I don't like test prep however please dont blame Asian on that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not Asian myself so I’m wondering which Asians do all this test prepping? Asians are a pretty diverse group actually. Is it Indians, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese? I hate to lump them all together when they are not the same.

On balance, most on this forum are referring to Indians and Koreans. Certainly not all members of those communities prep, but they dominate the TJ space so they get the most attention.

Ok. And they prep by enrolling their child in Kumon? This is all new to me since I’m not from this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not Asian myself so I’m wondering which Asians do all this test prepping? Asians are a pretty diverse group actually. Is it Indians, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese? I hate to lump them all together when they are not the same.

On balance, most on this forum are referring to Indians and Koreans. Certainly not all members of those communities prep, but they dominate the TJ space so they get the most attention.

Ok. And they prep by enrolling their child in Kumon? This is all new to me since I’m not from this area.

It’s not necessarily “prepping” but it’s practicing, or whatever you want to call it. It’s semantics. It’s extra, supplemental.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not Asian myself so I’m wondering which Asians do all this test prepping? Asians are a pretty diverse group actually. Is it Indians, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese? I hate to lump them all together when they are not the same.

On balance, most on this forum are referring to Indians and Koreans. Certainly not all members of those communities prep, but they dominate the TJ space so they get the most attention.

Ok. And they prep by enrolling their child in Kumon? This is all new to me since I’m not from this area.

It’s not necessarily “prepping” but it’s practicing, or whatever you want to call it. It’s semantics. It’s extra, supplemental.

Yes, they study. All night long. It's sick. I can't stand them.

[Anonymous]

Enrichment is fine. Enrich away. Enjoy it!

An application process the provides the families who can afford to enrich or who have opportunities to enrich (after school activities offered at the school) a comparative advantage when applying is not fair to kids who do not have the same opportunities (a lack of extra school activities) or cannot afford to enrich. The reality is that a smart kid who might have an interest in STEM but whose ES and MS did not have after school activities like coding or robotics or chess club or math club might not have the slightest clue that they are interested in STEM and might not apply if they have to write essays about why they are interested. The kid has no clue because they have no exposure. The kid who has been attending enrichment activities (whether that is robotics club or AoPS) has a better idea about what to write and how to explain their interest because they have been exposed.

Developing an application process that allows kids to compete on an even playing field is important.

I doubt that every kid with a 3.5 GPA and who has completed Algebra is automatically in the lottery. I am guessing that kids will have to apply and want to attend.

And the idea that kids who have not been directed towards applying to TJ since kindergarten might take more of an interest, because they like math and science even if they have not been involved in STEM activities, is a good thing. It gives those kids a chance to think about a different path then they might have been thinking about because it is more accessible.

As for how well received they will be? 20% of the seats go to each of the regions. The new class will have more kids who look like them and are from their region/school. I think they will do just fine.

Keep on enriching, it is great that you are willing to spend that time and energy on helping your child grow. If they love those classes and programs as much as many of you claim they do, they should still enjoy them even if they go to their base school and not TJ. Because their obvious love of STEM is not going to die because they are at their base school and not TJ. Instead, they will seek out STEM opportunities at their base school, just like all the kids who applied for TJ last year and were not accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way back when I was a kid, these tests were supposed to measure what you know. So if you study hard, do your homework, and understand what you are learning in school, you don’t have to “prep” for the test.

Now, it seems the tests don’t measure what you know; they measure if you know how to take the test.

As a parent, I will totally make sure my kids know their math facts, read widely and have a large vocabulary, etc., but I draw the line at coaching a 10-year-old on test-taking strategies.

+1

Exactly! And that is precisely why it is considered cheating, even though the groups that over prep don't want to call it that. Instead, they want to call the white students "lazy" for not prepping - and even try to draw an analogy with sports. BS. Give me a break.

Welcome to 2020.. You know what else is different from back in your day, pretty much everything.

You know these doddering old bags want to go back to the 50’s or 60’s or whenever the hell they grew up. The world has passed them by and they don’t have a clue. FYI PP’s, China is overtaking the US.

Do we really want to become China though? Really? Are the Chinese loving life over there?

we overtook Europe long ago- their quality of life seems pretty high compared to the rest of the world. Nothing wrong with living in an eclipsed nation

Lol have you ever lived in Europe? And which country are you talking about? QOL varies based on country. If we are eclipsed, however, we will be a LOT worse off than Europeans.

We could all just become self sufficient, just look at the Amish. I would have no problem with that QOL.

China wouldn’t be happy with a quiet, “just minding my own business being self sufficient” US. As another PP said, they would make this country their bitch. It’s already happening so time for all the ppl whining about the preppers to get with the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are these elementary level test prep classes that everyone is talking about? Do you mean Kumon?

Yes, Kumon.

Huh? I thought Kumon was for strengthening basic math skills, not for prepping on how to take the CogAt or other standardized test.

It’s the elementary school equivalent to a prep course. Just another way to get ahead.

+1

Can we stop with taking the poor kids' childhoods AWAY from them?? I get it, you are chasing the almighty dollar, but at what expense?

I think Americans, particularly white/hispanic/black and some Asian cultures have different views and ideas of what childhood should be. Chinese/Korean/Japanese cultures don’t look at childhood the way many others do. We have completely different opinions and perspectives. Who’s to say which is correct? However, sadly if we want our kids to become successful, we will be forced to sacrifice some things we have taken for granted in the past. We are now part of a global culture. The only reason most people immigrate here is to “succeed.”

Bingo! And this explains test-prep insanity from the newly minted Americans.
A huge percentage of Chinese population is barely literate, especially, outside big cities. People here think every single 'Asian' out there spends days and nights going to cram schools and memorizing trig facts - and that's a mistake. Not everyone does. However, people who come here, are a self-selected bunch and they are ready to make their kids study 24-7 to be competitive with lazy-ass whites sitting on family investment portfolio.
Makes sense.
And as for the tired 'sports vs academics" debate, at least, if you study geometry, you develop your brains, even if you don't grow up to become Einstein. If you spend your childhood working on your tackling skills, you only develop chronic brain illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are these elementary level test prep classes that everyone is talking about? Do you mean Kumon?

Yes, Kumon.

Huh? I thought Kumon was for strengthening basic math skills, not for prepping on how to take the CogAt or other standardized test.

It’s the elementary school equivalent to a prep course. Just another way to get ahead.

+1

Can we stop with taking the poor kids' childhoods AWAY from them?? I get it, you are chasing the almighty dollar, but at what expense?

I think Americans, particularly white/hispanic/black and some Asian cultures have different views and ideas of what childhood should be. Chinese/Korean/Japanese cultures don’t look at childhood the way many others do. We have completely different opinions and perspectives. Who’s to say which is correct? However, sadly if we want our kids to become successful, we will be forced to sacrifice some things we have taken for granted in the past. We are now part of a global culture. The only reason most people immigrate here is to “succeed.”

Bingo! And this explains test-prep insanity from the newly minted Americans.
A huge percentage of Chinese population is barely literate, especially, outside big cities. People here think every single 'Asian' out there spends days and nights going to cram schools and memorizing trig facts - and that's a mistake. Not everyone does. However, people who come here, are a self-selected bunch and they are ready to make their kids study 24-7 to be competitive with lazy-ass whites sitting on family investment portfolio.
Makes sense.
And as for the tired 'sports vs academics" debate, at least, if you study geometry, you develop your brains, even if you don't grow up to become Einstein. If you spend your childhood working on your tackling skills, you only develop chronic brain illness.

100%

The Chinese who live in the rural areas and less known/populous towns and cities have far fewer educational opportunities. Chinese migrants from the rural area to the cities have to have special permission/papers that allow them to move. Without those papers, their kids are not able to attend schools in that location. There are children who are left in their parents village while the parents go to where the jobs are because there are no educational opportunities for the kids.

I would agree that the vast majority of people who choose to immigrate to the US or Europe are doing so because they want to better their life and recognize that an education is key to that better life. And the parents bring that drive to their kids. And I get that.

Enrichment and emphasizing education is a good thing. But that enrichment and extra prep time does not guarantee that kids get to attend TJ or an Ivy League school. And I think people are assuming a link that does not exist.

Kids will get an excellent education at any of the high schools in FCPS. I have friends with kids at Herndon High School whose kids have gone to Penn State University and Harvard. The AP program there is robust. So while there are many kids who are not able to participate in the AP program at Herndon High, the ones who are have a large number of opportunities in front of them. And any of the kids who have been spending all this time being tutored and prepped so they can be advanced in math and other areas more quickly will do fine in the AP program at the various high schools. And the ones who are far ahead in math will have opportunities to take college classes with dual enrollment at GMU.

I feel badly for the kids who did not get accepted at TJ after all this work before this year. I wonder what their parents had to say.