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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just awful and benefits no one. Turn TJ back into a neighborhood school. The wealthy TJ kids can opt for private.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just awful and benefits no one. Turn TJ back into a neighborhood school. The wealthy TJ kids can opt for private.

+1000

-100000000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not a private school where the solution to every problem is a charity auction.

It's a public resource that should be operated for the benefit of all who subsidize it.

Whether by design or by default, TJ has sent a clear message to non-Asian kids that they are "less than." Applications are declining rapidly, and blacks, Hispanics and whites are all so dispirited by their admissions odds and what their experience likely would be like even if they were admitted that only 3-5% of eligible students apply. Meanwhile, close to 30% of the Asian 8th graders in the participating jurisdictions apply and over 70% of the admitted students are Asian.

It has been an abject failure as a community institution and FCPS - which can't churn out enough messages these days about its commitment to equity and opposition to racism - does nothing.

TJ was never meant to be a representative reflection. It is a STEM-focused school that offers top-notch education to all who apply and can get in. If you have evidence that the admissions committee gives preferential treatment to Asians, please publish it. The mere fact that it did not admit enough of a certain ethnic or racial group is not by itself evidence of bias.

Perhaps you should ask yourself - what is it that TJ offers that happens to be SO attractive to Asians and SO unattractive to others?

A reasonable chance of getting in if you're Asian and a student body that's over 70% Asian.

sure. just like you have a reasonable chance of getting in NBA if you're black and a play body of over 90% blacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just awful and benefits no one. Turn TJ back into a neighborhood school. The wealthy TJ kids can opt for private.

+1000

-100000000000000000000000000000000000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not a private school where the solution to every problem is a charity auction.

It's a public resource that should be operated for the benefit of all who subsidize it.

Whether by design or by default, TJ has sent a clear message to non-Asian kids that they are "less than." Applications are declining rapidly, and blacks, Hispanics and whites are all so dispirited by their admissions odds and what their experience likely would be like even if they were admitted that only 3-5% of eligible students apply. Meanwhile, close to 30% of the Asian 8th graders in the participating jurisdictions apply and over 70% of the admitted students are Asian.

It has been an abject failure as a community institution and FCPS - which can't churn out enough messages these days about its commitment to equity and opposition to racism - does nothing.

TJ was never meant to be a representative reflection. It is a STEM-focused school that offers top-notch education to all who apply and can get in. If you have evidence that the admissions committee gives preferential treatment to Asians, please publish it. The mere fact that it did not admit enough of a certain ethnic or racial group is not by itself evidence of bias.

Perhaps you should ask yourself - what is it that TJ offers that happens to be SO attractive to Asians and SO unattractive to others?

A reasonable chance of getting in if you're Asian and a student body that's over 70% Asian.

How many Asians apply and how many got in? Let's see what you call "a reasonable chance."

If you have evidence that being Asian brings bonus points during TJ admissions, please publish it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has been racist. My kid scored higher than every kid in AAP who’s parents I talked to on cogat and the nag and wasnt in the pool. Even the AART was asking the Principal why he wasn’t in the pool. We had to refer him To some committee to get him in. Then once he was in the school did everything they could to try and trick us into pulling him out. As a parent I had to get an attorney just to get the school to stop being extra and racist with my kid. Not saying every school is like this, but there is one in the western part of the county this way. And the people from region 5 will do nothing but try to cover up the BS.

Parent of a Latino kid in AAP in this region. You are 100% correct. The base schools do not want to lose their strongest URM students but a lot of principals can't be bothered to implement LLIV programs or lobby for full-time AARTs. They just cross their fingers that these kids' parents won't appeal. They get away with it more than they should, but they still complain when families leave for the Level IV center or go private. This has been going on for the better part of a decade. It's shameful.

I was under the impression that AAP decisions are made at the central committee level without any input from the base schools except GBRS.

This is true. It's also true that the GBRS holds a lot of weight, more than it should if the latest AAP report is any indication. Why would a school go out of its way to get rid of the highest scoring URM students?

[Anonymous]

FCPS definitely downplayed TJ admissions this year and not just because of Covid-19.

[Anonymous]

Part of the benefit of those types of schools is the consistently high caliber of the students. If they start accepting a certain percentage from every race just to be "fair", that defeats the premise of the school. They may as well just have a lottery.

Someone mentioned the NBA, and I agree that it's the same thing. If the NBA was forced to accept a certain % of white and Asian and hispanic players just because that's representative of the population that lives in the area, that defeats the purpose of the NBA. It would be something, but it wouldn't be the same thing as it is now - the best of the best. And like entry to TJ, I'm sure there is some decision-making process that goes on about who should be invited to join a team - it's not just some specific number, it's a whole bunch of things.

If there's any evidence of black kids (or white kids, for that matter, if you're talking about TJ) having the scores and extracurriculars to be admitted entry and not getting in, then that would be a problem. They really should do a lottery in that case, for everyone deemed eligible. But unless that is going on, people need to just accept that some things in society are still a meritocracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of the benefit of those types of schools is the consistently high caliber of the students. If they start accepting a certain percentage from every race just to be "fair", that defeats the premise of the school. They may as well just have a lottery.

Someone mentioned the NBA, and I agree that it's the same thing. If the NBA was forced to accept a certain % of white and Asian and hispanic players just because that's representative of the population that lives in the area, that defeats the purpose of the NBA. It would be something, but it wouldn't be the same thing as it is now - the best of the best. And like entry to TJ, I'm sure there is some decision-making process that goes on about who should be invited to join a team - it's not just some specific number, it's a whole bunch of things.

If there's any evidence of black kids (or white kids, for that matter, if you're talking about TJ) having the scores and extracurriculars to be admitted entry and not getting in, then that would be a problem. They really should do a lottery in that case, for everyone deemed eligible. But unless that is going on, people need to just accept that some things in society are still a meritocracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do black people in general care about TJ (other than the NAACP)? I'm the parent of a straight A black student and my child had no interest in going there. Black kids who are really strong academically can get into excellent colleges from their base schools. I didn't see the benefit of TJ so didn't push it with my kid, despite being asked by the MS counselor numerous times to consider having DC apply to TJ. Also, once DC gets to college, no one will care whether or not DC went to TJ. I'll come back and let you know how it works out for my kid as far as college acceptances go.

I mean, the majority of students in FCPS don't apply to TJ regardless of their race. You should be able to compare black applicants to total black students and white/asian/hispanic applicants to total students (I'm not sure where people are getting these numbers or I'd do it) to see if there is a disparity.

I'm saying the numbers of highly qualified black and Hispanic students applying to TJ will likely be low because they don't buy into the narrative that going to TJ will help them get into a better school. If that group self selects out of applying to TJ, then the numbers won't be great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has been racist. My kid scored higher than every kid in AAP who’s parents I talked to on cogat and the nag and wasnt in the pool. Even the AART was asking the Principal why he wasn’t in the pool. We had to refer him To some committee to get him in. Then once he was in the school did everything they could to try and trick us into pulling him out. As a parent I had to get an attorney just to get the school to stop being extra and racist with my kid. Not saying every school is like this, but there is one in the western part of the county this way. And the people from region 5 will do nothing but try to cover up the BS.

Parent of a Latino kid in AAP in this region. You are 100% correct. The base schools do not want to lose their strongest URM students but a lot of principals can't be bothered to implement LLIV programs or lobby for full-time AARTs. They just cross their fingers that these kids' parents won't appeal. They get away with it more than they should, but they still complain when families leave for the Level IV center or go private. This has been going on for the better part of a decade. It's shameful.

I was under the impression that AAP decisions are made at the central committee level without any input from the base schools except GBRS.

The GBRS make a huge difference in being found eligible. It's not only getting Cs, the narrative that goes along with it matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's not a private school where the solution to every problem is a charity auction.

It's a public resource that should be operated for the benefit of all who subsidize it.

Whether by design or by default, TJ has sent a clear message to non-Asian kids that they are "less than." Applications are declining rapidly, and blacks, Hispanics and whites are all so dispirited by their admissions odds and what their experience likely would be like even if they were admitted that only 3-5% of eligible students apply. Meanwhile, close to 30% of the Asian 8th graders in the participating jurisdictions apply and over 70% of the admitted students are Asian.

It has been an abject failure as a community institution and FCPS - which can't churn out enough messages these days about its commitment to equity and opposition to racism - does nothing.

TJ was never meant to be a representative reflection. It is a STEM-focused school that offers top-notch education to all who apply and can get in. If you have evidence that the admissions committee gives preferential treatment to Asians, please publish it. The mere fact that it did not admit enough of a certain ethnic or racial group is not by itself evidence of bias.

Perhaps you should ask yourself - what is it that TJ offers that happens to be SO attractive to Asians and SO unattractive to others?

What's unattractive to others is how much of TJ is now a rat race as opposed to how it was before. Before kids who really enjoyed STEM would find their place at TJ. Now, even if you love STEM, you also need to be prepared for the rat race. My DC is taking multivariable/matrix in 11th at the base school. While that may not be TJ pace, that's wonderful for a STEM kid who doesn't want to be in a pressure cooker environment. When you have those options at the base school, there's no pressing need to go to TJ. For my Asian friends, however, TJ is viewed as the goal, even for nonSTEM kids. DC's friend thinks she wants to be a lawyer, but her mom was insistent that she had to apply to TJ. I don't have a problem with TJ being predominantly Asian. If Asian kids want to go there and are ok with the environment while other races aren't, so be it. Accept it and move on. So many kids from TJ end up at UVA anyway, as do many base school kids. My friend's kids, one went to TJ and one didn't, and both ended up being accepted by top 10 schools. Honestly, pick the right environment for your kid. If it's TJ, great. If it's not, your kid is not disadvantaged by not having gone to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the benefit of those types of schools is the consistently high caliber of the students. If they start accepting a certain percentage from every race just to be "fair", that defeats the premise of the school. They may as well just have a lottery.

Someone mentioned the NBA, and I agree that it's the same thing. If the NBA was forced to accept a certain % of white and Asian and hispanic players just because that's representative of the population that lives in the area, that defeats the purpose of the NBA. It would be something, but it wouldn't be the same thing as it is now - the best of the best. And like entry to TJ, I'm sure there is some decision-making process that goes on about who should be invited to join a team - it's not just some specific number, it's a whole bunch of things.

If there's any evidence of black kids (or white kids, for that matter, if you're talking about TJ) having the scores and extracurriculars to be admitted entry and not getting in, then that would be a problem. They really should do a lottery in that case, for everyone deemed eligible. But unless that is going on, people need to just accept that some things in society are still a meritocracy.

Seriously.

The NBA is different for a host of reasons, but most importantly it is private whereas FCPS is public. And if you want to hold it up as a pure meritocracy, and not yet another business where eons of progress are yet to occur, I look forward to your defense of its coaching, administrative, and owner demographics.

TJ’s admission process and selection criteria is undeniably discriminatory against protected black, Hispanic, and poor students. I would prefer that my taxes did not subsidize discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part of the benefit of those types of schools is the consistently high caliber of the students. If they start accepting a certain percentage from every race just to be "fair", that defeats the premise of the school. They may as well just have a lottery.

Someone mentioned the NBA, and I agree that it's the same thing. If the NBA was forced to accept a certain % of white and Asian and hispanic players just because that's representative of the population that lives in the area, that defeats the purpose of the NBA. It would be something, but it wouldn't be the same thing as it is now - the best of the best. And like entry to TJ, I'm sure there is some decision-making process that goes on about who should be invited to join a team - it's not just some specific number, it's a whole bunch of things.

If there's any evidence of black kids (or white kids, for that matter, if you're talking about TJ) having the scores and extracurriculars to be admitted entry and not getting in, then that would be a problem. They really should do a lottery in that case, for everyone deemed eligible. But unless that is going on, people need to just accept that some things in society are still a meritocracy.

Seriously.

The NBA is different for a host of reasons, but most importantly it is private whereas FCPS is public. And if you want to hold it up as a pure meritocracy, and not yet another business where eons of progress are yet to occur, I look forward to your defense of its coaching, administrative, and owner demographics.

TJ’s admission process and selection criteria is undeniably discriminatory against protected black, Hispanic, and poor students. I would prefer that my taxes did not subsidize discrimination.

One way I would view TJ as discriminatory is if it factors in what extracurricular activities kids have done. That is highly dependent on financial resources. They should also not value taking Algebra 2 in eighth grade over taking geometry in eighth grade because that is also likely dependent on having outside math help to accelerate. The test also should not include math that is well beyond what someone who's taken and fully mastered Algebra 1 and geometry can handle, because otherwise it perpetuates the bias of having resources to accelerate math because of outside help. My friends' kids were taking CYT math classes in elementary school. No poor kid is doing that.

[Anonymous]

They need to study and work harder. Everyone takes the same test and is held to the same standard.