For a long time the number one school in the nation, US News now has TJ at #14. Not sure how much is a change in methodology, how much is the admissions policy (surprised to see WTOP call that one out below, because they usually parrot the FCPS party line on everything), and how much is other schools getting better.
https://wtop.com/education/2024/04/regions-best-high-schools/ |
equity in action |
Admissions probably didn’t help. Worth noting though that there’s been a lot of teacher turnover which I think is a bigger deal than the admissions process since it affects the quality of the education itself. |
The lawsuits about the "controversial" admissions changes were national news. Of course they mentioned them. |
Teachers are being forced to teach rigorous TJ curriculum to a class that lacks prerequisite middle school math and science knowledge. If they voice their concerns with the lack of merit based admission criteria, they are branded as anti-equity. Frustrated with not being able to fulfill their duties, many opt to resign. |
RSM and AOPS are not a prerequisite for any school curriculum. Teachers can realize this and teach the students they have, not the students they want to have. |
ok, hence the drop in rankings... |
Not only the STEM subjects. Bonitatibus has ruined the foreign languages department since she started at TJ. Admin keeps meddling in the teacher’s duties and doesn’t do anything to make the school better. Now we’re seeing the rankings drop because of this. |
The principal in one of the recent emails expressed concerns with significant number of admitted "9th grade students scoring below proficient on the initial Math Inventory", and needing to put them on ALEKS remedial math starting in the third month itself. If admissions was merit based, remedial math should not be needed at the school start.
With a lower caliber student body being admitted using equity instead of merit as the criteria, TJ's ranking continues to decline from 1st in the nation to now 14th nationally. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/VAEDUFCPS/bulletins/38d509c |
Teachers cannot teach Geometry or Algebra 2, if students being admitted aren't proficient in middle school Algebra 1. |
Can you find me where it says there's a "significant number"? All I see is that the School Improvement Plan progress report shows:
If they had 2 kids who scored below proficient, wouldn't that be an easy win for the principal to put in the school improvement plan? I don't see anywhere that said there were tons of 9th graders who needed help. |
I’m shocked! Did not see this coming. |
Yeah, there’s no mention of it being a significant number of students, though there’s an argument to be made that no student at TJ should be remedial in Algebra 1 to begin with. |
Look at all of the higher ranked schools. They mostly have enrollment numbers of 200-500 students for grades 9-12. I mean, good for them - but those aren't regular 4 year high schools. Those are tiny schools. |
Lots of people make that argument - but I understood TJ to be a STE or M high school, not a STE and M high school. It's for one or more of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, not all of them. |