Anonymous wrote:Here is an automatic reply we got from one of the counselors when we sent her an email unrelated to course changes:

"Regarding schedule change requests: we are only correcting errors at this time. This includes missing graduation requirements (for seniors only), legitimate errors in a student’s schedule that were not caught during the verification process by staff in the spring, and schedule conflicts that may have occurred as the schedule was made. Your schedule reflects the courses (and/or alternates) you chose and verified on or before the posted deadline last spring. "

Yep. This sounds like the TJ we all know and love. /s

Although I don’t envy the counselors right now. Be nice to them. They’re swamped.

Here is an automatic reply we got from one of the counselors when we sent her an email unrelated to course changes:

"Regarding schedule change requests: we are only correcting errors at this time. This includes missing graduation requirements (for seniors only), legitimate errors in a student’s schedule that were not caught during the verification process by staff in the spring, and schedule conflicts that may have occurred as the schedule was made. Your schedule reflects the courses (and/or alternates) you chose and verified on or before the posted deadline last spring. "

Asshat. Just say it. Or type it. That’s what he is. An ASSHAT. Even put it in all caps. There are wonderful people who have his same position at other high schools who thrive on HELPING instead of making life harder.

Anonymous wrote:Reason #703 why TJ is awful. Director of Student Services is an unyielding inflexible person who does not have the best interests of the students in mind. Agreed, he deals with whiny Tiger parents all of the time....and the offspring they have created....but when he is given a situation that truly needs understanding, he is still a jerk.

Agree that the DSS is an a**hat. He seems to enjoy being difficult for the sake of being difficult. Your kid should always go to guidance, and not the DSS. and it should always be your kid, and not you. They can make changes for legit reasons. I had a counselor do it last year. But it was a legit, based on summer school, my kid needed different tracking reasons. None of the will make changes because you would prefer a different teacher or would prefer a different elective. OTOH, you might get some traction on things like blowing summer chemistry and wanting AP Bio, rather than AP Chem, or a summer internship/research experience changing your senior lab choice, and needing a different pre-rec .

Reason #703 why TJ is awful. Director of Student Services is an unyielding inflexible person who does not have the best interests of the students in mind. Agreed, he deals with whiny Tiger parents all of the time....and the offspring they have created....but when he is given a situation that truly needs understanding, he is still a jerk.

Anonymous wrote:Sadly, this is consistent with what I’m hearing at TJ, and it is not good. Apparently the party line has changed and course change requests are being denied out of hand this year. Anyone having a better experience?

Nope. Last year my kid, who has a 504, had a teacher who was clearly refusing to follow the 504. It took 3 meeting with both parents, the kid, guidance, and eventually an administrator before the just changed the class. This was a new policy starting last year. And they mean business.

Sadly, this is consistent with what I’m hearing at TJ, and it is not good. Apparently the party line has changed and course change requests are being denied out of hand this year. Anyone having a better experience?

Anonymous wrote:Ha - I have a senior who tried to get a course change after finding out this summer that one of the schools he hoped to apply to had a specific high level class requirement. My DC was told by their counselor absolutely no changes whatsoever except if it were to fulfill an FCPS graduation requirement. At this point, so glad we're almost done!

There's more to this story because the counselors I know at TJ are super-supportive of the kids' college aspirations.

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if they will make a change before school, but my son came into TJ with lots of Spanish experience. After the placement test, they put him into Spanish 3. The first 2 months of the school year were really miserable, a lot of the angst stemming from Spanish ("It shouldn't be this hard"). Eventually his counselor suggested moving him back to Spanish 2, which he agreed to. That helped tremendously for the rest of the year. The next year he took Spanish 3 (had a different teacher) and it went very well. Taking AP Spanish this coming year. So the placement tests are not infallible, but its also possible to make changes mid-year under some circumstances.

The will let you drop down under some limited circconstamces:Math 4 to 3 or 3 to 2.5, as an initial freshman placement; let Freshmen drop down a language level (usually Spanish 2to 1 or 3to 2), and AP to honors physics. That’s about it. I have heard not even BC to AB Calc. And definately not APUSH to Honors. They usually only let you drop down with a low grade and the recommendation of the teacher.

Don’t count on starting high and being about to move down anywhere else.

Not sure if they will make a change before school, but my son came into TJ with lots of Spanish experience. After the placement test, they put him into Spanish 3. The first 2 months of the school year were really miserable, a lot of the angst stemming from Spanish ("It shouldn't be this hard"). Eventually his counselor suggested moving him back to Spanish 2, which he agreed to. That helped tremendously for the rest of the year. The next year he took Spanish 3 (had a different teacher) and it went very well. Taking AP Spanish this coming year. So the placement tests are not infallible, but its also possible to make changes mid-year under some circumstances.

Anonymous wrote:Wait, what? OP— your kid wants to change classes less than a week before schedules come out because they got “bored” with Spanish? Lolololololololololoz. You’re funny OP.

(On the off chance you weren’t paying attention when they told you that there were no schedule changes, period, a language change “just because” is Never. Gonna. Happen. And the guidance counselor who still have 14 seniors missing graduation requirements isn’t going to think you are as funny as I do)

Also— every kid at TJ was a genius in their middle school. When TJ guidance tells you that:
2 years of MS Spanish =/= 2 years of TJ Spanish, and your kid will probably place into Level II, not Level III
No matter how well your kid did in 8th grade geometry need to re-take Math 2.5
Your Kid should not skip Foundations of CS
or Math 4
or Math 5
Etc. believe them.

+1

Wait, what? OP— your kid wants to change classes less than a week before schedules come out because they got “bored” with Spanish? Lolololololololololoz. You’re funny OP.

(On the off chance you weren’t paying attention when they told you that there were no schedule changes, period, a language change “just because” is Never. Gonna. Happen. And the guidance counselor who still have 14 seniors missing graduation requirements isn’t going to think you are as funny as I do)

Also— every kid at TJ was a genius in their middle school. When TJ guidance tells you that:
2 years of MS Spanish =/= 2 years of TJ Spanish, and your kid will probably place into Level II, not Level III
No matter how well your kid did in 8th grade geometry need to re-take Math 2.5
Your Kid should not skip Foundations of CS
or Math 4
or Math 5
Etc. believe them.

Ha - I have a senior who tried to get a course change after finding out this summer that one of the schools he hoped to apply to had a specific high level class requirement. My DC was told by their counselor absolutely no changes whatsoever except if it were to fulfill an FCPS graduation requirement. At this point, so glad we're almost done!

TJ has gotten very, very rigid about course changes in the last couple years. It is now almost impossible after spring break for upperclassmen and after registration for freshman.

And they will say (correctly, BTW) that getting put in level 2 language was foreseeable— especially in Spanish. They are always very open about the fact that kids with Spanish 1 often get recommended to restart. And kids with 2 years very often get put in 1.

Honestly, I would think hard before restarting if I were your kid. Spanish II should be easy for him with some repeat. And it frees up an extra spot or spots he will want junior and senior year. Getting the language requirement in at TJ can be hard. I’d take the one year done, and a second easy year as a gift.

You are going to have problems switching. At this point, your kid has an IBET plus math assigned and they are not going to want kids moving around. If your kids is taking band, orchestra, etc, that’s another Singleton. Most langage I classes have only 1 section, so if there is a conflict..

You can try. If you do, bypass Kosatka in student services (who will say no, and enjoybit. Ugghh). And make a plea directly to their guidance counselor. Via email. They are drowning right now. Try to find a better reason that a bad placement test grade— like a desire to study in a country with the target language.

But don’t expect a yes. The counselors made a pact to say no in exactly this situation for exactlynthis reason (Everytimebtge put an ibet section together, someone changes their kind).

Is it possible to make course request changes at TJ at this point?

My DC has completed Spanish 2 at MS and went ahead with choosing Spanish as his world language selection, however he could not get the language assessment required score and has to repeat Spanish 2 at TJ. For this reason my child has lost interest in Spanish and prefers to start with a different World Language as a TJ Freshman.

Any parents aware if there is a possibility for such changes this late?