Washington Post Article On Freshmen Admitted Under New Admissions Process

[Anonymous]

While all 4 of the kids profiled are racial minorities, all of them seem to be middle class and not at or below the poverty line. Discussion of whether FARMS kids can succeed isn't relevant for this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While all 4 of the kids profiled are racial minorities, all of them seem to be middle class and not at or below the poverty line. Discussion of whether FARMS kids can succeed isn't relevant for this thread.

Lol 25% farms is not middle class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:25% low income? Oof, this is going to shift the schools budget from academics to social and welfare needs, you want to avoid schools with farms in the double digits.

So the kids who have the interest and the aptitude to attend TJ but lack the external supports from their schools and parents should be regulated to attending high schools with over 25% FARMs students because you are worried about having them at TJ? Do you even read what you are posting?

The kids in the article all commented that the test was a barrier but as soon it was gone they thought that they would apply. They are enjoying their experience at TJ, especially the STEM type classes, and are happy to be there.

Regardless of how kids are admitted to TJ, capable people are excluded. There were kids with high test scores that were not accepted at TJ when the test existed. There are not enough seats for all of the kids who are interested and qualified.

I have no idea what budget you think has to be shifted for the higher percentage of FARMs kids. There are more kids who will get free or reduced price meals. They all qualified based on meeting the pre reqs that TJ set out for applying so it is not like they need different classes.

It is kind of gross that your concern is that the school now needs to change how it meets the social and welfare needs of its students because they have increased the number of qualified kids who come from impoverished backgrounds.

It will go downhill, the kids don't have the means to do after school tutoring support etc that prior tj students do. The school is going to have a mess on their hands when test scores come out

This is great news! A high school, especially a magnet high school that is supposed to be for gifted students, shouldn't require after school tutoring. Studying, yes; tutoring, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:25% low income? Oof, this is going to shift the schools budget from academics to social and welfare needs, you want to avoid schools with farms in the double digits.

So the kids who have the interest and the aptitude to attend TJ but lack the external supports from their schools and parents should be regulated to attending high schools with over 25% FARMs students because you are worried about having them at TJ? Do you even read what you are posting?

The kids in the article all commented that the test was a barrier but as soon it was gone they thought that they would apply. They are enjoying their experience at TJ, especially the STEM type classes, and are happy to be there.

Regardless of how kids are admitted to TJ, capable people are excluded. There were kids with high test scores that were not accepted at TJ when the test existed. There are not enough seats for all of the kids who are interested and qualified.

I have no idea what budget you think has to be shifted for the higher percentage of FARMs kids. There are more kids who will get free or reduced price meals. They all qualified based on meeting the pre reqs that TJ set out for applying so it is not like they need different classes.

It is kind of gross that your concern is that the school now needs to change how it meets the social and welfare needs of its students because they have increased the number of qualified kids who come from impoverished backgrounds.

It will go downhill, the kids don't have the means to do after school tutoring support etc that prior tj students do. The school is going to have a mess on their hands when test scores come out

Are you saying that the reason why most kids at TJ are successful is because they are paying for additional tutoring? That is a problem. The classes shouldn’t be so hard that tutoring is common place. Just like the test shouldn’t be set so that kids who take specific prep classes have an advantage. The classes and admittance requirements should be developed so that kids can succeed with the materials provided at the school.

If the kids who have had success at TJ have had success because they are paying for tutoring, then maybe those kids didn’t belong at TJ.

[Anonymous]

I loved this article

To the parents who are frustrated at the number of mods who could handle TJ work but were turned away, wouldn’t it make more sense to lobby for creating another high school that has this level of challenge so all the capable kids can get the best possible public school education rather than figuring out who to deny this to? I’d love to see more schools raise their expectations so kids can get as far as they can go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:25% low income? Oof, this is going to shift the schools budget from academics to social and welfare needs, you want to avoid schools with farms in the double digits.

So the kids who have the interest and the aptitude to attend TJ but lack the external supports from their schools and parents should be regulated to attending high schools with over 25% FARMs students because you are worried about having them at TJ? Do you even read what you are posting?

The kids in the article all commented that the test was a barrier but as soon it was gone they thought that they would apply. They are enjoying their experience at TJ, especially the STEM type classes, and are happy to be there.

Regardless of how kids are admitted to TJ, capable people are excluded. There were kids with high test scores that were not accepted at TJ when the test existed. There are not enough seats for all of the kids who are interested and qualified.

I have no idea what budget you think has to be shifted for the higher percentage of FARMs kids. There are more kids who will get free or reduced price meals. They all qualified based on meeting the pre reqs that TJ set out for applying so it is not like they need different classes.

It is kind of gross that your concern is that the school now needs to change how it meets the social and welfare needs of its students because they have increased the number of qualified kids who come from impoverished backgrounds.

It will go downhill, the kids don't have the means to do after school tutoring support etc that prior tj students do. The school is going to have a mess on their hands when test scores come out

Are you saying that the reason why most kids at TJ are successful is because they are paying for additional tutoring? That is a problem. The classes shouldn’t be so hard that tutoring is common place. Just like the test shouldn’t be set so that kids who take specific prep classes have an advantage. The classes and admittance requirements should be developed so that kids can succeed with the materials provided at the school.

If the kids who have had success at TJ have had success because they are paying for tutoring, then maybe those kids didn’t belong at TJ.

Newsflash all the parents of good schools do this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:25% low income? Oof, this is going to shift the schools budget from academics to social and welfare needs, you want to avoid schools with farms in the double digits.

So the kids who have the interest and the aptitude to attend TJ but lack the external supports from their schools and parents should be regulated to attending high schools with over 25% FARMs students because you are worried about having them at TJ? Do you even read what you are posting?

The kids in the article all commented that the test was a barrier but as soon it was gone they thought that they would apply. They are enjoying their experience at TJ, especially the STEM type classes, and are happy to be there.

Regardless of how kids are admitted to TJ, capable people are excluded. There were kids with high test scores that were not accepted at TJ when the test existed. There are not enough seats for all of the kids who are interested and qualified.

I have no idea what budget you think has to be shifted for the higher percentage of FARMs kids. There are more kids who will get free or reduced price meals. They all qualified based on meeting the pre reqs that TJ set out for applying so it is not like they need different classes.

It is kind of gross that your concern is that the school now needs to change how it meets the social and welfare needs of its students because they have increased the number of qualified kids who come from impoverished backgrounds.

It will go downhill, the kids don't have the means to do after school tutoring support etc that prior tj students do. The school is going to have a mess on their hands when test scores come out

Are you saying that the reason why most kids at TJ are successful is because they are paying for additional tutoring? That is a problem. The classes shouldn’t be so hard that tutoring is common place. Just like the test shouldn’t be set so that kids who take specific prep classes have an advantage. The classes and admittance requirements should be developed so that kids can succeed with the materials provided at the school.

If the kids who have had success at TJ have had success because they are paying for tutoring, then maybe those kids didn’t belong at TJ.

Newsflash all the parents of good schools do this

Poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:25% low income? Oof, this is going to shift the schools budget from academics to social and welfare needs, you want to avoid schools with farms in the double digits.

So the kids who have the interest and the aptitude to attend TJ but lack the external supports from their schools and parents should be regulated to attending high schools with over 25% FARMs students because you are worried about having them at TJ? Do you even read what you are posting?

The kids in the article all commented that the test was a barrier but as soon it was gone they thought that they would apply. They are enjoying their experience at TJ, especially the STEM type classes, and are happy to be there.

Regardless of how kids are admitted to TJ, capable people are excluded. There were kids with high test scores that were not accepted at TJ when the test existed. There are not enough seats for all of the kids who are interested and qualified.

I have no idea what budget you think has to be shifted for the higher percentage of FARMs kids. There are more kids who will get free or reduced price meals. They all qualified based on meeting the pre reqs that TJ set out for applying so it is not like they need different classes.

It is kind of gross that your concern is that the school now needs to change how it meets the social and welfare needs of its students because they have increased the number of qualified kids who come from impoverished backgrounds.

It will go downhill, the kids don't have the means to do after school tutoring support etc that prior tj students do. The school is going to have a mess on their hands when test scores come out

Are you saying that the reason why most kids at TJ are successful is because they are paying for additional tutoring? That is a problem. The classes shouldn’t be so hard that tutoring is common place. Just like the test shouldn’t be set so that kids who take specific prep classes have an advantage. The classes and admittance requirements should be developed so that kids can succeed with the materials provided at the school.

If the kids who have had success at TJ have had success because they are paying for tutoring, then maybe those kids didn’t belong at TJ.

Newsflash all the parents of good schools do this

I used tutors when I was struggling with my LDs in ES. I didn’t use tutors in HS or college or grad school. I managed to earn my PhD without tutors. I guess I did it or wrong or I was capable of excelling without tutors.

Tutors are fine, they help a kid who is struggling to understand the material. But they should not be something required to do well in school. I would expect that the students at TJ are able to excel with limited help from tutors. Just like I think they should be able to do well on the Quant test without prepping. I am less impressed to hear that kids need tutoring to do well at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:25% low income? Oof, this is going to shift the schools budget from academics to social and welfare needs, you want to avoid schools with farms in the double digits.

So the kids who have the interest and the aptitude to attend TJ but lack the external supports from their schools and parents should be regulated to attending high schools with over 25% FARMs students because you are worried about having them at TJ? Do you even read what you are posting?

The kids in the article all commented that the test was a barrier but as soon it was gone they thought that they would apply. They are enjoying their experience at TJ, especially the STEM type classes, and are happy to be there.

Regardless of how kids are admitted to TJ, capable people are excluded. There were kids with high test scores that were not accepted at TJ when the test existed. There are not enough seats for all of the kids who are interested and qualified.

I have no idea what budget you think has to be shifted for the higher percentage of FARMs kids. There are more kids who will get free or reduced price meals. They all qualified based on meeting the pre reqs that TJ set out for applying so it is not like they need different classes.

It is kind of gross that your concern is that the school now needs to change how it meets the social and welfare needs of its students because they have increased the number of qualified kids who come from impoverished backgrounds.

It will go downhill, the kids don't have the means to do after school tutoring support etc that prior tj students do. The school is going to have a mess on their hands when test scores come out

This is great news! A high school, especially a magnet high school that is supposed to be for gifted students, shouldn't require after school tutoring. Studying, yes; tutoring, no.

+1

[Anonymous]

Ignore the tutor poster. Just more of those trying to hate in TJ kids. No, most current TJ kids don’t use or need tutors. The school has had to provide a lot of remediation and extra tutoring to this year’s freshman class, though.

The quote about the kid who didn’t think she could pass the test bothered me. My kids and most who I know did not find the TJ test hard and my kids didn’t need to prep for it. The other kids sounded like they loved stem and were prepared. None seemed particularly disadvantaged or struggling (private instrument lessons…) so I am not sure what diversity they brought except for race for some of them.

The new admissions system valued things like English language learners, underrepresented middle school, special Ed status, income level and other experience factors that didn’t measure STEM aptitude or passion at all. And they took away the test and teacher recs that could have shown that.

I am glad these kids are enjoying their experience and that they find TJ to be a great place to go to school and that the kids there are welcoming and inclusive (they always were but TJ haters tried to paint TJ kids as racist and discriminatory).

[Anonymous]

When TJ students just become foils for predictable agit-prop from the Post you know TJ is on a quick path to decline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:25% low income? Oof, this is going to shift the schools budget from academics to social and welfare needs, you want to avoid schools with farms in the double digits.

Wow. Didn’t even hesitate to say that out loud.

You should stay away from TJ. And any other FCPS school.

No good fcps school has farms of 25% or higher

BS. Stop sh1tting on schools with 10%+ FRL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/31/thomas-jefferson-high-school-freshmen-admissions/

I get that these are just four kids and may not represent all the new admits under the new systems, but it was really nice to hear. They are working hard and generally enjoying the experience. They had zero shot of getting in with the old system and seem to be doing more than fine academically at TJ. I am really proud of them. I love that they are not paying attention to all the hate, they are just doing their thing. Go on, Ms. Rocket Scientist! Love that gal!

Good luck to the new class: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/25/tj-class-of-2026-data/. Head up. We believe in you.

I agree, BUT I don't think it ever was in question that these kids couldn't do "fine academically" at TJ. Even before the change, there were many, many students who were denied admissions who clearly could have handled the work as well. The problem isn't with the students being admitted; it's the ones being denied who clearly would also benefit from the education, regardless of their race and SE status.

Why is this "a problem?" It has always been the case. It's just that now, kids who *expected* to get in aren't, and kids who didn't expect to be admitted are. There always have been qualified kids on the outside lookignin.

This complaint seems more like it's about school size, that TJ should expand to admit all qualified candidates. Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While all 4 of the kids profiled are racial minorities, all of them seem to be middle class and not at or below the poverty line. Discussion of whether FARMS kids can succeed isn't relevant for this thread.

Oh no your assumptions are incorrect they were all low-income kids. Please stop making these false assumptions to spin your false narrative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/31/thomas-jefferson-high-school-freshmen-admissions/

I get that these are just four kids and may not represent all the new admits under the new systems, but it was really nice to hear. They are working hard and generally enjoying the experience. They had zero shot of getting in with the old system and seem to be doing more than fine academically at TJ. I am really proud of them. I love that they are not paying attention to all the hate, they are just doing their thing. Go on, Ms. Rocket Scientist! Love that gal!

Good luck to the new class: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/25/tj-class-of-2026-data/. Head up. We believe in you.

I agree, BUT I don't think it ever was in question that these kids couldn't do "fine academically" at TJ. Even before the change, there were many, many students who were denied admissions who clearly could have handled the work as well. The problem isn't with the students being admitted; it's the ones being denied who clearly would also benefit from the education, regardless of their race and SE status.

Why is this "a problem?" It has always been the case. It's just that now, kids who *expected* to get in aren't, and kids who didn't expect to be admitted are. There always have been qualified kids on the outside lookignin.

This complaint seems more like it's about school size, that TJ should expand to admit all qualified candidates. Good luck with that.

If by expected, you mean those that spent thousands on prep and come from well off families sure. I expect the most deserving kids to get in with the new process. I expect the most entitled to get in with the old.