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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]TJ is long overdue for the use of creative mechanisms other than quotas for bringing in a more diverse population.  It has to happen.  No reasonable person could support the status quo. [/quote]

I think TJ would be glad to hear specific ideas from you.  TJ and TJ students and TJPF and FCPS is moving heaven and Earth to diversify TJ.  Including community outreach and working with the JK Cook foundation to mentor promising low SES kids and instituting Young Scholars as a pipeline to AAP, which is a pipeline to TJ.  But they can’t seem to move the needle. Here’s reality— it takes years of living in a home environment that is highly supportive of education and provides a lot of enrichment to get into TJ, and the whole family has to sacrifice and support the kid to make it work once the kid is there.  With pure merit based admissions, it has proven impossible to overcome a kid living in a family that isn’t focused on academic success from a young age.  And even then, 15% to 20% of a class won’t make it through. TJ is an unforgiving and kids who aren’t qualified won’t make it very far.

So, in all seriousness, if you have a suggestion to get lower SES kids in the door, please share it. [/quote]

+1000

The added reality is that low SES kids tend to have parents that work 2 jobs to just make ends meet. They simply cannot put in the extra effort to give their kids the extra economic advantages that High SES kids have. But I think that there is a solution.

Honestly, Fairfax County is partially there. I say this, because I really mean partially there.

Most kids in the summer go to summer camps or enrichment. Those that can afford it, pay $$$$/week for their kids to get into the competitive programs and pay for the testing to enter into said programs. Low SES kids do not-- and if they do, it's usually REC-PAC. REC-PAC is $50/week for low SES, but they don't actually teach the kid anything. If kids were taught things (instead of just crafts) we would have a better time with the issues of summer slump and making the difference between low and high SES less.

My solution: get education majors to teach over the summer. This wouldn't interfere with their studies, could be applied to their experience quota, and would be an efficiacious in helping the kids learn extra for the new year. Open up REC-PAC for pre-kindergarten kids in schools with 10% or more low SES for this very reason and allow for the low-SES pay a low amount for this. And if the schools actually reached out to these parents to explain to them the low cost and educational benefit, you could do a long term study on closing the gap. Pay for the summer teachers. And see the data after five years.

I honestly think that the achievement gap would be closed by true year round school for low SES. In fact, if we just had year long school all of the time, it would be way better. But no one will want to pay for that.

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