Why don't people want to go to tj just because there are "too many" asians?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s really a diversion to try and refocus the discussion on whether Asians at TJ are lousy athletes. That has very little to do with whether FCPS should continue to operate a magnet school that distorts the allocation of resources, attention, and opportunities within the school system. And FCPS isn’t operating a special magnet for the best quarterbacks and sprinters in any event.

Parent of a non-Asian-American senior at TJ here. TJ is an effort to create a magnet program for the smartest, most driven, STEM-oriented kids, regardless of their ethnic background. The impacts it has on the rest of the school system are not large, and TJ should not be on chopping block any more than any other specialized program offered by FCPS (i.e. immersion, Project Opportunity (https://bryanths.fcps.edu/resources/project-opportunity), technical education programs (https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/career-and-technical-education-cte/academies-and-specialized), etc. The resources devoted to any of these programs do not "benefit" everybody, and thus "distort the allocation of resources, attention, and opportunities within the school system." I think any reasonable and open-minded examination of TJ would conclude that on balance it is immensely beneficial to the students it serves and the school system as a whole.

+ 1. Indian parent with 1 kid at TJ and one not. I've said this several times. While a lot of current parents will fight for TJ on this board, you have to realize that by the time anything is done (if at all) to shut down TJ, they would be done and gone and have no skin in the game. As a community, we have to decide if Fairfax county and Virginia wants to shut down the #1 school in the country. I believe it's been tried before and failed because the community at large thinks it's a bad idea. However, anyone who wants to do that should and must try through the proper channels (school board resolution, virginia house of delegates?? Not sure what it would take). However, be prepared for a fight. Many people with common sense and sense of purpose/vision bigger than just their neighborhood will definitely will not want TJ shut down. Just ain't gonna happen.

What's the alternative? Allocations based on race? Lawsuit heaven.

Allocations by middle school? I believe it's been tried and didn't work out.

At the end of the day, we DO have equality of opportunity. The entrance process could be changed to accommodate more people and counter "prepping". Maybe get rid of "demonstrated STEM experience" pre-high school. Maybe change the math test to be like the science test...more focused on how kids think as opposed to what they know. However, NOTHING anyone does is going to take away the commute to TJ. NOTHING is going to take away the fact that the school will be predominantly Asian (at least for the foreseeable future).

What a lot of people want is Equality of outcome. It never has and never will serve the greater good.

^ well said. One of the last bastions of true meritocracy and some people just don't like that.

[Anonymous]

This obsession with "meritocracy" is a relatively recent phenomenon and can be very dangerous. People blind themselves to the conditions that allow some to succeed and erect barriers for others, and if anything show even less concern for others than when we had a more class-based society.

But FCPS really will need every last square foot of space it can find to educate its own students when students return to school. FCPS should not be using 1/3 of one of its high schools to educate kids from other counties when it needs the additional capacity. It's plain common sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This obsession with "meritocracy" is a relatively recent phenomenon and can be very dangerous. People blind themselves to the conditions that allow some to succeed and erect barriers for others, and if anything show even less concern for others than when we had a more class-based society.

But FCPS really will need every last square foot of space it can find to educate its own students when students return to school. FCPS should not be using 1/3 of one of its high schools to educate kids from other counties when it needs the additional capacity. It's plain common sense.

What conditions allow poor Asian immigrants to succeed besides motivation? Do tell.

[Anonymous]

The FARMS rate at TJ is the lowest of any high school in FCPS except for possibly Langley. The student body is far wealthier than at most schools.

[Anonymous]

Whites can stay away if they want but many Asians will get one of the best high school education for free! More whites stat away, more spaces for Asians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This obsession with "meritocracy" is a relatively recent phenomenon and can be very dangerous. People blind themselves to the conditions that allow some to succeed and erect barriers for others, and if anything show even less concern for others than when we had a more class-based society.

But FCPS really will need every last square foot of space it can find to educate its own students when students return to school. FCPS should not be using 1/3 of one of its high schools to educate kids from other counties when it needs the additional capacity. It's plain common sense.

I'm not sure what your idea of "recent" is but I've been in this country for 30 years and meritocracy is what drew me here. America is founded on that. Capitalism is based on that. I certainly believe that we need capitalism to be more benevolent but that does not come about by dismantling institutions that are an engine of long-term growth. And just because someone takes advantage of an opportunity, it should not be construed as them erecting barriers for others. How would my son taking the TJ test and getting into TJ prevent someone else from doing the same thing? Not sure you are saying that but many others are and that's ridiculous!

I'm not sure if 1/3 of the TJ seats go to other counties but to the extent they do, I believe the costs are being reimbursed to Fairfax county. I also think Loudoun will soon stop (if not already) participating in the TJ program as their magnet program becomes more robust.

[Anonymous]

If the FCPS School Board was 1/10th as progressive as it claims to be, and truly cared about educational equity, it would return TJ to its original use as a neighborhood school. They are undoubtedly scared, however, by the thought of angry TJ parents disrupting their meetings if they try to do the right thing.

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/07/internalizing-the-myth-of-meritocracy/535035/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the FCPS School Board was 1/10th as progressive as it claims to be, and truly cared about educational equity, it would return TJ to its original use as a neighborhood school. They are undoubtedly scared, however, by the thought of angry TJ parents disrupting their meetings if they try to do the right thing.

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/07/internalizing-the-myth-of-meritocracy/535035/

You never give up, do you?

You know, blaming other people for your problems is rarely a successful strategy. Just admit that you will always have an excuse until black students are equally represented at TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the FCPS School Board was 1/10th as progressive as it claims to be, and truly cared about educational equity, it would return TJ to its original use as a neighborhood school. They are undoubtedly scared, however, by the thought of angry TJ parents disrupting their meetings if they try to do the right thing.

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/07/internalizing-the-myth-of-meritocracy/535035/

I think we have gone back and forth on this several time in this thread. While the title of the article is catchy, the longer title reads "A new study finds that believing society is fair can lead disadvantaged adolescents to act out and engage in risky behavior.". Meritocracy is still needed but at the same time we do need an approach to ensure that everyone can participate in that meritocracy. That begins in elementary or even pre-school and should be sustained though middle school. Switching TJ back to a base school is not the solution. What do you think will happen? All the kids selling drugs and in gangs will suddenly become scientists! Get real. Let's talk about how to implement real change. Increase property taxes across the county to pay for it. I'm game and would gladly pay.

[Anonymous]

So sick of the racists at TJ suggesting that kids who live near TJ are selling drugs and in gangs as an excuse to maintain their segregated school. You people just suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the FCPS School Board was 1/10th as progressive as it claims to be, and truly cared about educational equity, it would return TJ to its original use as a neighborhood school. They are undoubtedly scared, however, by the thought of angry TJ parents disrupting their meetings if they try to do the right thing.

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/07/internalizing-the-myth-of-meritocracy/535035/

You never give up, do you?

You know, blaming other people for your problems is rarely a successful strategy. Just admit that you will always have an excuse until black students are equally represented at TJ.

DP, but is that a problem? Would you have a problem with that if black students are equally represented at TJ? Or do you think TJ is your god-giving right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So sick of the racists at TJ suggesting that kids who live near TJ are selling drugs and in gangs as an excuse to maintain their segregated school. You people just suck.

What part of anything anyone said on this board makes you jump to that conclusion? You are just trying to instigate unnecessary argument or seriously lack comprehension skills. Which is it?

[Anonymous]

MY DD is Asian. She wasn’t sure if TJ was for her but she wanted to give it a try because she didn’t really want to go to our base HS. She coasted ES and MS and really wanted to be challenged. She tested in with minimal preparations. Now she absolutely loves TJ. She got all A’s, plays two sports and one instrument, participated in two 8th period clubs, and she is surrounded by a bunch of nice, fun-loving and extremely talented friends. She now believes TJ is the best choice for her. The only thing she isn’t very happy about is some teachers actually are not as good as she expected. Some took two months to post grades. Anyway, I just wanted to say I am grateful there is TJ for kids like her.

[Anonymous]

Anyway I just wanted to say I am not grateful that FCPS prioritizes a handful of mostly Asian kids over the rest of the kids in FCPS, many of whom end up with longer trips to school and overcrowded schools as a result of FCPS’s inequitable and discriminatory practices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyway I just wanted to say I am not grateful that FCPS prioritizes a handful of mostly Asian kids over the rest of the kids in FCPS, many of whom end up with longer trips to school and overcrowded schools as a result of FCPS’s inequitable and discriminatory practices.

Modern Educayshun - for peope prioritizing equality over education
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iKcWu0tsiZM