TJ's PTSA Diversity Committee chair endorses Strauss, not Epstein
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Anonymous
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http://www.sungazette.net/mclean-greatfalls-vienna-oakton/commentary/strauss-is-candidate-who-values-diversity-in-tj-s-ranks/article_7ed78b80-0321-11e1-a47a-001cc4c03286.html
Posted: Monday, October 31, 2011 6:00 am Editor: I am the chairman of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology PTSA diversity committee, and proudly endorse Jane Strauss for re-election to the Dranesville seat on the School Board. As chairman of the TJ Diversity Committee, I have worked extensively with Louise Epstein, who is now running for the School Board. I have been frustrated and disappointed with Ms. Epstein’s lack of leadership and attempts to sabotage the activities of the committee. Because of Louise’s negative tactics and lack of support for diversity, I endorse her opponent, Janie Strauss. Most of the members of the diversity committee believe that certain racial and ethnic groups are underrepresented at Thomas Jefferson. Louise disagrees with this assessment. As a result, she sabotaged the tasks of the committee with the intent of dismantling it. Janie Strauss values diversity and strives to close the achievement gap. Louise Epstein does not value diversity, she is not a team player and she is not a leader. The comments in this letter represent my views and not the views of the Thomas Jefferson PTSA diversity committee. Abraham Lerner, Herndon |
Anonymous
| "And I'm taking all my marbles and you can't play with any of them!" |
Anonymous
| Opening up a can of worms here, but students admitted to TJ should be admitted because they have the highest test scores, not because of some misguided notion that TJ needs to embrace diversity. The application should be colorblind. |
Anonymous
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It is at least debatable that Epstein focuses on G&T to the exclusion of the problems of Title I students.
It's also at least debatable that a TJ that is majority Asian may not serve the community quite as well as a TJ that is closer to the community at large. But then that might open the can of worms that maybe UVA and W&M shouldn't accept so many students from Northern Virginia. The anti-staff party in Fairfax is a coalition with divergent interests that will likely break up once it takes power. But, to be fair, I don't think the Hatrick/Dale toadies (is there a similar situation in Prince William, Montgomery, and Prince George's) deserve to be perpetuated. |
Anonymous
Excellent point. I have heard through the grapevine that the anti-staff party is not exactly thrilled with the performance of their first two apparent victories on the School Board (Evans and Reed). It will be interesting to watch what happens after the anti-staff party School Board victors take office to see if there is similar sentiment. |
Anonymous
| For a student at TJ, I thought that was a poorly written editorial. |
Anonymous
| Epstein should have run as an at-large candidate where she could play devil's advocate. I don't think she'd be effective as the Dranesville representative. |
Anonymous
| What is the "anti-staff party"? |
Anonymous
http://www.tjhsst.edu/supportingtj/ptsa/diversity-additionalresources.htm 1. is what FCPS/TJ want to do to increase diversity [meaning black and hispanic] . I looked up IMSA admissions and it uses the SAT not a special test as does FCPS for TJ. Why reinvent the wheel with a different test as is the case with FCPS? https://www3.imsa.edu/admissions/admissions_public_policy Readers on DCUM might not be aware of the Young Scholars program in FCPS which uses the AAP [formerly known as GT] school based resource teachers for Young Scholars. Whatever is going on there and in the base schools has not resulted in students getting into TJ --- parents who rely on the schools are not getting the results. A former school board member said programs we [FCPS] implemented didn't work and I don't know what she was referring to but can write that you can have all the extra time and programs but if they are fuzzy/fluffy on content then there will not be results. Many FCPS schools just don't present academics that without supplementing prepare a student for TJ admissions. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/30/AR2010103003460.html totally unfair to slam Epstein for the quality of instruction or what is done for underrepresented groups at TJ. |
Anonymous
| I dont get it, so if there are a lot of minorities in TJ (asians) its not minority enough? Why do we have to pick a percentage? |
Anonymous
Louise Epstein just got my vote. Personally, I consider sabotaging the activities of your committee to be a good thing. When my company looks at TJ resumes for internships we are looking at how smart they are and we are not looking at the color the applicants skin. |
Anonymous
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Those with a connection to TJ who are pleased with its current direction (ignoring the under-representation of Black and Hispanic students , focusing on STEM classes and downplaying the humanities, and generally engaging less with others outside the building) will tend to support Epstein.
She comes from NYC, where there are a few well-known, highly competitive magnet schools like Stuyvesant, Bronx HS of Science and Hunter College, and the rest of the public schools are typically dreadful. From all indications, she'd be happy if that's what we end up with in Fairfax. Strauss seems to care more about preserving FPCS as a strong, suburban school system with many good schools. |
Anonymous
She would have been a fabulous at-large member! |
Anonymous
Generally the candidates who talk about reform, containing costs, zero tolerance, etc., and who express general unhappines You've got folks who are concerned about the achievement gap, troglodytes who secretly think cutting teacher pay 20% will solve everything, folks who just want zero tolerance eliminated, and folks trying to advance the cause of private schools/vouchers. |
Anonymous
Can I just say how disappointed in this? Is this indicative of the "best and brightest" at TJ? To write letters to newspapers containing vague allegations of bias against "certain" groups? Really? I mean, REALLY? Seriously, someone alert US News and World Report, because this letter from Abraham is just an embarassment. Here's a tip son: Proof points. Learn them. Use them. |