I agree with the FCPS CIP to create an AAP Center at Franklin MS. It seems completely unnecessary for 333 students to transfer from Franklin to Carson for an AAP program. 300 students is more than adequate to create an AAP Center, that's equivalent to about 10 AAP teachers or so(over 2 teachers per core subject area) which is adequate for a successful program.

Would save $$$$ by not bussing students to Carson MS.

AAP is a hurtful SCAM. I have had children in both AAP IV and AP III. I also know children with much low(er) scores get into AAP IV, mainly because they were a pain in the neck and the teachers wanted to ship them (and their parents) out, or wealthy parents pay psychologists for "gifted" results.

Tracking and labeling children at such an early age are backwards practices, a relic (... even England did away with this elitist scam decades ago.) This is not how we as a County should be teaching and educating our children, instead we should focus on making children ambitious, creative, and talented and respected.

I'll never forget the hurt and sobbing when my daughter didn't get into IV-level AAP. Children shouldn't be told in the second grade their second-rate by the County -- and that's what the County does. It's outrageous. (She ended up at a top sister-school university with a full academic scholarship. **raspberry**)

BTW, Don't tell me all the bull-crap about how I raised my kids -- because they learn all about AAP from their classmates/school from the get-go. And don't give me crap about toughening up my snowflake kid who has to learn life isn't fair. AAP is all a scam. Students are tutored from the time they are 3 years old to get into AAP!

With my oldest (who got in without us knowing anything about it since my wife and I came from more advanced education systems--many decades ago!), I couldn't believe that such programs still existed -- ego-boosts to parents. No wonder parents are so nutty around here, creating this competitive Battle Royal atmosphere starting in the 2nd Grade!

... I can't wait to hear other parents brag about their snotty-nose kid in AAP and how smart they are, and they needed this more challenging curriculum, blah, blah, blah: I know first-hand, it's all bull. AAP-IV classmates, with very, very rare exceptions, were not that "gifted" or bright -- certainly not requiring a whole new budget, bus route, and school to house them.

I remember one kid from my top-notch and affluent school system, with no labels given to kids, was exceptionally smart and talented, and went on to do world-class things. He was given extra attention but he was also a part of our class/community, and was well served by our then school system, without having to develop a whole new education system, and labeling/tracking second-graders (!!!). Jeez.

Another scam: TJ. The final pool of smart kids allows 1/3 into the prestigious high school. So the top 1/3 who score the highest get in, right? Wrong! A staggering 20% of the admission assessment is based on a subjective recommendation. For example, my child got in, but his friend, a top finalist in Virginia's Science Award, with a score in the 90s, was denied admission because of a poorly written, sloppy recommendation. I agree that these students are the smartest kids in the County, but how the County administers these programs is terrible: More money should be placed in local AP courses at instead of spending so much money shipping the "most talented" kids to TJ (or ES or MS "Centers").

AAP is a shameful, bizarre program that should be abolished in favor of keeping kids at local schools while supporting challenging programs, learning from other learners, saving money, and not labeling such young kids -- ANYONE WHO WOULD RUN FOR SCHOOL COMMITTEE SUPPORTING THESE SENTIMENTS WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE MY VOTE, AND OTHER PARENTS' VOTES AS WELL!!! We're now done with the school system, but I thought by now that the County would've modernized it's approach to public education (decades ago).

Just my two cents.

NoAAP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> AAP is a hurtful SCAM. I have had children in both
> AAP IV and AP III. I also know children with much
> low(er) scores get into AAP IV, mainly because
> they were a pain in the neck and the teachers
> wanted to ship them (and their parents) out, or
> wealthy parents pay psychologists for "gifted"
> results.
>
> Tracking and labeling children at such an early
> age are backwards practices, a relic (... even
> England did away with this elitist scam decades
> ago.) This is not how we as a County should be
> teaching and educating our children, instead we
> should focus on making children ambitious,
> creative, and talented and respected.
>
> I'll never forget the hurt and sobbing when my
> daughter didn't get into IV-level AAP. Children
> shouldn't be told in the second grade their
> second-rate by the County -- and that's what the
> County does. It's outrageous. (She ended up at a
> top sister-school university with a full academic
> scholarship. **raspberry**)
>
> BTW, Don't tell me all the bull-crap about how I
> raised my kids -- because they learn all about AAP
> from their classmates/school from the get-go. And
> don't give me crap about toughening up my
> snowflake kid who has to learn life isn't fair.
> AAP is all a scam. Students are tutored from the
> time they are 3 years old to get into AAP!
>
> With my oldest (who got in without us knowing
> anything about it since my wife and I came from
> more advanced education systems--many decades
> ago!), I couldn't believe that such programs still
> existed -- ego-boosts to parents. No wonder
> parents are so nutty around here, creating this
> competitive Battle Royal atmosphere starting in
> the 2nd Grade!
>
> ... I can't wait to hear other parents brag about
> their snotty-nose kid in AAP and how smart they
> are, and they needed this more challenging
> curriculum, blah, blah, blah: I know first-hand,
> it's all bull. AAP-IV classmates, with very, very
> rare exceptions, were not that "gifted" or bright
> -- certainly not requiring a whole new budget, bus
> route, and school to house them.
>
> I remember one kid from my top-notch and affluent
> school system, with no labels given to kids, was
> exceptionally smart and talented, and went on to
> do world-class things. He was given extra
> attention but he was also a part of our
> class/community, and was well served by our then
> school system, without having to develop a whole
> new education system, and labeling/tracking
> second-graders (!!!). Jeez.
>
> Another scam: TJ. The final pool of smart kids
> allows 1/3 into the prestigious high school. So
> the top 1/3 who score the highest get in, right?
> Wrong! A staggering 20% of the admission
> assessment is based on a subjective
> recommendation. For example, my child got in, but
> his friend, a top finalist in Virginia's Science
> Award, with a score in the 90s, was denied
> admission because of a poorly written, sloppy
> recommendation. I agree that these students are
> the smartest kids in the County, but how the
> County administers these programs is terrible:
> More money should be placed in local AP courses at
> instead of spending so much money shipping the
> "most talented" kids to TJ (or ES or MS
> "Centers").
>
> AAP is a shameful, bizarre program that should be
> abolished in favor of keeping kids at local
> schools while supporting challenging programs,
> learning from other learners, saving money, and
> not labeling such young kids -- ANYONE WHO WOULD
> RUN FOR SCHOOL COMMITTEE SUPPORTING THESE
> SENTIMENTS WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE MY VOTE, AND OTHER
> PARENTS' VOTES AS WELL!!! We're now done with the
> school system, but I thought by now that the
> County would've modernized it's approach to public
> education (decades ago).
>
> Just my two cents.


COMPLETELY AGREE YOU CAN BUY BOOKS NOT I SAW SOME AT THE ASIAN MARKET ON HOW TO PRACITCE FOR THE COG AT WHICH IS A TEST THEY USE TO GET YOU IN .

AAP should be unnecessary, but it's here and here to stay. So, why not bring 333 back to their neighborhood base school and save some money. Carson is overcapacity and Franklin is under capacity, so it makes sense.