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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No. At least not more than the white kids. When white people prep (or they call it enrich), nobody labels them anything. This is the true (white) privilege. This is the injustice everyone should fight against, not Asians getting some good results after hard work.

Let me get this right. The real injustice here is that whitey preps and is not labeled as such, but Asians prep and that is meritorious. I don't know who preps more and frankly I don't think that is knowable, but your comment is inane I am in the no-prep camp, but be free to piss your money and kids' childhoods away. That's your choice.
The problem with DCUM is idiot privilege and no one is embarrassed to demonstrate theirs.

Those who want to prep, please do. Those that don't want to, don't. Do so without worrying that an idiot might judge you.

I was trying to address the double standard in the original post. I don't care if people prep.
So, I am the owner of two half breeds that attend TJ. They didn't really prep, but had they prepped, would they have they have gotten in via white privilege or Asian meritocracy? Enquiring minds would like to know.

I'm not going to get into AA issues since everything get ugly early with everyone acting on racial stereotypes, particularly AA and Asian, with little actual thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that most white and Asian kids who end up at TJ prep, in some cases intensely, aided by their parents' financial resources (recall that TJ is about 2% FARMS).

There are a handful of posters who come on here constantly to let us know their kids didn't prep at all. This barely counts as a "humblebrag," and it's a distraction from the bigger issues around TJ. It's not going to stop TJ from getting the long-delayed scrutiny that it so richly (no pun intended) deserves.

*TS is precisely the type of systemic, institutional racism that BLM is seeking to address. Every dollar spent on TJ with it’s ridiculous rotunda (named for a slave-holding rapist wasn’t on the nose enough, had to replicate the slave-labor architecture) is a dollar spent supporting a demonstrably racist institution.

How long until #defundTJ trends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that most white and Asian kids who end up at TJ prep, in some cases intensely, aided by their parents' financial resources (recall that TJ is about 2% FARMS).

There are a handful of posters who come on here constantly to let us know their kids didn't prep at all. This barely counts as a "humblebrag," and it's a distraction from the bigger issues around TJ. It's not going to stop TJ from getting the long-delayed scrutiny that it so richly (no pun intended) deserves.

*TS is precisely the type of systemic, institutional racism that BLM is seeking to address. Every dollar spent on TJ with it’s ridiculous rotunda (named for a slave-holding rapist wasn’t on the nose enough, had to replicate the slave-labor architecture) is a dollar spent supporting a demonstrably racist institution.

How long until #defundTJ trends?

DP. Well, where the rubber meets the road is the fact that suburban parents of privilege don’t really care about racial issues enough to take a stand about TJ admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that most white and Asian kids who end up at TJ prep, in some cases intensely, aided by their parents' financial resources (recall that TJ is about 2% FARMS).

There are a handful of posters who come on here constantly to let us know their kids didn't prep at all. This barely counts as a "humblebrag," and it's a distraction from the bigger issues around TJ. It's not going to stop TJ from getting the long-delayed scrutiny that it so richly (no pun intended) deserves.

*TS is precisely the type of systemic, institutional racism that BLM is seeking to address. Every dollar spent on TJ with it’s ridiculous rotunda (named for a slave-holding rapist wasn’t on the nose enough, had to replicate the slave-labor architecture) is a dollar spent supporting a demonstrably racist institution.

How long until #defundTJ trends?

DP. Well, where the rubber meets the road is the fact that suburban parents of privilege don’t really care about racial issues enough to take a stand about TJ admissions.

This is false. TJ parents *are* taking a stand about TJ admissions. As are TJ students. Of course, admissions are 100% outside of the purview of either group. But nothing any TJ parent, student, or alum says on this thread will make one iota of difference to the TJ haters who can't see that TJ is a symptom of a much deeper issue starting at a minimum with early childhood education but more importantly reflective of larger socioeconomic disparities. It is offensive to the students of color who aren't getting into TJ to come up with the very ingenious solution of getting rid of TJ because you're unable to solve the larger underlying issues. We should fight for those students, not throw in the towel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No. At least not more than the white kids. When white people prep (or they call it enrich), nobody labels them anything. This is the true (white) privilege. This is the injustice everyone should fight against, not Asians getting some good results after hard work.

Let me get this right. The real injustice here is that whitey preps and is not labeled as such, but Asians prep and that is meritorious. I don't know who preps more and frankly I don't think that is knowable, but your comment is inane I am in the no-prep camp, but be free to piss your money and kids' childhoods away. That's your choice.
The problem with DCUM is idiot privilege and no one is embarrassed to demonstrate theirs.

Those who want to prep, please do. Those that don't want to, don't. Do so without worrying that an idiot might judge you.

I was trying to address the double standard in the original post. I don't care if people prep.
So, I am the owner of two half breeds that attend TJ. They didn't really prep, but had they prepped, would they have they have gotten in via white privilege or Asian meritocracy? Enquiring minds would like to know.

I'm not going to get into AA issues since everything get ugly early with everyone acting on racial stereotypes, particularly AA and Asian, with little actual thought.

Neither. The admission process it supposedly colorblind so you wouldn't know which of the two factored into your kids getting in. I don't think prep for the test makes a difference for the reasonably smart kids. It might for the borderline kids. A lot of kids that prepped for years don't make it.

However, prepping throughout school, through STEM activities, making the teacher take note of your STEM interest, etc. that likely has a higher bearing on admissions. IMHO of course..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that most white and Asian kids who end up at TJ prep, in some cases intensely, aided by their parents' financial resources (recall that TJ is about 2% FARMS).

There are a handful of posters who come on here constantly to let us know their kids didn't prep at all. This barely counts as a "humblebrag," and it's a distraction from the bigger issues around TJ. It's not going to stop TJ from getting the long-delayed scrutiny that it so richly (no pun intended) deserves.

*TS is precisely the type of systemic, institutional racism that BLM is seeking to address. Every dollar spent on TJ with it’s ridiculous rotunda (named for a slave-holding rapist wasn’t on the nose enough, had to replicate the slave-labor architecture) is a dollar spent supporting a demonstrably racist institution.

How long until #defundTJ trends?

DP. Well, where the rubber meets the road is the fact that suburban parents of privilege don’t really care about racial issues enough to take a stand about TJ admissions.

This is false. TJ parents *are* taking a stand about TJ admissions. As are TJ students. Of course, admissions are 100% outside of the purview of either group. But nothing any TJ parent, student, or alum says on this thread will make one iota of difference to the TJ haters who can't see that TJ is a symptom of a much deeper issue starting at a minimum with early childhood education but more importantly reflective of larger socioeconomic disparities. It is offensive to the students of color who aren't getting into TJ to come up with the very ingenious solution of getting rid of TJ because you're unable to solve the larger underlying issues. We should fight for those students, not throw in the towel.

+ 1. The person you are responding to wants one thing only. Shut down TJ. I don't think they are a minority. They are just pissed off that their kid is not at TJ and has to take the bus to a High school when TJ is likely walking distance for them. Watch as they come back with the same reply slightly reworded (or maybe not even that). They also do not have a problem solving mindset and waiting on a magic bullet from the school board to shut down TJ which is a non-starter on so many levels, one of which is the re-election of anyone who would vote for something as stupid as that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an African American student that currently attends TJHSST (rare I know) I don't necessarily agree with everything said. I do believe that there SHOULD be some sort of cut off from certain races that attend TJHSST. After administering a poll to my classmates, the majority of the black students there said that once they get into TJ they feel comfortable there. While the work is tough, they don't feel discriminated against by any of their peers. With that being said, I feel as if not enough African American students are getting a chance to attend TJ because they're being overshadowed by predominantly Asian students. This starts from the bottom and works it way up and African American people have been at the bottom economically for generations now. So for the people that choose who gets accepted into the school, it's unfair for African American students to be compared to Asian students in the admissions process, when clearly, they'll lose out everytime. And for the fact that's it is less than 10 just shows where we are at this point and what we need to improve on. Thanks!

Why do you think AA students lose out to Asian? Our child attended Kumon for several years, which helped them to do well at school and on the TJ admission test. We paid $110-120 per month for Kumon - not that much in my view. Wouldn’t a typical FCPS AA family be able to afford that?

Stop trolling and pretending to be an Asian parent. You're trying to label TJ students as preppers. Kumon is actually not helpful at all to TJ admission and competitive work.

Aren't they? ??

No. At least not more than the white kids. When white people prep (or they call it enrich), nobody labels them anything. This is the true (white) privilege. This is the injustice everyone should fight against, not Asians getting some good results after hard work.

I'm the PP you have responded to, but at least you admitted that TJ students do prep, be it white kids or Asian kids.
You see, I didn't say Asian or White. I said "they" but I guess you believe the school belongs to Asians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an African American student that currently attends TJHSST (rare I know) I don't necessarily agree with everything said. I do believe that there SHOULD be some sort of cut off from certain races that attend TJHSST. After administering a poll to my classmates, the majority of the black students there said that once they get into TJ they feel comfortable there. While the work is tough, they don't feel discriminated against by any of their peers. With that being said, I feel as if not enough African American students are getting a chance to attend TJ because they're being overshadowed by predominantly Asian students. This starts from the bottom and works it way up and African American people have been at the bottom economically for generations now. So for the people that choose who gets accepted into the school, it's unfair for African American students to be compared to Asian students in the admissions process, when clearly, they'll lose out everytime. And for the fact that's it is less than 10 just shows where we are at this point and what we need to improve on. Thanks!

Why do you think AA students lose out to Asian? Our child attended Kumon for several years, which helped them to do well at school and on the TJ admission test. We paid $110-120 per month for Kumon - not that much in my view. Wouldn’t a typical FCPS AA family be able to afford that?

Stop trolling and pretending to be an Asian parent. You're trying to label TJ students as preppers. Kumon is actually not helpful at all to TJ admission and competitive work.

Aren't they? ??

No. At least not more than the white kids. When white people prep (or they call it enrich), nobody labels them anything. This is the true (white) privilege. This is the injustice everyone should fight against, not Asians getting some good results after hard work.

I'm the PP you have responded to, but at least you admitted that TJ students do prep, be it white kids or Asian kids.
You see, I didn't say Asian or White. I said "they" but I guess you believe the school belongs to Asians.

you have a reading comprehension problem, at least you pretend to. Not gonna waste more time with a troll like you who has an agenda. So bye!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[
No. At least not more than the white kids. When white people prep (or they call it enrich), nobody labels them anything. This is the true (white) privilege. This is the injustice everyone should fight against, not Asians getting some good results after hard work.

I'm the PP you have responded to, but at least you admitted that TJ students do prep, be it white kids or Asian kids.
You see, I didn't say Asian or White. I said "they" but I guess you believe the school belongs to Asians.

you have a reading comprehension problem, at least you pretend to. Not gonna waste more time with a troll like you who has an agenda. So bye![/quotewell, since you wouldn't answer my question about your obvious double standard, good riddance.

[Anonymous]

As another reminder, TJ admissions is separate and apart from TJ the school. And as several PP noted, it's not just the admissions that is the problem, it's the underlying socioeconomic issues. THOSE are what we need to address. Shutting down a successful STEM focused HS is lipstick on a pig in addressing them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!

God you're ridiculous. Do you think Russia was able to build a world-class fundamental science tradition because of "equity"? I'll have you know that we had magnet schools in virtually every subject (in my midsize town, there were two math-focused magnets, two with a foreign language focus, one focused on sports and one for the arts.) You could apply and get in with nothing but interest in the subject but if you couldn't hack it, they would not hesitate to counsel you out first, and then simply expel you through the pressure of bad grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No. At least not more than the white kids. When white people prep (or they call it enrich), nobody labels them anything. This is the true (white) privilege. This is the injustice everyone should fight against, not Asians getting some good results after hard work.

Let me get this right. The real injustice here is that whitey preps and is not labeled as such, but Asians prep and that is meritorious. I don't know who preps more and frankly I don't think that is knowable, but your comment is inane I am in the no-prep camp, but be free to piss your money and kids' childhoods away. That's your choice.
The problem with DCUM is idiot privilege and no one is embarrassed to demonstrate theirs.

Those who want to prep, please do. Those that don't want to, don't. Do so without worrying that an idiot might judge you.

I was trying to address the double standard in the original post. I don't care if people prep.
So, I am the owner of two half breeds that attend TJ. They didn't really prep, but had they prepped, would they have they have gotten in via white privilege or Asian meritocracy? Enquiring minds would like to know.

I'm not going to get into AA issues since everything get ugly early with everyone acting on racial stereotypes, particularly AA and Asian, with little actual thought.

Neither. The admission process it supposedly colorblind so you wouldn't know which of the two factored into your kids getting in. I don't think prep for the test makes a difference for the reasonably smart kids. It might for the borderline kids. A lot of kids that prepped for years don't make it.

However, prepping throughout school, through STEM activities, making the teacher take note of your STEM interest, etc. that likely has a higher bearing on admissions. IMHO of course..

The admissions process at TJ is "colorblind" in the same way that some people claim that "they don't see color." The process is set up to favor kids who present as TJ-ready based not just on test scores (which may have their own inherent biases) but also essays, information sheets and teacher recommendations that kids from well-to-do Asian families know how to assemble to maximum advantage, while kids from less advantaged backgrounds may not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that most white and Asian kids who end up at TJ prep, in some cases intensely, aided by their parents' financial resources (recall that TJ is about 2% FARMS).

There are a handful of posters who come on here constantly to let us know their kids didn't prep at all. This barely counts as a "humblebrag," and it's a distraction from the bigger issues around TJ. It's not going to stop TJ from getting the long-delayed scrutiny that it so richly (no pun intended) deserves.

*TS is precisely the type of systemic, institutional racism that BLM is seeking to address. Every dollar spent on TJ with it’s ridiculous rotunda (named for a slave-holding rapist wasn’t on the nose enough, had to replicate the slave-labor architecture) is a dollar spent supporting a demonstrably racist institution.

How long until #defundTJ trends?

DP. Well, where the rubber meets the road is the fact that suburban parents of privilege don’t really care about racial issues enough to take a stand about TJ admissions.

This is false. TJ parents *are* taking a stand about TJ admissions. As are TJ students. Of course, admissions are 100% outside of the purview of either group. But nothing any TJ parent, student, or alum says on this thread will make one iota of difference to the TJ haters who can't see that TJ is a symptom of a much deeper issue starting at a minimum with early childhood education but more importantly reflective of larger socioeconomic disparities. It is offensive to the students of color who aren't getting into TJ to come up with the very ingenious solution of getting rid of TJ because you're unable to solve the larger underlying issues. We should fight for those students, not throw in the towel.

+ 1. The person you are responding to wants one thing only. Shut down TJ. I don't think they are a minority. They are just pissed off that their kid is not at TJ and has to take the bus to a High school when TJ is likely walking distance for them. Watch as they come back with the same reply slightly reworded (or maybe not even that). They also do not have a problem solving mindset and waiting on a magic bullet from the school board to shut down TJ which is a non-starter on so many levels, one of which is the re-election of anyone who would vote for something as stupid as that.

TJ kids are maybe 3% of the student population in FCPS, and they are concentrated in a few magisterial districts (Dranesville, Hunter Mill and Sully). It's hard to see how a substantial restructuring of TJ, or even its closure, would doom the re-election of most members of the School Board. It would probably help the re-election of the members in the districts that send few kids to TJ (Lee, Mason, Mount Vernon) and be neutral for the others.

The main thing, though, is that the School Board consists of folks who primarily look for low-hanging fruit to advance their interests. Defending LBGTQ rights and renaming schools are easy. And some reforms to TJ admissions practices are likely; the school has made itself an easy target over the years and anything that leads to the admission of more URMs will be an opportunity for School Board members and the advocacy groups that have their ear to announce that they have advanced an equity agenda.

Closing TJ, on the other hand, would have massive ripple effects across the entire county, and there's no reason to think that School Board members with the attention span of an average 5th grader have the patience or dedication to see that process through. So TJ probably will remain a STEM magnet, just one with slightly different admissions policies and a slightly more self-conscious student body. Classic case of adapt or perish, and my guess is TJ will adapt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No. At least not more than the white kids. When white people prep (or they call it enrich), nobody labels them anything. This is the true (white) privilege. This is the injustice everyone should fight against, not Asians getting some good results after hard work.

Let me get this right. The real injustice here is that whitey preps and is not labeled as such, but Asians prep and that is meritorious. I don't know who preps more and frankly I don't think that is knowable, but your comment is inane I am in the no-prep camp, but be free to piss your money and kids' childhoods away. That's your choice.
The problem with DCUM is idiot privilege and no one is embarrassed to demonstrate theirs.

Those who want to prep, please do. Those that don't want to, don't. Do so without worrying that an idiot might judge you.

I was trying to address the double standard in the original post. I don't care if people prep.
So, I am the owner of two half breeds that attend TJ. They didn't really prep, but had they prepped, would they have they have gotten in via white privilege or Asian meritocracy? Enquiring minds would like to know.

I'm not going to get into AA issues since everything get ugly early with everyone acting on racial stereotypes, particularly AA and Asian, with little actual thought.

Neither. The admission process it supposedly colorblind so you wouldn't know which of the two factored into your kids getting in. I don't think prep for the test makes a difference for the reasonably smart kids. It might for the borderline kids. A lot of kids that prepped for years don't make it.

However, prepping throughout school, through STEM activities, making the teacher take note of your STEM interest, etc. that likely has a higher bearing on admissions. IMHO of course..

The admissions process at TJ is "colorblind" in the same way that some people claim that "they don't see color." The process is set up to favor kids who present as TJ-ready based not just on test scores (which may have their own inherent biases) but also essays, information sheets and teacher recommendations that kids from well-to-do Asian families know how to assemble to maximum advantage, while kids from less advantaged backgrounds may not.

You seem to be all answers but no action! Why don't you devise a comprehensive plan on how to "fix" the process since you obviously know how it works and what's wrong with it? I'll be more than happy (and so would a lot of others) to give you the right feedback to make it a strong plan that will help URMs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This is false. TJ parents *are* taking a stand about TJ admissions. As are TJ students. Of course, admissions are 100% outside of the purview of either group. But nothing any TJ parent, student, or alum says on this thread will make one iota of difference to the TJ haters who can't see that TJ is a symptom of a much deeper issue starting at a minimum with early childhood education but more importantly reflective of larger socioeconomic disparities. It is offensive to the students of color who aren't getting into TJ to come up with the very ingenious solution of getting rid of TJ because you're unable to solve the larger underlying issues. We should fight for those students, not throw in the towel.

+ 1. The person you are responding to wants one thing only. Shut down TJ. I don't think they are a minority. They are just pissed off that their kid is not at TJ and has to take the bus to a High school when TJ is likely walking distance for them. Watch as they come back with the same reply slightly reworded (or maybe not even that). They also do not have a problem solving mindset and waiting on a magic bullet from the school board to shut down TJ which is a non-starter on so many levels, one of which is the re-election of anyone who would vote for something as stupid as that.

TJ kids are maybe 3% of the student population in FCPS, and they are concentrated in a few magisterial districts (Dranesville, Hunter Mill and Sully). It's hard to see how a substantial restructuring of TJ, or even its closure, would doom the re-election of most members of the School Board. It would probably help the re-election of the members in the districts that send few kids to TJ (Lee, Mason, Mount Vernon) and be neutral for the others.

The main thing, though, is that the School Board consists of folks who primarily look for low-hanging fruit to advance their interests. Defending LBGTQ rights and renaming schools are easy. And some reforms to TJ admissions practices are likely; the school has made itself an easy target over the years and anything that leads to the admission of more URMs will be an opportunity for School Board members and the advocacy groups that have their ear to announce that they have advanced an equity agenda.

Closing TJ, on the other hand, would have massive ripple effects across the entire county, and there's no reason to think that School Board members with the attention span of an average 5th grader have the patience or dedication to see that process through. So TJ probably will remain a STEM magnet, just one with slightly different admissions policies and a slightly more self-conscious student body. Classic case of adapt or perish, and my guess is TJ will adapt.

Not sure if you are the "close TJ" advocate. If you are, I'm glad you finally see the light. The younger school board members don't have the experience and chops to close something as "large" as TJ and the others just want to have a "successful" tenure so adding more URMs to TJ is a much better outcome that shutting TJ.

Now that we are on the same page, how about some solid ideas on how to increase URM participation and acceptance? I completely agree that the testing/recommendation mechanism is not the most optimal. If not, what is? How do we increase URM numbers at TJ?