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

[Anonymous]

So you are okay with the systemic racism inherent in "neighborhood schools" just not okay with the systemic racism inherent in a competitive admissions process that disadvantages the kids whose "neighborhood schools" are lower performing?

If you really want change, think a little bigger. Or, if TJ just gets under your skin, don't make it about race.

[Anonymous]

12:56 - great point - the SES of TJ is just as important. I didn't mean to defend TJ, just demonstrate that change could and should be so much bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP above. Out of curiosity, I just checked the demographics for Langley and McLean (which I think everyone on this forum would agree are two of the best HS in FCPS)

Langley had 1.67% Black and 4.5% Hispanic, and 2% FARM

McLean had 3.8% Black, 11.19% Hispanic and 8.43% FARM

TJ had 1.76% Black, 2.38% Hispanic, and 1.98% FARM.

All three of these school are radically out of balance and represent inequality in our system. One school TJ, by the nature of an admissions process, and the other two by location (and therefore SES) of your parents. If you really want equality, why not tear it all down? I am writing the school board today as the moment in history should cause us to reexamine all the racism in our educational system.

Interesting that you don't seem to acknowledge that TJ's demographics - at 1.98% FARMS the lowest of the three schools - is also a result of the SES of the parents.

And I don't see anyone saying TJ should be "torn down," but rather used to provide maximum benefit to students in the county for whom it was originally built. The old Jefferson was the community school for the black families who lived off Lincolnia Road They among others lost their community school, built right around the time the schools were finally integrating, when it was taken away.

There is obviously no meaningful difference between the FARMS rate at TJ versus Langley. McLean is higher, of course, though still much, much lower than the county as a whole.

TJ was actually rebuilt recently for TJ, and thus benefits the kids for whom it was built. As mentioned earlier, TJ has been TJ for a very long time. Also, other school systems contributed to the cost of the renovations. If their kids are kicked out of the building, FCPS is going to have to reimburse those costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you are okay with the systemic racism inherent in "neighborhood schools" just not okay with the systemic racism inherent in a competitive admissions process that disadvantages the kids whose "neighborhood schools" are lower performing?

If you really want change, think a little bigger. Or, if TJ just gets under your skin, don't make it about race.

Quite an exercise in deflection. Kind of like the TJ principal tossing out on her own that TJ might be getting rid of "Colonials" as the mascot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP above. Out of curiosity, I just checked the demographics for Langley and McLean (which I think everyone on this forum would agree are two of the best HS in FCPS)

Langley had 1.67% Black and 4.5% Hispanic, and 2% FARM

McLean had 3.8% Black, 11.19% Hispanic and 8.43% FARM

TJ had 1.76% Black, 2.38% Hispanic, and 1.98% FARM.

All three of these school are radically out of balance and represent inequality in our system. One school TJ, by the nature of an admissions process, and the other two by location (and therefore SES) of your parents. If you really want equality, why not tear it all down? I am writing the school board today as the moment in history should cause us to reexamine all the racism in our educational system.

Interesting that you don't seem to acknowledge that TJ's demographics - at 1.98% FARMS the lowest of the three schools - is also a result of the SES of the parents.

And I don't see anyone saying TJ should be "torn down," but rather used to provide maximum benefit to students in the county for whom it was originally built. The old Jefferson was the community school for the black families who lived off Lincolnia Road They among others lost their community school, built right around the time the schools were finally integrating, when it was taken away.

There is obviously no meaningful difference between the FARMS rate at TJ versus Langley. McLean is higher, of course, though still much, much lower than the county as a whole.

TJ was actually rebuilt recently for TJ, and thus benefits the kids for whom it was built. As mentioned earlier, TJ has been TJ for a very long time. Also, other school systems contributed to the cost of the renovations. If their kids are kicked out of the building, FCPS is going to have to reimburse those costs.

TJ was also Jefferson for a long time before it was TJHSST. You know, when it actually benefited those who lived in the area.

Fine for FCPS to reimburse other jurisdictions that actually contributed to the renovation if necessary as part of returning it to its originally intended use. For the most part the other participating jurisdictions pay on a per-student basis. The school is owned solely by FCPS.

It is nonsense to claim TJ won't work as a building unless only Asian and white kids go there.

[Anonymous]

MERIT.

At the end of the day it has to be MERIT and PERFORMANCE that should determine who gets in.

However, all resources of tutoring, food, equipment should be provided to all students who are poor - Black, White, Others - so that they can be competetive.

Why not make all schools rigerous? Why not not promote children from a lower grade to the next grade if they are not at an 70% level of performance?

[Anonymous]

"It is nonsense to claim TJ won't work as a building unless only Asian and white kids go there."

I never said that. But what is nonsense is to say is that most of the costs for the current building were not incurred to make a building for the TJ program.

By the way, it looks like FCPS would have to come up with about $15 million to reimburse the other counties for the capital costs of the renovations (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/tj-renovation-cost-raises-questions-from-surrounding-school-systems-asked-to-chip-in/2013/01/29/1e22037c-6a47-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html). This is not an enormous amount for FCPS, but its not nothing, either.

The planned renovation would significantly expand the school and add new labs for neuroscience and oceanography. Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale’s proposal would have the other school jurisdictions paying pro-rated portions of the renovation costs based on how many of their students attend the school. Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun and Fauquier counties and the city of Falls Church would pay about $15 million of the $90 million total cost, or about $50,000 per student. Loudoun County alone would pay nearly $8 million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"It is nonsense to claim TJ won't work as a building unless only Asian and white kids go there."

I never said that. But what is nonsense is to say is that most of the costs for the current building were not incurred to make a building for the TJ program.

By the way, it looks like FCPS would have to come up with about $15 million to reimburse the other counties for the capital costs of the renovations (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/tj-renovation-cost-raises-questions-from-surrounding-school-systems-asked-to-chip-in/2013/01/29/1e22037c-6a47-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html). This is not an enormous amount for FCPS, but its not nothing, either.

The planned renovation would significantly expand the school and add new labs for neuroscience and oceanography. Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale’s proposal would have the other school jurisdictions paying pro-rated portions of the renovation costs based on how many of their students attend the school. Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun and Fauquier counties and the city of Falls Church would pay about $15 million of the $90 million total cost, or about $50,000 per student. Loudoun County alone would pay nearly $8 million.

$15M is not much in the context of a $2.8B budget, especially when you'd be able to get 1000 additional seats for county students in the process.

And "would pay," as referenced in the article is different than "did pay," as is the suggestion that most of the costs incurred to renovate TJ were for things unique to its current magnet use. The total cost appears to have been largely in line with renovations of other schools built in the mid-60s (Marshall, Edison) that are not magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"It is nonsense to claim TJ won't work as a building unless only Asian and white kids go there."

I never said that. But what is nonsense is to say is that most of the costs for the current building were not incurred to make a building for the TJ program.

By the way, it looks like FCPS would have to come up with about $15 million to reimburse the other counties for the capital costs of the renovations (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/tj-renovation-cost-raises-questions-from-surrounding-school-systems-asked-to-chip-in/2013/01/29/1e22037c-6a47-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html). This is not an enormous amount for FCPS, but its not nothing, either.

The planned renovation would significantly expand the school and add new labs for neuroscience and oceanography. Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale’s proposal would have the other school jurisdictions paying pro-rated portions of the renovation costs based on how many of their students attend the school. Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun and Fauquier counties and the city of Falls Church would pay about $15 million of the $90 million total cost, or about $50,000 per student. Loudoun County alone would pay nearly $8 million.

$15M is not much in the context of a $2.8B budget, especially when you'd be able to get 1000 additional seats for county students in the process.

And "would pay," as referenced in the article is different than "did pay," as is the suggestion that most of the costs incurred to renovate TJ were for things unique to its current magnet use. The total cost appears to have been largely in line with renovations of other schools built in the mid-60s (Marshall, Edison) that are not magnets.

Agreed that $15 million is not all that much money to FCPS. But they would have to come up with it. And then enjoy redistricting the entire county. Lots of families are aren't going to like whatever you come up with. I'm also not certain that you are getting 1000 extra seats, but even if you, that's an average of 40 or so high school. Its not that many. And you've told some of the brightest and hardest working students in the county that you don't care about their education. Not sure that's a great long-term message.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"It is nonsense to claim TJ won't work as a building unless only Asian and white kids go there."

I never said that. But what is nonsense is to say is that most of the costs for the current building were not incurred to make a building for the TJ program.

By the way, it looks like FCPS would have to come up with about $15 million to reimburse the other counties for the capital costs of the renovations (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/tj-renovation-cost-raises-questions-from-surrounding-school-systems-asked-to-chip-in/2013/01/29/1e22037c-6a47-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html). This is not an enormous amount for FCPS, but its not nothing, either.

The planned renovation would significantly expand the school and add new labs for neuroscience and oceanography. Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale’s proposal would have the other school jurisdictions paying pro-rated portions of the renovation costs based on how many of their students attend the school. Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun and Fauquier counties and the city of Falls Church would pay about $15 million of the $90 million total cost, or about $50,000 per student. Loudoun County alone would pay nearly $8 million.

$15M is not much in the context of a $2.8B budget, especially when you'd be able to get 1000 additional seats for county students in the process.

And "would pay," as referenced in the article is different than "did pay," as is the suggestion that most of the costs incurred to renovate TJ were for things unique to its current magnet use. The total cost appears to have been largely in line with renovations of other schools built in the mid-60s (Marshall, Edison) that are not magnets.

When my kid attended TJ before the renovation it was a real dump. It needed the update.

[Anonymous]

If TJ is destroyed like you want, then you can kiss Amazon and the other tech firms goodbye. The school pays for itself with partnerships for Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"It is nonsense to claim TJ won't work as a building unless only Asian and white kids go there."

I never said that. But what is nonsense is to say is that most of the costs for the current building were not incurred to make a building for the TJ program.

By the way, it looks like FCPS would have to come up with about $15 million to reimburse the other counties for the capital costs of the renovations (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/tj-renovation-cost-raises-questions-from-surrounding-school-systems-asked-to-chip-in/2013/01/29/1e22037c-6a47-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html). This is not an enormous amount for FCPS, but its not nothing, either.

The planned renovation would significantly expand the school and add new labs for neuroscience and oceanography. Fairfax Superintendent Jack D. Dale’s proposal would have the other school jurisdictions paying pro-rated portions of the renovation costs based on how many of their students attend the school. Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun and Fauquier counties and the city of Falls Church would pay about $15 million of the $90 million total cost, or about $50,000 per student. Loudoun County alone would pay nearly $8 million.

$15M is not much in the context of a $2.8B budget, especially when you'd be able to get 1000 additional seats for county students in the process.

And "would pay," as referenced in the article is different than "did pay," as is the suggestion that most of the costs incurred to renovate TJ were for things unique to its current magnet use. The total cost appears to have been largely in line with renovations of other schools built in the mid-60s (Marshall, Edison) that are not magnets.

Agreed that $15 million is not all that much money to FCPS. But they would have to come up with it. And then enjoy redistricting the entire county. Lots of families are aren't going to like whatever you come up with. I'm also not certain that you are getting 1000 extra seats, but even if you, that's an average of 40 or so high school. Its not that many. And you've told some of the brightest and hardest working students in the county that you don't care about their education. Not sure that's a great long-term message.

As opposed to the message FCPS has been delivering to everyone else for years, including each of the 160 black applicants to TJ turned away this year? LOL.

FCPS has been ripe for a county-wide redistricting for years. If unwinding the rank and obnoxious elitism at TJ is what finally moves them to act, so much the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If TJ is destroyed like you want, then you can kiss Amazon and the other tech firms goodbye. The school pays for itself with partnerships for Fairfax County.

Your hysteria is amusing. Your racism and classism is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If TJ is destroyed like you want, then you can kiss Amazon and the other tech firms goodbye. The school pays for itself with partnerships for Fairfax County.

Your hysteria is amusing. Your racism and classism is not.

I am a TJ supporter, but I don't think the presence or absence of TJ is going to make much of a difference to different tech firms. But I think you underestimate the value of the prestige of having one of the best public high schools in the entire country brings to the entire system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If TJ is destroyed like you want, then you can kiss Amazon and the other tech firms goodbye. The school pays for itself with partnerships for Fairfax County.

Your hysteria is amusing. Your racism and classism is not.

I am a TJ supporter, but I don't think the presence or absence of TJ is going to make much of a difference to different tech firms. But I think you underestimate the value of the prestige of having one of the best public high schools in the entire country brings to the entire system.

TJ is more of an embarrassment to FCPS right now than a source of pride.