Reply to FCPS plans to "reform" TJ?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I teach science in college and have received teaching awards. I had to help a friend's child last year for his science class. I was disappointed in TJ's teaching quality. The kid is super smart and hard working. He is probably the top 5% in TJ. However he basically got nothing from class. In addition, the quiz/exam was unrealistic hard. I honestly cannot see anyone could pass the class without [b]significant[/b] outside tutoring help. I was told many students dropped after the first exam. This is not a problem with the students, but the teachers. I heard not all teachers in TJ are like this but it is common. High expectation is not the same as just throw things at students. Teachers make a big difference in student's life. Guess what is this student's perception in this subject now? We are losing a bright student in this STEM field. This is sad. Based on this experience, I will think twice before send my own kid to TJ.[/quote]

This has to be AP Physics. The first test is a weeder.  The kids choose between honors and AP. Half the AP  the kids fail the first test and drop down into honors where they belong.  It’s meant to be unrealistically hard and scare the kids.  And they don’t teach most of it.  Its self study over the summer (plus learning BC Calc if you haven’t).  Now, I’m not defending this. TJ says no to bypassing honors Bio and Chem. Not sure why they don’t with Physics. It makes no sense, and TJ just needs to tell kids to do honors physics first, rather than actively weeding.  TJ just finished making a lot of reforms in the math department. I expect them to requiring BC completed and a skip test to go straight into AP Physics. Or just saying not possible.

That said, the honors physics and all of the science teaching is very strong.  Math can get unrealistic in terms of depth.  Science is hard, but with labs, etc, any kid who works should be able to get a B without a tutor and a firm grounding.  My kid who is not going into physics and isn’t particularly strong in it worked hard but not crazy, got a B+ and a 760 on the SAT 2, and was not self teaching.  [/quote]

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