TJ counselors

[Anonymous]

Are TJ freshman kids in same geographical proximity usually grouped in same IBET ? How are the counselors assigned for kids ? Is it by geographic location that kids nearby get same counselor and so same classes, IBET etc.?

Lastly is it possible to ask for a switch to be with friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are TJ freshman kids in same geographical proximity usually grouped in same IBET ? How are the counselors assigned for kids ? Is it by geographic location that kids nearby get same counselor and so same classes, IBET etc.?

Lastly is it possible to ask for a switch to be with friends?

I caution the last part. You go to hs to make new friends.

[Anonymous]

No. IBETs are not geographic. You are supposed to meet new kids. Not be in the Carson IBET. They will put together the 4 person IBET groups to do the year long project together Considering geography. So, your Western Fairfax kid will probably have 3 other Western Fairfax, Loudoun kids in his actual 4 person project group.


TJ runs on FB and Fb chats. Lots of distance group coordinating. Very little groups of kids getting together for most projects. I can only think of 2-3 that involved driving kids to other houses, and they were all HUM.

As to question 2, he11 NO. TJ does make course changes without an amazing reason— like you like you got German 3 and your kid is taking Russian. We got one schedule change in 4 years because of an outright refusal by the assigned teacher to follow a 504 that was escalated to the AP. It took 2 months. Teacher didn’t believe in 1.5 time so just didn’t allow it.

A few years ago under Glazer, courses would come out and there would be a mad scramble/ free for all for kid to get with friends in cheating rings, change to easier teachers, get favorite teachers, avoid the impossible teacher who gives zero As, move from elective X to Y once the assigned teachers were known. And it was a logistical mess that facilitated cheating.

So now, you lock in courses in April the year before and that’s it, unless you have a great reason— the one I know who got a change was a kid who wanted AP Bio and got a C- in freshman Bio and a recommendation from the teacher that the not continue. They let him choose a different clas in June.

In addition to DL disasters this year— and they are disasters, since they are grouping by hybrid preference— counselors are writing senior recommendations right now. This counselor will eventually write your kids senior rec. Do not make a terrible first impression by demanding that your kid be moved to an IBET with other Carson/ Loudoun/ RRMS kids. They will shut you down fast. And they will remember you as that parent.

Part of TJ is the teacher lottery. Some IBETs, HUMs, Senior Seminars, Math teachers are just much harder. It most cases, it balances out over 4 years.

But, DO NOT DO THIS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. IBETs are not geographic. You are supposed to meet new kids. Not be in the Carson IBET. They will put together the 4 person IBET groups to do the year long project together Considering geography. So, your Western Fairfax kid will probably have 3 other Western Fairfax, Loudoun kids in his actual 4 person project group.


TJ runs on FB and Fb chats. Lots of distance group coordinating. Very little groups of kids getting together for most projects. I can only think of 2-3 that involved driving kids to other houses, and they were all HUM.

As to question 2, he11 NO. TJ does make course changes without an amazing reason— like you like you got German 3 and your kid is taking Russian. We got one schedule change in 4 years because of an outright refusal by the assigned teacher to follow a 504 that was escalated to the AP. It took 2 months. Teacher didn’t believe in 1.5 time so just didn’t allow it.

A few years ago under Glazer, courses would come out and there would be a mad scramble/ free for all for kid to get with friends in cheating rings, change to easier teachers, get favorite teachers, avoid the impossible teacher who gives zero As, move from elective X to Y once the assigned teachers were known. And it was a logistical mess that facilitated cheating.

So now, you lock in courses in April the year before and that’s it, unless you have a great reason— the one I know who got a change was a kid who wanted AP Bio and got a C- in freshman Bio and a recommendation from the teacher that the not continue. They let him choose a different clas in June.

In addition to DL disasters this year— and they are disasters, since they are grouping by hybrid preference— counselors are writing senior recommendations right now. This counselor will eventually write your kids senior rec. Do not make a terrible first impression by demanding that your kid be moved to an IBET with other Carson/ Loudoun/ RRMS kids. They will shut you down fast. And they will remember you as that parent.

Part of TJ is the teacher lottery. Some IBETs, HUMs, Senior Seminars, Math teachers are just much harder. It most cases, it balances out over 4 years.

But, DO NOT DO THIS!

^- this person knows what they're talking about. It is a part of your reality at TJ that not all 4.4 GPAs are equivalent. And Glazer absolutely was the ringmaster of the mess that TJ was several years ago. Be glad you are getting in now.