DOJ civil rights probe into TJ admissions policies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ was great for decades. It is still great. What has changed is the political climate because of right wing media and the constant use of children in culture wars- gay rights bans, transgender bathroom/sports bans, book bans, ban on teaching African American history, TJ admissions process challenges, public school funding reductions, etc etc. A certain party is trying to dismantle not only TJ but public education in general. But most parents are too stupid and too busy fighting among and forgetting the bigger picture.

This is the exact opposite of the truth.

The democrats are the party pushing culture wars. Boys allowed in girls’ school bathrooms? - Obama. 87 genders and mandatory pronouns? Democrats did that, not the republicans. “Include” violent, chair-throwing kids in every class instead of suspension, expulsion, or separate schools? Obama’s DEI did that. Discourage or ban suspensions for school violence? That was Obama’s “Dear Colleagues” letter in 2014, and the policies which followed. Whole-language and Lucy Calkins replacing phonics? Democrats again. VMPI? Democrats. Abolishing gifted and talented in NYC and Seattle? Democrats.

All of these withering blows to public education come from democrats; not republicans.

DP here.

You basically proved the point the PP made.

The polarization of what should be non-issues is exactly why TJ is a fixation for people like you. Why the GOP keeps going at it because it riles you up. It fills you with indignant righteousness that you feel you need to stand up for.

You just listed a bunch of “it’s the democrats fault” immediately instead of giving a nuanced response. Think about that for a moment. Digest why you are so angry.

If you are upset your kid didn’t get into TJ- sure, you are right to be upset. But is your kid happy now? Are they going to a good college? If this has nothing to do with your kid…. Then really digest why you are upset. Why you are so quick to retaliate against any criticism against the GOP.

Is it productive? Because as a person reading your comments- it seems really sad.

And btw- there as Asians from feeder schools getting Cs in classes too. Don’t assume that the kids getting in from feeders aren’t struggling. TJ challenges all of the kids.

Exactly.

Republicans continue to use TJ as political fodder. It’s disgusting.

How dare they use racial discrimination as political fodder against Democrats!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't think Trump cared about minorities...LOL wait until DOGE hears about this.

Unless their goal is to shutter TJ.

The only people eager to shutter TJ are the woke democrats running FCPS.

They also want to abolish the AAP program, just like their progressive counterparts in NYC and Seattle.

Whoever they are, I am thankful to them that TJ is now more accessible.

Yeah accessible to less qualified kids.

Proof?

120 point drop in PSAT scores.

Is there any way to analyze whether the kids whose scores caused this drop = the ones who weren't qualified under the old TJ admissions policy? Or whether it is somewhat random?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/politics/doj-thomas-jefferson-high-school-fairfax

How does this impact next year's admissions process? Should students prepare for just the essay or will they be tested in middle school math, science and English?

Maybe they could get rid of experience factors and go back to an objective test. Keeping the 1.5% seat allocation will ensure that every middle school has representation at the school every jurisdiction funds with taxes.

But bottom half of fcps schools dont have enough applicants to fill even the 1.5% seat allocation, making it difficult to get to the desired diversity chart. Experience factors and non-academic criteria like essays help get to the predetermined ethnicity mix, whether it is stem qualified or not.

True.

Experience factors =

1) Economic Disadvantage: free or reduced-price lunch (FARMs)

2) English as a Second Language (ESL): enrolled in school programs designed for non-native English speakers, and

3) Special Education Needs: Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or Section 504 plans.

Experience factors account for 40% of the TJ admission standard total.

But they are all struggling at TJ with Cs & Ds, when they could thrive at their base school with As and Bs. Why are they being used as political props to satisfy a mere diversity chart?

Ugh, none of those factors, 1,2, or 3 qualifies a student for TJ, but what proof is there that they are struggling with C's & D's? And can NAACP really get traction if kids who aren't admitted have lesser scores on objective testing, even if it appears to be disparate impact if you only take race into account?

We don't know their grades other than anecdotally. But anecdotally, kids from some schools struggle more than others, especially in math.
We also know that the kids going back to their base school tend to be more prevalent at less academically rigorous schools

FCPS has basically given up on actually helping these kids teach their potential but also don't want to feel bad about having given up on these kids. So they try to get them into TJ where they will frequently fail and call it a day.

NAACP can't actually win a lawsuit but they can make woke white people feel bad.

I see that back in the 2016-17 school year, well before the admissions changes, 25 TJ kids had left over the course of the school year through April. This year the number is 13.

It doesn't seem kids are bailing on TJ more than in the past. Maybe the curriculum has adjusted to accommodate less advanced students, but that's a different question.

Wasn’t last year 50 kids left from freshman class?

significantly higher than that. In a scramble to backfill those vacancies, there’s aggressive outreach to top feeder base schools, urging students to apply as froshmores in 10th grade. Leaving those seats unfilled would draw criticism of the non-merit essay admission process. But entering TJ in 10th is a nightmare, without having the advantage of getting acclimated as freshman.

Proof?

Aren't you the one flooding this forum pleading top feeders to apply as froshmores?

DP. I am one of the posters encouraging people to apply as froshmores. I don't care if it's they're coming from Carson or Twain, just need to backfill the classes. Funding is based on headcount and they are going to fill those spots, it would be nice if the froshmores were smart

Bigger question is why are unqualified being made freshman offers knowing well many of them quit in freshmen, and then backfill the vacancies later by soliciting qualified students to apply as froshmores in 10th while depriving them of freshman experience? Why these manipulative race based admissions games with students academics?

Because froshmore admissions don't make headlines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't think Trump cared about minorities...LOL wait until DOGE hears about this.

Unless their goal is to shutter TJ.

The only people eager to shutter TJ are the woke democrats running FCPS.

They also want to abolish the AAP program, just like their progressive counterparts in NYC and Seattle.

Whoever they are, I am thankful to them that TJ is now more accessible.

Yeah accessible to less qualified kids.

Proof?

120 point drop in PSAT scores.

Is there any way to analyze whether the kids whose scores caused this drop = the ones who weren't qualified under the old TJ admissions policy? Or whether it is somewhat random?

Most of the graduating class it neither commended or a semifinalist.

Last year there were less than 100 seniors that didn't get at least commended.

Its statistically impossible for this to have occurred randomly and the natural source of this drop is the change in admissions criteria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/politics/doj-thomas-jefferson-high-school-fairfax

How does this impact next year's admissions process? Should students prepare for just the essay or will they be tested in middle school math, science and English?

Maybe they could get rid of experience factors and go back to an objective test. Keeping the 1.5% seat allocation will ensure that every middle school has representation at the school every jurisdiction funds with taxes.

But bottom half of fcps schools dont have enough applicants to fill even the 1.5% seat allocation, making it difficult to get to the desired diversity chart. Experience factors and non-academic criteria like essays help get to the predetermined ethnicity mix, whether it is stem qualified or not.

True.

Experience factors =

1) Economic Disadvantage: free or reduced-price lunch (FARMs)

2) English as a Second Language (ESL): enrolled in school programs designed for non-native English speakers, and

3) Special Education Needs: Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or Section 504 plans.

Experience factors account for 40% of the TJ admission standard total.

But they are all struggling at TJ with Cs & Ds, when they could thrive at their base school with As and Bs. Why are they being used as political props to satisfy a mere diversity chart?

Ugh, none of those factors, 1,2, or 3 qualifies a student for TJ, but what proof is there that they are struggling with C's & D's? And can NAACP really get traction if kids who aren't admitted have lesser scores on objective testing, even if it appears to be disparate impact if you only take race into account?

We don't know their grades other than anecdotally. But anecdotally, kids from some schools struggle more than others, especially in math.
We also know that the kids going back to their base school tend to be more prevalent at less academically rigorous schools

FCPS has basically given up on actually helping these kids teach their potential but also don't want to feel bad about having given up on these kids. So they try to get them into TJ where they will frequently fail and call it a day.

NAACP can't actually win a lawsuit but they can make woke white people feel bad.

I see that back in the 2016-17 school year, well before the admissions changes, 25 TJ kids had left over the course of the school year through April. This year the number is 13.

It doesn't seem kids are bailing on TJ more than in the past. Maybe the curriculum has adjusted to accommodate less advanced students, but that's a different question.

Wasn’t last year 50 kids left from freshman class?

significantly higher than that. In a scramble to backfill those vacancies, there’s aggressive outreach to top feeder base schools, urging students to apply as froshmores in 10th grade. Leaving those seats unfilled would draw criticism of the non-merit essay admission process. But entering TJ in 10th is a nightmare, without having the advantage of getting acclimated as freshman.

Proof?

Aren't you the one flooding this forum pleading top feeders to apply as froshmores?

DP. I am one of the posters encouraging people to apply as froshmores. I don't care if it's they're coming from Carson or Twain, just need to backfill the classes. Funding is based on headcount and they are going to fill those spots, it would be nice if the froshmores were smart

Bigger question is why are unqualified being made freshman offers knowing well many of them quit in freshmen, and then backfill the vacancies later by soliciting qualified students to apply as froshmores in 10th while depriving them of freshman experience? Why these manipulative race based admissions games with students academics?

+1 It's okay for a competitive admissions based school to choose the best and the brightest. Of course, this presumes no "cheating" by which I define seeing the test/answers in advance or getting someone else to take the test (or write the essay) for you (a la the college admissions scandal). Studying/prepping is okay. But admission should not be based on quotas (whether geographic, racial, religious, etc) nor experience factors. It's not just about being fair to the kids who lose out to poorer students; it's also about the best use of taxpayer resources and the common good. We need to produce the best mathematicians, engineers, and scientists possible and that means vetting all the kids the same way. Otherwise, given the demographics, the US will not have the human capital it needs to compete with other countries. Then we all lose.

That depends on whether you view acceptance to TJ as an end result or a beginning. If you see it as an end result, i.e., the best and the brightest should receive acceptance solely on their current merit as assessed by a test and that is the end of the issue, than the issue seems pretty black and white. The goal is completing an admissions cohort to TJ that, in a snapshot in time of 14 year olds, proves the highest level of achievement and knowledge assessment and that is the clearest and most efficient way to achieve that goal.

However, if you view acceptance to TJ as a beginning, where students have access to an amazing public resource where those with incredible academic potential are challenged and provided with the highest level of academic resources available to them in the FCPS school system, then we need to do all we can to better identify those students who may possess this potential including identifying barriers that some students with that potential may face. And that is not always recognized by a snapshot in time where a student can score the highest on a test, when we all know that some students in this county have access to better resources to prepare them for that one snapshot in time than others. But that doesn't mean that other students would not achieve success at TJ if provided with those resources and rise to meet the challenges of its curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Republicans continue to push this crap for political purposes.

They should just close TJ down.

Yes. Save money. Shut it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/politics/doj-thomas-jefferson-high-school-fairfax

How does this impact next year's admissions process? Should students prepare for just the essay or will they be tested in middle school math, science and English?

Maybe they could get rid of experience factors and go back to an objective test. Keeping the 1.5% seat allocation will ensure that every middle school has representation at the school every jurisdiction funds with taxes.

But bottom half of fcps schools dont have enough applicants to fill even the 1.5% seat allocation, making it difficult to get to the desired diversity chart. Experience factors and non-academic criteria like essays help get to the predetermined ethnicity mix, whether it is stem qualified or not.

True.

Experience factors =

1) Economic Disadvantage: free or reduced-price lunch (FARMs)

2) English as a Second Language (ESL): enrolled in school programs designed for non-native English speakers, and

3) Special Education Needs: Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or Section 504 plans.

Experience factors account for 40% of the TJ admission standard total.

But they are all struggling at TJ with Cs & Ds, when they could thrive at their base school with As and Bs. Why are they being used as political props to satisfy a mere diversity chart?

Ugh, none of those factors, 1,2, or 3 qualifies a student for TJ, but what proof is there that they are struggling with C's & D's? And can NAACP really get traction if kids who aren't admitted have lesser scores on objective testing, even if it appears to be disparate impact if you only take race into account?

We don't know their grades other than anecdotally. But anecdotally, kids from some schools struggle more than others, especially in math.
We also know that the kids going back to their base school tend to be more prevalent at less academically rigorous schools

FCPS has basically given up on actually helping these kids teach their potential but also don't want to feel bad about having given up on these kids. So they try to get them into TJ where they will frequently fail and call it a day.

NAACP can't actually win a lawsuit but they can make woke white people feel bad.

I see that back in the 2016-17 school year, well before the admissions changes, 25 TJ kids had left over the course of the school year through April. This year the number is 13.

It doesn't seem kids are bailing on TJ more than in the past. Maybe the curriculum has adjusted to accommodate less advanced students, but that's a different question.

Wasn’t last year 50 kids left from freshman class?

significantly higher than that. In a scramble to backfill those vacancies, there’s aggressive outreach to top feeder base schools, urging students to apply as froshmores in 10th grade. Leaving those seats unfilled would draw criticism of the non-merit essay admission process. But entering TJ in 10th is a nightmare, without having the advantage of getting acclimated as freshman.

Proof?

Aren't you the one flooding this forum pleading top feeders to apply as froshmores?

DP. I am one of the posters encouraging people to apply as froshmores. I don't care if it's they're coming from Carson or Twain, just need to backfill the classes. Funding is based on headcount and they are going to fill those spots, it would be nice if the froshmores were smart

Bigger question is why are unqualified being made freshman offers knowing well many of them quit in freshmen, and then backfill the vacancies later by soliciting qualified students to apply as froshmores in 10th while depriving them of freshman experience? Why these manipulative race based admissions games with students academics?

+1 It's okay for a competitive admissions based school to choose the best and the brightest. Of course, this presumes no "cheating" by which I define seeing the test/answers in advance or getting someone else to take the test (or write the essay) for you (a la the college admissions scandal). Studying/prepping is okay. But admission should not be based on quotas (whether geographic, racial, religious, etc) nor experience factors. It's not just about being fair to the kids who lose out to poorer students; it's also about the best use of taxpayer resources and the common good. We need to produce the best mathematicians, engineers, and scientists possible and that means vetting all the kids the same way. Otherwise, given the demographics, the US will not have the human capital it needs to compete with other countries. Then we all lose.

That depends on whether you view acceptance to TJ as an end result or a beginning. If you see it as an end result, i.e., the best and the brightest should receive acceptance solely on their current merit as assessed by a test and that is the end of the issue, than the issue seems pretty black and white. The goal is completing an admissions cohort to TJ that, in a snapshot in time of 14 year olds, proves the highest level of achievement and knowledge assessment and that is the clearest and most efficient way to achieve that goal.

However, if you view acceptance to TJ as a beginning, where students have access to an amazing public resource where those with incredible academic potential are challenged and provided with the highest level of academic resources available to them in the FCPS school system, then we need to do all we can to better identify those students who may possess this potential including identifying barriers that some students with that potential may face. And that is not always recognized by a snapshot in time where a student can score the highest on a test, when we all know that some students in this county have access to better resources to prepare them for that one snapshot in time than others. But that doesn't mean that other students would not achieve success at TJ if provided with those resources and rise to meet the challenges of its curriculum.

To get to the finalist round a student only needed 50th percentile or higher on Quant Q. This wasn’t an AP Calculus BC exam, it was meant for 8th graders. The students who couldn’t score 50th percentile were not prepared for TJ. The school board realized that any type of qualifying exam would keep out the diversity that they were looking to increase. They tried lowering the required scores, but even that didn’t work.

8th grade is way too late to try to make up the differences that come from having educated parents and/or having a family who values education above all else. Unless you can somehow change the parents of URMs, and make them care about education the same way that Asian parents care about education, this outcomes of students will never even come close to being equal.

I am not an Asian parent, but I believe that education is the foundation of a better future for children.

Schools can only do so much. Teachers have limited time with students, if there are 25 students in a class, the students aren’t getting a lot of one on one time (if any).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't think Trump cared about minorities...LOL wait until DOGE hears about this.

Unless their goal is to shutter TJ.

The only people eager to shutter TJ are the woke democrats running FCPS.

They also want to abolish the AAP program, just like their progressive counterparts in NYC and Seattle.

Whoever they are, I am thankful to them that TJ is now more accessible.

Yeah accessible to less qualified kids.

Proof?

120 point drop in PSAT scores.

Is there any way to analyze whether the kids whose scores caused this drop = the ones who weren't qualified under the old TJ admissions policy? Or whether it is somewhat random?

Mostly caused by pandemic learning loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/politics/doj-thomas-jefferson-high-school-fairfax

How does this impact next year's admissions process? Should students prepare for just the essay or will they be tested in middle school math, science and English?

Maybe they could get rid of experience factors and go back to an objective test. Keeping the 1.5% seat allocation will ensure that every middle school has representation at the school every jurisdiction funds with taxes.

But bottom half of fcps schools dont have enough applicants to fill even the 1.5% seat allocation, making it difficult to get to the desired diversity chart. Experience factors and non-academic criteria like essays help get to the predetermined ethnicity mix, whether it is stem qualified or not.

True.

Experience factors =

1) Economic Disadvantage: free or reduced-price lunch (FARMs)

2) English as a Second Language (ESL): enrolled in school programs designed for non-native English speakers, and

3) Special Education Needs: Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or Section 504 plans.

Experience factors account for 40% of the TJ admission standard total.

But they are all struggling at TJ with Cs & Ds, when they could thrive at their base school with As and Bs. Why are they being used as political props to satisfy a mere diversity chart?

Ugh, none of those factors, 1,2, or 3 qualifies a student for TJ, but what proof is there that they are struggling with C's & D's? And can NAACP really get traction if kids who aren't admitted have lesser scores on objective testing, even if it appears to be disparate impact if you only take race into account?

We don't know their grades other than anecdotally. But anecdotally, kids from some schools struggle more than others, especially in math.
We also know that the kids going back to their base school tend to be more prevalent at less academically rigorous schools

FCPS has basically given up on actually helping these kids teach their potential but also don't want to feel bad about having given up on these kids. So they try to get them into TJ where they will frequently fail and call it a day.

NAACP can't actually win a lawsuit but they can make woke white people feel bad.

I see that back in the 2016-17 school year, well before the admissions changes, 25 TJ kids had left over the course of the school year through April. This year the number is 13.

It doesn't seem kids are bailing on TJ more than in the past. Maybe the curriculum has adjusted to accommodate less advanced students, but that's a different question.

Wasn’t last year 50 kids left from freshman class?

significantly higher than that. In a scramble to backfill those vacancies, there’s aggressive outreach to top feeder base schools, urging students to apply as froshmores in 10th grade. Leaving those seats unfilled would draw criticism of the non-merit essay admission process. But entering TJ in 10th is a nightmare, without having the advantage of getting acclimated as freshman.

Proof?

Aren't you the one flooding this forum pleading top feeders to apply as froshmores?

DP. I am one of the posters encouraging people to apply as froshmores. I don't care if it's they're coming from Carson or Twain, just need to backfill the classes. Funding is based on headcount and they are going to fill those spots, it would be nice if the froshmores were smart

Bigger question is why are unqualified being made freshman offers knowing well many of them quit in freshmen, and then backfill the vacancies later by soliciting qualified students to apply as froshmores in 10th while depriving them of freshman experience? Why these manipulative race based admissions games with students academics?

Admissions is race blind.

Increasing economic diversity was the biggest effect of the change.

TJ only accepted <1% of kids of kids from low-income families before the change.

The biggest beneficiaries were Asian kids from low-income families.

Shhhh! Stop using facts! You're harming the false grievance narrative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/politics/doj-thomas-jefferson-high-school-fairfax

How does this impact next year's admissions process? Should students prepare for just the essay or will they be tested in middle school math, science and English?

Maybe they could get rid of experience factors and go back to an objective test. Keeping the 1.5% seat allocation will ensure that every middle school has representation at the school every jurisdiction funds with taxes.

But bottom half of fcps schools dont have enough applicants to fill even the 1.5% seat allocation, making it difficult to get to the desired diversity chart. Experience factors and non-academic criteria like essays help get to the predetermined ethnicity mix, whether it is stem qualified or not.

True.

Experience factors =

1) Economic Disadvantage: free or reduced-price lunch (FARMs)

2) English as a Second Language (ESL): enrolled in school programs designed for non-native English speakers, and

3) Special Education Needs: Students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or Section 504 plans.

Experience factors account for 40% of the TJ admission standard total.

But they are all struggling at TJ with Cs & Ds, when they could thrive at their base school with As and Bs. Why are they being used as political props to satisfy a mere diversity chart?

Ugh, none of those factors, 1,2, or 3 qualifies a student for TJ, but what proof is there that they are struggling with C's & D's? And can NAACP really get traction if kids who aren't admitted have lesser scores on objective testing, even if it appears to be disparate impact if you only take race into account?

We don't know their grades other than anecdotally. But anecdotally, kids from some schools struggle more than others, especially in math.
We also know that the kids going back to their base school tend to be more prevalent at less academically rigorous schools

FCPS has basically given up on actually helping these kids teach their potential but also don't want to feel bad about having given up on these kids. So they try to get them into TJ where they will frequently fail and call it a day.

NAACP can't actually win a lawsuit but they can make woke white people feel bad.

I see that back in the 2016-17 school year, well before the admissions changes, 25 TJ kids had left over the course of the school year through April. This year the number is 13.

It doesn't seem kids are bailing on TJ more than in the past. Maybe the curriculum has adjusted to accommodate less advanced students, but that's a different question.

Wasn’t last year 50 kids left from freshman class?

significantly higher than that. In a scramble to backfill those vacancies, there’s aggressive outreach to top feeder base schools, urging students to apply as froshmores in 10th grade. Leaving those seats unfilled would draw criticism of the non-merit essay admission process. But entering TJ in 10th is a nightmare, without having the advantage of getting acclimated as freshman.

Proof?

Aren't you the one flooding this forum pleading top feeders to apply as froshmores?

DP. I am one of the posters encouraging people to apply as froshmores. I don't care if it's they're coming from Carson or Twain, just need to backfill the classes. Funding is based on headcount and they are going to fill those spots, it would be nice if the froshmores were smart

Bigger question is why are unqualified being made freshman offers knowing well many of them quit in freshmen, and then backfill the vacancies later by soliciting qualified students to apply as froshmores in 10th while depriving them of freshman experience? Why these manipulative race based admissions games with students academics?

+1 It's okay for a competitive admissions based school to choose the best and the brightest. Of course, this presumes no "cheating" by which I define seeing the test/answers in advance or getting someone else to take the test (or write the essay) for you (a la the college admissions scandal). Studying/prepping is okay. But admission should not be based on quotas (whether geographic, racial, religious, etc) nor experience factors. It's not just about being fair to the kids who lose out to poorer students; it's also about the best use of taxpayer resources and the common good. We need to produce the best mathematicians, engineers, and scientists possible and that means vetting all the kids the same way. Otherwise, given the demographics, the US will not have the human capital it needs to compete with other countries. Then we all lose.

That depends on whether you view acceptance to TJ as an end result or a beginning. If you see it as an end result, i.e., the best and the brightest should receive acceptance solely on their current merit as assessed by a test and that is the end of the issue, than the issue seems pretty black and white. The goal is completing an admissions cohort to TJ that, in a snapshot in time of 14 year olds, proves the highest level of achievement and knowledge assessment and that is the clearest and most efficient way to achieve that goal.

However, if you view acceptance to TJ as a beginning, where students have access to an amazing public resource where those with incredible academic potential are challenged and provided with the highest level of academic resources available to them in the FCPS school system, then we need to do all we can to better identify those students who may possess this potential including identifying barriers that some students with that potential may face. And that is not always recognized by a snapshot in time where a student can score the highest on a test, when we all know that some students in this county have access to better resources to prepare them for that one snapshot in time than others. But that doesn't mean that other students would not achieve success at TJ if provided with those resources and rise to meet the challenges of its curriculum.

I don’t think the stakes are quite that high, nor do I think those handling TJ admissions are necessarily as skilled as identifying the diamonds in the rough as you’re suggesting.

Mostly we’ve just gravitated towards a system of set-asides and soft qualifications to placate SB members and politicians like Scott Surovell from areas that weren’t sending many kids to TJ. The current spoils system is the price to pay to maintain political support for TJ, but at some point it ceases to be worth the candle. Kids have plenty of opportunities at other schools as well without being anointed by the TJ gods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ was great for decades. It is still great. What has changed is the political climate because of right wing media and the constant use of children in culture wars- gay rights bans, transgender bathroom/sports bans, book bans, ban on teaching African American history, TJ admissions process challenges, public school funding reductions, etc etc. A certain party is trying to dismantle not only TJ but public education in general. But most parents are too stupid and too busy fighting among and forgetting the bigger picture.

This is the exact opposite of the truth.

The democrats are the party pushing culture wars. Boys allowed in girls’ school bathrooms? - Obama. 87 genders and mandatory pronouns? Democrats did that, not the republicans. “Include” violent, chair-throwing kids in every class instead of suspension, expulsion, or separate schools? Obama’s DEI did that. Discourage or ban suspensions for school violence? That was Obama’s “Dear Colleagues” letter in 2014, and the policies which followed. Whole-language and Lucy Calkins replacing phonics? Democrats again. VMPI? Democrats. Abolishing gifted and talented in NYC and Seattle? Democrats.

All of these withering blows to public education come from democrats; not republicans.

DP here.

You basically proved the point the PP made.

The polarization of what should be non-issues is exactly why TJ is a fixation for people like you. Why the GOP keeps going at it because it riles you up. It fills you with indignant righteousness that you feel you need to stand up for.

You just listed a bunch of “it’s the democrats fault” immediately instead of giving a nuanced response. Think about that for a moment. Digest why you are so angry.

If you are upset your kid didn’t get into TJ- sure, you are right to be upset. But is your kid happy now? Are they going to a good college? If this has nothing to do with your kid…. Then really digest why you are upset. Why you are so quick to retaliate against any criticism against the GOP.

Is it productive? Because as a person reading your comments- it seems really sad.

And btw- there as Asians from feeder schools getting Cs in classes too. Don’t assume that the kids getting in from feeders aren’t struggling. TJ challenges all of the kids.

Exactly.

Republicans continue to use TJ as political fodder. It’s disgusting.

It is the Democrats who used the George Floyd hysteria to politicize TJ admissions and hurried through half-baked changes in the middle of a pandemic. They made changes a few days before the testing was supposed to take place.

The behavior of Democrats is disgusting.

[Anonymous]

I am glad there is an investigation. If the FCPS has done nothing wrong, they have nothing to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Republicans continue to push this crap for political purposes.

They should just close TJ down.

Yes. Save money. Shut it down.

Why am I not surprised to read this comment on a board which trends 95% progressive democrats?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Republicans continue to push this crap for political purposes.

They should just close TJ down.

Yes. Save money. Shut it down.

Why am I not surprised to read this comment on a board which trends 95% progressive democrats?

+1000

See, they really do not care to improve the education of the economically disadvantaged. They just want performative wins that lets them look down their noses at the masses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't think Trump cared about minorities...LOL wait until DOGE hears about this.

Unless their goal is to shutter TJ.

The only people eager to shutter TJ are the woke democrats running FCPS.

They also want to abolish the AAP program, just like their progressive counterparts in NYC and Seattle.

Whoever they are, I am thankful to them that TJ is now more accessible.

Yeah accessible to less qualified kids.

Proof?

120 point drop in PSAT scores.

Is there any way to analyze whether the kids whose scores caused this drop = the ones who weren't qualified under the old TJ admissions policy? Or whether it is somewhat random?

Mostly caused by pandemic learning loss.

The drop in NMSF was not caused by the pandemic learning loss. Every state has the top 0.5% earn the award. TJ had a much smaller share of the top 0.5% relative to the rest of FCPS and the rest of VA.