Transfer from TJ to Base HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore at TJ and we are encouraging him to move back to base school. His grades in Freshman year were ok ( 2 B+'s and rest A's) but this year he is struggling. e.g. He is getting a B in Chemistry even after spending quite a bit of time on it ( and he tells me many of his classmates are doing worse than him).

Even though he is enjoying the overall TJ atmosphere and the learning opportunities, the overall the ratio of grades to effort is too small and not appear to be worth it. He has limited time for sports etc.

Maybe TJ is not for him? So we were thinking of moving back to base school while his grades ( and confidence) are good. Base HS is pretty good and has most of the courses he was planning to take

Any advice from parents who might have been in this situation? How will this look on the college applications?

Your student is not alone, and it is not his doing specifically and not yours either. This is the result of admitting students on a linguistic essay instead of using a rigorous math & science based STEM entrance criteria. Most students applying have a near 3.94 or 4.0 GPA, but there is objective measure who is getting admitted and who is excluded.

To better understand the issue, let's narrow our discussion to Asian American students. Out of 1580 Asian American applicants, 330 were admitted in 2027. There is no way to determine and state that all the 330 admitted are the top performing and advanced in math & science among that their racial pool. An Asian American student's admission is based on a random probability of 330 out of 1580, which is 1/5. Consequently, the 330 admitted Asian American students encompass a diverse range of academic proficiency levels, with 110 being at an A level, 110 at a B level, and the remaining 110 at a C level, when evaluated relative to a true STEM-based advanced math and science test.

Currently there is no way for an Asian American parent or any other race parent to know if their child's admission is based on the A, B, or C level of relative proficiency, UNTIL they enter TJ and find out through their freshman year grades, which is what you are noticing. You and your son NOW know that his middle school readiness and first year performance places him in the middle 1/3rd of the class. He is not alone, but he has a lot of work to do to get into the top 1/3rd of his class.

"Interesting" view. There's a word for people like you who bring race into every discussion: you're racists.

LOL. I was not the poster you are respond to, but dear lord, you really are dumb. Not a racist, just plain dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is a sophomore at TJ and we are encouraging him to move back to base school. His grades in Freshman year were ok ( 2 B+'s and rest A's) but this year he is struggling. e.g. He is getting a B in Chemistry even after spending quite a bit of time on it ( and he tells me many of his classmates are doing worse than him).

Even though he is enjoying the overall TJ atmosphere and the learning opportunities, the overall the ratio of grades to effort is too small and not appear to be worth it. He has limited time for sports etc.

Maybe TJ is not for him? So we were thinking of moving back to base school while his grades ( and confidence) are good. Base HS is pretty good and has most of the courses he was planning to take

Any advice from parents who might have been in this situation? How will this look on the college applications?

Your student is not alone, and it is not his doing specifically and not yours either. This is the result of admitting students on a linguistic essay instead of using a rigorous math & science based STEM entrance criteria. Most students applying have a near 3.94 or 4.0 GPA, but there is objective measure who is getting admitted and who is excluded.

To better understand the issue, let's narrow our discussion to Asian American students. Out of 1580 Asian American applicants, 330 were admitted in 2027. There is no way to determine and state that all the 330 admitted are the top performing and advanced in math & science among that their racial pool. An Asian American student's admission is based on a random probability of 330 out of 1580, which is 1/5. Consequently, the 330 admitted Asian American students encompass a diverse range of academic proficiency levels, with 110 being at an A level, 110 at a B level, and the remaining 110 at a C level, when evaluated relative to a true STEM-based advanced math and science test.

Currently there is no way for an Asian American parent or any other race parent to know if their child's admission is based on the A, B, or C level of relative proficiency, UNTIL they enter TJ and find out through their freshman year grades, which is what you are noticing. You and your son NOW know that his middle school readiness and first year performance places him in the middle 1/3rd of the class. He is not alone, but he has a lot of work to do to get into the top 1/3rd of his class.

How middle 1/3 of the class? Why not middle/bottom of the top 1/3 with 2 B+ and remaining A's? Where do you get this detailed data (score of Asian's) from?

[Anonymous]

Why did you accept a spot at TJ in the first place if an uw gpa around 3.8 is making you freak out and want to pull your kid back to base school? Shouldn't it have been obvious that TJ is going to be a bad fit for parents who want their kids to get all As?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you accept a spot at TJ in the first place if an uw gpa around 3.8 is making you freak out and want to pull your kid back to base school? Shouldn't it have been obvious that TJ is going to be a bad fit for parents who want their kids to get all As?

The top 1/3rd of Freshman students typically achieve mostly As due to their strong proficiency in advanced math, English, and science from middle school. For them, they are just learning the new material that TJ courses teach. However, for others, particularly the bottom 1/3rd of the Freshman class, the experience can be stressful. They need to first catch up on what they should have mastered thoroughly in middle school, and then delve into the new TJ course material. This double workload leaves little time for sports or extracurricular activities, and put the student in a constant catchup mode. Without an entrance evaluation, it becomes challenging for parents or students to know their readiness for TJ upfront.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you accept a spot at TJ in the first place if an uw gpa around 3.8 is making you freak out and want to pull your kid back to base school? Shouldn't it have been obvious that TJ is going to be a bad fit for parents who want their kids to get all As?

The top 1/3rd of Freshman students typically achieve mostly As due to their strong proficiency in advanced math, English, and science from middle school. For them, they are just learning the new material that TJ courses teach. However, for others, particularly the bottom 1/3rd of the Freshman class, the experience can be stressful. They need to first catch up on what they should have mastered thoroughly in middle school, and then delve into the new TJ course material. This double workload leaves little time for sports or extracurricular activities, and put the student in a constant catchup mode. Without an entrance evaluation, it becomes challenging for parents or students to know their readiness for TJ upfront.

So sick of this. The OPs kid had mainly A’s at 2 B+ as a Freshman at TJ. They are doing fine. The student is working hard for a B in chemistry, which, if I understand TJ properly, is essentially an AP class without the AP designation that is normally taken after completing regular Chemistry. It is a hard class. A B in a hard class is fine. Chemistry is the only class that the OP is calling out, which implies an A in all the other classes.

You want the entrance exam back because it was something that parents could prep their kids for so their kids got into TJ. You don’t like the idea that kids from every MS in the county have a chance to attend TJ because they do not fit the profile of who you think should attend TJ.

The OPs kid is doing fine, I would say well, at TJ. They have an excellent GPA in challenging classes. The student needs to decide if they want to stay at TJ and the parents need to understand that B’s are solid grades even if they are not A’s especially at a school like TJ. The OP is essentially asking “Should I send my kid back the the base where they can get easy A’s and breeze through high school instead of allowing my kid to be challenged even if that means an occasional B.” That tells me that all that is important to the OP is the grade and not what the child is learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you accept a spot at TJ in the first place if an uw gpa around 3.8 is making you freak out and want to pull your kid back to base school? Shouldn't it have been obvious that TJ is going to be a bad fit for parents who want their kids to get all As?

The top 1/3rd of Freshman students typically achieve mostly As due to their strong proficiency in advanced math, English, and science from middle school. For them, they are just learning the new material that TJ courses teach. However, for others, particularly the bottom 1/3rd of the Freshman class, the experience can be stressful. They need to first catch up on what they should have mastered thoroughly in middle school, and then delve into the new TJ course material. This double workload leaves little time for sports or extracurricular activities, and put the student in a constant catchup mode. Without an entrance evaluation, it becomes challenging for parents or students to know their readiness for TJ upfront.

So sick of this. The OPs kid had mainly A’s at 2 B+ as a Freshman at TJ. They are doing fine. The student is working hard for a B in chemistry, which, if I understand TJ properly, is essentially an AP class without the AP designation that is normally taken after completing regular Chemistry. It is a hard class. A B in a hard class is fine. Chemistry is the only class that the OP is calling out, which implies an A in all the other classes.

You want the entrance exam back because it was something that parents could prep their kids for so their kids got into TJ. You don’t like the idea that kids from every MS in the county have a chance to attend TJ because they do not fit the profile of who you think should attend TJ.

The OPs kid is doing fine, I would say well, at TJ. They have an excellent GPA in challenging classes. The student needs to decide if they want to stay at TJ and the parents need to understand that B’s are solid grades even if they are not A’s especially at a school like TJ. The OP is essentially asking “Should I send my kid back the the base where they can get easy A’s and breeze through high school instead of allowing my kid to be challenged even if that means an occasional B.” That tells me that all that is important to the OP is the grade and not what the child is learning.

DP. You sound like the proponents of standards based grading. "Grades aren't important, learning is!" and "You should be happy with a B! Because I said so!". OP has valid concerns. Your post won't convince anyone of anything since you're acting like she doesn't.

[Anonymous]

It’s nice to know they’ve replaced one set of problems at TJ with a new one. This nonsense will continue until we eliminate this silly, stress-inducing magnet and enhance the opportunities available at other high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s nice to know they’ve replaced one set of problems at TJ with a new one. This nonsense will continue until we eliminate this silly, stress-inducing magnet and enhance the opportunities available at other high schools.

It sounds like you will always see problems with a magnet school. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

For college admissions, TJ is now seen as the same as any other FCPS school. So a lower GPA is an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For college admissions, TJ is now seen as the same as any other FCPS school. So a lower GPA is an issue.

Completely false.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For college admissions, TJ is now seen as the same by certain people as any other FCPS school. So a lower GPA is an issue for those people.

FIFY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For college admissions, TJ is now seen as the same as any other FCPS school. So a lower GPA is an issue.

Completely false.

Sure but I'll say anything to return TJ to the gamable admission process. This level playing field is just awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you accept a spot at TJ in the first place if an uw gpa around 3.8 is making you freak out and want to pull your kid back to base school? Shouldn't it have been obvious that TJ is going to be a bad fit for parents who want their kids to get all As?

The top 1/3rd of Freshman students typically achieve mostly As due to their strong proficiency in advanced math, English, and science from middle school. For them, they are just learning the new material that TJ courses teach. However, for others, particularly the bottom 1/3rd of the Freshman class, the experience can be stressful. They need to first catch up on what they should have mastered thoroughly in middle school, and then delve into the new TJ course material. This double workload leaves little time for sports or extracurricular activities, and put the student in a constant catchup mode. Without an entrance evaluation, it becomes challenging for parents or students to know their readiness for TJ upfront.

So sick of this. The OPs kid had mainly A’s at 2 B+ as a Freshman at TJ. They are doing fine. The student is working hard for a B in chemistry, which, if I understand TJ properly, is essentially an AP class without the AP designation that is normally taken after completing regular Chemistry. It is a hard class. A B in a hard class is fine. Chemistry is the only class that the OP is calling out, which implies an A in all the other classes.

You want the entrance exam back because it was something that parents could prep their kids for so their kids got into TJ. You don’t like the idea that kids from every MS in the county have a chance to attend TJ because they do not fit the profile of who you think should attend TJ.

The OPs kid is doing fine, I would say well, at TJ. They have an excellent GPA in challenging classes. The student needs to decide if they want to stay at TJ and the parents need to understand that B’s are solid grades even if they are not A’s especially at a school like TJ. The OP is essentially asking “Should I send my kid back the the base where they can get easy A’s and breeze through high school instead of allowing my kid to be challenged even if that means an occasional B.” That tells me that all that is important to the OP is the grade and not what the child is learning.

OP and their student are taking a pragmatic approach to their grades, understanding that they are assessed not in isolation but in comparison to their peers for college admissions. Even teacher recommendations may not be as outstanding as those for the top 1/3rd of the class. This situation could have been avoided if there were an objective test assessing students' readiness and depth in math, science, and English. Students are expected to be well-prepared, akin to how Michael Jordan prepared himself before stepping onto the basketball court. Just as little MJ's parents played a crucial role in his preparation, there's a dedicated parent behind every qualified TJ student, diligently fulfilling their responsibilities. TJ does not have the capacity to provide remedial instruction to unprepared students who require catch-up on middle school material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you accept a spot at TJ in the first place if an uw gpa around 3.8 is making you freak out and want to pull your kid back to base school? Shouldn't it have been obvious that TJ is going to be a bad fit for parents who want their kids to get all As?

The top 1/3rd of Freshman students typically achieve mostly As due to their strong proficiency in advanced math, English, and science from middle school. For them, they are just learning the new material that TJ courses teach. However, for others, particularly the bottom 1/3rd of the Freshman class, the experience can be stressful. They need to first catch up on what they should have mastered thoroughly in middle school, and then delve into the new TJ course material. This double workload leaves little time for sports or extracurricular activities, and put the student in a constant catchup mode. Without an entrance evaluation, it becomes challenging for parents or students to know their readiness for TJ upfront.

So sick of this. The OPs kid had mainly A’s at 2 B+ as a Freshman at TJ. They are doing fine. The student is working hard for a B in chemistry, which, if I understand TJ properly, is essentially an AP class without the AP designation that is normally taken after completing regular Chemistry. It is a hard class. A B in a hard class is fine. Chemistry is the only class that the OP is calling out, which implies an A in all the other classes.

You want the entrance exam back because it was something that parents could prep their kids for so their kids got into TJ. You don’t like the idea that kids from every MS in the county have a chance to attend TJ because they do not fit the profile of who you think should attend TJ.

The OPs kid is doing fine, I would say well, at TJ. They have an excellent GPA in challenging classes. The student needs to decide if they want to stay at TJ and the parents need to understand that B’s are solid grades even if they are not A’s especially at a school like TJ. The OP is essentially asking “Should I send my kid back the the base where they can get easy A’s and breeze through high school instead of allowing my kid to be challenged even if that means an occasional B.” That tells me that all that is important to the OP is the grade and not what the child is learning.

OP and their student are taking a pragmatic approach to their grades, understanding that they are assessed not in isolation but in comparison to their peers for college admissions. Even teacher recommendations may not be as outstanding as those for the top 1/3rd of the class. This situation could have been avoided if there were an objective test assessing students' readiness and depth in math, science, and English. Students are expected to be well-prepared, akin to how Michael Jordan prepared himself before stepping onto the basketball court. Just as little MJ's parents played a crucial role in his preparation, there's a dedicated parent behind every qualified TJ student, diligently fulfilling their responsibilities. TJ does not have the capacity to provide remedial instruction to unprepared students who require catch-up on middle school material.

Are there really that many TJ kids with unweighted 4.0s? Would OP's kid's 3.8-ish GPA really be in the middle 1/3?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you accept a spot at TJ in the first place if an uw gpa around 3.8 is making you freak out and want to pull your kid back to base school? Shouldn't it have been obvious that TJ is going to be a bad fit for parents who want their kids to get all As?

The top 1/3rd of Freshman students typically achieve mostly As due to their strong proficiency in advanced math, English, and science from middle school. For them, they are just learning the new material that TJ courses teach. However, for others, particularly the bottom 1/3rd of the Freshman class, the experience can be stressful. They need to first catch up on what they should have mastered thoroughly in middle school, and then delve into the new TJ course material. This double workload leaves little time for sports or extracurricular activities, and put the student in a constant catchup mode. Without an entrance evaluation, it becomes challenging for parents or students to know their readiness for TJ upfront.

So sick of this. The OPs kid had mainly A’s at 2 B+ as a Freshman at TJ. They are doing fine. The student is working hard for a B in chemistry, which, if I understand TJ properly, is essentially an AP class without the AP designation that is normally taken after completing regular Chemistry. It is a hard class. A B in a hard class is fine. Chemistry is the only class that the OP is calling out, which implies an A in all the other classes.

You want the entrance exam back because it was something that parents could prep their kids for so their kids got into TJ. You don’t like the idea that kids from every MS in the county have a chance to attend TJ because they do not fit the profile of who you think should attend TJ.

The OPs kid is doing fine, I would say well, at TJ. They have an excellent GPA in challenging classes. The student needs to decide if they want to stay at TJ and the parents need to understand that B’s are solid grades even if they are not A’s especially at a school like TJ. The OP is essentially asking “Should I send my kid back the the base where they can get easy A’s and breeze through high school instead of allowing my kid to be challenged even if that means an occasional B.” That tells me that all that is important to the OP is the grade and not what the child is learning.

OP and their student are taking a pragmatic approach to their grades, understanding that they are assessed not in isolation but in comparison to their peers for college admissions. Even teacher recommendations may not be as outstanding as those for the top 1/3rd of the class. This situation could have been avoided if there were an objective test assessing students' readiness and depth in math, science, and English. Students are expected to be well-prepared, akin to how Michael Jordan prepared himself before stepping onto the basketball court. Just as little MJ's parents played a crucial role in his preparation, there's a dedicated parent behind every qualified TJ student, diligently fulfilling their responsibilities. TJ does not have the capacity to provide remedial instruction to unprepared students who require catch-up on middle school material.

Are there really that many TJ kids with unweighted 4.0s? Would OP's kid's 3.8-ish GPA really be in the middle 1/3?

There have NEVER been a huge number of TJ kids with unweighted 4.0s. We're talking about maybe a tenth of the class in a GREAT year.