Anonymous wrote:OP, think about your student applying to TJ as a froshmore. If kids who got in this year with the new process don’t have the chops to handle the rigor (and I don’t see the teachers toning anything down), they will likely drop back to base school and open slots for froshmores. My TJ kid was friends with several froshmores - worked out very well for them!

Do you mean Sophomore? There's no such thing as a froshmore.

Anonymous wrote:
It honestly makes no sense to consider a kid who is taking algebra II in 8th grade is somehow more worthy of TJ than a kid who is taking Algebra I in 8th grade. Both kids are advanced. And the majority of kids on these super accelerated paths are only there because of a combination of parental pressure, outside tutoring, and other advantages. And they are only on that path because their parents want TJ, and the old system rewarded previous advantage with more advantage.

A kid who is taking Algebra II in 8th grade isn't necessarily worthy, but a kid in 8th grade Algebra, absent any extenuating circumstances, definitely isn't ready. The bar to qualify for Algebra in 7th is very low. Any kid taking advanced math who is actually good in math should easily qualify without any parental pressure, outside tutoring, or anything. Kids who are in FCPS and fail to qualify for Algebra in 7th are quite frankly not very smart at math.

Also, at least the Algebra II kid has a long track record of success in high school math classes. They have grades for all of Honors Algebra I, Honors Geometry, and half of Algebra II, with their Algebra and Geometry grades coming from in-person, pre-covid instruction. The other kids have only pre-Algebra, and one semester of watered down, grade-inflated distance learning Algebra.

Even if "worthiness" is set aside, I would prioritize kids who will be taking a large load of TJ specific advanced classes over kids who will mostly be taking classes that are readily available at their base schools. There isn't much of a reason to be at TJ if you're going to top out at AP Calc and maybe AP Physics 1.

Anonymous wrote:All the faux concern, I feel for the teachers, this new crop who can't keep up . . . blach blah blah. No. You are just angry and bitter.

Honestly, if you're correct that this crop is so deficient in being able to learn then these kids will fail miserably and leave. So why complain at all?!?!?!?

Because it sucks that FCPS is setting up URMs and Kids from Title I schools to fail.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All I hope is that FCPS doesn’t double down and expect people to pretend TJ is special or really a place for the best and the brightest any longer. It’s just a not very convincing demonstration project for FCPS to tout its flimsy commitment to promoting URMs within the system.

No one ever thought it was. I always thought it was a school where Asians prepped their kids to get in.

Please explain your connection to TJ to hold these beliefs. I am guessing nothing other than reading DCUM and believing stereotypes about Asian Americans.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do some of you act like TJ has to accept the very best? It’s not a competition. It’s a magnet school. It’s just too bad that s not big enough to accept all qualified applicants.

The very best are the kids who will surpass the course offerings at their local high schools and run out of classes to take. The math whizzes will be taking Calc in either 9th or 10th grade. TJ is the only place with enough math classes. Likewise, science whizzes will easily handle the AP courses at their local schools and end up without viable classes for their last few years.

It honestly makes no sense at all to admit a bunch of kids to TJ who largely will take the exact same classes that would have been available at their local high school.

It honestly makes no sense to consider a kid who is taking algebra II in 8th grade is somehow more worthy of TJ than a kid who is taking Algebra I in 8th grade. Both kids are advanced. And the majority of kids on these super accelerated paths are only there because of a combination of parental pressure, outside tutoring, and other advantages. And they are only on that path because their parents want TJ, and the old system rewarded previous advantage with more advantage.

A kid in A2 in 8th grade will be able to take a number of classes in math,, physics, CS and tech that are only offered at TJ and require Calculus. A kid in A1 in 8th won’t be eligible for many of the advanced classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All I hope is that FCPS doesn’t double down and expect people to pretend TJ is special or really a place for the best and the brightest any longer. It’s just a not very convincing demonstration project for FCPS to tout its flimsy commitment to promoting URMs within the system.

Was it though, really?

TJ is the best high school in the country, has the highest SAT scores and leaves highly rated schools such as Langley and McLean in the dust for debate and Model UN. Also has the best chess team and the best quizbowl team in the country etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All I hope is that FCPS doesn’t double down and expect people to pretend TJ is special or really a place for the best and the brightest any longer. It’s just a not very convincing demonstration project for FCPS to tout its flimsy commitment to promoting URMs within the system.

Was it though, really?

Yes, it is an amazing place for the right fit. My hope is that those kids still made it through this new process that devalued merit and focused on diversity factors.

Teach to the test.

Anonymous wrote:All I hope is that FCPS doesn’t double down and expect people to pretend TJ is special or really a place for the best and the brightest any longer. It’s just a not very convincing demonstration project for FCPS to tout its flimsy commitment to promoting URMs within the system.

No one ever thought it was. I always thought it was a school where Asians prepped their kids to get in.

There are many kids at TJ who are there because they love STEM, are very capable of academic rigor, are motivated learners who want to be with similar peers who did not need prep to do well on the test, SIS and teacher recs. I am so tired of people (including the superintendent and some school board members) disparaging all the kids already there as prepped robots.

All the faux concern, I feel for the teachers, this new crop who can't keep up . . . blach blah blah. No. You are just angry and bitter.

Honestly, if you're correct that this crop is so deficient in being able to learn then these kids will fail miserably and leave. So why complain at all?!?!?!?

Anonymous wrote:All I hope is that FCPS doesn’t double down and expect people to pretend TJ is special or really a place for the best and the brightest any longer. It’s just a not very convincing demonstration project for FCPS to tout its flimsy commitment to promoting URMs within the system.

Was it though, really?

OP, think about your student applying to TJ as a froshmore. If kids who got in this year with the new process don’t have the chops to handle the rigor (and I don’t see the teachers toning anything down), they will likely drop back to base school and open slots for froshmores. My TJ kid was friends with several froshmores - worked out very well for them!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do some of you act like TJ has to accept the very best? It’s not a competition. It’s a magnet school. It’s just too bad that s not big enough to accept all qualified applicants.

The very best are the kids who will surpass the course offerings at their local high schools and run out of classes to take. The math whizzes will be taking Calc in either 9th or 10th grade. TJ is the only place with enough math classes. Likewise, science whizzes will easily handle the AP courses at their local schools and end up without viable classes for their last few years.

It honestly makes no sense at all to admit a bunch of kids to TJ who largely will take the exact same classes that would have been available at their local high school.

It honestly makes no sense to consider a kid who is taking algebra II in 8th grade is somehow more worthy of TJ than a kid who is taking Algebra I in 8th grade. Both kids are advanced. And the majority of kids on these super accelerated paths are only there because of a combination of parental pressure, outside tutoring, and other advantages. And they are only on that path because their parents want TJ, and the old system rewarded previous advantage with more advantage.

+100

All I hope is that FCPS doesn’t double down and expect people to pretend TJ is special or really a place for the best and the brightest any longer. It’s just a not very convincing demonstration project for FCPS to tout its flimsy commitment to promoting URMs within the system.