Reply to Pros and cons of Loudoun's version of TJ (AOS) vs. TJ model -- part time vs. full time

Forum Index » Advanced Academic Programs (AAP)

Reply to "Pros and cons of Loudoun's version of TJ (AOS) vs. TJ model -- part time vs. full time"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A good base school in FCPS is better than AOS model as it offers good AP/IB rigor, plenty of courses in STEM and non-STEM subjects and one school advantage without any watering down. [/quote]

Very true.  And since the top 1/3 to 1/2 of FCPS base schools out perform the very top LCPS base school, the English, history and foreign language that the "top" STEM kids get is going to be pretty mediocre. (with "top" in quotes, because the talent pool in LCPS is just not so deep that 2500 kids could keep up with a TJ level STEM curriculum. Especially without a rigorous AAP type feeder program to build on).  9th grade seems to be too young to put everything into STEM and half-ass everything else. College-- sure.  But not high school.

OP-- I think you are making two assumptions that show you have never had a kid at TJ, and don't really understand what it is or how it works.  One: TJ is a rigorous in non- STEM classes as it is in STEM. English, History and Foreign language are also taught at the college level.  My kid's toughest class this year?  Immersion Spanish 2 (UGGHH).  Junior year, APUSH has the reputation of being the toughest class. So no, it isn't a waste of TJ space to teach non- STEM there. Because freshman English at TJ is a whole different level than honors English at the strongest base schools.  And that continues in the non-STEM classes throughout TJ.

And secondly, TJ kids don't get a "normal" base school high school experience-- because TJ is not a normal high school.  And the kids certainly are not normal high school kids.  But, there is a lot of school spirit and sense of community. TJ kids are no missing something because the are not at their base school.  They play the full range of sports, do marching band, cheerlead, join the dance team, go to the homecoming dance and prom and all the other "normal" high school things.  They just do it TJ's way. So, while no one actually attends most football games as a spectator, unless they are related to a member of the band or football team, 500 kids just attended Hack TJ, with 200 kids on the waitlist. Hundreds of kids participated in iNite, which sold out the GMU Arts Center in 10 minutes.  And most TJ kids feel more connected to TJ than they ever would to a base school, where they not ever really fit in.

AOS sounds like Loudoun doesn't have the talent to support a full blown TJ, so they are watering its down and providing some specialized STEM to pretty much any kid who can handle 8th grade geometry.  Nothing wrong with that-- it's great that many more kids will have the opportunity. But you can't take twice as many kids for AOS and all of Fairfax County (with the AAP Pipeline) sends to TJ, only have them take 1/2 their classes their, and expect to replicate the TJ experience or TJ results. That's not realistic. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics