TJ admissions decision - repercussions for Class of 2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they'll just use what they have without the proxy discrimination of the 1.5% and experience factors.

Why would FCPS do that given their stated goals? Lotteries are legal.

The lottery was already shot down. The school board knows they can't use it. That would cause a riot in the streets.

Where in the order does the judge say that a lottery is illegal?

I think lottery is the most likely outcome at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they'll just use what they have without the proxy discrimination of the 1.5% and experience factors.

Why would FCPS do that given their stated goals? Lotteries are legal.

The lottery was already shot down. The school board knows they can't use it. That would cause a riot in the streets.

Where in the order does the judge say that a lottery is illegal?

I think lottery is the most likely outcome at this point.

Do URMS get to put 2 balls for each of their applications? You know, to even the playing field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they'll just use what they have without the proxy discrimination of the 1.5% and experience factors.

Why would FCPS do that given their stated goals? Lotteries are legal.

The lottery was already shot down. The school board knows they can't use it. That would cause a riot in the streets.

Where in the order does the judge say that a lottery is illegal?

I think lottery is the most likely outcome at this point.

I am seriously curious what would happen if FCPS came out and said "it's either the fall 2020 process or a lottery among the 2500 qualified applicants with no weighting whatsoever".

If I were the Coalition4TJ, I would seriously consider dropping the suit. Their kids have a FAR better chance of getting in under the currently enjoined process than a lottery. And lotteries are expressly legal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Who would have though that trying to break the cycle of low income Black and Hispanic underachievement would be derided as racist.

That attempts to reduce opportunity hoarding by rich people would be called unjust.

If only Fairfax County had similar demographics to PG County, we'd be having an entirely different conversation. Imagine FCPS consisting of 60% African-Americans but 70% Asians at TJ. Then the injustice of privilege would be 100x more obvious and maybe the TJ lawsuit supporters could wrap their minds around the concept of a zero-sum game.

Injustice?

Yes? Are you genuinely bringing that into question? If we had a population of 60% poor Black kids who all lived outside of Langley, Mclean, Chantilly, etc, it would be more than obvious that there is a systemic problem preventing them from succeeding academically to get into TJ. It would be clear that the core of the effort isn't to have less Asians, but to improve achievement for the kids living in poverty, with broken families, in low-income areas, all of which systemically contribute to lower academic achievement.

All of that is true even now, except it isn't magnified because our economic diversity is spread out amongst races so everyone only focuses on Asians going from 70% to 50%. This should have nothing to do with race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the of converting TJ to 10th-12th and being able to serve 33% more students through the program on the face of it, but do wonder if there are strong arguments against this that aren’t on my radar. I’d consider any argument about needing to form community or the minor disruption of a student spending 1 year at base HS to be weak arguments, but there may be stronger ones I’m overlooking. Anyone have we’ll-reasoned arguments against this type of change?

1) You’d pretty much destroy every non-STEM extracurricular at the school - which are a significant part of the school’s culture

2) You’d eliminate a crucial adjustment year for kids to figure out how to navigate the rigor of TJ.

3) No more IBET, which, in addition to the design and tech class that introduces many students (however easily) to principles of engineering also gives them a core group of students to build networks around.

1 is false and 2 is weak (can think of equal counterarguments), 3 has some real validity though.

1 is absolutely true. Athletes are not leaving their high schools for TJ once they’ve already played there for a year, nor are performing artists.

2 is also absolutely true and crucial, especially in math and science. Freshmen Biology at TJ is a HUGE separator and the only other course that usually presents a level of challenge well above what the students are used to. Having students take that course without TJ teachers would be a catastrophic mistake.

Yep. IBET...the design and tech class is fundamental to the TJ curriculum. Freshman Biology at TJ is pretty much equivalent to AP Biology at other FCPS schools. Don’t forget about Research Statistics 1 that every TJ freshman takes First semester. It’s the first half of the AP statistics course at other FCPS schools. And Math 3 at TJ is Algebra 2 and completed in one semester vs an entire year at the other county high schools. I’d say the courses at TJ are not equivalent to a similarly titled class at base HS, they are much harder.

Okay, so zooming out a bit.

Why is FCPS not offering Math 3 and RS1 at every high school? Or at least the online campus? And IBET is something that is very similar to the STEM design class offered at most FCPS High schools.

I think FCPS needs to take this opportunity to rethink TJ entirely. Rather than who is admitted and who is not, how can we ensure that the educational resources are available to the kids that need them?

Not disagreeing, but providing a bit of info on how TJ works.The above is an over simplification of TJ freshman year. I think most high schools can’t be all things to all kids and can’t offer the depth and breadth of STEM courses and have lower level classes or more choices in more liberal arts classes. IBET is a combination of Honors Biology, Design and Tech and Honors English. Kids are grouped together and have all three classes together. Not only do they have individual studies and curriculum, but also have a year long group research project. Sophomore and Junior year, students are taking the required curriculum plus classes that will help them get into the senior lab (each lab has prerequisites).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they'll just use what they have without the proxy discrimination of the 1.5% and experience factors.

Why would FCPS do that given their stated goals? Lotteries are legal.

The lottery was already shot down. The school board knows they can't use it. That would cause a riot in the streets.

Where in the order does the judge say that a lottery is illegal?

I think lottery is the most likely outcome at this point.

Who knows? I feel as they will tweak it enough to get around the decision, but still get whatever political objective they seek. I have a senior at TJ and kid who is a 2026 and just applied. I feel for the class of 2026. My kid is becoming less and less interested in going to a school that will be in court for years to come. Sucks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they'll just use what they have without the proxy discrimination of the 1.5% and experience factors.

Why would FCPS do that given their stated goals? Lotteries are legal.

The lottery was already shot down. The school board knows they can't use it. That would cause a riot in the streets.

Where in the order does the judge say that a lottery is illegal?

I think lottery is the most likely outcome at this point.

Who knows? I feel as they will tweak it enough to get around the decision, but still get whatever political objective they seek. I have a senior at TJ and kid who is a 2026 and just applied. I feel for the class of 2026. My kid is becoming less and less interested in going to a school that will be in court for years to come. Sucks

Pro-reform here, but I would ask you to note whether or not the court case has had any impact on your senior's day-to-day life. I'm sure that it's a topic of conversation on some level amongst the kids, but if your other child applies and is selected, I genuinely hope they choose to attend.

The court case isn't going to make a difference for the kids who are already at the school.

[Anonymous]

NP with a senior. Yes, all of this drama and division has had an impact on the school experience for students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP with a senior. Yes, all of this drama and division has had an impact on the school experience for students.

How so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP with a senior. Yes, all of this drama and division has had an impact on the school experience for students.

How so?

NP

There has been talk of sending the list of kids in the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 that prepped at Curie to various admissions offices. I don’t think anyone has done it yet, but I know there is the real fear that it will happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP with a senior. Yes, all of this drama and division has had an impact on the school experience for students.

How so?

NP

There has been talk of sending the list of kids in the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 that prepped at Curie to various admissions offices. I don’t think anyone has done it yet, but I know there is the real fear that it will happen.

What admissions office? College admissions offices? Why? What would that accomplish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP with a senior. Yes, all of this drama and division has had an impact on the school experience for students.

How so?

NP

There has been talk of sending the list of kids in the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 that prepped at Curie to various admissions offices. I don’t think anyone has done it yet, but I know there is the real fear that it will happen.

Jeez!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP with a senior. Yes, all of this drama and division has had an impact on the school experience for students.

How so?

NP

There has been talk of sending the list of kids in the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024 that prepped at Curie to various admissions offices. I don’t think anyone has done it yet, but I know there is the real fear that it will happen.

Jeez!

Sidwell parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they'll just use what they have without the proxy discrimination of the 1.5% and experience factors.

Why would FCPS do that given their stated goals? Lotteries are legal.

The lottery was already shot down. The school board knows they can't use it. That would cause a riot in the streets.

Where in the order does the judge say that a lottery is illegal?

I think lottery is the most likely outcome at this point.

I am seriously curious what would happen if FCPS came out and said "it's either the fall 2020 process or a lottery among the 2500 qualified applicants with no weighting whatsoever".

If I were the Coalition4TJ, I would seriously consider dropping the suit. Their kids have a FAR better chance of getting in under the currently enjoined process than a lottery. And lotteries are expressly legal.

Yea, blackmailing parents is such a good way for elected officials to behave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, they'll just use what they have without the proxy discrimination of the 1.5% and experience factors.

Why would FCPS do that given their stated goals? Lotteries are legal.

The lottery was already shot down. The school board knows they can't use it. That would cause a riot in the streets.

Where in the order does the judge say that a lottery is illegal?

I think lottery is the most likely outcome at this point.

I am seriously curious what would happen if FCPS came out and said "it's either the fall 2020 process or a lottery among the 2500 qualified applicants with no weighting whatsoever".

If I were the Coalition4TJ, I would seriously consider dropping the suit. Their kids have a FAR better chance of getting in under the currently enjoined process than a lottery. And lotteries are expressly legal.

Yea, blackmailing parents is such a good way for elected officials to behave.

It's not blackmail. Just realistic options.