Course Request changes for TJ Freshman

[Anonymous]

New to TJ... What are the steps to try to get this stupid policy changed (politely or otherwise)? Emails to Dr B, emails to school board (I’m new to FCPS, so not sure they care?), or other?

I can appreciate a free for all may be a headache, but I would think we could find a happy middle ground (maybe setting an August 1 deadline for requests, creating a form for requests so they are easier to process, requiring a reason for the request, etc)?

[Anonymous]

Good luck. TJ operates with a different set of rules. The DSS doesn’t feel like there is a problem. So why change? You need to go over his head with documentation of how and why the policy is unfair.

I know at other schools they have schedule hangers even up until first day of classes. For reasons that are much looser. Don’t know anyone in my class. I changed my mind. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is an automatic reply we got from one of the counselors when we sent her an email unrelated to course changes:

"Regarding schedule change requests: we are only correcting errors at this time. This includes missing graduation requirements (for seniors only), legitimate errors in a student’s schedule that were not caught during the verification process by staff in the spring, and schedule conflicts that may have occurred as the schedule was made. Your schedule reflects the courses (and/or alternates) you chose and verified on or before the posted deadline last spring. "

It'll be OK. Wait until after school starts and if your DC still wants to change classes, have them send an email to the counselor and/or personally go see them to do it. If it's a legitimate request it will be honored.

TJ had to get stricter about course changes because under the old regime parents were throwing fits to get their kids out of classes taught by the teachers who were seen as harder. It had gotten out of control and the kids whose parents weren't squeaky wheels were being punished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New to TJ... What are the steps to try to get this stupid policy changed (politely or otherwise)? Emails to Dr B, emails to school board (I’m new to FCPS, so not sure they care?), or other?

I can appreciate a free for all may be a headache, but I would think we could find a happy middle ground (maybe setting an August 1 deadline for requests, creating a form for requests so they are easier to process, requiring a reason for the request, etc)?

Ummmmm. Does your kid actually have a legitimate scheduling problem TJ won’t address? If not, why in the world would you alienate the DSS and your kid’s guidance counselor before they ever sit in their first class? Calm down, and get the lay of the land first.

There are very real reasons for the not change after April deadline. Starting with: TJ has a zillion specialized classes at the upper levels that only have 1 section. If enough kids sign up for them to teach computer vision, and they need to hire a computer vision teach, or have a current teacher spend the summer prepping to teach it, they need the kids who committed to taking the class to actually take the class, and not bail when they learn that an unpopular CS teacher was assigned to it. And the master schedule is made in the spring. They tried hard to get upper class schedules finalized in the spring, but there were.... complications. So they don’t end up teaching it for four kids. TJ has a much, much harder time with scheduling than base schools. They
Have many fewer students and many more classes.

And PP is right. Every department has teachers who are “easy” and teachers who are “hard”. Your kid will get a mix. Before they clamped down, parents whose kids got appropriate classes but didn’t want their kid to get the “hard” Chemistry teacher we’re a huge PITA.

If there is a legit reason your kid can’t be successful in a class, guidance will work with you. My kid has gotten a quiet change outside the course change rules because of a significant problem we were not able to resolve after we tried to work with with Guidance.

So wait and see. tjere is no reason to pick a fight day one.

[Anonymous]

That was a good thread! Thanks for posting. Keep pushing for what is right. There lots of good people at TJ. We need your support!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New to TJ... What are the steps to try to get this stupid policy changed (politely or otherwise)? Emails to Dr B, emails to school board (I’m new to FCPS, so not sure they care?), or other?

I can appreciate a free for all may be a headache, but I would think we could find a happy middle ground (maybe setting an August 1 deadline for requests, creating a form for requests so they are easier to process, requiring a reason for the request, etc)?

Dr. B is an airhead. I don't think she can change anyone's behavior at TJ. One of her big "push" areas was to reduce workload for the kids. A year later, she's introducing some new age crap thingy along the lines of "enjoying the experience and not worry about grades" and runs a book club for the parents. Nothing has changed at TJ. My sophomore had a ton of homework over the 4-day weekend (at the end of the quarter) and a test on the day he went back (or maybe on Thursday).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, what? OP— your kid wants to change classes less than a week before schedules come out because they got “bored” with Spanish? Lolololololololololoz. You’re funny OP.

(On the off chance you weren’t paying attention when they told you that there were no schedule changes, period, a language change “just because” is Never. Gonna. Happen. And the guidance counselor who still have 14 seniors missing graduation requirements isn’t going to think you are as funny as I do)

Also— every kid at TJ was a genius in their middle school. When TJ guidance tells you that:
2 years of MS Spanish =/= 2 years of TJ Spanish, and your kid will probably place into Level II, not Level III
No matter how well your kid did in 8th grade geometry need to re-take Math 2.5
Your Kid should not skip Foundations of CS
or Math 4
or Math 5
Etc. believe them.

Not always. My TJ kid went into Spanish 3 after 2 years of Spanish in middle school and then took AP Spanish in sophomore year, skipped Foundation of CS (took the test) and skipped Math 4 (took the test). He was told the same thing: repeat Spanish 2, do not skip CS foundation, pre-cal etc. It is appropriate to skip these for some TJ kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not always. My TJ kid went into Spanish 3 after 2 years of Spanish in middle school and then took AP Spanish in sophomore year, skipped Foundation of CS (took the test) and skipped Math 4 (took the test). He was told the same thing: repeat Spanish 2, do not skip CS foundation, pre-cal etc. It is appropriate to skip these for some TJ kids.

It may have worked for your kid and that's great, but please everyone else know that this is not the norm. And that's ok. The best thing my kid ever did was to stop participating in the arms race. He actually is back to loving math and science vs thinking school is a grind. He's also doing well and enjoying his TJ experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Not always. My TJ kid went into Spanish 3 after 2 years of Spanish in middle school and then took AP Spanish in sophomore year, skipped Foundation of CS (took the test) and skipped Math 4 (took the test). He was told the same thing: repeat Spanish 2, do not skip CS foundation, pre-cal etc. It is appropriate to skip these for some TJ kids.

It may have worked for your kid and that's great, but please everyone else know that this is not the norm. And that's ok. The best thing my kid ever did was to stop participating in the arms race. He actually is back to loving math and science vs thinking school is a grind. He's also doing well and enjoying his TJ experience.

+ 1. Getting a C in BC calc is the same as getting an A in AB calc. In the grand scheme of things, kids find their level.

[Anonymous]

+1 also. Parent of a TJ sophomore. Plenty of happy kids there who pick the classes that are right for them and resist the acceleration paths. Also plenty of unbelievably bright and motivated kids who benefit from the acceleration paths. Have to help your kid figure out what is best for them. I am not sure there is a "norm" at that school.