Anonymous wrote:
I don't get this "entitled" business at all. I am of western European background and my family has been among the poorest of the poor for generations. Most Americans of European background came to the U.S. because they had ancestors who were so poor that there was no future for them in their country of origin, so they crowded into tight quarters in steerage to come to America. Have you heard, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore"? That describes the ancestors of many, many Americans of European heritage. Most had very little or nothing to start with but they knew how to work hard and that is what they did. They were entitled to nothing.

My own parents had very little but worked very hard. I was a National Merit Finalist and went to college on financial aid, for which I am very grateful. My children have been in the AAP program and one is at TJ right now. No "test prep" for any of us.

We have never felt that we had the right to certain things. My parents worked hard and taught me to be honest and I am teaching the same to my children. Sure, it's possible to achieve success by bending the rules and engaging in questionable practices, but I was taught that that kind of "success" will not pay in the long run.

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Sorry, but if you family has been among the poorest of the poor for generations, your strategy is not working. I would recommend that you teach you kids some street savvy and how to bend the rules in their favor so that things turn your way. You may be book smart, but obviously your goodie goodie philosophy is not resulting in any upside.

It seems that FCPS hasn't been clear enough on its stance on prepping. One could infer that FCPS opposed prepping since the CogAT was changed this year to the FxAT to help curb any advantage from prepping. Those who think prepping is okay: What if FCPS put out an official statement, on its website and through letters home, that doing any practice tests with questions in the CogAT format was considered unethical/cheating? Would you then agree that it was not okay to prep?

+1

I don't get this "entitled" business at all. I am of western European background and my family has been among the poorest of the poor for generations. Most Americans of European background came to the U.S. because they had ancestors who were so poor that there was no future for them in their country of origin, so they crowded into tight quarters in steerage to come to America. Have you heard, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore"? That describes the ancestors of many, many Americans of European heritage. Most had very little or nothing to start with but they knew how to work hard and that is what they did. They were entitled to nothing.

My own parents had very little but worked very hard. I was a National Merit Finalist and went to college on financial aid, for which I am very grateful. My children have been in the AAP program and one is at TJ right now. No "test prep" for any of us.

We have never felt that we had the right to certain things. My parents worked hard and taught me to be honest and I am teaching the same to my children. Sure, it's possible to achieve success by bending the rules and engaging in questionable practices, but I was taught that that kind of "success" will not pay in the long run.

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PP: In the USA there is no such thing as an entitled group. Maybe in your old country there was, but not here. There are people with old money that can recover better than most, but that does not make them entitled.

You read like a maoist or something.

I am quite sure the entitled know who they are? Just as recent immigrants know who they are? And then there are others ... well, who are not the sharpest tools in the shed (10 watt light bulbs).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who exactly are these entitled people you keep talking about? And what is it they are entitled to? Are you talking about people entitled to welfare and Medicare and Social Security? What does that have to do with second graders?

I think it refers to the indigenous population; not the ones who got in on H-1b visas and brought their test-prep hell culture over here with them.

Amen. No one has considered the racial/ethnic quotas either. Can't check a box if you are a white kid...

in cognito (correction)

The number of children of first generation immigrants (Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, African) at my child's AAP center is quite large. It would be hard (more like impossible) to miss actually. So far at least, I have not heard any of their parents complain about AAP test prep or whining about how the AAP program is getting destroyed by admitting too many unworthy kids nor have I encountered any stressed out kids immigrant or otherwise who are about to have a nervous breakdown because they were pushed AAP and do not belong there.

You will be lucky to see a single white (excuse me European) face at a Kumon prep center. You will run into a fair number of the AAP kids though.

The ones at my center get embarrassed to come with their kids so the nannies bring their children to Kumon! The others simply hire tutors at home - in cognate!!

Anonymous wrote:PP: But, in general, and over the large number, the Asians do have higher values on valuing education and preparation to succeed in academics. So they may not be inherently smarter (although East Asians purportedly have the highest IQ average at 105), but on the whole they are better groomed to succeed, and do, given the their large numbers in AAP and TJ. Sure, you can point to a few that struggle, but on the whole they are very successful and like it or not, there are many "stereotypes" that hold true.

You should read "Outliers", it devotes and entire chapter to the reasons Asians are academically successful and math. It is a good read and explains how many of the cultural stereotypes (good and bad) evolved.

Have you seen the mess that India is?

The number of children of first generation immigrants (Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, African) at my child's AAP center is quite large. It would be hard (more like impossible) to miss actually. So far at least, I have not heard any of their parents complain about AAP test prep or whining about how the AAP program is getting destroyed by admitting too many unworthy kids nor have I encountered any stressed out kids immigrant or otherwise who are about to have a nervous breakdown because they were pushed AAP and do not belong there.

You will be lucky to see a single white (excuse me European) face at a Kumon prep center. You will run into a fair number of the AAP kids though.

PP: But, in general, and over the large number, the Asians do have higher values on valuing education and preparation to succeed in academics. So they may not be inherently smarter (although East Asians purportedly have the highest IQ average at 105), but on the whole they are better groomed to succeed, and do, given the their large numbers in AAP and TJ. Sure, you can point to a few that struggle, but on the whole they are very successful and like it or not, there are many "stereotypes" that hold true.

You should read "Outliers", it devotes and entire chapter to the reasons Asians are academically successful and math. It is a good read and explains how many of the cultural stereotypes (good and bad) evolved.

Anonymous wrote:

In every zip code in America the children of recent immigrants are outperforming children of the entitled culture. This has created an ever expanding performance and achievement gap in education as the entitled culture witnesses in every zip code these children taking their self anointed spots in every AAP, gifted program, IB, AP and Honors program in the land.

This is the root cause of this furor. And the entitled culture will go to any unethical length to disrupt this trend -- including voter fraud and suppression

I have to agree here.

This is the fundamental cause of the 45 page catharsis.

Excuses, rationalization, and cries about "prepping" and "cheating" are a red herring.

The dye is cast and the performance gap has exploded wide open.

There is no where for the entitled to hide.

This is such BS, my DC has two friends in his AAP program who are struggling and need tutoring and they are both Asian. Does that mean all Asian kids in AAP don't belong, no, but the number of Asians in AAP also doesn't mean Asians are intellectually superior to others. Why would any Asian person say this stuff. Are you just trying to create and perpetuate an obnoxious Asian stereotype? My goodness, I'm so sick of all the stereotypes. People of similar socioeconomic status and similar values about education will do about the same regardless of race (Asian, white, black, Latino...) Give it a rest!

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Those of us whose parents or grandparents fought in WWII. Thouse of us whose tax dollars paid for the investment in education, research and development that the complainers are sucking off.

good point. I wonder how many of those who are allegedly blowing open the performance gap have volunteered to serve in our military?
My guess is the percentage is very small.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who exactly are these entitled people you keep talking about? And what is it they are entitled to? Are you talking about people entitled to welfare and Medicare and Social Security? What does that have to do with second graders?

I think it refers to the indigenous population; not the ones who got in on H-1b visas and brought their test-prep hell culture over here with them.

I doubt they are talking about the "indigenous" population, as that would be native Americans. They are talking about people of European heritage

o.k., that's a tad nit-picky - but one post above compared "recent immigrants" to the "entitled culture," so I assume by entitled culture the poster was referring to people already here when the 'recent immigrants" arrived.