I hope this does diversify the student body, but I hope that FCPS does not think a lottery alone will meet the needs of many kids.

Some kids will make the assessment that base school will be better for college acceptance - that has always been true.

In addition, workload, family time commitment (lack of late buses), longer school day, and lack of opportunity to take non-STEM classes are traditional factors that keep kids from applying or accepting TJ.

I hope FCPS/TJ take this into account and improve transportation options for areas high in FARMS/URMS to set conditions for success.Our TJ bus depot was a Title I ES, about 5 miles from TJ, and the one way bus trip was an hour - the route had to include so many schools because just a handful (in our case 2) kids at each stop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what will happen the first year. If teachers teach at the same level with the same harsh grading methods, and kids don't have the same level of support at home, it's going to be a mess.

C'mon, you know what is going to happen.

At first, teachers will largely maintain the same curriculum because of inertia and because they have inherent respect for their students.

Then, data will be gathered that it is primarily the unprepared students who cannot handle the work. These students will also turn out to be predominantly URMs. They will be dropping out of TJ to base schools with GPA's that will make them ineligible for competitive college admissions.

Then the curriculum that made TJ what it is will be thrown out, following throwing out the students that made TJ what it is. I give it 2-3 years.

Done.

100% agree. The School Board has ruined TJ for "diversity".

There is no more TJ. It was effectively closed this week.

The cutthroat cheating TJ? Good riddance. Now it can be an excellent STEM school for excellent students.

The school system will keep trying different methods if this doesn't work. Where it will end up is a program that's much watered down than it is now. But it will be a few years before we get there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does everyone know that part of the reason Amazon set up HQ2 where they did is because of the perception created by the top stem school in the country and the pipeline that creates? Mediocre students will make a mediocre school and will have multiple detrimental downstream effects to fairfax county and school district.

The self importance of high school students and their parents truly is impressive. I’m certain this person was serious but it’s almost reads like a joke post.

Well, FWIW, Amazon did mention educational opportunities for children of employees as one of the factors they weighed.

There clearly were other, more important, factors.

When I was at TJ in the 90s the rumor was we were one of Saddam Hussein’s targets to bomb. Haha. Bezos is certainly is rethinking Amazon’s future today!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does everyone know that part of the reason Amazon set up HQ2 where they did is because of the perception created by the top stem school in the country and the pipeline that creates? Mediocre students will make a mediocre school and will have multiple detrimental downstream effects to fairfax county and school district.

The self importance of high school students and their parents truly is impressive. I’m certain this person was serious but it’s almost reads like a joke post.

Well, FWIW, Amazon did mention educational opportunities for children of employees as one of the factors they weighed.

There clearly were other, more important, factors.

Anonymous wrote:Does everyone know that part of the reason Amazon set up HQ2 where they did is because of the perception created by the top stem school in the country and the pipeline that creates? Mediocre students will make a mediocre school and will have multiple detrimental downstream effects to fairfax county and school district.

The self importance of high school students and their parents truly is impressive. I’m certain this person was serious but it’s almost reads like a joke post.

Anonymous wrote:Does everyone know that part of the reason Amazon set up HQ2 where they did is because of the perception created by the top stem school in the country and the pipeline that creates? Mediocre students will make a mediocre school and will have multiple detrimental downstream effects to fairfax county and school district.

Yes, I definitely thought about it! I bet they would not have moved there if they could foresee this situation.

No worries, the company is rich, they will throw together a private school for kids of employees. All companies will have to. Publics can no longer offer education because it is impossible to make it equitable.

Public schools, within 5-10 years, will turn into Medicaid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what will happen the first year. If teachers teach at the same level with the same harsh grading methods, and kids don't have the same level of support at home, it's going to be a mess.

C'mon, you know what is going to happen.

At first, teachers will largely maintain the same curriculum because of inertia and because they have inherent respect for their students.

Then, data will be gathered that it is primarily the unprepared students who cannot handle the work. These students will also turn out to be predominantly URMs. They will be dropping out of TJ to base schools with GPA's that will make them ineligible for competitive college admissions.

Then the curriculum that made TJ what it is will be thrown out, following throwing out the students that made TJ what it is. I give it 2-3 years.

Done.

100% agree. The School Board has ruined TJ for "diversity".

There is no more TJ. It was effectively closed this week.

Does everyone know that part of the reason Amazon set up HQ2 where they did is because of the perception created by the top stem school in the country and the pipeline that creates? Mediocre students will make a mediocre school and will have multiple detrimental downstream effects to fairfax county and school district.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what will happen the first year. If teachers teach at the same level with the same harsh grading methods, and kids don't have the same level of support at home, it's going to be a mess.

C'mon, you know what is going to happen.

At first, teachers will largely maintain the same curriculum because of inertia and because they have inherent respect for their students.

Then, data will be gathered that it is primarily the unprepared students who cannot handle the work. These students will also turn out to be predominantly URMs. They will be dropping out of TJ to base schools with GPA's that will make them ineligible for competitive college admissions.

Then the curriculum that made TJ what it is will be thrown out, following throwing out the students that made TJ what it is. I give it 2-3 years.

Done.

100% agree. The School Board has ruined TJ for "diversity".

So at this time TJ gets financial help from outlying counties that want to maintain access for their gifted students.

Obviously with a lottery program, taking a bus for 1+ hours in the morning and evening to be with other 3.5GPA students will be less attractive.

I wonder if the outlying counties will drop TJ as an option, and what effect it will have on the financial situation at the school.

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what will happen the first year. If teachers teach at the same level with the same harsh grading methods, and kids don't have the same level of support at home, it's going to be a mess.

C'mon, you know what is going to happen.

At first, teachers will largely maintain the same curriculum because of inertia and because they have inherent respect for their students.

Then, data will be gathered that it is primarily the unprepared students who cannot handle the work. These students will also turn out to be predominantly URMs. They will be dropping out of TJ to base schools with GPA's that will make them ineligible for competitive college admissions.

Then the curriculum that made TJ what it is will be thrown out, following throwing out the students that made TJ what it is. I give it 2-3 years.

Done.

I wonder what will happen the first year. If teachers teach at the same level with the same harsh grading methods, and kids don't have the same level of support at home, it's going to be a mess.

I have a kid at TJ and one hoping to go.

The idea isn't for the quick fix to fully fix the URM representation. It is combined with other programs aimed at increasing interest in TJ amongst URMs and kids of different socioeconomic stature than currently exist at TJ. So no, the first few years I don't think it will have a massive impact (except perhaps spreading admissions around middle schools more evenly). But I think it is an important step. It is clear from looking at the data in the presentation that the test strongly benefits some - likely the some that have been prepping for years.

I also think that people saying it will destroy the school either don't understand or don't appreciate how a homogenous student body will destroy the school on multiple levels. The students who prep for years are also the ones who end up feeling the immense stress of TJ on a magnified level because their parents will kill them for anything less than an A.

Kids that make it through to the pool of students in the lottery will be strong students. It is offensive to say that allowing students in whose parents haven't spent thousands of dollars on test prep ruins the school. I would argue exactly the opposite. Kids coming from backgrounds where they don't have that parent pressure will help the overall environment of TJ. Kids coming from different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds than currently exist at TJ will only bolster the ingenuity at the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it'll totally ruin the school.

And by lowering admission standards, now you have a lot of kids of any race there who previously wouldn't have been admitted. What happens when they can't keep up with the rigor? Do the teachers have to dumb down the material? Do they drop out? My oldest is 4 so I have no skin in the game but I'd argue kids failing out of TJ would do more harm than any benefit received from a more diverse population.

I guess it's a matter of perspective whether it will "totally ruin the school." The school currently operates where mainly uber competitive kids get in and survive. I think it should be a school that fosters STEM kids who are high performing rather than only the ones who are top 1 percent. I view the change as an improvement. It won't be number 1 anymore, but that doesn't mean it will be ruined.

I wouldn't consider the only requirement of a 3.5 middle school GPA as being "high performing" by any means. Going from top 1% of kids to mediocre kids on average is nothing but a travesty.