Reply to Coalition4TJ’s request to block TJ admissions process DENIED 6-3 by Supreme Court

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Reply to "Coalition4TJ’s request to block TJ admissions process DENIED 6-3 by Supreme Court"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]NP. I understand both sides of the argument, and both have good points. But to me, the main problem is that TJ should never have been set up this way in the first place. TJ is publicly funded. It was [b]always very questionable [/b]to set up a public school in such a manner that taxpayers have to fund with their property taxes but can't send their children there.

If any of the successful TJ alumni want to set up a private school to carry on the tradition, have at it. But to me, this has always been an inappropriate way to operate a publicly funded high school.  [/quote]

Uhhh, I pay for the school basketball team through my taxes and can't send my kids to play on the team.

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+1 - Public schools spend a lot of money and resources on sports that are super competitive. My kid loves swimming and wanted to get into HS swim team, but couldn't qualify. All I thought at the time was my kid wasn't good enough. May be we should have complained that the kids who got selected in trials paid a lot of money for swim schools/coaches, swim team memberships that we couldn't afford i.e., time or money. Obviously we don't have the leg up in the game. Now I think its totally unfair and we should demand a quota for kids who are not 'prepped' for the sports and may be if my kid were given a chance and she would have done quite well - who knows?. [/quote]

OMG, not this again. When will you grasp that sports are not the same as public education?  The analogy is flawed. Please move on.[/quote]

Right, sport superstars make lot more money than academic superstars . In addition, the main FOCUS/PURPOSE of public schools is to educate not sports.[/quote]

Not sure I understand -  So if something is a "main focus/purpose" then equity applies, but if its not the main focus/purpose we have a competitive merit based process for it?  Please explain when merit should apply and when it should not.  [/quote]

No I think you misunderstand. [b]All children deserve equal access to these programs.[/b] Not just ones whose parents can afford outside enrichment. Spots on the other hand have noting to do with school. As far as I'm concerned they shouldn't be something the county pays for but if they are yes they should provide equal access to all students. The NBA however can operate however it wants.[/quote]

Depends on how you define "equal access". If you mean anyone can attend if they chose to, then that's an asinine contention. The reality of the world is that most "access" is the result of some prior choice or effort. A person can't start working at a federal job just by enrolling - they have to apply, they have to satisfy the requirements, and then they have to engage in competition against other candidates. There is a reason why the goals of free men in a liberal democracy were characterized by the Declaration of Independence as life, liberty, and the [b]pursuit [/b]of happiness because no one is guaranteed the results they want just by showing up, but they are free to pursue it.

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Why not let them try and if they don't maintain a certain standard, demote them back to their base school? That gives a year for them to try and make the cut vs. some highly manufactured application and test score that they've prepped for?[/quote]
Normally, I might agree with this sentiment.  My issue is that trying TJ for a year and then dropping back to the base school undoubtedly will harm kids significantly.  They will feel like failures and have worse grades for college admissions than they would have had if they remained at base school.  I think it's great to give kids a chance if you have every expectation that they're likely to succeed.  It's morally questionable to push kids into TJ who aren't ready, just to score political points, and then wash your hands of them as soon as they struggle.

Some sort of baseline proficiency test and teacher recommendations would go a long way toward ensuring that kids are not being set up to fail.  [/quote]

But they know this going into it. And that's part of life: sometimes you fail at things. And no one is saying "push them" into TJ. You can go or not. I would agree with a baseline proficiency test before allowing them to try. But, if they pass that or meet the standard, and they VOLUNTARILY go with the expectations set out for them, let them try. It's a PUBLIC school and it should be open to that, imo. [/quote]
I'm the PP, and I agree with you.  If kids pass whatever tests that show they are likely to succeed at TJ, they absolutely should be given the chance to try.  I don't want FCPS to push kids in who are not likely to succeed just so they can get better press releases or score political points.  FCPS already kind of does this with AP exams.  They push URM kids into taking AP classes and exams for which they aren't qualified, because the entities rating schools go by participation rates of URMs and not pass rates.  [/quote]

The admitted kids are well qualified. 
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Based on what?  Grades earned virtually during a pandemic when they were handing out As to everyone?  Flowery essays?  Getting free points for checking the FARMS box, being at an "underrepresented MS" (i.e. a gen ed kid at a non AAP center), and/or being an English learner?  [/quote]

All of those factors are [b]just as deserving[/b] as mommy and daddy being able to afford a $4,000 prep center.[/quote]

You'll need to show your work on that argument. [/quote]

Nope. You need to speak the language of your target audience. Those complaining won't understand if I say more deserving.

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