TJHSST PTSA Election

[Anonymous]

Sweet Baby Jesus, what is going on with the TJ PTSA election - competing slates of candidates? Some campaign-like material on the parent FB page? As a TJ parent (full disclosure - pay my dues/minimal volunteering/supports admission reform) from a base school where we had to beg parents to hold a PTA office, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. All kidding aside, if I didn't think the atmosphere was toxic before, now I am concerned.

Or maybe I am naïve, and there are competing parent groups to run the PTSA at other HS. Is this common?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sweet Baby Jesus, what is going on with the TJ PTSA election - competing slates of candidates? Some campaign-like material on the parent FB page? As a TJ parent (full disclosure - pay my dues/minimal volunteering/supports admission reform) from a base school where we had to beg parents to hold a PTA office, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. All kidding aside, if I didn't think the atmosphere was toxic before, now I am concerned.

Or maybe I am naïve, and there are competing parent groups to run the PTSA at other HS. Is this common?

Apparently not. As parents, we are similar to you. Volunteer when we can to help out but not officebearers. Looks like it's between 2 groups - one picked by some committee that is pro-"TJ status quo" and the other being supported by the outgoing PTSA president and is pro-"woke TJ". Thankfully our kid is a senior and we don't have to put up with this any longer. Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sweet Baby Jesus, what is going on with the TJ PTSA election - competing slates of candidates? Some campaign-like material on the parent FB page? As a TJ parent (full disclosure - pay my dues/minimal volunteering/supports admission reform) from a base school where we had to beg parents to hold a PTA office, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. All kidding aside, if I didn't think the atmosphere was toxic before, now I am concerned.

Or maybe I am naïve, and there are competing parent groups to run the PTSA at other HS. Is this common?

Apparently not. As parents, we are similar to you. Volunteer when we can to help out but not officebearers. Looks like it's between 2 groups - one picked by some committee that is pro-"TJ status quo" and the other being supported by the outgoing PTSA president and is pro-"woke TJ". Thankfully our kid is a senior and we don't have to put up with this any longer. Enjoy!

Is woke a pejorative used to describe people looking to improve the toxic atmosphere?

[Anonymous]

OP here - not my phrase and I support admission reform. The toxic atmosphere I am worried about (and TBH, I have a senior so don't lose sleep over it) is among the admin/parents/kids - the debate has been divisive, no matter what side you fall on.

[Anonymous]

The division came from brabrand and the School Board and was strongly echoed by the principal who decided she didn’t like the current tj students.

I am so sad at what all those people did to a wonderful school experience for my kids. On top of all the hardships of covid, my kids had to deal with hate-filled talk from leadership and a divided school community. Truly heartless.

I don’t know what to do with the elections. I disapprove of the sloppy and racist admission changes but I don’t need the PTSA advocating in a way to further divide and hurt the kids. I am thinking about voting half and half and make them all work together.

I do wish bonitatibus were gone. She was truly cruel to the students.

[Anonymous]

OP bsck- Yes, she is disliked and TJ could use a fresh start with the new admission changes. Blaming the kids for the values their parents pursued has not been a good look.

good idea on the half and half.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sweet Baby Jesus, what is going on with the TJ PTSA election - competing slates of candidates? Some campaign-like material on the parent FB page? As a TJ parent (full disclosure - pay my dues/minimal volunteering/supports admission reform) from a base school where we had to beg parents to hold a PTA office, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. All kidding aside, if I didn't think the atmosphere was toxic before, now I am concerned.

Or maybe I am naïve, and there are competing parent groups to run the PTSA at other HS. Is this common?

Apparently not. As parents, we are similar to you. Volunteer when we can to help out but not officebearers. Looks like it's between 2 groups - one picked by some committee that is pro-"TJ status quo" and the other being supported by the outgoing PTSA president and is pro-"woke TJ". Thankfully our kid is a senior and we don't have to put up with this any longer. Enjoy!

Is woke a pejorative used to describe people looking to improve the toxic atmosphere?

no

[Anonymous]

NP. The outgoing PTSA President has written fairly strongly against TJ admissions reform.

But yes, there is a slate of candidates on offer that is essentially an anti-reform bloc. It will be interesting to see how this new PTSA officer group interacts with an incoming group of Class of 2025 parents selected by a mechanism that they have spoken out against so strongly.

[Anonymous]

As an alumna I keep getting emails about this from the alumi association and have no idea what's going on (nor do I know why alumni get to vote on this?). Can anyone fill me in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an alumna I keep getting emails about this from the alumi association and have no idea what's going on (nor do I know why alumni get to vote on this?). Can anyone fill me in?

Some of the families suing FCPS over the admissions changes are also trying to take over the PTSA. It’s gotten really nasty, and honestly somebody higher up needs to step in before it gets even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an alumna I keep getting emails about this from the alumi association and have no idea what's going on (nor do I know why alumni get to vote on this?). Can anyone fill me in?

Some of the families suing FCPS over the admissions changes are also trying to take over the PTSA. It’s gotten really nasty, and honestly somebody higher up needs to step in before it gets even worse.

Yep. The recommended new PTSA president has already writted multiple op-eds to the Post essentially advocating a "bootstrap" theory. He is Black and has a stepson in TJ's class of 2024.

[Anonymous]

I found today's post by one of the nominated parents in the parent FB page rambling and poorly written. Did not inspire confidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The division came from brabrand and the School Board and was strongly echoed by the principal who decided she didn’t like the current tj students.

I am so sad at what all those people did to a wonderful school experience for my kids. On top of all the hardships of covid, my kids had to deal with hate-filled talk from leadership and a divided school community. Truly heartless.

I don’t know what to do with the elections. I disapprove of the sloppy and racist admission changes but I don’t need the PTSA advocating in a way to further divide and hurt the kids. I am thinking about voting half and half and make them all work together.

I do wish bonitatibus were gone. She was truly cruel to the students.

She was useless. When she came onboard, she promised to reduce homework and make sure kids enjoy their HS experience and ran into a wall with the teachers. She then pivoted and started preaching to the kids that grades don't matter (really?) and got laughed at. Thankfully for her, Covid hit and she had to focus on that just like everyone else. Now that there's a new issue, she's hitching her wagon to the side that's currently winning. She's a very political person and will do what she needs to do to keep her job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an alumna I keep getting emails about this from the alumi association and have no idea what's going on (nor do I know why alumni get to vote on this?). Can anyone fill me in?

Some of the families suing FCPS over the admissions changes are also trying to take over the PTSA. It’s gotten really nasty, and honestly somebody higher up needs to step in before it gets even worse.

I thought it was open competition. You are implying that somehow the other group has a right to the PTSA and this group is the outsider which is not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The division came from brabrand and the School Board and was strongly echoed by the principal who decided she didn’t like the current tj students.

I am so sad at what all those people did to a wonderful school experience for my kids. On top of all the hardships of covid, my kids had to deal with hate-filled talk from leadership and a divided school community. Truly heartless.

I don’t know what to do with the elections. I disapprove of the sloppy and racist admission changes but I don’t need the PTSA advocating in a way to further divide and hurt the kids. I am thinking about voting half and half and make them all work together.

I do wish bonitatibus were gone. She was truly cruel to the students.

She was useless. When she came onboard, she promised to reduce homework and make sure kids enjoy their HS experience and ran into a wall with the teachers. She then pivoted and started preaching to the kids that grades don't matter (really?) and got laughed at. Thankfully for her, Covid hit and she had to focus on that just like everyone else. Now that there's a new issue, she's hitching her wagon to the side that's currently winning. She's a very political person and will do what she needs to do to keep her job.

Not sure these spoils are worth fighting over any longer. FCPS has ruined TJ.