How many here had students that missed being NMSF and were Commended instead

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ didn’t do anything “in the name of equity” - they did distribute the certificates.

You certainly didn’t read the documents that have come to light

[Anonymous]

The schools were probably told by the school board. It was probably a suggestion but only TJ, Langley and Westfield did it because everyone else thinks it’s bananas. Lots of explanations for why it doesn’t matter. That is irrelevant. The school withheld the information to further some interest if the county and did not provide students information that those students deserved to know. That is the not the role of the school. Their job is to educate and prepare the kids for the world beyond high school. This information belonged to the students and should have been provided. All the equivocating and attempts to explain how it isn’t important are beside the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really do not understand the argument, what is equitable about not providing the certificates.

I totally get that this is stupid, that all students knew their scores and it was easy to determine whether your child was commended. My child was commended and I knew months before she got the certificate (or whatever it was). My child is at a DCPS school, so not familiar with the FCPS specific issues.

I really don't understand the argument that not handing them out ws some sort of effort to promote equity.

Could someone please explain the theory of how handing them out could/would have been inequitable?

Asra Nomani found that FCPS paid a contractor $455k to push an "equity imperative" that seeks "equal outcomes for every student".

Obviously, if some kids get "commended" and some do not, that was not an equal outcome for every student, and thus it is an offense against equity.



(If you're thinking that "equity" is just a kinder, gentler way of saying "communism" you are absolutely correct.)

There are Finalists, Semifinalists and Commended students, in descending order. TJ had 132 semifinalists as listed in the FCPS media release in September. Your argument is that the 3rd runner ups (who already knew where they landed) weren’t given their official letters in their homeroom classes because it would be seen as inequitable to hand them an envelope in front of their peers? In a school that already had 132 publicly announced semifinalists?

Asra Nomani might end up taking down TJ and I’m here for it. That school takes too much time, energy and resources away from the rest of the county.

So even at TJ less than 30% were semifinalists? Are you saying the rest were losers because they were only commended? Also the PSAT is taken during the junior year not sophomore.

Only 3% of test takers are recognized as semifinalists or commended. It is such crap to say this doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Mine. And no, her school never informed her (Prince William County), I looked it up myself after all this current hoopla.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine. And no, her school never informed her (Prince William County), I looked it up myself after all this current hoopla.

Are you willing to share which PW school?
My kid is a junior at a PW school. I had never even heard of this "commended" this year, but it looks like my kid's score will qualify next fall. I don't want any ceremony or even a mention in the school newsletter. I DO want them to at least officially notify him (by handing him the certificate in private) because he doesn't have a ton of awards so he will likely put this on his college applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine. And no, her school never informed her (Prince William County), I looked it up myself after all this current hoopla.

The list of schools is going to grow because commended doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much people scream about it or how many affiliates looking to fill time report on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine. And no, her school never informed her (Prince William County), I looked it up myself after all this current hoopla.

The list of schools is going to grow because commended doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much people scream about it or how many affiliates looking to fill time report on it.

You don't get to determine what matters to other people. It doesn't matter how much you scream that you do. Regardless of whether or not it matters to college admissions officers, if it matters to the student, and the student EARNED it, the student should be notified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That said, any student or parent that was paying attention would know whether that student was NMSF or commended. The cut scores are a simple google search and all the students have their scores. It is not rocket science.

Well said.

YES. That's why I do not get why the TJ thing is a thing worth a government inquiry over.

Are they perhaps first generation students (I've read many are Asian) and their parents aren't as aware of NMSF qualifications?

Possible, but you are crazy if you don’t think every kid at TJ knows the cut off. Kids talk, especially high achieving stats driven kids like TJ kids. I would be shocked if the kids did not know they were commended.

At TJ, commended is a badge of shame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine. And no, her school never informed her (Prince William County), I looked it up myself after all this current hoopla.

The list of schools is going to grow because commended doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much people scream about it or how many affiliates looking to fill time report on it.

You don't get to determine what matters to other people. It doesn't matter how much you scream that you do. Regardless of whether or not it matters to college admissions officers, if it matters to the student, and the student EARNED it, the student should be notified.

Everybody gets a trophy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That said, any student or parent that was paying attention would know whether that student was NMSF or commended. The cut scores are a simple google search and all the students have their scores. It is not rocket science.

Well said.

YES. That's why I do not get why the TJ thing is a thing worth a government inquiry over.

Are they perhaps first generation students (I've read many are Asian) and their parents aren't as aware of NMSF qualifications?

Possible, but you are crazy if you don’t think every kid at TJ knows the cut off. Kids talk, especially high achieving stats driven kids like TJ kids. I would be shocked if the kids did not know they were commended.

At TJ, commended is a badge of shame.

So, by that logic I gather you would agree with the school not making any formal notification as it would just highlight that student's badge of shame. Considering nearly 50% of the class (based on numbers provided in earlier posts) receives no special recognition, not sure why this would be a badge of shame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine. And no, her school never informed her (Prince William County), I looked it up myself after all this current hoopla.

The list of schools is going to grow because commended doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much people scream about it or how many affiliates looking to fill time report on it.

You don't get to determine what matters to other people. It doesn't matter how much you scream that you do. Regardless of whether or not it matters to college admissions officers, if it matters to the student, and the student EARNED it, the student should be notified.

Everybody gets a trophy!

Only 3-4 percent of all test takers are commended--so no, not everyone gets a trophy. The students deserved to know and should have been given their certificates (our school did). It was very wrong for TJ and others to deliberately withhold the information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That said, any student or parent that was paying attention would know whether that student was NMSF or commended. The cut scores are a simple google search and all the students have their scores. It is not rocket science.

Well said.

YES. That's why I do not get why the TJ thing is a thing worth a government inquiry over.

Are they perhaps first generation students (I've read many are Asian) and their parents aren't as aware of NMSF qualifications?

Possible, but you are crazy if you don’t think every kid at TJ knows the cut off. Kids talk, especially high achieving stats driven kids like TJ kids. I would be shocked if the kids did not know they were commended.

At TJ, commended is a badge of shame.

I'm sure there are many TJ students who would be embarrassed to be recognized as commended. Perhaps the administration took the feelings of these students into account.

So, by that logic I gather you would agree with the school not making any formal notification as it would just highlight that student's badge of shame. Considering nearly 50% of the class (based on numbers provided in earlier posts) receives no special recognition, not sure why this would be a badge of shame.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure there are some TJ students who would be embarrassed to be recognized as commended. Perhaps the TJ administration took the feelings of those students into account.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine. And no, her school never informed her (Prince William County), I looked it up myself after all this current hoopla.

The list of schools is going to grow because commended doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how much people scream about it or how many affiliates looking to fill time report on it.

You don't get to determine what matters to other people. It doesn't matter how much you scream that you do. Regardless of whether or not it matters to college admissions officers, if it matters to the student, and the student EARNED it, the student should be notified.

Everybody gets a trophy!

And the plate on yours starts with "World's Biggest"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ didn’t do anything “in the name of equity” - they did distribute the certificates.

You certainly didn’t read the documents that have come to light

Ultimately, TJ distributed the certificates so they must not have worried about equity too much. This was before the RWNJs started harassing TJ about it.