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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Didn't ACPS pull out of TJ?  Does anyone know why?  Genuine question-- not an ACPS bash. But, TJ is located right there and it seems like trying for TJ pushes MS kids academically.  So what was the rationale?  Or am I just wrong and ACPS does send kids?[/quote]

No, ACPS deliberately does not send kids. Doesn't want to encourage more brain drain than it already has.[/quote]

Not the case.  ACPS declined the TJ compact for numerous, good reasons -- Alex would not have been assured of any places;  Alex would have played no role in admissions;  Alex would have been on the hook to fund TJ capital expenses in which Alex would have played no role;  Alex would have been required to provide two different sets of bus services;  Alex would have been limited to a tiny fixed-cap on TJ spaces, cumulative across grade levels, such that there could be no predictability at all to TJ admissions in any given year;  Alex students would NOT have had full access to TJ facilities or resources or co-curriculars in the event of crowding or over-subscription -- essentially a pre-agreement to second-class citizenship.  The decision was reviewed three years in a row.  A super-majority of two different school boards declined TJ participation.  A different NoVa jurisdiction pulled out.  Loudon is considering doing so.

Sorry PP, but it's not a "brain drain" issue.  
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You posted this during the last discussion some time ago. It appears this list of [b]"why no Thomas Jefferson High School for Alexandria City Public School students"[/b] list was made under the most recent Superintendent's term, as their was no such list before him as I was there.

It's a puzzling list of "why nots" on many levels, when the goal for ACPS students and parents is to take advantage of the highest rated STEM HIGH SCHOOL on the East Coast and one for which Alexandria residents contribute taxes to the State of Virginia to finance. In other words, we pay for the likes of TJ but get nothing in return due to our persistent egregious ACPS administrative decision to say "no". It's our children after all: hasn't ACPS Admin gotten to "yes" yet?

What an opportunity for those who attend and how dismal and narrow minded that year after year, ACPS administration shorts a few (maybe 3 at most) skilled, hard working TCWHS students from this once in a life time golden opportunity. It smacks of ACPS being NIMBY towards Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology due to true fear, most likely from being shown up for how bad it's STEM and sciences are, as well as discriminative brain drain.

Alexandria City can build out Potomac Yard and it's Metro, the Waterfront and it's Park, Oakville, North Old Town, Carlyle and Eisenhower. It can have a flourishing Old Town with Trolley, lights, restaurant complete with Visit Alexandria City advertising. We residents can support through our taxes, 75% of the cost of Alexandria City Public Schools and, due to poor past planning, deal with a 10 to 15 year Capital Improvement Plan to build many new ACPS elementary schools, a new middle school, probably a new high school.

But, we tax paying residents (and future businesses whose employees choose to live here) still can't count on a few ACPS students being educated at a superlative STEM school such as Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology even though our our tax money supports Thomas Jefferson.

For shame, for shame. Go figure, Alexandrians: it's been decades of asking for our students to be able to attend Thomas Jefferson: please go figure this ACPS naysaying boondoggle out![/quote]

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