Youngkin and TJ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard they're going to disqualify anyone who claim low income who can't prove it.

They should

They can’t.

FCPS wrote the questions and it’s their fault if people responded literally.

Nothing wrong with using additional information outside of the application to verify ED status.

What information could they use?

[Anonymous]

tax returns

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like they have the time, money and wherewithal to address this properly, lol.

Gaming the system wins often.

Money always wins.

It will probably catch up to them

In the case of TJ over the past decade a lot of families have been able to buy admission by spending tens of thousands at the various prep centers. One even boasted that 30% of the incoming class attended their center. THe problem is this makes often average kids seem gifted and once they're there it starts to cause problems. It has helped foster the toxicity that people are always talking about.

I love how people mask their racism by using a term like “toxicity” instead.

This is a nice try, but if you have been around TJ for any length of time you know that its unique brand of toxicity long predates the dominance by South Asians.

Toxicity at TJ takes the form of:

1) A slavish obsession with elite college admissions
2) Constant comparison between students
3) A belief that TJ students are inherently better than everyone else
4) A belief that TJ should be entirely populated with only students who are completely STEM-focused and are certain at the age of 12-13 that they intend to pursue a career in STEM

These attitudes around TJ have ALWAYS existed and are by no means particular to Asians or even South Asians.

People who insist that “toxicity” is a surrogate for “Asian-ness” betray their lack of understanding of TJ’s history and are not to be taken seriously.

All the listed characteristics are those of any high performing environment, from elite high schools, colleges to workplaces. If you can't hack it, get out of the way. Quit whining and become an influencer or some such nonsense.

Quod Erat Demonstratum

I do not think your point was proven. I think it is more along the lines of proving that when things get "woke" they go downhill fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like they have the time, money and wherewithal to address this properly, lol.

Gaming the system wins often.

Money always wins.

It will probably catch up to them

In the case of TJ over the past decade a lot of families have been able to buy admission by spending tens of thousands at the various prep centers. One even boasted that 30% of the incoming class attended their center. THe problem is this makes often average kids seem gifted and once they're there it starts to cause problems. It has helped foster the toxicity that people are always talking about.

I love how people mask their racism by using a term like “toxicity” instead.

This is a nice try, but if you have been around TJ for any length of time you know that its unique brand of toxicity long predates the dominance by South Asians.

Toxicity at TJ takes the form of:

1) A slavish obsession with elite college admissions
2) Constant comparison between students
3) A belief that TJ students are inherently better than everyone else
4) A belief that TJ should be entirely populated with only students who are completely STEM-focused and are certain at the age of 12-13 that they intend to pursue a career in STEM

These attitudes around TJ have ALWAYS existed and are by no means particular to Asians or even South Asians.

People who insist that “toxicity” is a surrogate for “Asian-ness” betray their lack of understanding of TJ’s history and are not to be taken seriously.

I'm not seeing the connection between your complaint about testing centers and the alleged toxicity.

It seems that kids who prepped for TJ may have greater humility and might be more likely to believe they got there through hard work and preparation, rather than some inherent advantage.

Conversely, now that FCPS is guaranteeing slots at TJ to a minimum number of students from every middle school, it's entirely possible that comparisons between those who got in from the more rigorous middle schools and the less rigorous ones will increase.

And there's no reason to think that TJ won't continue to have students who believe they are "inherently better than everyone else." If anything, the School Board seems to embrace that mindset, while just wanting to make sure that more Black, brown, and low-income kids are the ones espousing it.

So I'm not taking you seriously, since you constantly claim to have some inside edge when it comes to understanding TJ's culture, while simultaneously pushing your own set of stereotypes based on assumptions that are anything but compelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like they have the time, money and wherewithal to address this properly, lol.

Gaming the system wins often.

Money always wins.

It will probably catch up to them

In the case of TJ over the past decade a lot of families have been able to buy admission by spending tens of thousands at the various prep centers. One even boasted that 30% of the incoming class attended their center. THe problem is this makes often average kids seem gifted and once they're there it starts to cause problems. It has helped foster the toxicity that people are always talking about.

I love how people mask their racism by using a term like “toxicity” instead.

This is a nice try, but if you have been around TJ for any length of time you know that its unique brand of toxicity long predates the dominance by South Asians.

Toxicity at TJ takes the form of:

1) A slavish obsession with elite college admissions
2) Constant comparison between students
3) A belief that TJ students are inherently better than everyone else
4) A belief that TJ should be entirely populated with only students who are completely STEM-focused and are certain at the age of 12-13 that they intend to pursue a career in STEM

These attitudes around TJ have ALWAYS existed and are by no means particular to Asians or even South Asians.

People who insist that “toxicity” is a surrogate for “Asian-ness” betray their lack of understanding of TJ’s history and are not to be taken seriously.

1) Meh. This one sounds more like something that's typical of a high-performance environment rather than something "toxic" in and of itself.
2) Social comparison is inherent to humanity. You'd be complaining about literally every human on the planet here.
3) I'm not sure that this is specific to TJ. The thing that is specific to TJ is the reason people would give for thinking so. The story here isn't necessarily toxic attitudes, but the willingness to subjugate them to academic pursuits.
4) Yes, because if your goal is to force common opinions to fit the shape of something you don't like, you'll always be successful.

If these are the entirety of the reasons, yet the pressing need to change is being realized now, then yes, it's about Asian-ness, not toxicity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like they have the time, money and wherewithal to address this properly, lol.

Gaming the system wins often.

Money always wins.

It will probably catch up to them

In the case of TJ over the past decade a lot of families have been able to buy admission by spending tens of thousands at the various prep centers. One even boasted that 30% of the incoming class attended their center. THe problem is this makes often average kids seem gifted and once they're there it starts to cause problems. It has helped foster the toxicity that people are always talking about.

I love how people mask their racism by using a term like “toxicity” instead.

This is a nice try, but if you have been around TJ for any length of time you know that its unique brand of toxicity long predates the dominance by South Asians.

Toxicity at TJ takes the form of:

1) A slavish obsession with elite college admissions
2) Constant comparison between students
3) A belief that TJ students are inherently better than everyone else
4) A belief that TJ should be entirely populated with only students who are completely STEM-focused and are certain at the age of 12-13 that they intend to pursue a career in STEM

These attitudes around TJ have ALWAYS existed and are by no means particular to Asians or even South Asians.

People who insist that “toxicity” is a surrogate for “Asian-ness” betray their lack of understanding of TJ’s history and are not to be taken seriously.

I'm not seeing the connection between your complaint about testing centers and the alleged toxicity.

It seems that kids who prepped for TJ may have greater humility and might be more likely to believe they got there through hard work and preparation, rather than some inherent advantage.

Conversely, now that FCPS is guaranteeing slots at TJ to a minimum number of students from every middle school, it's entirely possible that comparisons between those who got in from the more rigorous middle schools and the less rigorous ones will increase.

And there's no reason to think that TJ won't continue to have students who believe they are "inherently better than everyone else." If anything, the School Board seems to embrace that mindset, while just wanting to make sure that more Black, brown, and low-income kids are the ones espousing it.

So I'm not taking you seriously, since you constantly claim to have some inside edge when it comes to understanding TJ's culture, while simultaneously pushing your own set of stereotypes based on assumptions that are anything but compelling.

The poster you are responding to is prob. the one that has no kids yet hangs around TJ and has "TJ kids come to them and share their secrets"! Pedo much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like they have the time, money and wherewithal to address this properly, lol.

Gaming the system wins often.

Money always wins.

It will probably catch up to them

In the case of TJ over the past decade a lot of families have been able to buy admission by spending tens of thousands at the various prep centers. One even boasted that 30% of the incoming class attended their center. THe problem is this makes often average kids seem gifted and once they're there it starts to cause problems. It has helped foster the toxicity that people are always talking about.

I love how people mask their racism by using a term like “toxicity” instead.

This is a nice try, but if you have been around TJ for any length of time you know that its unique brand of toxicity long predates the dominance by South Asians.

Toxicity at TJ takes the form of:

1) A slavish obsession with elite college admissions
2) Constant comparison between students
3) A belief that TJ students are inherently better than everyone else
4) A belief that TJ should be entirely populated with only students who are completely STEM-focused and are certain at the age of 12-13 that they intend to pursue a career in STEM

These attitudes around TJ have ALWAYS existed and are by no means particular to Asians or even South Asians.

People who insist that “toxicity” is a surrogate for “Asian-ness” betray their lack of understanding of TJ’s history and are not to be taken seriously.

I'm not seeing the connection between your complaint about testing centers and the alleged toxicity.

It seems that kids who prepped for TJ may have greater humility and might be more likely to believe they got there through hard work and preparation, rather than some inherent advantage.

Conversely, now that FCPS is guaranteeing slots at TJ to a minimum number of students from every middle school, it's entirely possible that comparisons between those who got in from the more rigorous middle schools and the less rigorous ones will increase.

And there's no reason to think that TJ won't continue to have students who believe they are "inherently better than everyone else." If anything, the School Board seems to embrace that mindset, while just wanting to make sure that more Black, brown, and low-income kids are the ones espousing it.

So I'm not taking you seriously, since you constantly claim to have some inside edge when it comes to understanding TJ's culture, while simultaneously pushing your own set of stereotypes based on assumptions that are anything but compelling.

The poster you are responding to is prob. the one that has no kids yet hangs around TJ and has "TJ kids come to them and share their secrets"! Pedo much?

Some people don’t think things are fair unless they have an advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:tax returns

How could a school system possibly get access to tax returns?

[Anonymous]

Given that most Asians are immigrants who came to the US later in life, despite the lower percentage of Asians overall, there may be more Asian kids of high school age than their proportion in the overall population. What I mean is that even though Asian population is say 10%, proportion of Asian kids eligible for high school may be 30%. Point is the over representation may not be as high if the right data is used. Anyone has actual data here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given that most Asians are immigrants who came to the US later in life, despite the lower percentage of Asians overall, there may be more Asian kids of high school age than their proportion in the overall population. What I mean is that even though Asian population is say 10%, proportion of Asian kids eligible for high school may be 30%. Point is the over representation may not be as high if the right data is used. Anyone has actual data here?

I'd buy maybe 11% but 30% sounds wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like they have the time, money and wherewithal to address this properly, lol.

Gaming the system wins often.

Money always wins.

It will probably catch up to them

In the case of TJ over the past decade a lot of families have been able to buy admission by spending tens of thousands at the various prep centers. One even boasted that 30% of the incoming class attended their center. THe problem is this makes often average kids seem gifted and once they're there it starts to cause problems. It has helped foster the toxicity that people are always talking about.

I love how people mask their racism by using a term like “toxicity” instead.

This is a nice try, but if you have been around TJ for any length of time you know that its unique brand of toxicity long predates the dominance by South Asians.

Toxicity at TJ takes the form of:

1) A slavish obsession with elite college admissions
2) Constant comparison between students
3) A belief that TJ students are inherently better than everyone else
4) A belief that TJ should be entirely populated with only students who are completely STEM-focused and are certain at the age of 12-13 that they intend to pursue a career in STEM

These attitudes around TJ have ALWAYS existed and are by no means particular to Asians or even South Asians.

People who insist that “toxicity” is a surrogate for “Asian-ness” betray their lack of understanding of TJ’s history and are not to be taken seriously.

I'm not seeing the connection between your complaint about testing centers and the alleged toxicity.

It seems that kids who prepped for TJ may have greater humility and might be more likely to believe they got there through hard work and preparation, rather than some inherent advantage.

Conversely, now that FCPS is guaranteeing slots at TJ to a minimum number of students from every middle school, it's entirely possible that comparisons between those who got in from the more rigorous middle schools and the less rigorous ones will increase.

And there's no reason to think that TJ won't continue to have students who believe they are "inherently better than everyone else." If anything, the School Board seems to embrace that mindset, while just wanting to make sure that more Black, brown, and low-income kids are the ones espousing it.

So I'm not taking you seriously, since you constantly claim to have some inside edge when it comes to understanding TJ's culture, while simultaneously pushing your own set of stereotypes based on assumptions that are anything but compelling.

That sounds wrong. The idea that some middle schools are more rigorous is flawed. They're about the same with the same teachers and curriculum. The difference is mainly wealthier areas send their darlings to $10k test prep classes which makes them present as gifted when more often than not the majority of these kids would test lower than their peers from the "less rigorous" schools without all the outside enrichment that they've been given. This leads to many kids being admitted who don't have the ability to thrive at places like TJ and causes the toxicity.

[Anonymous]

Given the level of objectivity I'm seeing in the responses, it sounds a lot like "toxicity" is a codeword for "people may tell you that you are wrong," or "you may get bad grades," or "you have to spend real effort to finish your homework." Yeah, let's get rid of the all the toxicity. It's great to see the school board supporting that kind of a change!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given that most Asians are immigrants who came to the US later in life, despite the lower percentage of Asians overall, there may be more Asian kids of high school age than their proportion in the overall population. What I mean is that even though Asian population is say 10%, proportion of Asian kids eligible for high school may be 30%. Point is the over representation may not be as high if the right data is used. Anyone has actual data here?

Demographics within Fairfax County Public Schools is 37.8% White, 9.8% Black, 19.5% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander, 26.8% Hispanic/Latino, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

Are the demographics different within AAP or at TJ? Are any of these groups over or under represented?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else notice the plea to submit FARMS applications in the FCPS-wide newsletter yesterday?

I called the TJ admissions office a while back and spoke to a staff member. She confirmed that 1) they were aware of the meals questions were tricky this year and 2) yes, anyone can in good faith choose to answer yes to both questions.

“ The Importance of Submitting Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications
School lunch food on a tray.

School meals provide nourishment that allows students to excel in the classroom and to grow and thrive. This year, FCPS continues to offer no-cost meals to all students, thanks to a waiver granted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

While the meals are no cost for all, it is still important for families to submit the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM) application because it impacts much more than meals.

FRM applications help link families to other benefits, such as waiving fees for SAT, ACT, and AP exams as well as other school fee-based programs. Qualifying students may also have access to scholarships, classes, or services provided by agencies and organizations outside FCPS. FRM applications also help determine additional education funding for your child’s school.

Winter break is a great time to complete the FRM application. Find out more on our website.”

Has anyone who answered “yes” on the meals questions been contacted by FCPS to fill out an FRM application?

No, we have not been contacted. And really don’t expect to. I don’t think anyone should be worried - sounds like truly anyone can say yes and get the experience factor. Tax returns are private and the school system does not have easy access.

According to a quick read/Google, since the school board does not have taxing authority, they by law cannot access tax returns. (And if they are, they might have yet another law suit on their hands.)

https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/disclosure-laws

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else notice the plea to submit FARMS applications in the FCPS-wide newsletter yesterday?

I called the TJ admissions office a while back and spoke to a staff member. She confirmed that 1) they were aware of the meals questions were tricky this year and 2) yes, anyone can in good faith choose to answer yes to both questions.

“ The Importance of Submitting Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications
School lunch food on a tray.

School meals provide nourishment that allows students to excel in the classroom and to grow and thrive. This year, FCPS continues to offer no-cost meals to all students, thanks to a waiver granted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

While the meals are no cost for all, it is still important for families to submit the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM) application because it impacts much more than meals.

FRM applications help link families to other benefits, such as waiving fees for SAT, ACT, and AP exams as well as other school fee-based programs. Qualifying students may also have access to scholarships, classes, or services provided by agencies and organizations outside FCPS. FRM applications also help determine additional education funding for your child’s school.

Winter break is a great time to complete the FRM application. Find out more on our website.”

Has anyone who answered “yes” on the meals questions been contacted by FCPS to fill out an FRM application?

No, we have not been contacted. And really don’t expect to. I don’t think anyone should be worried - sounds like truly anyone can say yes and get the experience factor. Tax returns are private and the school system does not have easy access.

According to a quick read/Google, since the school board does not have taxing authority, they by law cannot access tax returns. (And if they are, they might have yet another law suit on their hands.)

https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/disclosure-laws

Would you qualify for free/reduced meals in a regular year?

They could ask parents to provide proof if they want the experience factor. If not, kid can still apply without the experience factor.