TJ has always been inclusive and collegial

[pettifogger]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my recent alum has shared that many other alums felt like they couldn’t express their positive opinion of their TJ experience because of the backlash they would receive from the TJ AAG types. That’s not open minded— it’s the exact opposite.

Hundreds of TJ students signed onto a public letter the summer of 2020 sharing their positive experiences at TJ. I guess these alums would say those students are lying, too?

Just curious - can you link to that letter?

DP - it might be this one that they're referencing....

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1560is7cbJaAj6iKcHxvaJ34bBdHRaubuhJeYptFAWpQ/mobilebasic

If it is, it's worth noting that

a) it doesn't talk at all about any "positive experiences at TJ" - it references only the admissions process

b) there isn't a single co-signer to that letter who is Black and/or Hispanic

Thank-you for this, this is really well written and brings up a lot of really important points, I had not seen this before and did not know that students had created this.

[Anonymous]

pettifogger wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my recent alum has shared that many other alums felt like they couldn’t express their positive opinion of their TJ experience because of the backlash they would receive from the TJ AAG types. That’s not open minded— it’s the exact opposite.

Hundreds of TJ students signed onto a public letter the summer of 2020 sharing their positive experiences at TJ. I guess these alums would say those students are lying, too?

Just curious - can you link to that letter?

DP - it might be this one that they're referencing....

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1560is7cbJaAj6iKcHxvaJ34bBdHRaubuhJeYptFAWpQ/mobilebasic

If it is, it's worth noting that

a) it doesn't talk at all about any "positive experiences at TJ" - it references only the admissions process

b) there isn't a single co-signer to that letter who is Black and/or Hispanic

Thank-you for this, this is really well written and brings up a lot of really important points, I had not seen this before and did not know that students had created this.

I don't disagree. I think it's fairly cogent. But it also is mostly a reference to the merit lottery system, which was pretty much doomed on arrival.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

pettifogger wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my recent alum has shared that many other alums felt like they couldn’t express their positive opinion of their TJ experience because of the backlash they would receive from the TJ AAG types. That’s not open minded— it’s the exact opposite.

Hundreds of TJ students signed onto a public letter the summer of 2020 sharing their positive experiences at TJ. I guess these alums would say those students are lying, too?

Just curious - can you link to that letter?

DP - it might be this one that they're referencing....

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1560is7cbJaAj6iKcHxvaJ34bBdHRaubuhJeYptFAWpQ/mobilebasic

If it is, it's worth noting that

a) it doesn't talk at all about any "positive experiences at TJ" - it references only the admissions process

b) there isn't a single co-signer to that letter who is Black and/or Hispanic

Thank-you for this, this is really well written and brings up a lot of really important points, I had not seen this before and did not know that students had created this.

I don't disagree. I think it's fairly cogent. But it also is mostly a reference to the merit lottery system, which was pretty much doomed on arrival.

+1 - students at TJ, perhaps by this point generally aware of the Curie debacle, were much more supportive of the new admissions process once the lottery element was removed.

And all indications are that so far, three weeks into the school year, they've gone out of their way to be supportive of the incoming class. Great to see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child who just graduated from TJ having a wonderful experience for 4 years. Don't listen to the internet rumors. Some posters here critical of TJ openly admitted they don't even have children let alone kids at TJ.

Unfortunately the school board injected the toxicity into this school by pitting one "group" against another. It's sickening that some pro FCPS posters are attacking TJ students and parents to justify their support to an ill advised policy. Leave the kids out of this.

Please use this thread to post positives about TJ which has many. If you are critical of TJ kids, there are quite a few other threads that you can spread your hatred, rumors and innuendos.

One doesn’t have to have children, or children at TJ, to have a deep understanding of the environment at TJ.

Having been a child at TJ should be enough.

If you have never been a child at TJ, and instead have only heard about the version of TJ that your kids want to let you know about, kindly take a seat. You don’t know what you’re talking about, and you never will.

[phone]. There are many things about the TJ environment that are wonderful - especially if you are a part of the dominant ethnic group - but the version of it that kids present to their parents is highly sanitized and in most cases, the kids have no idea that what they are doing is problematic.

And why would the kids want to sanitize their experience?

I think it’s the parents who sanitize the experience to tamper the guilt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child who just graduated from TJ having a wonderful experience for 4 years. Don't listen to the internet rumors. Some posters here critical of TJ openly admitted they don't even have children let alone kids at TJ.

Unfortunately the school board injected the toxicity into this school by pitting one "group" against another. It's sickening that some pro FCPS posters are attacking TJ students and parents to justify their support to an ill advised policy. Leave the kids out of this.

Please use this thread to post positives about TJ which has many. If you are critical of TJ kids, there are quite a few other threads that you can spread your hatred, rumors and innuendos.

One doesn’t have to have children, or children at TJ, to have a deep understanding of the environment at TJ.

Having been a child at TJ should be enough.

If you have never been a child at TJ, and instead have only heard about the version of TJ that your kids want to let you know about, kindly take a seat. You don’t know what you’re talking about, and you never will.

[phone]. There are many things about the TJ environment that are wonderful - especially if you are a part of the dominant ethnic group - but the version of it that kids present to their parents is highly sanitized and in most cases, the kids have no idea that what they are doing is problematic.

And why would the kids want to sanitize their experience?

I think it’s the parents who sanitize the experience to tamper the guilt.

Can't it be both?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please posters we really do not care what TJ was like 20 years ago.

By every account, TJ was better 20 years ago.

But I don't know why a childless poster is assumed to be in her 40s. I assume that she's much younger and speaks from more recent experience.

The way that person writes, they are either lying (about being a TJ alum) or are older than 40. Even if an alum, it's time for them to move on. They have no dog in the race.

[Anonymous]

The very first paragraph of that letter talks about their positive experience at TJ:

From the very first day, we were welcomed to an extraordinary community that allowed us to pursue our passions and connect with those who shared our interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And my recent alum has shared that many other alums felt like they couldn’t express their positive opinion of their TJ experience because of the backlash they would receive from the TJ AAG types. That’s not open minded— it’s the exact opposite.

Hundreds of TJ students signed onto a public letter the summer of 2020 sharing their positive experiences at TJ. I guess these alums would say those students are lying, too?

Good for them. This is the thread for them. You can post their positive experiences here.

Clearly not as this thread (like every other TJ thread) gets taken over by people who think they know best and are representative of every TJ student or alum (and if you say otherwise, you are lying).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No TJ kid knows who Mugsy Bogues is. At least not one under 40.

He was that mob guy right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child who just graduated from TJ having a wonderful experience for 4 years. Don't listen to the internet rumors. Some posters here critical of TJ openly admitted they don't even have children let alone kids at TJ.

Unfortunately the school board injected the toxicity into this school by pitting one "group" against another. It's sickening that some pro FCPS posters are attacking TJ students and parents to justify their support to an ill advised policy. Leave the kids out of this.

Please use this thread to post positives about TJ which has many. If you are critical of TJ kids, there are quite a few other threads that you can spread your hatred, rumors and innuendos.

One doesn’t have to have children, or children at TJ, to have a deep understanding of the environment at TJ.

Having been a child at TJ should be enough.

If you have never been a child at TJ, and instead have only heard about the version of TJ that your kids want to let you know about, kindly take a seat. You don’t know what you’re talking about, and you never will.

[phone]. There are many things about the TJ environment that are wonderful - especially if you are a part of the dominant ethnic group - but the version of it that kids present to their parents is highly sanitized and in most cases, the kids have no idea that what they are doing is problematic.

And why would the kids want to sanitize their experience?

I think it’s the parents who sanitize the experience to tamper the guilt.

Can't it be both?

It can, but highly unlikely. You’d have to have a majority student population who is so emotionally in tune and submissive to their parents perceived desires that they’d hide all of their own feelings to perfection for fear of disturbing the parents’ peace of mind.

Maybe a handful are like that, but definitely not em mass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child who just graduated from TJ having a wonderful experience for 4 years. Don't listen to the internet rumors. Some posters here critical of TJ openly admitted they don't even have children let alone kids at TJ.

Unfortunately the school board injected the toxicity into this school by pitting one "group" against another. It's sickening that some pro FCPS posters are attacking TJ students and parents to justify their support to an ill advised policy. Leave the kids out of this.

Please use this thread to post positives about TJ which has many. If you are critical of TJ kids, there are quite a few other threads that you can spread your hatred, rumors and innuendos.

One doesn’t have to have children, or children at TJ, to have a deep understanding of the environment at TJ.

Having been a child at TJ should be enough.

If you have never been a child at TJ, and instead have only heard about the version of TJ that your kids want to let you know about, kindly take a seat. You don’t know what you’re talking about, and you never will.

[phone]. There are many things about the TJ environment that are wonderful - especially if you are a part of the dominant ethnic group - but the version of it that kids present to their parents is highly sanitized and in most cases, the kids have no idea that what they are doing is problematic.

And why would the kids want to sanitize their experience?

I think it’s the parents who sanitize the experience to tamper the guilt.

Can't it be both?

It can, but highly unlikely. You’d have to have a majority student population who is so emotionally in tune and submissive to their parents perceived desires that they’d hide all of their own feelings to perfection for fear of disturbing the parents’ peace of mind.

Maybe a handful are like that, but definitely not em mass.

I don’t know. In my experience with TJ kids, they are people pleasers, first and foremost with their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Collegial yes, inclusive no.

It's quite inclusive that kids all over northern virginia attend it including private/home school kids. The kids are on the nerdy side but that's expected. "Asian" is a false racial/ethnic construct. South Asians and East Asians are thousands miles apart and don't share the same culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Collegial yes, inclusive no.

It's quite inclusive that kids all over northern virginia attend it including private/home school kids. The kids are on the nerdy side but that's expected. "Asian" is a false racial/ethnic construct. South Asians and East Asians are thousands miles apart and don't share the same culture.

If by all over you mean "Northern and Western Fairfax County and Loudoun County" then sure.

The southern and eastern part of Fairfax as well as Prince William have been woefully underrepresented for the entirety of TJ's existence.

South and East Asians certainly are different cultural groups, but when you combine them with white folks you get ~96% of TJ's historic demographic before this year. Not super-inclusive by any definition.

[Anonymous]

Why are so many posters dead set against diversity and inclusion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are so many posters dead set against diversity and inclusion?

Blows my mind.

TJ has existed as a science and tech magnet since the mid-1980s (over 35 years) and to date they STILL haven't graduated enough Black students OR Hispanic students to fill a single graduating class. In the case of Black students it's not even close.