Is FCPS freaking out about Amazon coming to town?

[Anonymous]

They don't apply to UVA and WM by choice, they apply because they couldn't get into other more competitive schools.

Blame those colleges for accepting too many TJ grads if you want to vent about it, but don't blame the kids or TJ.

Also, do you really think public $$ are going to waste on TJ? What about all the gobs of money spent on sports teams at local high schools? Do you really see that as a better education investment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder whether FCPS will build more schools in light of the Amazon hq2 coming. A new school in Springfield/Burke? Will they build a new western high school?

There is no land in Springfield or Burke for a new high school. And there is plenty of capacity at Lee. They need to focus on improving Lee.

You say that as if they're not trying. The students at Key are doing great. Then those same students go to Lee and, what happens?

As for additional land, there is additional land in Springfield and Burke. But planning for a new school seems premature.

Key IS a very good MS. I have a student there who is happy and learning, but I’m very concerned about HS. Since Key is the only middle
school that feeds into Lee, why is there such a sharp decline in ratings from Key to Lee? What’s the problem? Does Lee have a large influx of new students that didn’t attend Key?

Key/Lee have some nice feeder neighborhoods, excellent commuter location, and relatively affordable SFHs. Hopefully development pressure will force FCPS to devote more resources to fixing Lee.

Not sure exactly what ratings you are referring to, but if it is GreatSchools then factor this in: GreatSchools gives zero consideration to IB for college readiness (for any IB school). This leads to Lee having a college readiness score of 1. That crushes the overall rating (not that I would expect it to be an 8, but it should certainly do better than a 2). I imagine if the college readiness score was raised then the overall Lee score would be more like Key's.

[Anonymous]

If you feel FCPS is such a "good steward" of our money, then you should put your money where your mouth is.

Anyone in this thread who wanted the meals tax can feel free to send their extra money to the Fairfax County Treasury at any time.

[Anonymous]

I have zero desire for my child to go to TJ. From a college admissions perspective, it's better to be top of their class at any other high school, than middle of the pack at TJ.

and although you think that TJ has a "national reputation", the first cut of filtering from a college admissions perspective is done by work study students, who don't know TJ from West Potomac from Lee.

Now a TJ student will likely be better prepared for college once they get there, but they have to get there...but the top 5% of the class at every other school, is getting priority over the top 10% and below at TJ...

and I say this as an Ivy graduate, who was a work study student, in the admissions office, who sorted applications into piles.

[Anonymous]

With respect to Great Schools ratings, folks should look at the specific sub-scores for their socioeconomic status/race.

If a school is bad at educating non-native English speakers and/or poor children, and you aren't in one or both of those categories, while it's regrettable that the school can't fill the gaps, from the standpoint of the impact on YOUR child, it's a non factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Great Schools ratings, folks should look at the specific sub-scores for their socioeconomic status/race.

If a school is bad at educating non-native English speakers and/or poor children, and you aren't in one or both of those categories, while it's regrettable that the school can't fill the gaps, from the standpoint of the impact on YOUR child, it's a non factor.

Nope. It affects the atmosphere at the school when raising the SOL scores and graduation rates of the ESOL/FARMS kids becomes the top priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have zero desire for my child to go to TJ. From a college admissions perspective, it's better to be top of their class at any other high school, than middle of the pack at TJ.

and although you think that TJ has a "national reputation", the first cut of filtering from a college admissions perspective is done by work study students, who don't know TJ from West Potomac from Lee.

Now a TJ student will likely be better prepared for college once they get there, but they have to get there...but the top 5% of the class at every other school, is getting priority over the top 10% and below at TJ...

and I say this as an Ivy graduate, who was a work study student, in the admissions office, who sorted applications into piles.

So do you want to get rid of TJ? Turn it back into a regular neighborhood high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Great Schools ratings, folks should look at the specific sub-scores for their socioeconomic status/race.

If a school is bad at educating non-native English speakers and/or poor children, and you aren't in one or both of those categories, while it's regrettable that the school can't fill the gaps, from the standpoint of the impact on YOUR child, it's a non factor.

Nope. It affects the atmosphere at the school when raising the SOL scores and graduation rates of the ESOL/FARMS kids becomes the top priority.

Also, it gives impressionable children a skewed view of race. We chose our pyramid for egalitarian success, not "kids who are the same color as my kid" success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have zero desire for my child to go to TJ. From a college admissions perspective, it's better to be top of their class at any other high school, than middle of the pack at TJ.

and although you think that TJ has a "national reputation", the first cut of filtering from a college admissions perspective is done by work study students, who don't know TJ from West Potomac from Lee.

Now a TJ student will likely be better prepared for college once they get there, but they have to get there...but the top 5% of the class at every other school, is getting priority over the top 10% and below at TJ...

and I say this as an Ivy graduate, who was a work study student, in the admissions office, who sorted applications into piles.

So do you want to get rid of TJ? Turn it back into a regular neighborhood high school?

Yes. Long overdue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you see where the schools closest to Crystal City rank in terms of SAT scores, you know that parents who think school quality is the same as SAT Score and want their kids in high SES schools will look further out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why do people hate on TJ? Isn't it the #1 ranked STEM high school in the country? Shouldn't the area be proud to have it here?


They hate TJ because their kids were not accepted.

If I can'r have TJ, then no one should have TJ.

Or perhaps they don't think it's fair that their taxpayer's dollars go to a public school where each pupil gets more dollars than average. Their school day is longer, they get extra classes in the summers, extra after-school activities--it's a private-school education for free, all on the backs of the taxpayers. Then, they all apply to UVA and William and Mary, even though most of them could get into Ivies, and bump other kids (who didn't get all those freebies) out of the running for those college slots.

Okay. Some gripes are legit. But let’s deal in facts.

TJ gets the same PP allowance as every other FCPS HS. They get a small stipend per kid from the State as a governors school (between 1-2 k per kid). The rest comes from public private partnerships, donations, and the TJPF. FCPS does not spend more money on TJ than any other school.

We pay through the nose for extra classes in the summer, even though many kids must take theses to graduate. Especially if the play an instrument or do certain senior labs. The damage? About $1000 that kids pay for busing and one class at TJ

There are no extra after school activities. tan has the same sports teams as base schools and marching band. At times drama is after school. None of this is different than base schools.

TJ kids are DCUM UMC, by and large. I would love my kid to apply to IVys. But we miss need based aid and can’t afford full freight. Like a lot people in FCPS. TJ is hardly unique in having kids who have to consider cost when choosing a college.

The only “freebie” is 8th period. It how you make a school work when kids travel as far as 2 hours each was from PWC. There needs to be a time to meet with teachers, take makeup tests, see counselors, and do “normal” clubs for kids whose parents can’t make a 3-4 round trip drive to pickup. And TJ is not the only school to do this. I have a child at Chantilly and they have an 8th period for makeups, retakes and meeting with teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They don't apply to UVA and WM by choice, they apply because they couldn't get into other more competitive schools.

Blame those colleges for accepting too many TJ grads if you want to vent about it, but don't blame the kids or TJ.

Also, do you really think public $$ are going to waste on TJ? What about all the gobs of money spent on sports teams at local high schools? Do you really see that as a better education investment?

True/ not true.

I have a male senior. Middle of the class GPA (4.1). Above a 1500 on the SAT. WM is his safety school. We know he can get in. And more importantly, we know we can pay. He would rather go to a smaller LAC with strong sciences. But that just isn’t going to happen unless he gets merit aid.

TJ doesn’t buffer families from the fact that private colleges are pricing themselves out of the UMC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have zero desire for my child to go to TJ. From a college admissions perspective, it's better to be top of their class at any other high school, than middle of the pack at TJ.

and although you think that TJ has a "national reputation", the first cut of filtering from a college admissions perspective is done by work study students, who don't know TJ from West Potomac from Lee.

Now a TJ student will likely be better prepared for college once they get there, but they have to get there...but the top 5% of the class at every other school, is getting priority over the top 10% and below at TJ...

and I say this as an Ivy graduate, who was a work study student, in the admissions office, who sorted applications into piles.

So do you want to get rid of TJ? Turn it back into a regular neighborhood high school?

Yes. Long overdue

I just feel like I'm missing a step.

TJ doesn't help in college applications --> _______ --> We should get rid of TJ

What is that missing step? Or is there no logic to it?

[Anonymous]

I really don't know why posters are now getting into the financial challenges that they might face sending their TJ kids to expensive SLACs.

The thread is about the impact of Amazon (and other businesses moving to NoVa) on FCPS, and in particular whether FCPS will face capacity challenges. It's very clear that operating TJ as a region-wide magnet school deprives FCPS of seats that could used to educate other county students. Simply put, TJ students benefit at the expense of other students, who end up in overcrowded schools or schools further from their homes because FCPS is unwilling to use a school that often receives national recognition to benefit poorer kids who won't test as well as TJ students. It does not matter that TJ was not created to meet educational needs, but as a business marketing tool by a then-Republican Board of Supervisors in the 1980s. It's here now, and FCPS very rarely takes a hard look at how its policies actually affect kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't know why posters are now getting into the financial challenges that they might face sending their TJ kids to expensive SLACs.

The thread is about the impact of Amazon (and other businesses moving to NoVa) on FCPS, and in particular whether FCPS will face capacity challenges. It's very clear that operating TJ as a region-wide magnet school deprives FCPS of seats that could used to educate other county students. Simply put, TJ students benefit at the expense of other students, who end up in overcrowded schools or schools further from their homes because FCPS is unwilling to use a school that often receives national recognition to benefit poorer kids who won't test as well as TJ students. It does not matter that TJ was not created to meet educational needs, but as a business marketing tool by a then-Republican Board of Supervisors in the 1980s. It's here now, and FCPS very rarely takes a hard look at how its policies actually affect kids.

Making it into a regular high school won't help as much as you're saying. The neighborhood it's in is not "desirable". You're basically proposing that kids ride on the bus longer. Instead, FCPS builds more high schools, which is a different way to approach the problem.