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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My FCPS elementary doesn’t have a young acholars program, too few Children of middle class parents who don’t have the money to throw at tutors and Kimon. At least not year after year. Children who in the absence of “word of mouth” networks who would greatly benefit from the extra push and mentorship.

We’re Hispanic, very much middle class and DS got into TJ this spring without a single paid TJ prep class. I say paid because I did my own sleuthing here, on Quora and elsewhere to at least help DS be familiar with the structure of the exam. He handled the academic side just by going to school and engaging in his personal interests: robotics and engineering.

[Anonymous]

Shameful.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/thomas-jefferson-high-admissions-diversity/2020/07/01/802fbc02-badb-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0r6pYo326rEtev4yFIS24XzSL_MH5cpRBOwSDZ8gob-Y_qGFfNw52jqp8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shameful.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/thomas-jefferson-high-admissions-diversity/2020/07/01/802fbc02-badb-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0r6pYo326rEtev4yFIS24XzSL_MH5cpRBOwSDZ8gob-Y_qGFfNw52jqp8

What is shameful? The attempt to demonize an entire school full of people as horrible racists? I agree.

The low numbers of black and Hispanic kids at TJ is troubling. More effective efforts to find academically qualified kids (and I'm sure there are plenty out there who have the academic chops) who want to go there need to be found. And I'm sure there are some racists at TJ, like there are everywhere. But to paint the school as a fetid stew of racism is wrong and unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shameful.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/thomas-jefferson-high-admissions-diversity/2020/07/01/802fbc02-badb-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0r6pYo326rEtev4yFIS24XzSL_MH5cpRBOwSDZ8gob-Y_qGFfNw52jqp8

What's shameful is this article and the Washington Post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can’t really understand why place s such as this shouldn’t be re-examined in light of what’s going on in the country. I’m guessing that elitist establishmentarian credentialists hope that the dust will settle soon and that their world will go on as always.

There's a group of TJ alums trying to get a few more URMs admitted so they won't be embarrassed by their alma mater. They want to get the NAACP and School Board members on board and then declare victory.

TJHSST and the bloated AAP program are both deeply racist and need to be dismantled.

How is it racist? Admission is based on test scores.

No it is not. Over half the scoring is subjective evaluation of essays and application form.

+1
I see 2 troubling issues:

1) Some non-Asians who score very high on the math test are not admitted due to the subjective part of the process;
2) What has caused the dramatic, steady decline in white applicants over the past 15 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shameful.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/thomas-jefferson-high-admissions-diversity/2020/07/01/802fbc02-badb-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0r6pYo326rEtev4yFIS24XzSL_MH5cpRBOwSDZ8gob-Y_qGFfNw52jqp8

What's shameful is this article and the Washington Post.

So said the racist

[Anonymous]

We are a LatinX family and DS has been in AAP since 3rd grade. Two years ago he received an invite to participate in TJ’s LIFT program, which aims to get URM kids interested and prepared for TJ. FCPS covers the fees.

After completing 6th grade, he took a summer camp at TJ and then during the first semester of 7th he spent Saturday mornings at TJ. The program is excellent - hands on classes with TJ faculty focused on math, English, and science plus each kid is matched to a current TJ student for mentoring. The program includes additional prep for testing and covers testing fees.

I would gladly support the expansion of this program - DS’ cohort included all types of black and brown students, not all AAP and from diverse SES backgrounds.

I was dismayed the article included no mention of this program which needs additional funding and expansion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a LatinX family and DS has been in AAP since 3rd grade. Two years ago he received an invite to participate in TJ’s LIFT program, which aims to get URM kids interested and prepared for TJ. FCPS covers the fees.

After completing 6th grade, he took a summer camp at TJ and then during the first semester of 7th he spent Saturday mornings at TJ. The program is excellent - hands on classes with TJ faculty focused on math, English, and science plus each kid is matched to a current TJ student for mentoring. The program includes additional prep for testing and covers testing fees.

I would gladly support the expansion of this program - DS’ cohort included all types of black and brown students, not all AAP and from diverse SES backgrounds.

I was dismayed the article included no mention of this program which needs additional funding and expansion.

While these types of programs are great, they actually haven’t helped increase the number of Black and Latinx students admitted. Visions and QUEST existed before as well. That is why the admissions process needs to change immediately so that current middle schoolers have equal opportunity, and the AAP screening process needs to be completely overhauled.

[Anonymous]

How the hell do middle schools not have the opportunity to attend TJ. How is the application process tied to AAP? My kids somehow got into TJ without AAP. Of course they weren't in AAP. We don't live in Fairfax. If AAP was necessary to get in, how do you explain the one third of TJ from outside of Fairfax?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a LatinX family and DS has been in AAP since 3rd grade. Two years ago he received an invite to participate in TJ’s LIFT program, which aims to get URM kids interested and prepared for TJ. FCPS covers the fees.

After completing 6th grade, he took a summer camp at TJ and then during the first semester of 7th he spent Saturday mornings at TJ. The program is excellent - hands on classes with TJ faculty focused on math, English, and science plus each kid is matched to a current TJ student for mentoring. The program includes additional prep for testing and covers testing fees.

I would gladly support the expansion of this program - DS’ cohort included all types of black and brown students, not all AAP and from diverse SES backgrounds.

I was dismayed the article included no mention of this program which needs additional funding and expansion.

Maybe they are trying to keep it quiet. About 25 years ago a similar program existed and it was scrapped. I believe their was a lawsuit filed in Va which made these programs discriminatory. I remember it because I am from here but was also in college in Va at the time and remember program used to recruit eligible URMs Were scrapped and enrollment went from 10% to 5%.. if there is not an active push to identify they don’t apply. Unfortunately it is now self feeding. Many both white and URM don’t want to go because of demographics. The importance and value of diversity shouldn’t be discounted. There will always be someone naturally smarter than you, the kind of person who doesn’t have to work as hard to get same/better results. A TJ filed with that type of student would probably make for a better environment for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a LatinX family and DS has been in AAP since 3rd grade. Two years ago he received an invite to participate in TJ’s LIFT program, which aims to get URM kids interested and prepared for TJ. FCPS covers the fees.

After completing 6th grade, he took a summer camp at TJ and then during the first semester of 7th he spent Saturday mornings at TJ. The program is excellent - hands on classes with TJ faculty focused on math, English, and science plus each kid is matched to a current TJ student for mentoring. The program includes additional prep for testing and covers testing fees.

I would gladly support the expansion of this program - DS’ cohort included all types of black and brown students, not all AAP and from diverse SES backgrounds.

I was dismayed the article included no mention of this program which needs additional funding and expansion.

Because the article was purely politically motivated. Do people really believe they care about the ITM students? Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a LatinX family and DS has been in AAP since 3rd grade. Two years ago he received an invite to participate in TJ’s LIFT program, which aims to get URM kids interested and prepared for TJ. FCPS covers the fees.

After completing 6th grade, he took a summer camp at TJ and then during the first semester of 7th he spent Saturday mornings at TJ. The program is excellent - hands on classes with TJ faculty focused on math, English, and science plus each kid is matched to a current TJ student for mentoring. The program includes additional prep for testing and covers testing fees.

I would gladly support the expansion of this program - DS’ cohort included all types of black and brown students, not all AAP and from diverse SES backgrounds.

I was dismayed the article included no mention of this program which needs additional funding and expansion.

Because the article was purely politically motivated. Do people really believe they care about the ITM students? Lol

*URM students

[Anonymous]

The Washington Post has done a horrible job of covering local school issues over the past decade I have been an active part of FCPS. This article continues that in it's complete lack of mention of outreach programs such as Young Scholars and the one described by 6:55. This is a complex issue and I would hope the Post would do a better job of it than the DCUM people who routinely post about TJ with an axe to grind.

[Anonymous]

I would hope the Post article helps shame a negligent School Board that has ignored the problems at TJHSST into closing the magnet program and allowing the school to serve the local community again.

[Anonymous]

How many TJ kids are products of FCPS middle and at least upper elementary? It seems like some portion of kids are out of county. Another group is in-county, but coming from private. Yet another group only moved to fairfax or started attending FCPS in middle school solely to have a better shot at TJ.

It seems like a lot of kids who get accepted to TJ either come from private school or do private from K-6 followed by FCPS AAP middle at one of the TJ feeders. Kids who are benefitting from a private school education are going to be much wealthier (and less likely to be a URM) than the kids who've been with FCPS throughout.