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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

Not pp, but I don’t think TJ or even STEM is the only way to success So no one is doomed if they don’t do STEM or go to TJ. But resilience of kids has nothing to do with whether they can catch up. Being successful in STEM field requires a solid foundation that can only be built up with years and years of effort and progress in the area, regardless of one’s resilience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

Not pp, but I don’t think TJ or even STEM is the only way to success So no one is doomed if they don’t do STEM or go to TJ. But resilience of kids has nothing to do with whether they can catch up. Being successful in STEM field requires a solid foundation that can only be built up with years and years of effort and progress in the area, regardless of one’s resilience.

That is why emphasis must be on AAP from the elementary school years.How many non-AAP kids actually get into schools like TJ? Virtually none. Let's revamp the entire AAP program including the selection/appeals process. It should reflect the county demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hire an outside consultant, redistrict all the schools (ES to HS) with an equity focus, and eliminate this divisive, segregated “magnet.”

Russia called. They want their commie brother back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

That's not the point of PP's comment. Take 2 kids -Kid 1 was exposed, encouraged and has peers that think STEM is cool. Kid 2 is equally smart but no one talks about STEM in his house or neighborhood. In fact, everyone calls him a nerd for being too studious. What do you think kid 2 is going to aspire for? Not TJ for sure. No doubt when they hit college or later, both will do equally well in their lives. However, Kid 1 may have opportunities available to him earlier in life because of the continuous hard work he's put in over many years compared to the other kid. This will give him a leg up in life (and he deserves it and has worked for it).

Now, if you are suggesting that we should just give kid 2 a chance because he's a URM at TJ and therefore deserves a shot over kid 1, how's that fair to kid 1 who himself is likely a minority in this case but just not a "preferred" minority in your scheme of things because of misplaced priorities on Kid 2's/family's part?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

Or you know, teachers can scaffold and differentiate for different levels. That's what non TJ teachers have to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

Or you know, teachers can scaffold and differentiate for different levels. That's what non TJ teachers have to do.

TJ teachers do this as well, but at a more advanced academic level. The paucity of black and hispanic students at TJ is both very unfortunate and kind of self-fulfilling. As one mom noted up-thread, her black kid thought that the extremely low numbers of black kids at TJ would mean that he wouldn't have a good experience there, even though academically he is very qualified (and perhaps could have benefited from going to TJ). That makes complete sense to me, in the sense that I understand it, even if I might have done something different. But if more black kids apply and go, then the black community at TJ could grow, which would better for the black community there, and certainly better for the overall TJ community. The key for TJ, I think, is to figure out how to make the place more attractive to academically gifted black and hispanic students, so that more kids apply. As more apply, more will (hopefully) get in, and a virtuous cycle can start. One of my just-graduated TJ senior's best friends at TJ was one of the few black kids in his class. Funnily enough, they were in a baby playgroup for a year or so when they were infants/toddlers, but lost touch until they hooked back up at TJ. I've never had a conversation with him about what it was like for him at TJ, but perhaps I should try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

That's not the point of PP's comment. Take 2 kids -Kid 1 was exposed, encouraged and has peers that think STEM is cool. Kid 2 is equally smart but no one talks about STEM in his house or neighborhood. In fact, everyone calls him a nerd for being too studious. What do you think kid 2 is going to aspire for? Not TJ for sure. No doubt when they hit college or later, both will do equally well in their lives. However, Kid 1 may have opportunities available to him earlier in life because of the continuous hard work he's put in over many years compared to the other kid. This will give him a leg up in life (and he deserves it and has worked for it).

Now, if you are suggesting that we should just give kid 2 a chance because he's a URM at TJ and therefore deserves a shot over kid 1, how's that fair to kid 1 who himself is likely a minority in this case but just not a "preferred" minority in your scheme of things because of misplaced priorities on Kid 2's/family's part?

Wow - your example is a PERFECT example of why kid 2 SHOULD be admitted to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

That's not the point of PP's comment. Take 2 kids -Kid 1 was exposed, encouraged and has peers that think STEM is cool. Kid 2 is equally smart but no one talks about STEM in his house or neighborhood. In fact, everyone calls him a nerd for being too studious. What do you think kid 2 is going to aspire for? Not TJ for sure. No doubt when they hit college or later, both will do equally well in their lives. However, Kid 1 may have opportunities available to him earlier in life because of the continuous hard work he's put in over many years compared to the other kid. This will give him a leg up in life (and he deserves it and has worked for it).

Now, if you are suggesting that we should just give kid 2 a chance because he's a URM at TJ and therefore deserves a shot over kid 1, how's that fair to kid 1 who himself is likely a minority in this case but just not a "preferred" minority in your scheme of things because of misplaced priorities on Kid 2's/family's part?

Wow - your example is a PERFECT example of why kid 2 SHOULD be admitted to TJ.

I don't think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

Not pp, but I don’t think TJ or even STEM is the only way to success So no one is doomed if they don’t do STEM or go to TJ. But resilience of kids has nothing to do with whether they can catch up. Being successful in STEM field requires a solid foundation that can only be built up with years and years of effort and progress in the area, regardless of one’s resilience.

That is why emphasis must be on AAP from the elementary school years.How many non-AAP kids actually get into schools like TJ? Virtually none. Let's revamp the entire AAP program including the selection/appeals process. It should reflect the county demographics.

It may be okay to have a separate AAP program just for the URM kids who weren't already in the regular AAP. To force a black quota in the regular AAP program would be a racist act in the name of equality because it's unfair to other kids.

[Anonymous]

Another article about the skewed results in TJ admissions: https://annandaleva.blogspot.com/2020/06/zero-black-students-accept-to-tj.html

If you don't think these articles are being written at the urging of current School Board members, you are mistaken. Whether it's the discontinuation of the magnet program or major reforms to the admissions policies, change is coming to TJ.

[Anonymous]

I just don’t think middle school and even high school kids are so damn special and exceptional that they cannot survive if there are *gasp* unprepared students in their classes. It’s high school for god sake, not a PhD program. Maybe I’m too laid back for this area. If equity means admitting some kids mostly because of their race and giving them a trial by fire chance to better prepared for college, I am okay with that. If they don’t like the challenge they’ll leave TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t think middle school and even high school kids are so damn special and exceptional that they cannot survive if there are *gasp* unprepared students in their classes. It’s high school for god sake, not a PhD program. Maybe I’m too laid back for this area. If equity means admitting some kids mostly because of their race and giving them a trial by fire chance to better prepared for college, I am okay with that. If they don’t like the challenge they’ll leave TJ.

Ha ha ha! You ARE too laid back for this area. I know several kids that got into TJ through the competitive process and couldn't run away fast enough after the 1st year with terrible grades. Think about it. Suppose you are a black kid, extremely smart and your parents are aware of the opportunities that are possible for someone like you. You go to base school - play a sport (assuming you are into it), time for other ECs, have a girlfriend, party, etc and still make great grades and can literally walk into any top college. You go to TJ, it's a LOT of hard work in every subject. starting with day 1 of summer school before freshman year. There are 100s of highly motivated, driven and likely smarter kids than you and you will get creamed unless you are a super-genius (in which case you'd have gotten in anyways). Why would you do that? I suspect a lot of the aware URM families are doing just that. Letting someone in just because they are URM is a bad idea for the kid.

A lot of White families do that too.. It's way easier to get into a good college from a base HS than from TJ. Pretty much every white person is talking down on "prepping" and "asian culture" in the APP thread. Move over to the college forum and you will see that every one of them has a master plan - Kids who spent early school years focusing on fencing, lacrosse, crew, playing the harp or spending tons of money to train in a sport. Kids going to private high school because those schools have "connected" counselors, kids with a plan for grad school (it's actually the parents but it's OK when you are white), etc.

They don't like the fact that they have to compete and lose at TJ and choose not to go. They would love to have low performing kids at TJ so they can look good. Don't fall for that.

So, what's the point of all this? Kids going to TJ on a "quota" will be gone after the first year.. that too, badly wounded. As many others have pointed out, why not find such kids, encourage them to study/prep (or whatever it takes to get them on the same footing as the other kids) and help them win? Why continue to foster the mindset that they need a handout? Intelligence is equally distributed across all ethnicities so there are equally smart URM kids as a % of the population as there are Asian or White kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any student, no matter his or her race, will not do well once admitted to TJ if they are not able to handle the rigor. Same goes for gender. We are not doing any one any favors by putting them in a school that they will do poorly in.

Do you think kids are doomed from the start? Kids are resilient and can catch up, you know.

Or you know, teachers can scaffold and differentiate for different levels. That's what non TJ teachers have to do.

TJ teachers do this as well, but at a more advanced academic level. The paucity of black and hispanic students at TJ is both very unfortunate and kind of self-fulfilling. As one mom noted up-thread, her black kid thought that the extremely low numbers of black kids at TJ would mean that he wouldn't have a good experience there, even though academically he is very qualified (and perhaps could have benefited from going to TJ). That makes complete sense to me, in the sense that I understand it, even if I might have done something different. But if more black kids apply and go, then the black community at TJ could grow, which would better for the black community there, and certainly better for the overall TJ community. The key for TJ, I think, is to figure out how to make the place more attractive to academically gifted black and hispanic students, so that more kids apply. As more apply, more will (hopefully) get in, and a virtuous cycle can start. One of my just-graduated TJ senior's best friends at TJ was one of the few black kids in his class. Funnily enough, they were in a baby playgroup for a year or so when they were infants/toddlers, but lost touch until they hooked back up at TJ. I've never had a conversation with him about what it was like for him at TJ, but perhaps I should try.

When the admission rate is roughly 3.7% for black kids and 24.9% for Asian kids (in other words, the chances of an Asian kid getting in is about 7X greater), it's not realistic to put the burden on black kids to apply in greater numbers to start this so-called "virtuous cycle." Can you imagine what it feels like for a black student to take the admissions tests knowing that an Asian kid is 7X more likely to end up admitted? Or completing the essay questions and information sheets without necessarily having had the same opportunities as the Asian and white kids who have been "groomed" for TJ since a young age?

The current "holistic" system is broken and FCPS has to jump start the process to make more kids feel welcome there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t think middle school and even high school kids are so damn special and exceptional that they cannot survive if there are *gasp* unprepared students in their classes. It’s high school for god sake, not a PhD program. Maybe I’m too laid back for this area. If equity means admitting some kids mostly because of their race and giving them a trial by fire chance to better prepared for college, I am okay with that. If they don’t like the challenge they’ll leave TJ.

Ha ha ha! You ARE too laid back for this area. I know several kids that got into TJ through the competitive process and couldn't run away fast enough after the 1st year with terrible grades. Think about it. Suppose you are a black kid, extremely smart and your parents are aware of the opportunities that are possible for someone like you. You go to base school - play a sport (assuming you are into it), time for other ECs, have a girlfriend, party, etc and still make great grades and can literally walk into any top college. You go to TJ, it's a LOT of hard work in every subject. starting with day 1 of summer school before freshman year. There are 100s of highly motivated, driven and likely smarter kids than you and you will get creamed unless you are a super-genius (in which case you'd have gotten in anyways). Why would you do that? I suspect a lot of the aware URM families are doing just that. Letting someone in just because they are URM is a bad idea for the kid.

A lot of White families do that too.. It's way easier to get into a good college from a base HS than from TJ. Pretty much every white person is talking down on "prepping" and "asian culture" in the APP thread. Move over to the college forum and you will see that every one of them has a master plan - Kids who spent early school years focusing on fencing, lacrosse, crew, playing the harp or spending tons of money to train in a sport. Kids going to private high school because those schools have "connected" counselors, kids with a plan for grad school (it's actually the parents but it's OK when you are white), etc.

They don't like the fact that they have to compete and lose at TJ and choose not to go. They would love to have low performing kids at TJ so they can look good. Don't fall for that.

So, what's the point of all this? Kids going to TJ on a "quota" will be gone after the first year.. that too, badly wounded. As many others have pointed out, why not find such kids, encourage them to study/prep (or whatever it takes to get them on the same footing as the other kids) and help them win? Why continue to foster the mindset that they need a handout? Intelligence is equally distributed across all ethnicities so there are equally smart URM kids as a % of the population as there are Asian or White kids.

As uncomfortable as this is to say, intelligence is definitely not distributed equally among ethnicities. Look up the data on that.