinuated racial issues. Newsflash: it is not the parents in AAP, it should be the child.

Anonymous wrote:PP here - I think it also depends on what you want for your child. I know parents at our base (the one I think has low expectations) who are happy that they don't have to deal with homework or projects. The school takes care of everything and there is no spill over into their evenings.