Anonymous wrote:Yes this should be required or at least heavily weighted for taking it and doing well. But that would be at odds with their goal of increasing diversity

They should add lots of new criteria that allows parents with means to game the system in their favor with outside enrichment!

Yes this should be required or at least heavily weighted for taking it and doing well. But that would be at odds with their goal of increasing diversity

Anonymous wrote:Why are some posters so upset about the possibility that there might be kids going to TJ who come from families that might be less well off or less educated or less savvy about how the FCPS system works?

Did you think that TJ was just for families that are better off or better educated or better able to figure out how things work in FCPS? Does it worry you that kids from families with different values than yours might be mixing with your child at TJ? Or worse, that kids from those families might get a spot and your child might not?

What is the deal? I’m kind of tired of posters who have a problem with enabling kids from all of FCPS to have the opportunity to attend TJ.

Some of the kids are not prepared for TJ.

TJ is not a social justice experiment. It is a center for gifted kids.

Anonymous wrote:TJ already requires students have the highest available Math and Science class at their school, which for most schools is Honors. So applicants have to have, at a minimum, 7th H and Algebra 1 H. The summer math classes also offer Algebra H and Geometry H, that class takes an additional 30 minutes each day.

No they don't. Kids taking Algebra I Honors in 8th are allowed to apply to TJ, even if the school offers higher levels of math, like Honors Geometry. There isn't any sort of penalty or preference based on math level, providing that the kid meets the minimum bar.

This seems unfair because wealthier schools often provide more opportunities for advancement. I prefer they focus on aptitude rather than wealth and privilege.

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody know why posts related to TJ are moved from the FCPS forum to the AAP forum? TJ is not part of AAP. There are other parents that are interested in TJHSST who do not have children in AAP who don’t know to look in the AAP forum. If this forum is changed to Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) & Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) it would allow everyone to know where to look and post comments related to TJ.

How many kids that are not in AAP apply to TJ honesly?

Why are some posters so upset about the possibility that there might be kids going to TJ who come from families that might be less well off or less educated or less savvy about how the FCPS system works?

Did you think that TJ was just for families that are better off or better educated or better able to figure out how things work in FCPS? Does it worry you that kids from families with different values than yours might be mixing with your child at TJ? Or worse, that kids from those families might get a spot and your child might not?

What is the deal? I’m kind of tired of posters who have a problem with enabling kids from all of FCPS to have the opportunity to attend TJ.

TJ already requires students have the highest available Math and Science class at their school, which for most schools is Honors. So applicants have to have, at a minimum, 7th H and Algebra 1 H. The summer math classes also offer Algebra H and Geometry H, that class takes an additional 30 minutes each day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody know why posts related to TJ are moved from the FCPS forum to the AAP forum? TJ is not part of AAP. There are other parents that are interested in TJHSST who do not have children in AAP who don’t know to look in the AAP forum. If this forum is changed to Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) & Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) it would allow everyone to know where to look and post comments related to TJ.

The AAP forum is for gifted issues in general. Read the instructions.

This is why.

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody know why posts related to TJ are moved from the FCPS forum to the AAP forum? TJ is not part of AAP. There are other parents that are interested in TJHSST who do not have children in AAP who don’t know to look in the AAP forum. If this forum is changed to Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) & Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) it would allow everyone to know where to look and post comments related to TJ.

The AAP forum is for gifted issues in general. Read the instructions.

Lol what is this BS.

It's not Thomass Jefferson High School of Math, Mathematics, and Mathing.

You can take multivariable calculus online while attending your home school if it's so important, instead of insisting someone else, take Geometry online or in summer camp.

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody know why posts related to TJ are moved from the FCPS forum to the AAP forum? TJ is not part of AAP. There are other parents that are interested in TJHSST who do not have children in AAP who don’t know to look in the AAP forum. If this forum is changed to Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) & Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) it would allow everyone to know where to look and post comments related to TJ.

Maybe you should take the hint and stop posting about TJ all the time...

Does anybody know why posts related to TJ are moved from the FCPS forum to the AAP forum? TJ is not part of AAP. There are other parents that are interested in TJHSST who do not have children in AAP who don’t know to look in the AAP forum. If this forum is changed to Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) & Thomas Jefferson High School (TJHSST) it would allow everyone to know where to look and post comments related to TJ.

I could be on board with this. In my opinion the point of TJ is to offer more in depth and more advance math and technology education to exceptional learners. If you can’t hack a math course that’s only 1 year advanced or so, then it doesn’t mean you aren’t smart or a good student but it probably means you don’t really plan to utilize what TJ offers

Every student in FCPS can access Honors Algebra I and Honors Geometry online. Any student ending 8th grade without taking Honors Geometry online through FCPS or an equivalent program. Summer Geometry can be provided to students outside of FCPS for any student accepted to TJ. Any student that doesn’t meet this requirement before 9th grade will free up spots for the next kids on the list who have met the requirements.

If this was the case, all FCPS students that are applying to TJ should get the 0.5 bump on their GPA for taking an honors high school class (or a 1.0 bump for taking AP Pre-Calculus or higher level AP courses). This would allow the committee to include aptitude for higher levels of math in their holistic review for FCPS students (this doesn’t need to be a requirement for other counties).

If the concern is about equity and students from lower income households needing to provide child care for younger siblings and not being able to take a summer course, Fairfax County can provide that care through camps (which are already set up in most high FARMS middle schools and add elementary students).

This would allow the committee to find students for aptitude to take higher level courses. Students who aren’t able to keep up with online math courses won’t need to access the higher level AP math/science courses at TJ as they will not surpass what would be offered through local high schools.