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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This starts early. Look at the middle schools with “too few to list” as their total admits. Those are the ones with the highest black student percentage. Then look at AAP admits by elementary school, and see that whiter parts of the county have more AAP students. It’s not necessarily TJ discriminating, it’s black students lacking early opportunities.

I taught in a middle school with a large percentage of POC. When it came time for TJ admission applications, they didn’t have the resume of ECs and summer camps that the white kids did. We need to start targeting these kids young if we want them to gain admission and be successful at TJ.

Yep, this is the issue.

Black parents need to step it up. The schools are telling Asian parents to prep their kids, get them in AAP, send them to tutoring and so on. They are learning this through word of mouth.

What you don’t seem to understand is that for some high achieving black students (and families), TJ is not a desirable destination. My DC is a top student, Mathcounts team both years, National science competitions, straight A’s with little effort, but was completely not interested in TJ. DC does not want to be the only black student in class and be isolated. I don’t want that either. We are a highly educated, high achieving family and if I felt that the base schools didn’t anything to offer, maybe would have considered TJ. However, our base school is good and I value a healthy environment over a toxic one.

[Anonymous]

What you don’t seem to understand is that for some high achieving black students (and families), TJ is not a desirable destination. My DC is a top student, Mathcounts team both years, National science competitions, straight A’s with little effort, but was completely not interested in TJ. DC does not want to be the only black student in class and be isolated. I don’t want that either. We are a highly educated, high achieving family and if I felt that the base schools didn’t anything to offer, maybe would have considered TJ. However, our base school is good and I value a healthy environment over a toxic one.

I can understand why black kids might not want to go to TJ because of the small numbers of black students, I don't agree that the environment is "toxic." Its not for everyone, but many kids thrive there.

[Anonymous]

I was with that poster until she called TJ toxic having no experience with the school. I am so sick of hearing TJ bashed by those who know nothing about it. It’s not for everyone but it’s fantastic for most who are there, including my two kids.

[Anonymous]

FCPS wanted to call as little attention to the 2024 admissions statistics as they could. It seems TJ isn’t a source of pride to FCPS any longer, but they’re stuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was with that poster until she called TJ toxic having no experience with the school. I am so sick of hearing TJ bashed by those who know nothing about it. It’s not for everyone but it’s fantastic for most who are there, including my two kids.

She was saying it would be toxic for her kid, based on her knowledge of how isolated he/she would be, not for your snowflakes. Geez.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was with that poster until she called TJ toxic having no experience with the school. I am so sick of hearing TJ bashed by those who know nothing about it. It’s not for everyone but it’s fantastic for most who are there, including my two kids.

She was saying it would be toxic for her kid, based on her knowledge of how isolated he/she would be, not for your snowflakes. Geez.

I hope that was what she meant, and if it was, it makes complete sense to me. But what she said seemed more general to TJ. And I think that is unwarranted.

[Anonymous]

Why is there so much focus on the low number of black TJ students and the number of black people among CEOs, on corporate boards, etc.? Why don’t you start with improving high school graduation rate in DC? If 30% of black students can’t graduate from their base high school, how do expect them to graduate from TJ or become a CEO? I’m honestly so puzzled. Protesters should put their efforts into mentoring black children and help them get education and jobs. If they have a decent job, they will be much less likely to engage in criminal activity and have interaction with police as a result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was with that poster until she called TJ toxic having no experience with the school. I am so sick of hearing TJ bashed by those who know nothing about it. It’s not for everyone but it’s fantastic for most who are there, including my two kids.

She was saying it would be toxic for her kid, based on her knowledge of how isolated he/she would be, not for your snowflakes. Geez.

I hope that was what she meant, and if it was, it makes complete sense to me. But what she said seemed more general to TJ. And I think that is unwarranted.

I am the poster to whom you are referring. It’s interesting that people tend the focus on a single word and bypass the main point of my post. I used the word toxic based on what I have heard of several close friends with multiple children who have gone to TJ. They are not URM but spoke honestly about how the black and latinx students are often excluded from study groups etc. I have no doubt there are plenty of students that love TJ and do well there and that it provides an excellent education. But the poster to which I was responding to made it seem as if there aren’t any black parents in FCPS who understand the game of how to get into TJ. My post was to point out that I do understand the game (as does my child) but we have decided not play. Just as I would not encourage my child to attend a university that had “too few to count” black students.

[Anonymous]

I know in NYC there have been efforts to diversify specialized high schools, but they never seem to sustain energy. I wish there was more of a push to increase diversity at TJ. I know there are programs, but has their efficacy been measured? How about encouraging more kids in AAP to take the test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was with that poster until she called TJ toxic having no experience with the school. I am so sick of hearing TJ bashed by those who know nothing about it. It’s not for everyone but it’s fantastic for most who are there, including my two kids.

She was saying it would be toxic for her kid, based on her knowledge of how isolated he/she would be, not for your snowflakes. Geez.

I hope that was what she meant, and if it was, it makes complete sense to me. But what she said seemed more general to TJ. And I think that is unwarranted.

I am the poster to whom you are referring. It’s interesting that people tend the focus on a single word and bypass the main point of my post. I used the word toxic based on what I have heard of several close friends with multiple children who have gone to TJ. They are not URM but spoke honestly about how the black and latinx students are often excluded from study groups etc. I have no doubt there are plenty of students that love TJ and do well there and that it provides an excellent education. But the poster to which I was responding to made it seem as if there aren’t any black parents in FCPS who understand the game of how to get into TJ. My post was to point out that I do understand the game (as does my child) but we have decided not play. Just as I would not encourage my child to attend a university that had “too few to count” black students.

Yes, we got your point and even said we were with you. That does not justify your use of the word “toxic” given your lack of personal experience. Would you like others to use derogatory terms based on hearsay? DCUM is full of judgement about TJ and its Asian-American students and they are full of stereotypes and racism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know in NYC there have been efforts to diversify specialized high schools, but they never seem to sustain energy. I wish there was more of a push to increase diversity at TJ. I know there are programs, but has their efficacy been measured? How about encouraging more kids in AAP to take the test?

Look into FCPS’s Young Scholars program. It is great — there was a neat WaPo Magazine article several years ago.

And TJ student groups do so many events to reach out to younger kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is there so much focus on the low number of black TJ students and the number of black people among CEOs, on corporate boards, etc.? Why don’t you start with improving high school graduation rate in DC? If 30% of black students can’t graduate from their base high school, how do expect them to graduate from TJ or become a CEO? I’m honestly so puzzled. Protesters should put their efforts into mentoring black children and help them get education and jobs. If they have a decent job, they will be much less likely to engage in criminal activity and have interaction with police as a result.

Such deflection. Why shouldn’t people in Fairfax try to improve their own community first?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was with that poster until she called TJ toxic having no experience with the school. I am so sick of hearing TJ bashed by those who know nothing about it. It’s not for everyone but it’s fantastic for most who are there, including my two kids.

She was saying it would be toxic for her kid, based on her knowledge of how isolated he/she would be, not for your snowflakes. Geez.

I hope that was what she meant, and if it was, it makes complete sense to me. But what she said seemed more general to TJ. And I think that is unwarranted.

I am the poster to whom you are referring. It’s interesting that people tend the focus on a single word and bypass the main point of my post. I used the word toxic based on what I have heard of several close friends with multiple children who have gone to TJ. They are not URM but spoke honestly about how the black and latinx students are often excluded from study groups etc. I have no doubt there are plenty of students that love TJ and do well there and that it provides an excellent education. But the poster to which I was responding to made it seem as if there aren’t any black parents in FCPS who understand the game of how to get into TJ. My post was to point out that I do understand the game (as does my child) but we have decided not play. Just as I would not encourage my child to attend a university that had “too few to count” black students.

It’s obscene that Brabrand puts out a system about how there is no room for racism in FCPS a day or two after FCPS makes clear yet again there is next to no room for black students at TJ. What a phony.

https://www.fcps.edu/blog/racism-and-hate-have-no-place-fcps

[Anonymous]

That clown has been in charge three years and has done nothing to make TJ more diverse. FCPS is racist at its core.

[Anonymous]

Are there any fees directly associated with applying to TJ? They should be dropped.