TJ admissions now verifying free and reduced price meal status for successful 2026 applicants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if there is no strong students at all in TJ, why parents are still waiting for being pulled off from the waiting list? A school is good because it has good students. TJ is still attractive because it still has strong students, even though it is less than before. Keeping this trend, TJ will becomes less attractive.

Yes, TJ has lost some of its luster as a result of this process. However, at no base school do all students have a minimum 3.5, Algebra, and multiple honors courses. Even the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants are stronger than the student body at any base school. For those who want to be among a class which is overall stronger than their base school, TJ still does offer that - and without the price tag of a private school.

You're right that it would be unfortunate if this trend continues. For those who want to be among the very top classmates, TJ may no longer offer that. For those who want to know that the student body was selected fairly, it surely no longer offers that. For those who want to avoid legal and political battles, it may never again offer that.

Parents can simultaneously (1) want a spot at TJ for their children and (2) rue the unfortunate circumstances surrounding TJ admissions and seek to rectify them. I think that's where many on this forum stand.

It's not difficult to have a minimum 3.5 in middle school and be enrolled in Algebra (or higher) and multiple honors courses. There are quite a few middle schools where that is the norm, if not the floor. It doesn't matter if the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants is stronger than the weakest slice of students at base schools. That's a given. What matters is whether TJ consistently selects the majority of the top students - which it no longer does - and whether the distinction between TJ and base schools is still sufficiently compelling to warrant the inconvenience of attending a school that's almost in Alexandria City - which may now no longer be the case and surely won't be the case in a few years if things continue down the same path.

You can check the statistics. Carson applications went down from 286 (Class of 2024) to 245 (Class of 2025) and then 215 (Class of 2026). At Longfellow the applications went down from 151 to 149 to 141. At Rocky Run the applications went down from 149 to 127 to 106. These schools have been the three strongest middle schools and top feeders to TJ in the county and they are the canaries in the TJ coal mine.

And maybe that's OK, if the School Board's goal is to advance "equity" by giving selected students at Annandale, Lewis, and Mount Vernon the opportunity to attend a school that's on par with, say, Chantilly. But if they think it's going to stay the #1 school in the country they can kiss that goodbye.

I expect to see some changes made by the new governor’s team. I bet Rep will win for both the local and the national. Dem made too many damages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if there is no strong students at all in TJ, why parents are still waiting for being pulled off from the waiting list? A school is good because it has good students. TJ is still attractive because it still has strong students, even though it is less than before. Keeping this trend, TJ will becomes less attractive.

Yes, TJ has lost some of its luster as a result of this process. However, at no base school do all students have a minimum 3.5, Algebra, and multiple honors courses. Even the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants are stronger than the student body at any base school. For those who want to be among a class which is overall stronger than their base school, TJ still does offer that - and without the price tag of a private school.

You're right that it would be unfortunate if this trend continues. For those who want to be among the very top classmates, TJ may no longer offer that. For those who want to know that the student body was selected fairly, it surely no longer offers that. For those who want to avoid legal and political battles, it may never again offer that.

Parents can simultaneously (1) want a spot at TJ for their children and (2) rue the unfortunate circumstances surrounding TJ admissions and seek to rectify them. I think that's where many on this forum stand.

It's not difficult to have a minimum 3.5 in middle school and be enrolled in Algebra (or higher) and multiple honors courses. There are quite a few middle schools where that is the norm, if not the floor. It doesn't matter if the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants is stronger than the weakest slice of students at base schools. That's a given. What matters is whether TJ consistently selects the majority of the top students - which it no longer does - and whether the distinction between TJ and base schools is still sufficiently compelling to warrant the inconvenience of attending a school that's almost in Alexandria City - which may now no longer be the case and surely won't be the case in a few years if things continue down the same path.

You can check the statistics. Carson applications went down from 286 (Class of 2024) to 245 (Class of 2025) and then 215 (Class of 2026). At Longfellow the applications went down from 151 to 149 to 141. At Rocky Run the applications went down from 149 to 127 to 106. These schools have been the three strongest middle schools and top feeders to TJ in the county and they are the canaries in the TJ coal mine.

And maybe that's OK, if the School Board's goal is to advance "equity" by giving selected students at Annandale, Lewis, and Mount Vernon the opportunity to attend a school that's on par with, say, Chantilly. But if they think it's going to stay the #1 school in the country they can kiss that goodbye.

I expect to see some changes made by the new governor’s team. I bet Rep will win for both the local and the national. Dem made too many damages.

Brabrand is now gone, and we will see multiple current School Board members either step aside or get defeated next year.

[Anonymous]

We should set requirements for school board members. The bottom line is that they are parents of K-12 students and pass the drug test every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if there is no strong students at all in TJ, why parents are still waiting for being pulled off from the waiting list? A school is good because it has good students. TJ is still attractive because it still has strong students, even though it is less than before. Keeping this trend, TJ will becomes less attractive.

Yes, TJ has lost some of its luster as a result of this process. However, at no base school do all students have a minimum 3.5, Algebra, and multiple honors courses. Even the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants are stronger than the student body at any base school. For those who want to be among a class which is overall stronger than their base school, TJ still does offer that - and without the price tag of a private school.

You're right that it would be unfortunate if this trend continues. For those who want to be among the very top classmates, TJ may no longer offer that. For those who want to know that the student body was selected fairly, it surely no longer offers that. For those who want to avoid legal and political battles, it may never again offer that.

Parents can simultaneously (1) want a spot at TJ for their children and (2) rue the unfortunate circumstances surrounding TJ admissions and seek to rectify them. I think that's where many on this forum stand.

By any objective metric this is no longer the case. Langley, McLean, and Chantilly have entire class cohorts that are superior to TJ and there are several other high schools where it's close.

This is what naturally happens when you choose based on geography, FARMS, and non STEM personality traits over actual STEM talent.

Not yet. TJ is still stronger right now. Will the admission change back next year? The school board doesn’t have an excuse now.

We could have gone to McLean but the cohort is still much, much better at TJ. When you add in the TJ facilities, teachers, and curriculum, it's a no brainer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if there is no strong students at all in TJ, why parents are still waiting for being pulled off from the waiting list? A school is good because it has good students. TJ is still attractive because it still has strong students, even though it is less than before. Keeping this trend, TJ will becomes less attractive.

Yes, TJ has lost some of its luster as a result of this process. However, at no base school do all students have a minimum 3.5, Algebra, and multiple honors courses. Even the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants are stronger than the student body at any base school. For those who want to be among a class which is overall stronger than their base school, TJ still does offer that - and without the price tag of a private school.

You're right that it would be unfortunate if this trend continues. For those who want to be among the very top classmates, TJ may no longer offer that. For those who want to know that the student body was selected fairly, it surely no longer offers that. For those who want to avoid legal and political battles, it may never again offer that.

Parents can simultaneously (1) want a spot at TJ for their children and (2) rue the unfortunate circumstances surrounding TJ admissions and seek to rectify them. I think that's where many on this forum stand.

It's not difficult to have a minimum 3.5 in middle school and be enrolled in Algebra (or higher) and multiple honors courses. There are quite a few middle schools where that is the norm, if not the floor. It doesn't matter if the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants is stronger than the weakest slice of students at base schools. That's a given. What matters is whether TJ consistently selects the majority of the top students - which it no longer does - and whether the distinction between TJ and base schools is still sufficiently compelling to warrant the inconvenience of attending a school that's almost in Alexandria City - which may now no longer be the case and surely won't be the case in a few years if things continue down the same path.

You can check the statistics. Carson applications went down from 286 (Class of 2024) to 245 (Class of 2025) and then 215 (Class of 2026). At Longfellow the applications went down from 151 to 149 to 141. At Rocky Run the applications went down from 149 to 127 to 106. These schools have been the three strongest middle schools and top feeders to TJ in the county and they are the canaries in the TJ coal mine.

And maybe that's OK, if the School Board's goal is to advance "equity" by giving selected students at Annandale, Lewis, and Mount Vernon the opportunity to attend a school that's on par with, say, Chantilly. But if they think it's going to stay the #1 school in the country they can kiss that goodbye.

No one cares if it's the #1 school every year. That's a lot of pressure on one school to always be the best. No thanks. And I think the apps went down because students were back in person and could no longer get easy As like they did in virtual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:if there is no strong students at all in TJ, why parents are still waiting for being pulled off from the waiting list? A school is good because it has good students. TJ is still attractive because it still has strong students, even though it is less than before. Keeping this trend, TJ will becomes less attractive.

Yes, TJ has lost some of its luster as a result of this process. However, at no base school do all students have a minimum 3.5, Algebra, and multiple honors courses. Even the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants are stronger than the student body at any base school. For those who want to be among a class which is overall stronger than their base school, TJ still does offer that - and without the price tag of a private school.

You're right that it would be unfortunate if this trend continues. For those who want to be among the very top classmates, TJ may no longer offer that. For those who want to know that the student body was selected fairly, it surely no longer offers that. For those who want to avoid legal and political battles, it may never again offer that.

Parents can simultaneously (1) want a spot at TJ for their children and (2) rue the unfortunate circumstances surrounding TJ admissions and seek to rectify them. I think that's where many on this forum stand.

It's not difficult to have a minimum 3.5 in middle school and be enrolled in Algebra (or higher) and multiple honors courses. There are quite a few middle schools where that is the norm, if not the floor. It doesn't matter if the weakest slice of eligible TJ applicants is stronger than the weakest slice of students at base schools. That's a given. What matters is whether TJ consistently selects the majority of the top students - which it no longer does - and whether the distinction between TJ and base schools is still sufficiently compelling to warrant the inconvenience of attending a school that's almost in Alexandria City - which may now no longer be the case and surely won't be the case in a few years if things continue down the same path.

You can check the statistics. Carson applications went down from 286 (Class of 2024) to 245 (Class of 2025) and then 215 (Class of 2026). At Longfellow the applications went down from 151 to 149 to 141. At Rocky Run the applications went down from 149 to 127 to 106. These schools have been the three strongest middle schools and top feeders to TJ in the county and they are the canaries in the TJ coal mine.

And maybe that's OK, if the School Board's goal is to advance "equity" by giving selected students at Annandale, Lewis, and Mount Vernon the opportunity to attend a school that's on par with, say, Chantilly. But if they think it's going to stay the #1 school in the country they can kiss that goodbye.

No one cares if it's the #1 school every year. That's a lot of pressure on one school to always be the best. No thanks. And I think the apps went down because students were back in person and could no longer get easy As like they did in virtual.

There. The excuses have started!

[Anonymous]

“Dems made too many damages”

I am more concerned with the Republican threat to democracy than admissions changes at one high school. I am vehemently opposed to those changes but voting R at the national level because of them and disregarding 1/6 and R belief in the big lie would be ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We should set requirements for school board members. The bottom line is that they are parents of K-12 students and pass the drug test every year.

Why would they have to be parents? Every tax payer pays for the schools and should have a say. You would do a little entitled. It’s public education. If you want that much say, go private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Dems made too many damages”

I am more concerned with the Republican threat to democracy than admissions changes at one high school. I am vehemently opposed to those changes but voting R at the national level because of them and disregarding 1/6 and R belief in the big lie would be ridiculous.

wake up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Dems made too many damages”

I am more concerned with the Republican threat to democracy than admissions changes at one high school. I am vehemently opposed to those changes but voting R at the national level because of them and disregarding 1/6 and R belief in the big lie would be ridiculous.

Voting out the local Democrats responsible for the catastrophic mess at TJ isn’t a vote at the national level and has nothing to do with 1/6.

[Anonymous]

The drama on this thread is insane. I’m going back to the college forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should set requirements for school board members. The bottom line is that they are parents of K-12 students and pass the drug test every year.

Why would they have to be parents? Every tax payer pays for the schools and should have a say. You would do a little entitled. It’s public education. If you want that much say, go private.

If they are not parents, they don't really understand what kids need and what are good or bad for the kids. Book smart is not enough. They may not even have the book smart.
To avoid the school board making wrong policies that hurt our children, the school board members should be parents of K-12.

[Anonymous]

TJ will just become like Blair in Silver Spring. A school with a good program, but not a #1 school anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should set requirements for school board members. The bottom line is that they are parents of K-12 students and pass the drug test every year.

Why would they have to be parents? Every tax payer pays for the schools and should have a say. You would do a little entitled. It’s public education. If you want that much say, go private.

Not everybody understands children education. Not everybody really cares our children.
Public education has broader impacts than private education. We should avoid harmful policies being applied to our children.
It’s necessary to have requirements on school board members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We should set requirements for school board members. The bottom line is that they are parents of K-12 students and pass the drug test every year.

Why would they have to be parents? Every tax payer pays for the schools and should have a say. You would do a little entitled. It’s public education. If you want that much say, go private.

Not everybody understands children education. Not everybody really cares our children.
Public education has broader impacts than private education. We should avoid harmful policies being applied to our children.
It’s necessary to have requirements on school board members.

Only two or maybe three of the 12 SB members have never had kids in FCPS. You’d really limit the # of people willing to serve if being a current parent was a requirement, but in that case there might be fewer meeting and less meddling and second-guessing of admin decisions.