New TJ principal announced

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hopeful that the new principal can keep the low stress environment without abandoning rigor.

For a change, the new principal has STEM background. Merit is back, beginning with the new principal.

Bonitatibus has a computer science background.

Maybe for a change you can try to post something truthful?

She has a what?

It says she graduated from indiana university of pennsylvania in communications education.

Nothing about computer science, english or math. I'm not saying you need a degree to teach those subjects at the high school level but just saying you have a background in computer science doesn't make it so.

I think she is perfectly well qualified to be a principal of a base school but TJ needs a principal that understands gifted education and why it is not a waste of taxpayer money like so many on DCUM seem to think.

If you can say that he “has a STEM background”, then you can say that about her as well.

Both studied STEM in college; both went directly into teaching; both taught math in the past.

He did more STEM in college but that doesn’t mean she did zero.

Does a college student who takes a required distributional course in "physics for poets" count as studying STEM in college by your definition?

She did enough to be qualified to teach math and has mentioned her background in computer science in college.

Is she the STEMiest person out there? No. But she does have a “STEM background” if we are considering his background to be a “STEM background” (AKA studied and taught STEM topics decades ago).

Looks like you are having a hard time accepting it. But FCPS is letting her go due to poor performance.

They didn’t let her go. She received a promotion.

I have no problem with the transition - Mukai sounds great. I just hate liars.

Moved to a back office role, no one hears about or cares. Just glad TJ is turning the corner with qualified leadership.

DP. She applied for a job with a much more expansive role, to include hiring the principal of TJ, at a much higher salary, and won the job.

That reality may not fit your narrative, but it's the reality. If she hadn't applied for the job that she currently holds, she would still be the principal at TJ and FCPS, for better or worse, would still be happy with her.

Doesn't mean that Mukai won't do a great job (I believe that he will), but you're grasping at straws to pretend that she was somehow "let go" or "replaced".

Exactly. I think Mukai will do a great job. I think he'll bring a unique perspective given that he was a member of the first class.

BUT that doesn't mean PP can just make up lies about the previous principal to push some RW narrative. That is straight up trolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hopeful that the new principal can keep the low stress environment without abandoning rigor.

The previous principal did an excellent job maintaining high standards while reducing the test prep cheaters, which helped with the toxicity.

Test prep is not cheating.
Studying is not cheating.
Nobody believes that it is.
Not even you.
Only cheating is cheating.
You should stop denigrating the hard work and effort of some kids just because you want opportunity for other kids.

I think Bonitatibus was focused on mental health especially in light of the two suicides during her tenure. I think these may be the first suicides at TJ since its inception and it must have weighed heavy on her as it would on any principal.

The test prep has the questions bank, they teach and train your kid strategy on how to answer it, they expose to your kid what the test would similarity be like.
If you don't like the term of 'cheating' I will call it unfair advantage.

I am agree that studying is not cheating.

Well, this is why I think the PSATs would be the best test to use. The "question banks" are publicly available for free.
Test prep is available on khan academy.

If it is free and the same, nobody will pay $$$ for prep, and the ones that usually do prep is the "wealthy, educated, and understand the game".

You don't understand the game.
Because there is no game, not in the sleazy sense you are talking about.
Just because your kid is stupid doesn't mean the rest of the world is cheating.

Wealthy people pay more for the same thing all the time.
Toyota and a lexus are essentially the same car with different price tags.
A Kohler faucet costs 5 times as much as an off brand facuet made at the exact same factory.
People pay more for things all the time.

Back when people didn't have the internet, in person instruction was the only game in town.
It's what we did, it's what our parents did and we think it's what our kids must do.
For a lot of kids, online learning isn't as good as online learning but the smartest kids adapt well to online learning.
Princeton review and Kaplan doesn't have any secret sauce that khan academy doesn't have access to.

Let’s say you take 300 bright kids:
100 receive 1:1 tutoring twice a week
100 attend in-person, small group courses once a week
100 are given the link to Khan Academy

After 6 months, which group(s) see the biggest gains in test performance?

Are we talking about the PSAT?

If the kids are 99th percentile bright, then they would earn high scores on the PSAT without any prep. Any or none of the options would be sufficient.

If the kids are simply bright, then either of the last two options could be better, depending on the kid. If the kid is self-directed enough, they'd likely do better with Khan academy than the group courses. They will have more freedom to focus on areas of weakness and won't have to sit through material that they already know. If the kid is not self directed, the courses would be better since they likely wouldn't bother doing the Khan academy stuff. As an example, my kid took the PSAT completely cold in 10th grade and got a 1450/1520. They got a workbook, lightly studied, and raised that score to a 1500/1520 for the 11th grade PSAT. Nothing more than that is needed for a smart kid.

So why do people pay for the tutoring or classes? They have some level of FOMO and want to cover all bases. They are wealthy enough that the money is insignificant. They know their kids won't do the work on their own. They don't have the bandwidth to keep the kid on track. They believe the hype and think the courses will make a significant change. They don't want to regret not doing classes if their kid ends up just barely under any of the cutoffs. Any and all of these could be reasons why people pay for PSAT prep.

You don't get to pick the study habits/motivation/backgrounds of the 100 bright kids. Just a mix of 100 bright kids, specifically 8th graders.

On average, how would those cohorts generally fare based on the prep they received?

Private tutoring >= targeted class >= Khan >= nothing. But I don't think the differences are that huge. Again, my kid went with the nothing approach and will definitely make NMSF with a score higher the kids who did extensive tutoring. Prepping may give some small gain, but the bright kids will still have high scores, no matter what they do. The not-so-bright kids will have lower scores, no matter what they do. The PSAT and SAT have remained useful as admissions tests because despite the plethora of free and paid prep programs, they still do a pretty good job of indicating the ability level of a kid.

If people like you are so concerned that use of a test like PSAT would give too large of an advantage to the wealthier kids, then the solution is easy. Offer a free TJ-prep afterschool club at the lower SES middle schools. If a kid is not naturally bright enough to do well without prep and not willing to put in the work when a free prep class is offered after school, why do you imagine that the kid would be successful at a school like TJ?

[Anonymous]

People who are angry here are people who have kids that did not get in TJ. They do not care if someone at TJ does not do well. It is none of their business how other kids are doing. They are just angry and jealous that their kids did not make it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hopeful that the new principal can keep the low stress environment without abandoning rigor.

The previous principal did an excellent job maintaining high standards while reducing the test prep cheaters, which helped with the toxicity.

Test prep is not cheating.
Studying is not cheating.
Nobody believes that it is.
Not even you.
Only cheating is cheating.
You should stop denigrating the hard work and effort of some kids just because you want opportunity for other kids.

I think Bonitatibus was focused on mental health especially in light of the two suicides during her tenure. I think these may be the first suicides at TJ since its inception and it must have weighed heavy on her as it would on any principal.

The test prep has the questions bank, they teach and train your kid strategy on how to answer it, they expose to your kid what the test would similarity be like.
If you don't like the term of 'cheating' I will call it unfair advantage.

I am agree that studying is not cheating.

Well, this is why I think the PSATs would be the best test to use. The "question banks" are publicly available for free.
Test prep is available on khan academy.

If it is free and the same, nobody will pay $$$ for prep, and the ones that usually do prep is the "wealthy, educated, and understand the game".

You don't understand the game.
Because there is no game, not in the sleazy sense you are talking about.
Just because your kid is stupid doesn't mean the rest of the world is cheating.

Wealthy people pay more for the same thing all the time.
Toyota and a lexus are essentially the same car with different price tags.
A Kohler faucet costs 5 times as much as an off brand facuet made at the exact same factory.
People pay more for things all the time.

Back when people didn't have the internet, in person instruction was the only game in town.
It's what we did, it's what our parents did and we think it's what our kids must do.
For a lot of kids, online learning isn't as good as online learning but the smartest kids adapt well to online learning.
Princeton review and Kaplan doesn't have any secret sauce that khan academy doesn't have access to.

Let’s say you take 300 bright kids:
100 receive 1:1 tutoring twice a week
100 attend in-person, small group courses once a week
100 are given the link to Khan Academy

After 6 months, which group(s) see the biggest gains in test performance?

Who the heck does 6 months of test prep twice a week.
It's like 12 hours max.
Beyond that point you are teaching kids math not how to do well on a math test.

Who? All of the people who sign up for these $$$ options. Want me to list them out again?

Teaching math (& grammar, etc.) is certainly part of many of these programs.

So...who would see the biggest gains in test performance?

After that 12 or so hours of test related material (plus whatever time you spend on practice tests), it's all just studying.

I think it goes without saying that on average, the kids who study the most will get the best scores.

But people here talk about studying like it's cheating.

We should not be discouraging or penalizing kids that study.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hopeful that the new principal can keep the low stress environment without abandoning rigor.

For a change, the new principal has STEM background. Merit is back, beginning with the new principal.

Bonitatibus has a computer science background.

Maybe for a change you can try to post something truthful?

She has a what?

It says she graduated from indiana university of pennsylvania in communications education.

Nothing about computer science, english or math. I'm not saying you need a degree to teach those subjects at the high school level but just saying you have a background in computer science doesn't make it so.

I think she is perfectly well qualified to be a principal of a base school but TJ needs a principal that understands gifted education and why it is not a waste of taxpayer money like so many on DCUM seem to think.

If you can say that he “has a STEM background”, then you can say that about her as well.

Both studied STEM in college; both went directly into teaching; both taught math in the past.

He did more STEM in college but that doesn’t mean she did zero.

Does a college student who takes a required distributional course in "physics for poets" count as studying STEM in college by your definition?

She did enough to be qualified to teach math and has mentioned her background in computer science in college.

Is she the STEMiest person out there? No. But she does have a “STEM background” if we are considering his background to be a “STEM background” (AKA studied and taught STEM topics decades ago).

Looks like you are having a hard time accepting it. But FCPS is letting her go due to poor performance.

They didn’t let her go. She received a promotion.

I have no problem with the transition - Mukai sounds great. I just hate liars.

Moved to a back office role, no one hears about or cares. Just glad TJ is turning the corner with qualified leadership.

Bonitatibus is qualified.

She has lost the confidence of the students, the faculty and the parents. She could no longer be effective in her role. She chose political alignment with the FCPS board over the mission of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who are angry here are people who have kids that did not get in TJ. They do not care if someone at TJ does not do well. It is none of their business how other kids are doing. They are just angry and jealous that their kids did not make it!

People want to think that their mid kid didn't get in because other kids cheated.

How did these other kids cheat?
By studying harder than their mid kids did.
Anyone that studies harder than their kids are overstudying strivers and don't really deserve anything for their efforts; and anyone that studies less are lazy and don't deserve any more than they got. Only kids that studied exactly as much as their own kids have the right combination of integrity and hard work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who are angry here are people who have kids that did not get in TJ. They do not care if someone at TJ does not do well. It is none of their business how other kids are doing. They are just angry and jealous that their kids did not make it!

People want to think that their mid kid didn't get in because other kids cheated.

How did these other kids cheat?
By studying harder than their mid kids did.
Anyone that studies harder than their kids are overstudying strivers and don't really deserve anything for their efforts; and anyone that studies less are lazy and don't deserve any more than they got. Only kids that studied exactly as much as their own kids have the right combination of integrity and hard work.

Many kids were buying the test, and that was cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hopeful that the new principal can keep the low stress environment without abandoning rigor.

For a change, the new principal has STEM background. Merit is back, beginning with the new principal.

Bonitatibus has a computer science background.

Maybe for a change you can try to post something truthful?

She has a what?

It says she graduated from indiana university of pennsylvania in communications education.

Nothing about computer science, english or math. I'm not saying you need a degree to teach those subjects at the high school level but just saying you have a background in computer science doesn't make it so.

I think she is perfectly well qualified to be a principal of a base school but TJ needs a principal that understands gifted education and why it is not a waste of taxpayer money like so many on DCUM seem to think.

If you can say that he “has a STEM background”, then you can say that about her as well.

Both studied STEM in college; both went directly into teaching; both taught math in the past.

He did more STEM in college but that doesn’t mean she did zero.

Does a college student who takes a required distributional course in "physics for poets" count as studying STEM in college by your definition?

She did enough to be qualified to teach math and has mentioned her background in computer science in college.

Is she the STEMiest person out there? No. But she does have a “STEM background” if we are considering his background to be a “STEM background” (AKA studied and taught STEM topics decades ago).

Looks like you are having a hard time accepting it. But FCPS is letting her go due to poor performance.

They didn’t let her go. She received a promotion.

I have no problem with the transition - Mukai sounds great. I just hate liars.

Moved to a back office role, no one hears about or cares. Just glad TJ is turning the corner with qualified leadership.

Bonitatibus is qualified.

She has lost the confidence of the students, the faculty and the parents. She could no longer be effective in her role. She chose political alignment with the FCPS board over the mission of the school.

#fakenews She was a great principal who did great things for TJ and the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who are angry here are people who have kids that did not get in TJ. They do not care if someone at TJ does not do well. It is none of their business how other kids are doing. They are just angry and jealous that their kids did not make it!

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hopeful that the new principal can keep the low stress environment without abandoning rigor.

For a change, the new principal has STEM background. Merit is back, beginning with the new principal.

Bonitatibus has a computer science background.

Maybe for a change you can try to post something truthful?

She has a what?

It says she graduated from indiana university of pennsylvania in communications education.

Nothing about computer science, english or math. I'm not saying you need a degree to teach those subjects at the high school level but just saying you have a background in computer science doesn't make it so.

I think she is perfectly well qualified to be a principal of a base school but TJ needs a principal that understands gifted education and why it is not a waste of taxpayer money like so many on DCUM seem to think.

If you can say that he “has a STEM background”, then you can say that about her as well.

Both studied STEM in college; both went directly into teaching; both taught math in the past.

He did more STEM in college but that doesn’t mean she did zero.

Does a college student who takes a required distributional course in "physics for poets" count as studying STEM in college by your definition?

She did enough to be qualified to teach math and has mentioned her background in computer science in college.

Is she the STEMiest person out there? No. But she does have a “STEM background” if we are considering his background to be a “STEM background” (AKA studied and taught STEM topics decades ago).

Looks like you are having a hard time accepting it. But FCPS is letting her go due to poor performance.

They didn’t let her go. She received a promotion.

I have no problem with the transition - Mukai sounds great. I just hate liars.

Moved to a back office role, no one hears about or cares. Just glad TJ is turning the corner with qualified leadership.

Bonitatibus is qualified.

She has lost the confidence of the students, the faculty and the parents. She could no longer be effective in her role. She chose political alignment with the FCPS board over the mission of the school.

#fakenews She was a great principal who did great things for TJ and the county.

Bye bye. Adios!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Excellent choice. As an alum of TJ’s first graduating class (‘89), he has been local to Northern Virginia and has seen its entire history firsthand. FCPS did very well here in bringing in a person who understands the positives and negatives of TJ’s culture over the last 35 years.

Critically, as a former TJ football player (and I believe wrestler), he fully understands the importance of activities and athletics in the total student experience.

After the recent years of continuous decline, today is a new day for TJ with renewed hope for restoring merit, academic excellence, and indepth focus on STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Excellent choice. As an alum of TJ’s first graduating class (‘89), he has been local to Northern Virginia and has seen its entire history firsthand. FCPS did very well here in bringing in a person who understands the positives and negatives of TJ’s culture over the last 35 years.

Critically, as a former TJ football player (and I believe wrestler), he fully understands the importance of activities and athletics in the total student experience.

After the recent years of continuous decline, today is a new day for TJ with renewed hope for restoring merit, academic excellence, and indepth focus on STEM.

You're horribly mistaken. TJ is better than ever now and less toxic, too! College outcomes for the class of 2025 are amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am hopeful that the new principal can keep the low stress environment without abandoning rigor.

For a change, the new principal has STEM background. Merit is back, beginning with the new principal.

Bonitatibus has a computer science background.

Maybe for a change you can try to post something truthful?

She has a what?

It says she graduated from indiana university of pennsylvania in communications education.

Nothing about computer science, english or math. I'm not saying you need a degree to teach those subjects at the high school level but just saying you have a background in computer science doesn't make it so.

I think she is perfectly well qualified to be a principal of a base school but TJ needs a principal that understands gifted education and why it is not a waste of taxpayer money like so many on DCUM seem to think.

If you can say that he “has a STEM background”, then you can say that about her as well.

Both studied STEM in college; both went directly into teaching; both taught math in the past.

He did more STEM in college but that doesn’t mean she did zero.

Does a college student who takes a required distributional course in "physics for poets" count as studying STEM in college by your definition?

She did enough to be qualified to teach math and has mentioned her background in computer science in college.

Is she the STEMiest person out there? No. But she does have a “STEM background” if we are considering his background to be a “STEM background” (AKA studied and taught STEM topics decades ago).

Looks like you are having a hard time accepting it. But FCPS is letting her go due to poor performance.

They didn’t let her go. She received a promotion.

I have no problem with the transition - Mukai sounds great. I just hate liars.

Moved to a back office role, no one hears about or cares. Just glad TJ is turning the corner with qualified leadership.

Bonitatibus is qualified.

She has lost the confidence of the students, the faculty and the parents. She could no longer be effective in her role. She chose political alignment with the FCPS board over the mission of the school.

#fakenews She was a great principal who did great things for TJ and the county.

She facilitated a push to change admission standards that discriminated against asians.
Asians constituted the overwhelming majority of her students and families.
The asians at at TJ either hate her or hate their own race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who are angry here are people who have kids that did not get in TJ. They do not care if someone at TJ does not do well. It is none of their business how other kids are doing. They are just angry and jealous that their kids did not make it!

A lot of TJ parents and alumni are not happy with the racial discrimination that drove the change in the admissions process.

-TJ parent and alumni

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Excellent choice. As an alum of TJ’s first graduating class (‘89), he has been local to Northern Virginia and has seen its entire history firsthand. FCPS did very well here in bringing in a person who understands the positives and negatives of TJ’s culture over the last 35 years.

Critically, as a former TJ football player (and I believe wrestler), he fully understands the importance of activities and athletics in the total student experience.

After the recent years of continuous decline, today is a new day for TJ with renewed hope for restoring merit, academic excellence, and indepth focus on STEM.

You're horribly mistaken. TJ is better than ever now and less toxic, too! College outcomes for the class of 2025 are amazing!

You have no idea what the college outcomes are for the class of 2025.
There is a large population of kids at Tj that would be better off at their base school. This has always been the case for a small population of kids at TJ. Now it's at least a quarter of the kids, probably more.
TJ has historically been high pressure and high stress.
But it was never toxic.
Now there is less stress and less pressure because the wide range of academic ability means that the gradient for performance is more gradual.
It used to be that a single bad grade that dropped you from a 3.95 to a 3.85 might drop you from top 5% to top 20% because the GPAs were so bunched up at the top.
Now the GPAs are more spread out because of the wider variability in academic ability.