Admissions to change at Thomas Jefferson High, and others

[Anonymous]

“fact blacks and hispanics aren't performing as well that is why they aren't getting in PERIOD it has nothing to do with racism”

It has everything to do with racism, just not in the admission’s process. TJ can try to make up for the society-wide problems that are holding kids in these populations back. Schools can’t fix this problem, but they will try by accepting some kids that have lower scores.

It’s harder for my kid to get in, and arguably it should be, he’s had very advantage in life and his peer group is more competitive. Get over it. It’s not a problem to me if TJ has to spend some money on “remedial” classes for kids that have lower scores or aren’t keeping up as well. It’s a public school, not a private university. It’s fine, and good, to invest public resources in supporting kids from unrepresented groups.

Merit based admission to a public high school is a farce. TJ shouldn’t be something you earn, it should be an opportunity for kids that show potential, and the student body should be representative of the population it serves.

If that means it’s not “the best” school in the country for a while so be it. We don’t deserve to have that if our community is producing such disparate outcomes for particular groups. When we have real equity in the community, we will have really earned TJ’s spot back at the top because all kids from all backgrounds will be able to succeed there.

[Anonymous]

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax County needs a divisive magnet high school about as much as Richmond needs a statue of Robert E. Lee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“fact blacks and hispanics aren't performing as well that is why they aren't getting in PERIOD it has nothing to do with racism”

It has everything to do with racism, just not in the admission’s process. TJ can try to make up for the society-wide problems that are holding kids in these populations back. Schools can’t fix this problem, but they will try by accepting some kids that have lower scores.

It’s harder for my kid to get in, and arguably it should be, he’s had very advantage in life and his peer group is more competitive. Get over it. It’s not a problem to me if TJ has to spend some money on “remedial” classes for kids that have lower scores or aren’t keeping up as well. It’s a public school, not a private university. It’s fine, and good, to invest public resources in supporting kids from unrepresented groups.

Merit based admission to a public high school is a farce. TJ shouldn’t be something you earn, it should be an opportunity for kids that show potential, and the student body should be representative of the population it serves.

If that means it’s not “the best” school in the country for a while so be it. We don’t deserve to have that if our community is producing such disparate outcomes for particular groups. When we have real equity in the community, we will have really earned TJ’s spot back at the top because all kids from all backgrounds will be able to succeed there.

I'm done really, you have 0 commonsense 0.

Potential are you out of your mind?????? I am sure during the space race we chose folks based on potential. Next time you see a doctor how would you feel going to the one with the most potential. Get out of here.

[Anonymous]

Oh please, it's so obvious that this instigators of this brouhaha couldn't care less about representation of minorities and are more bothered about the 'just 19%' caucasians who manage to gain entry to TJHSST on merit. This line of thought has a long and complex history - in my grandparents' time, WASPS in the Ivy League reacted with indignation when merit based enrollments of the Jewish community increased 'disproportionately' - that was when the WASPS 'discovered' that admissions weren't fair and equitable for POCs, though what they were really worried about was losing their very large slice of pie. I don't see this indignation for Langley High School, which sits at less than 1% black enrollment.

[Anonymous]

It's simply because AAs do not live in GF or Upper McLean in large #s. There are more AAs living in the MHS district.

There are high-achieving AA students in Fairfax County who attend privates or boarding schools instead of attending TJ. These students would be able to gain admittance to TJ but their families prefer the learning environment of privates or boarding schools.

I understand where you're coming from on Langley's lack of racial diversity but also look to its lack of socioeconomic diversity. If bussing were proposed to increase racial diversity, I don't see what the logical Langley catchment area would be. The first step should be to relieve overcrowding at Mclean when schools reopen.

[Anonymous]

"Federal officials are investigating allegations of discrimination against Asian American students in a suburban school system in Maryland where parents have complained that race was unlawfully used as a factor in magnet program admissions.

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights notified families it had taken up the case in March, months after a spate of complaints was filed against Montgomery County school officials."

https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-monto...rimination-20190422-story.html

This is a terrible analogy, and not just because the "investigation" has been fully silent since spring 2019. What MCPS did, and the gist of the complaint, was to make the standard for entry to the competitive MS magnets more competitive if you were coming out of a school with a large number of high achievers - the peer cohort concept. All of those schools were majority white, and primarily wealthy. They also added more "advanced" courses to all of the middle schools, on the theory that the magnets should be for "outliers" from each sending MS, but that high-achieving kids should still have access to a peer cohort and advanced content.

Now, I think the roll out of the advanced content at non-magnet middle schools was uneven and parental pressure at some of the majority white, wealthy, schools meant that the administration felt compelled to offer the advanced curriculum to every kid rather than maintaining the "peer cohort" but that's down to the individual administrations and how they've chosen to pander to a certain subset of parents.

Look, there are different schools of thought in terms of GT education - does it exist to serve the needs of of the kids who need it most and would not have their needs met at their home schools? Or does it exist to serve kids who are already operating at a high level and let them reach even higher heights?

Neither of these approaches is right or wrong, but the MCPS approach of trying to bring kids in who are top of their local peer cohorts is totally legitimate.

[Anonymous]

I’m shocked that there has not been more attention paid to the admission rates of girls. It’s clear that the admissions process in someway is harder on girls. They are historically almost 50% of the applicants, but only 40% or so of the admitted class. AND only 35% of the graduating class.

[Anonymous]

Eliminate AAP and elevate all students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“fact blacks and hispanics aren't performing as well that is why they aren't getting in PERIOD it has nothing to do with racism”

It has everything to do with racism, just not in the admission’s process. TJ can try to make up for the society-wide problems that are holding kids in these populations back. Schools can’t fix this problem, but they will try by accepting some kids that have lower scores.

It’s harder for my kid to get in, and arguably it should be, he’s had very advantage in life and his peer group is more competitive. Get over it. It’s not a problem to me if TJ has to spend some money on “remedial” classes for kids that have lower scores or aren’t keeping up as well. It’s a public school, not a private university. It’s fine, and good, to invest public resources in supporting kids from unrepresented groups.

Merit based admission to a public high school is a farce. TJ shouldn’t be something you earn, it should be an opportunity for kids that show potential, and the student body should be representative of the population it serves.

If that means it’s not “the best” school in the country for a while so be it. We don’t deserve to have that if our community is producing such disparate outcomes for particular groups. When we have real equity in the community, we will have really earned TJ’s spot back at the top because all kids from all backgrounds will be able to succeed there.

Why don't Asians suffer from the same racism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn't admission be based on merit?

DP. I think it should be based on merit, but often times merit is strongly influenced by the financial resources the parents pour in in terms of tutors, summer programs like CTY, year round math enrichment....I think people need to stop worrying about the racial diversity of TJ and focus on making the base schools stronger in STEM and on providing academic support to lower SES kids (which is very correlated with race in FCPS) starting in K. TJ is now a school whose reputation is largely built on the enrichment parents provided kids starting at a young age and continuing through high school. It is what it is. Lower income kids will never be able to compete with that, and many nonAsian minorities who have the academic foundation to get into TJ don't really see going to TJ as opening doors for them in the same way Asian kids do. I'm not sure who is pushing diversifying TJ, but I don't think it's worth it. I don't think high performing URM kids should even bother applying there as I don't think it opens any more doors than being at the top of their base schools would open. The constant handwringing about TJ's lack of diversity is baffling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“fact blacks and hispanics aren't performing as well that is why they aren't getting in PERIOD it has nothing to do with racism”

It has everything to do with racism, just not in the admission’s process. TJ can try to make up for the society-wide problems that are holding kids in these populations back. Schools can’t fix this problem, but they will try by accepting some kids that have lower scores.

It’s harder for my kid to get in, and arguably it should be, he’s had very advantage in life and his peer group is more competitive. Get over it. It’s not a problem to me if TJ has to spend some money on “remedial” classes for kids that have lower scores or aren’t keeping up as well. It’s a public school, not a private university. It’s fine, and good, to invest public resources in supporting kids from unrepresented groups.

Merit based admission to a public high school is a farce. TJ shouldn’t be something you earn, it should be an opportunity for kids that show potential, and the student body should be representative of the population it serves.

If that means it’s not “the best” school in the country for a while so be it. We don’t deserve to have that if our community is producing such disparate outcomes for particular groups. When we have real equity in the community, we will have really earned TJ’s spot back at the top because all kids from all backgrounds will be able to succeed there.

Why don't Asians suffer from the same racism?

Because America didn't spend centuries dehumanizing Asians as they did with blacks. But if you are asking that question, there's no way you'll understand that answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“fact blacks and hispanics aren't performing as well that is why they aren't getting in PERIOD it has nothing to do with racism”

It has everything to do with racism, just not in the admission’s process. TJ can try to make up for the society-wide problems that are holding kids in these populations back. Schools can’t fix this problem, but they will try by accepting some kids that have lower scores.

It’s harder for my kid to get in, and arguably it should be, he’s had very advantage in life and his peer group is more competitive. Get over it. It’s not a problem to me if TJ has to spend some money on “remedial” classes for kids that have lower scores or aren’t keeping up as well. It’s a public school, not a private university. It’s fine, and good, to invest public resources in supporting kids from unrepresented groups.

Merit based admission to a public high school is a farce. TJ shouldn’t be something you earn, it should be an opportunity for kids that show potential, and the student body should be representative of the population it serves.

If that means it’s not “the best” school in the country for a while so be it. We don’t deserve to have that if our community is producing such disparate outcomes for particular groups. When we have real equity in the community, we will have really earned TJ’s spot back at the top because all kids from all backgrounds will be able to succeed there.

when does it stop 2050 , 2100???? i'm serious

Why don't Asians suffer from the same racism?

Because America didn't spend centuries dehumanizing Asians as they did with blacks. But if you are asking that question, there's no way you'll understand that answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“fact blacks and hispanics aren't performing as well that is why they aren't getting in PERIOD it has nothing to do with racism”

It has everything to do with racism, just not in the admission’s process. TJ can try to make up for the society-wide problems that are holding kids in these populations back. Schools can’t fix this problem, but they will try by accepting some kids that have lower scores.

It’s harder for my kid to get in, and arguably it should be, he’s had very advantage in life and his peer group is more competitive. Get over it. It’s not a problem to me if TJ has to spend some money on “remedial” classes for kids that have lower scores or aren’t keeping up as well. It’s a public school, not a private university. It’s fine, and good, to invest public resources in supporting kids from unrepresented groups.

Merit based admission to a public high school is a farce. TJ shouldn’t be something you earn, it should be an opportunity for kids that show potential, and the student body should be representative of the population it serves.

If that means it’s not “the best” school in the country for a while so be it. We don’t deserve to have that if our community is producing such disparate outcomes for particular groups. When we have real equity in the community, we will have really earned TJ’s spot back at the top because all kids from all backgrounds will be able to succeed there.

I'm done really, you have 0 commonsense 0.

Potential are you out of your mind?????? I am sure during the space race we chose folks based on potential. Next time you see a doctor how would you feel going to the one with the most potential. Get out of here.

DP. The difference is we are talking about kids. Admitting kids based on potential is fine. Once you are at the stage of being a doctor, if you're not competent, then you shouldn't have people's lives in your hands. I actually don't care if there's diversity at TJ because I think it's a rat race to nowhere, but your analogy to the space race or doctors is stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“fact blacks and hispanics aren't performing as well that is why they aren't getting in PERIOD it has nothing to do with racism”

It has everything to do with racism, just not in the admission’s process. TJ can try to make up for the society-wide problems that are holding kids in these populations back. Schools can’t fix this problem, but they will try by accepting some kids that have lower scores.

It’s harder for my kid to get in, and arguably it should be, he’s had very advantage in life and his peer group is more competitive. Get over it. It’s not a problem to me if TJ has to spend some money on “remedial” classes for kids that have lower scores or aren’t keeping up as well. It’s a public school, not a private university. It’s fine, and good, to invest public resources in supporting kids from unrepresented groups.

Merit based admission to a public high school is a farce. TJ shouldn’t be something you earn, it should be an opportunity for kids that show potential, and the student body should be representative of the population it serves.

If that means it’s not “the best” school in the country for a while so be it. We don’t deserve to have that if our community is producing such disparate outcomes for particular groups. When we have real equity in the community, we will have really earned TJ’s spot back at the top because all kids from all backgrounds will be able to succeed there.

when does it stop 2050 , 2100???? i'm serious

Why don't Asians suffer from the same racism?

Because America didn't spend centuries dehumanizing Asians as they did with blacks. But if you are asking that question, there's no way you'll understand that answer.

It stops when white people stop being racist. Seriously.