FCPS TJ Class of 2024 Press Release - Buried; AA Admits "TS" to Mention

[Anonymous]

FCPS should be ashamed of what TJ has become, and apparently it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


What's unattractive to others is how much of TJ is now a rat race as opposed to how it was before. Before kids who really enjoyed STEM would find their place at TJ. Now, even if you love STEM, you also need to be prepared for the rat race. My DC is taking multivariable/matrix in 11th at the base school. While that may not be TJ pace, that's wonderful for a STEM kid who doesn't want to be in a pressure cooker environment. When you have those options at the base school, there's no pressing need to go to TJ. Blah blah blah...

I love it! Complaining about the rat race at TJ and putting your kid in multi/matrix as a junior...

Over-acceleration is an Asian problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They need to study and work harder. Everyone takes the same test and is held to the same standard.

The issue is whether FCPS is making it difficult for kids who don't have the resources to accelerate in math to do well on the test. It's not just about studying harder or working harder. If you are competeting against kids with years of CYT accelerated classes, you are going to be disadvantaged. TJ, as a public school, should not allow those advantages to dictate the level of difficulty of the test. I personally don't care if TJ is all Asian, I'm just saying TJ should not have a system that has a significant disadvantage if you don't have certain extracurriculars or haven't had extensive outside math help. Honestly, other than my Asian friends, no one encouraged their kids to apply to TJ. But, if minorities are being disadvantaged by some systemic bias based on available economic resources, then something should be done. My guess is nothing will be don't and eventually the only people who will care about TJ are Asian parents who spend a bunch of resources on accelerating their kids. Even more people will happily move on to their base schools without a second thought. Basically all the smart Asian kids will be in one school cannibalizing each other's chances of getting into a good college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

One way I would view TJ as discriminatory is if it factors in what extracurricular activities kids have done. That is highly dependent on financial resources. They should also not value taking Algebra 2 in eighth grade over taking geometry in eighth grade because that is also likely dependent on having outside math help to accelerate. The test also should not include math that is well beyond what someone who's taken and fully mastered Algebra 1 and geometry can handle, because otherwise it perpetuates the bias of having resources to accelerate math because of outside help. My friends' kids were taking CYT math classes in elementary school. No poor kid is doing that.

The problem with this analysis is that it is simply not true. Most kids taking geometry in 8th grade do not have any outside acceleration. Certainly my kids, some at TJ, did not. Actually, the unprepped kids at TJ do better than the prepped kids. The problem with low income kids not having access to these opportunities like TJ (and colleges) occurs earlier. This is not a problem that is limited to FCPS, but is endemic throughout the country and world. Furthermore, it is really not due to a lack of resources directed at low income kids. I guess it's easier to cry racism than to look inward to try to fix these problems. This applies to people of all races when it comes to underperformance in education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


What's unattractive to others is how much of TJ is now a rat race as opposed to how it was before. Before kids who really enjoyed STEM would find their place at TJ. Now, even if you love STEM, you also need to be prepared for the rat race. My DC is taking multivariable/matrix in 11th at the base school. While that may not be TJ pace, that's wonderful for a STEM kid who doesn't want to be in a pressure cooker environment. When you have those options at the base school, there's no pressing need to go to TJ.

I love it! Complaining about the rat race at TJ and putting your kid in multi/matrix as a junior...

Over-acceleration is an Asian problem?

That's where my DC landed naturally. DC has never had a math tutor or taken math class outside of DC's public schools. My point was that kids who love STEM can take STEM classes at base schools and don't need TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I don’t like your last sentence. Threats of violence are never acceptable.

The rest is fine.

Protesting isn't violent.

PP didn't say send looters to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

One way I would view TJ as discriminatory is if it factors in what extracurricular activities kids have done. That is highly dependent on financial resources. They should also not value taking Algebra 2 in eighth grade over taking geometry in eighth grade because that is also likely dependent on having outside math help to accelerate. The test also should not include math that is well beyond what someone who's taken and fully mastered Algebra 1 and geometry can handle, because otherwise it perpetuates the bias of having resources to accelerate math because of outside help. My friends' kids were taking CYT math classes in elementary school. No poor kid is doing that.

The problem with this analysis is that it is simply not true. Most kids taking geometry in 8th grade do not have any outside acceleration. Certainly my kids, some at TJ, did not. Actually, the unprepped kids at TJ do better than the prepped kids. The problem with low income kids not having access to these opportunities like TJ (and colleges) occurs earlier. This is not a problem that is limited to FCPS, but is endemic throughout the country and world. Furthermore, it is really not due to a lack of resources directed at low income kids. I guess it's easier to cry racism than to look inward to try to fix these problems. This applies to people of all races when it comes to underperformance in education.

Where did I cry racism? I talked about poor kids.

[Anonymous]

The TJ test does not demand a high level of math. I believe it doesn’t even include algebra although taking algebra in 8th or earlier is required for TJ.

Unprepped kids do better than prepped kids based on the anecdotal experience of my two TJ kids and their friends.

TJ is not toxic or a rat race. It still is a place for all kids who love stem and want a challenging course load and similar peers. It isn’t for everyone but is fantastic for some and those kids shouldn’t be blamed or shamed.

There is so much misinformation about the school and I blame all of you who make sweeping statements about it without knowing what you’re talking about. Examine yourself for signs of prejudice.

[Anonymous]

And forgot to mention that my TJ kids never did CTY ( too expensive) or extra curricular math classes (except one loved to explore on the free site- Khan Academy).

And the Tj test doesn’t demand higher math, as I mentioned above.

9:58 makes so many false statements. DCUM realy needs to know how many lies about TJ are told here and investigate the school a different way.

[Anonymous]

Well some people have been crying racism. The comments about Asians being favored over whites isn't due to money (and probably not true). This whole thread started as a race-based discussion.

Interestingly, the Asian stereotype seems to be an example of people getting ahead in education with an initial lack of resources due to an emphasis on valuing education. (Personally I view this value as too test-drive and overly focused on STEM rather than education broadly defined.). There are historic examples as well: the Jews and I get the sense that the country as a whole and particularly AAs viewed education as more important. This, however, may be a function of fewer kids going to college in the past.

[Anonymous]

The TJ test does not demand a high level of math. I believe it doesn’t even include algebra although taking algebra in 8th or earlier is required for TJ.

This correct. Kids who have had more math might have an easier time, because they have been using the earlier math for longer, but advanced math (i.e. algebra) is not needed for the test.

Unprepped kids do better than prepped kids based on the anecdotal experience of my two TJ kids and their friends.

It always unclear to me what "prepped kids" means in discussions like this. Generally, smart kids who are willing/able to work hard do well academically at TJ. For many kids, including my own, freshman year can be kind of a struggle. Some of that is the transition to high school, some of that may be due to being put in an environment where they hardly know any kids going in after years of being with many/most of the same kids (my son had 4 kids from his middle school go to TJ, though some schools will send dozens of kids), some of that is specifically adapting to the TJ style/difficulty of teaching/classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don’t like your last sentence. Threats of violence are never acceptable.

The rest is fine.

Protesting isn't violent.

PP didn't say send looters to TJ.

how about looting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS should be ashamed of what TJ has become, and apparently it is.

You should be ashamed of yourself for being a whining loser. At least I am ashamed of youl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the benefit of those types of schools is the consistently high caliber of the students. If they start accepting a certain percentage from every race just to be "fair", that defeats the premise of the school. They may as well just have a lottery.

Someone mentioned the NBA, and I agree that it's the same thing. If the NBA was forced to accept a certain % of white and Asian and hispanic players just because that's representative of the population that lives in the area, that defeats the purpose of the NBA. It would be something, but it wouldn't be the same thing as it is now - the best of the best. And like entry to TJ, I'm sure there is some decision-making process that goes on about who should be invited to join a team - it's not just some specific number, it's a whole bunch of things.

If there's any evidence of black kids (or white kids, for that matter, if you're talking about TJ) having the scores and extracurriculars to be admitted entry and not getting in, then that would be a problem. They really should do a lottery in that case, for everyone deemed eligible. But unless that is going on, people need to just accept that some things in society are still a meritocracy.

Seriously.

The NBA is different for a host of reasons, but most importantly it is private whereas FCPS is public. And if you want to hold it up as a pure meritocracy, and not yet another business where eons of progress are yet to occur, I look forward to your defense of its coaching, administrative, and owner demographics.

TJ’s admission process and selection criteria is undeniably discriminatory against protected black, Hispanic, and poor students. I would prefer that my taxes did not subsidize discrimination.

sure. we already know your preference

[Anonymous]

Just an observer but I think the county should be extremely proud to have the number #1 rated High School in the country. can't do much better than that. Most of the rest of the high schools aren't much worse in NOVA anyway, and most all of the best students, be it from TJ or the other HS's, wind up at U.Va anyway.