693 FCPS Students Named National Merit Commended Scholars in 2024

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are all crazy. A 4% drop in the number of students in the top 97% of students in the County has you foaming at the mouth.

TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

Not every kid at TJ needs to be the same with the same goals. Adding in kids from Poe and Stone and giving them a chance to work with kids who are bright and motivated who have had more exposure to STEM from Carson, Longfellow, Cooper, and Rocky Run is good for those kids. It is challenging them in a different way. They might only score in the 90th percentile on the SAT but they are learning so much more than they would at their base school.

They are smart and gifted, they have not had the same opportunities to explore these fields. Does it show in their grades at TJ and on the SAT? Sure. Are they failures because they are not in the 97th percentile? No. Historically the vast majority of kids at TJ were not in the commended group or the Semi-Finalists based on SAT scores. So now there are a few more kids in that category. TJ still has far more kids in that catagory than any other school in FCPS. McLean, Langley, and Oakton have a few more kids that are the 97th percentile, good for them.

Historically the vast majority of kids at TJ were in the commended group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes… if you remove being an excellent test taker from the admissions criteria, you’ll have a class of kids who aren’t necessarily that great at taking standardized tests.

Thankfully, being a good test taker has no practical application other than school admissions processes. So who cares?

I’m more interested in the increase in Regeneron finalists.

Were any of these kids URMs? Were any from lower income middle schools? Were any of them FARMS? Were any of them passed over for 9th grade admissions and instead admitted as froshmores? I'm willing to bet you that they're all non-FARMS Asian kids from the traditional TJ feeder middle schools. If so, it means they got in despite the new process and not due to the new process. That is doubly true if any of them are froshmore admits.

You already knew the answer to all those questions when you wrote this.
They are all asian.
I don't know if any are froshmore admits but I recognize a few names from a feeder school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's amazing to me just how many kids who were so gifted in 2nd grade that they needed to be isolated from the general population and placed in a self contained gifted program aren't even at the 97th percentile as 11th graders.

Yes! This needed to be said! 😆

What happened to the MS AAP students who get school choice and have their own safe cohort due to their giftedness?

I would bet that most of the commended kids at TJ are kids coming out of Carson, Rocky Run, Longfellow, and Cooper who were in the AAP program.

I don’t understand why so many parents hold on to this bizarre jealousy of AAP. It is an imperfect selection process. Some kids who belong in the program are not accepted. Some kids who are accepted would be fine in Gen Ed. We all know plenty of kids taking AP/IB classes who were not in AAP. I would guess we know kids who were in AAP who don’t do great in school. Move on. Support your kid regardless of AAP or not and celebrate their success.

People in this forum have a weird fixation with AAP/TJ. They either think that it is proof that their kid is a genius and superior or they think that their kid was unfairly snubbed. It is kind of crazy.

Some of us think that it's very damaging to tell a 7 year old that they are so gifted that they need a completely isolated program to meet their needs, and to tell other 7 year olds that they're not smart. Parents may think that they're framing the AAP vs. not-AAP situation better than that, but the kids undoubtedly internalize the "gifted" and "not smart" labels. There's such huge overlap between the bottom 2/3 of AAP and an equal number of top gen ed kids who weren't admitted. It's pretty awful to apply such strong, disparate labels to kids who are indistinguishable.

The only "need" met by a lightly accelerated program like AAP is feeding the egos of the parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

The bolded is the tricky part, and it's entirely possible that FCPS is going about this the wrong way. Exposing underprivileged bright kids to high achieving peers and advanced classes is a huge positive in general. But, getting Bs and Cs at TJ could really hurt the kid's college prospects. Likewise, falling back to the base school with terrible grades in 9th from TJ isn't helping anyone. If the kid isn't academically advanced enough to handle many of the high level STEM classes and is instead almost entirely taking classes that would have been available at the base school, I'm not sure there's a huge point in attending TJ. I wish the eastern part of the county had a STEM magnet middle school program, so the kids could be exposed to TJ-ish rigor earlier and be able to make a more informed decision.

It will be interesting to compare the college outcomes for kids who attended TJ from high FARMS areas with the kids who remained at the base school and were at the top of the class in their high FARMS school.

Would the URM kids accepted at TJ that would be going to Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice would end up in the AP track or staying in school. The URM kids that are FARMs based might not end up in those classes because their peer group are not likely to end up in those classes. The AP/IB track kids at those schools are the small UMC/MC kids that live in the boundaries. A poor URM might choose to take Gen Ed classes because that is where his/her friends are. They might not look at college because their friends are not looking at college. It is more likely then not harder to encourage a smart kid who is poor and URM to stay on the AP/IB path then it is to encourage them to stick with harder classes at a school like TJ.

So many people argue that the cohort in AAP and TJ matters and for a kid who does not have a lot of friends who are taking advanced classes or parents who can support them, a place filled with kids excited about school might be a better fit even if the grades are B’s and C’s.

I do think it would be interesting to compare the FARMs/URM outcomes from TJ to their base school but I think the outcome is going to be different than what you expect.

I am not opposed to a FARM preference as long as there is a better merit filter. Getting Bs at TJ might be better than getting A's at their base school even if you don't take any advanced classes over the long run because of the rigor you are exposed to. So you might end up at GMU instead of VT or UVA but you are likely to be better prepared to excel in college. But if you go to Tj and end up with Cs and Ds, it is probably not a positive experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s always the option to:

1) Not assume that all of the kids who you don’t think belong are getting Bs and Cs;

2) Let their families be concerned with what’s best for them and not presume that they have the same priorities that you do.

Novel idea, I know.

How about using a merit filter so they don't have to guess whether their kid will be able to handle things there.
Take the same number of kids from each school but use a better merit filter in selecting them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s always the option to:

1) Not assume that all of the kids who you don’t think belong are getting Bs and Cs;

2) Let their families be concerned with what’s best for them and not presume that they have the same priorities that you do.

Novel idea, I know.

2 is great, as long as they're being given an accurate picture and making their choices accordingly. If a kid knows that TJ will be very challenging and a huge grind that results in a lot of Bs and Cs, but still wants to do it, more power to them. If the admitted kids are given the impression that they're highly qualified for TJ and will thrive there when it likely will be a very challenging grind, that's a problem.

This.

And sure they can always go back to their base school but there is an emotional toll charged when a student has to do that.
And they frequently go back with a semester or year's worth of mediocre or bad grades.

[Anonymous]

PP The only "need" met by a lightly accelerated program like AAP is feeding the egos of the parents.

That and also school choice and the idea that your precious DC will be sheltered among a higher achieving cohort resulting in fewer to no interaction with the unwashed masses of lower IQ, troublemaking poors.

See also; talking points re: advantages of sending DC to Luther Jackson MS - he will be with other AAP kids! Maybe only see “regular” kids on the bus, lunch and PE - otherwise shielded from…you know…look at the neighborhood. Despite the fact that LJMS is literally crumbling, FCPS has allowed this option to boost test scores and almighty ratings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are all crazy. A 4% drop in the number of students in the top 97% of students in the County has you foaming at the mouth.

TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

Not every kid at TJ needs to be the same with the same goals. Adding in kids from Poe and Stone and giving them a chance to work with kids who are bright and motivated who have had more exposure to STEM from Carson, Longfellow, Cooper, and Rocky Run is good for those kids. It is challenging them in a different way. They might only score in the 90th percentile on the SAT but they are learning so much more than they would at their base school.

They are smart and gifted, they have not had the same opportunities to explore these fields. Does it show in their grades at TJ and on the SAT? Sure. Are they failures because they are not in the 97th percentile? No. Historically the vast majority of kids at TJ were not in the commended group or the Semi-Finalists based on SAT scores. So now there are a few more kids in that category. TJ still has far more kids in that catagory than any other school in FCPS. McLean, Langley, and Oakton have a few more kids that are the 97th percentile, good for them.

A ringing endorsement of tokenism and an equally strong rejection of merit. You should run for School Board - they are your people (mediocre themselves, but finding consolation in their ability to tear down anything good that remains in FCPS).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

The bolded is the tricky part, and it's entirely possible that FCPS is going about this the wrong way. Exposing underprivileged bright kids to high achieving peers and advanced classes is a huge positive in general. But, getting Bs and Cs at TJ could really hurt the kid's college prospects. Likewise, falling back to the base school with terrible grades in 9th from TJ isn't helping anyone. If the kid isn't academically advanced enough to handle many of the high level STEM classes and is instead almost entirely taking classes that would have been available at the base school, I'm not sure there's a huge point in attending TJ. I wish the eastern part of the county had a STEM magnet middle school program, so the kids could be exposed to TJ-ish rigor earlier and be able to make a more informed decision.

It will be interesting to compare the college outcomes for kids who attended TJ from high FARMS areas with the kids who remained at the base school and were at the top of the class in their high FARMS school.

Would the URM kids accepted at TJ that would be going to Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice would end up in the AP track or staying in school. The URM kids that are FARMs based might not end up in those classes because their peer group are not likely to end up in those classes. The AP/IB track kids at those schools are the small UMC/MC kids that live in the boundaries. A poor URM might choose to take Gen Ed classes because that is where his/her friends are. They might not look at college because their friends are not looking at college. It is more likely then not harder to encourage a smart kid who is poor and URM to stay on the AP/IB path then it is to encourage them to stick with harder classes at a school like TJ.

So many people argue that the cohort in AAP and TJ matters and for a kid who does not have a lot of friends who are taking advanced classes or parents who can support them, a place filled with kids excited about school might be a better fit even if the grades are B’s and C’s.

I do think it would be interesting to compare the FARMs/URM outcomes from TJ to their base school but I think the outcome is going to be different than what you expect.

If we want to concoct hypotheticals, let's ask about the next tier of students at Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice. Smart and with potential, but not quite "TJ material" because of various hardships experienced in their lives. If their slightly better positioned peers had remained at those schools, rather than gained admission to TJ, they might have looked up to those peers and also enrolled in IB courses and more challenging electives. But now, since those peers now have preferential access to TJ, they no longer serve as role models, and that second tier may be more likely to end up not taking and sticking with harder classes, not looking at college (besides perhaps NVCC), etc.

Do you care about these kids? Of course not. You simply wanted to stick it to the highest achieving kids at certain feeders (which you'll always label "wealthy" regardless of whether the students themselves come from wealthy families). If TJ serves as an engine of social mobility for some kids, by depriving some pyramids of their top kids it may depress performance and outcomes for others (which is much less of a concern at the "top" high schools that still would have had a large number of high-achieving kids under the old system and now have even more).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are all crazy. A 4% drop in the number of students in the top 97% of students in the County has you foaming at the mouth.

TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

Not every kid at TJ needs to be the same with the same goals. Adding in kids from Poe and Stone and giving them a chance to work with kids who are bright and motivated who have had more exposure to STEM from Carson, Longfellow, Cooper, and Rocky Run is good for those kids. It is challenging them in a different way. They might only score in the 90th percentile on the SAT but they are learning so much more than they would at their base school.

They are smart and gifted, they have not had the same opportunities to explore these fields. Does it show in their grades at TJ and on the SAT? Sure. Are they failures because they are not in the 97th percentile? No. Historically the vast majority of kids at TJ were not in the commended group or the Semi-Finalists based on SAT scores. So now there are a few more kids in that category. TJ still has far more kids in that catagory than any other school in FCPS. McLean, Langley, and Oakton have a few more kids that are the 97th percentile, good for them.

A ringing endorsement of tokenism and an equally strong rejection of merit. You should run for School Board - they are your people (mediocre themselves, but finding consolation in their ability to tear down anything good that remains in FCPS).

Good lord, what a gross mischaracterization of the PP, can you even see past your own nose? So much projecting, or more likely intentional grandstanding. I read your post first, then the one you responded to expecting to find a bunch of mindless drivel, instead found a thoughtful and well-reasoned post. You are woefully out of touch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

The bolded is the tricky part, and it's entirely possible that FCPS is going about this the wrong way. Exposing underprivileged bright kids to high achieving peers and advanced classes is a huge positive in general. But, getting Bs and Cs at TJ could really hurt the kid's college prospects. Likewise, falling back to the base school with terrible grades in 9th from TJ isn't helping anyone. If the kid isn't academically advanced enough to handle many of the high level STEM classes and is instead almost entirely taking classes that would have been available at the base school, I'm not sure there's a huge point in attending TJ. I wish the eastern part of the county had a STEM magnet middle school program, so the kids could be exposed to TJ-ish rigor earlier and be able to make a more informed decision.

It will be interesting to compare the college outcomes for kids who attended TJ from high FARMS areas with the kids who remained at the base school and were at the top of the class in their high FARMS school.

Would the URM kids accepted at TJ that would be going to Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice would end up in the AP track or staying in school. The URM kids that are FARMs based might not end up in those classes because their peer group are not likely to end up in those classes. The AP/IB track kids at those schools are the small UMC/MC kids that live in the boundaries. A poor URM might choose to take Gen Ed classes because that is where his/her friends are. They might not look at college because their friends are not looking at college. It is more likely then not harder to encourage a smart kid who is poor and URM to stay on the AP/IB path then it is to encourage them to stick with harder classes at a school like TJ.

So many people argue that the cohort in AAP and TJ matters and for a kid who does not have a lot of friends who are taking advanced classes or parents who can support them, a place filled with kids excited about school might be a better fit even if the grades are B’s and C’s.

I do think it would be interesting to compare the FARMs/URM outcomes from TJ to their base school but I think the outcome is going to be different than what you expect.

If we want to concoct hypotheticals, let's ask about the next tier of students at Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice. Smart and with potential, but not quite "TJ material" because of various hardships experienced in their lives. If their slightly better positioned peers had remained at those schools, rather than gained admission to TJ, they might have looked up to those peers and also enrolled in IB courses and more challenging electives. But now, since those peers now have preferential access to TJ, they no longer serve as role models, and that second tier may be more likely to end up not taking and sticking with harder classes, not looking at college (besides perhaps NVCC), etc.

Do you care about these kids? Of course not. You simply wanted to stick it to the highest achieving kids at certain feeders (which you'll always label "wealthy" regardless of whether the students themselves come from wealthy families). If TJ serves as an engine of social mobility for some kids, by depriving some pyramids of their top kids it may depress performance and outcomes for others (which is much less of a concern at the "top" high schools that still would have had a large number of high-achieving kids under the old system and now have even more).

Summary: Let's opportunity hoard for our in-group by playing victim, while simultaneously shaming the top achievers at Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice for abandoning their community, and
then advocate for excluding them because we are oh-so-virtuously concerned about the academic welfare of other students at their base schools!

Classy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are all crazy. A 4% drop in the number of students in the top 97% of students in the County has you foaming at the mouth.

TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

Not every kid at TJ needs to be the same with the same goals. Adding in kids from Poe and Stone and giving them a chance to work with kids who are bright and motivated who have had more exposure to STEM from Carson, Longfellow, Cooper, and Rocky Run is good for those kids. It is challenging them in a different way. They might only score in the 90th percentile on the SAT but they are learning so much more than they would at their base school.

They are smart and gifted, they have not had the same opportunities to explore these fields. Does it show in their grades at TJ and on the SAT? Sure. Are they failures because they are not in the 97th percentile? No. Historically the vast majority of kids at TJ were not in the commended group or the Semi-Finalists based on SAT scores. So now there are a few more kids in that category. TJ still has far more kids in that catagory than any other school in FCPS. McLean, Langley, and Oakton have a few more kids that are the 97th percentile, good for them.

A ringing endorsement of tokenism and an equally strong rejection of merit. You should run for School Board - they are your people (mediocre themselves, but finding consolation in their ability to tear down anything good that remains in FCPS).

Good lord, what a gross mischaracterization of the PP, can you even see past your own nose? So much projecting, or more likely intentional grandstanding. I read your post first, then the one you responded to expecting to find a bunch of mindless drivel, instead found a thoughtful and well-reasoned post. You are woefully out of touch.

I would submit you are out of touch, but there's no need to argue because those in charge are sinking TJ on their own. It will continue to decline, and no number of fancy press releases will stem its fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s always the option to:

1) Not assume that all of the kids who you don’t think belong are getting Bs and Cs;

2) Let their families be concerned with what’s best for them and not presume that they have the same priorities that you do.

Novel idea, I know.

How about using a merit filter so they don't have to guess whether their kid will be able to handle things there.
Take the same number of kids from each school but use a better merit filter in selecting them.

They should be using standardized test results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
TJ is a public school that should be available to all the MSs in the County, that includes schools with a high poverty level and ELL level. There are smart kids at those schools who have not had the same exposure to math and science as kids from high SES schools. They deserve a chance to be exposed to classes that move at a faster pace and push them just like the kids from higher SES schools. They might not score as high on the SAT but they are better off for being in a school that pushes them and challenges them. They might earn C’s and B’s at TJ but being surrounded by highly motivated peers is a good thing for kids who have never had that type of exposure.

The bolded is the tricky part, and it's entirely possible that FCPS is going about this the wrong way. Exposing underprivileged bright kids to high achieving peers and advanced classes is a huge positive in general. But, getting Bs and Cs at TJ could really hurt the kid's college prospects. Likewise, falling back to the base school with terrible grades in 9th from TJ isn't helping anyone. If the kid isn't academically advanced enough to handle many of the high level STEM classes and is instead almost entirely taking classes that would have been available at the base school, I'm not sure there's a huge point in attending TJ. I wish the eastern part of the county had a STEM magnet middle school program, so the kids could be exposed to TJ-ish rigor earlier and be able to make a more informed decision.

It will be interesting to compare the college outcomes for kids who attended TJ from high FARMS areas with the kids who remained at the base school and were at the top of the class in their high FARMS school.

Would the URM kids accepted at TJ that would be going to Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice would end up in the AP track or staying in school. The URM kids that are FARMs based might not end up in those classes because their peer group are not likely to end up in those classes. The AP/IB track kids at those schools are the small UMC/MC kids that live in the boundaries. A poor URM might choose to take Gen Ed classes because that is where his/her friends are. They might not look at college because their friends are not looking at college. It is more likely then not harder to encourage a smart kid who is poor and URM to stay on the AP/IB path then it is to encourage them to stick with harder classes at a school like TJ.

So many people argue that the cohort in AAP and TJ matters and for a kid who does not have a lot of friends who are taking advanced classes or parents who can support them, a place filled with kids excited about school might be a better fit even if the grades are B’s and C’s.

I do think it would be interesting to compare the FARMs/URM outcomes from TJ to their base school but I think the outcome is going to be different than what you expect.

If we want to concoct hypotheticals, let's ask about the next tier of students at Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice. Smart and with potential, but not quite "TJ material" because of various hardships experienced in their lives. If their slightly better positioned peers had remained at those schools, rather than gained admission to TJ, they might have looked up to those peers and also enrolled in IB courses and more challenging electives. But now, since those peers now have preferential access to TJ, they no longer serve as role models, and that second tier may be more likely to end up not taking and sticking with harder classes, not looking at college (besides perhaps NVCC), etc.

Do you care about these kids? Of course not. You simply wanted to stick it to the highest achieving kids at certain feeders (which you'll always label "wealthy" regardless of whether the students themselves come from wealthy families). If TJ serves as an engine of social mobility for some kids, by depriving some pyramids of their top kids it may depress performance and outcomes for others (which is much less of a concern at the "top" high schools that still would have had a large number of high-achieving kids under the old system and now have even more).

Summary: Let's opportunity hoard for our in-group by playing victim, while simultaneously shaming the top achievers at Lewis or Mt. Vernon or Justice for abandoning their community, and
then advocate for excluding them because we are oh-so-virtuously concerned about the academic welfare of other students at their base schools!

Classy.

It's just as good a hypothetical as your self-serving BS. We all know that your goal wasn't to increase opportunity for some kids who might be overlooked at their base schools (in fact they might have done well), but instead to stick it to those you resent for their achievements and perceived greater wealth and commitment to education.

What you can't deal with is the fact that, in painting such a glowing picture of these less qualified kids escaping to TJ from the depths of Lewis, Mount Vernon and Justice, you only underscore that 95% of FCPS students are denied access to similar resources and are, indeed, largely relegated to schools that you clearly think anyone in their right mind would avoid.

[Anonymous]

It's not all about the "cohort". Keep in mind that higher-FARMS schools don't offer anywhere near the number of higher-level courses that lower-FARMS schools offer.

Let's take 2 kids, one zoned for Annandale/FCHS/Justice, the other zoned for Oakton/Langley/McLean. Both equally bright, motivated, not genius level, but smart and STEM-enthusiastic. Both accelerated enough in ES/MS to be taking Alg II H in 8th grade.

Student A (A/F/J) will likely exceed their base school's math course offerings by 10th grade, maybe 11th. If they want to take Multi-Var or AP Statistics, it'll have to be through online / independent study, or trying to cross enroll for one period at a nearby school (a logistical nightmare to deal with different bell schedule, even if the kid has a way to commute on their own). They may or may not have a class available for AP Phys C. They may or may not have an AP class for their foreign language, or even a 4th year language.

Student B (O/L/M) will have all of those courses at their base school, and then some.

So, which student does the county's public school system serve better with an assignment to TJ? The one who literally cannot take 4 years of math at their base school? Or the one who just wants a special class, even though they could get the same at their base school?