Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, parents of non-Asians: You want your kid to be able to compete with the Tiger mom-influenced strivers who get into TJ? Then get you kids off their asses, away from their screens and MAKE THEM STUDY! All the better if they're naturally gifted in math and science.

Magnet schools are a privilege, not a right and the ones who work hard are the ones who get rewarded with a challenging, excellent education.

Parents of non-Asians increasingly do not want to send their kids to TJ, not because they're on their asses and screens, but because they're on the ballfields or the stage - and they correctly understand that in order to have the best chance to get into TJ, they will have to give those passions up (which have incredible value both inside and outside the classroom) to maximize their test prep and STEM activities.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, parents of non-Asians: You want your kid to be able to compete with the Tiger mom-influenced strivers who get into TJ? Then get you kids off their asses, away from their screens and MAKE THEM STUDY! All the better if they're naturally gifted in math and science.

Magnet schools are a privilege, not a right and the ones who work hard are the ones who get rewarded with a challenging, excellent education.

Parents of non-Asians increasingly do not want to send their kids to TJ, not because they're on their asses and screens, but because they're on the ballfields or the stage - and they correctly understand that in order to have the best chance to get into TJ, they will have to give those passions up (which have incredible value both inside and outside the classroom) to maximize their test prep and STEM activities.

What, TJ doesn't have sports and drama? That's news to TJ.

There seems to be plenty of drama at TJ.

TJ should get rid of most team sports. We have to pay transportation costs now so they can play football against the Sisters of Mercy, charter schools in DC with 150-200 kids, and homeschool leagues. Girls basketball is horrible (2-22). They can keep cross country. swim and dive, and tennis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, parents of non-Asians: You want your kid to be able to compete with the Tiger mom-influenced strivers who get into TJ? Then get you kids off their asses, away from their screens and MAKE THEM STUDY! All the better if they're naturally gifted in math and science.

Magnet schools are a privilege, not a right and the ones who work hard are the ones who get rewarded with a challenging, excellent education.

Parents of non-Asians increasingly do not want to send their kids to TJ, not because they're on their asses and screens, but because they're on the ballfields or the stage - and they correctly understand that in order to have the best chance to get into TJ, they will have to give those passions up (which have incredible value both inside and outside the classroom) to maximize their test prep and STEM activities.

What, TJ doesn't have sports and drama? That's news to TJ.

There seems to be plenty of drama at TJ.

TJ should get rid of most team sports. We have to pay transportation costs now so they can play football against the Sisters of Mercy, charter schools in DC with 150-200 kids, and homeschool leagues. Girls basketball is horrible (2-22). They can keep cross country. swim and dive, and tennis.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, parents of non-Asians: You want your kid to be able to compete with the Tiger mom-influenced strivers who get into TJ? Then get you kids off their asses, away from their screens and MAKE THEM STUDY! All the better if they're naturally gifted in math and science.

Magnet schools are a privilege, not a right and the ones who work hard are the ones who get rewarded with a challenging, excellent education.

Parents of non-Asians increasingly do not want to send their kids to TJ, not because they're on their asses and screens, but because they're on the ballfields or the stage - and they correctly understand that in order to have the best chance to get into TJ, they will have to give those passions up (which have incredible value both inside and outside the classroom) to maximize their test prep and STEM activities.

What, TJ doesn't have sports and drama? That's news to TJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, parents of non-Asians: You want your kid to be able to compete with the Tiger mom-influenced strivers who get into TJ? Then get you kids off their asses, away from their screens and MAKE THEM STUDY! All the better if they're naturally gifted in math and science.

Magnet schools are a privilege, not a right and the ones who work hard are the ones who get rewarded with a challenging, excellent education.

Parents of non-Asians increasingly do not want to send their kids to TJ, not because they're on their asses and screens, but because they're on the ballfields or the stage - and they correctly understand that in order to have the best chance to get into TJ, they will have to give those passions up (which have incredible value both inside and outside the classroom) to maximize their test prep and STEM activities.

What, TJ doesn't have sports and drama? That's news to TJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, parents of non-Asians: You want your kid to be able to compete with the Tiger mom-influenced strivers who get into TJ? Then get you kids off their asses, away from their screens and MAKE THEM STUDY! All the better if they're naturally gifted in math and science.

Magnet schools are a privilege, not a right and the ones who work hard are the ones who get rewarded with a challenging, excellent education.

Parents of non-Asians increasingly do not want to send their kids to TJ, not because they're on their asses and screens, but because they're on the ballfields or the stage - and they correctly understand that in order to have the best chance to get into TJ, they will have to give those passions up (which have incredible value both inside and outside the classroom) to maximize their test prep and STEM activities.

Anonymous wrote:Hey, parents of non-Asians: You want your kid to be able to compete with the Tiger mom-influenced strivers who get into TJ? Then get you kids off their asses, away from their screens and MAKE THEM STUDY! All the better if they're naturally gifted in math and science.

Magnet schools are a privilege, not a right and the ones who work hard are the ones who get rewarded with a challenging, excellent education.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's amusing to watch the School Board members like Keys Gamarra who pretend to care about "equity" dance around taking on TJ reform.

The reality is they are scared of angry Asians showing up to protest at a Board meeting or work session.

But until they woman up and do the hard work FCPS will just perpetuate its separate and unequal system. Shameful.

Actually it's a model that ought to be copied elsewhere. Accept students based to a specialized STEM school based on merit. What a novel concept.

Actually it is a copying a model that is used elsewhere, in societies that people often hope to escape.

Not a novel concept at all, but also not one that we should have emulated. It is past time to return TJ to its originally intended use.

Not sure what that was since TJ as a STEM school of national renown has been around as long as I can remember. Sounds like you want to dumb it down. Now that would be a shame. One of the last bastions of true merit left, along with the NBA (which no one ever seems to object to due to its racial composition).

You lose credibility when you compare access to quality education with professional sports. And it's a misnomer that TJ exists purely as a meritocracy - they turn down more talented, more successful, and harder-working students who have greater aptitude for STEM all the time in favor of students who sold out having a well-rounded middle school activities experience in favor of only doing activities that would help their TJ application.

One of the biggest tragedies of TJ's admissions process is the fact that kids give up their passions (arts, sports, writing) at such an early age in order to try to optimize their application to a flawed process. TJ shouldn't be in the market for kids who pretend to be 100% STEM-oriented at such an early age.

O.K., some of the parents are liars; I'll grant you that. They encourage their kids to convince the school they're really into STEM when they are not. Sure stuff like that happens on college applications too. Pity, but it doesn't mean the whole process lacks merit. Those selected are by and large the most academically advanced and ambitious students.

All I would ask for is that they drop the notion that students must have a demonstrated interest in STEM prior to the application process. These kids are 11, 12, 13 years old when they are nominally building that resume - they shouldn't be asked to declare their college major at that point.

Sure, you'll have a few kids who are genuinely sure of what they want to do at that point, but the environment is toxic because you have too many kids who are trying to pursue too narrow a group of fields.

TJ was a much more enjoyable place for students when they had a 400-student class of bright, hard-working students with strong STEM aptitude but diverse passions and interests that they could use to set themselves apart.

I think that's a very reasonable opinion - but...
STEM is pretty broad: science, technology, engineering, and math. That really not that narrow. And I recall a time when Obama was saying publicly we need more people in the STEM field and was encouraging students to go into those fields. Now how you pick the attendees is a different story, The parents of those kids choose how they want to raise their kids. Bit of a culture clash I think in your comments about how the kids should live their life as 11, 12 and 13 year olds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's amusing to watch the School Board members like Keys Gamarra who pretend to care about "equity" dance around taking on TJ reform.

The reality is they are scared of angry Asians showing up to protest at a Board meeting or work session.

But until they woman up and do the hard work FCPS will just perpetuate its separate and unequal system. Shameful.

Actually it's a model that ought to be copied elsewhere. Accept students based to a specialized STEM school based on merit. What a novel concept.

Actually it is a copying a model that is used elsewhere, in societies that people often hope to escape.

Not a novel concept at all, but also not one that we should have emulated. It is past time to return TJ to its originally intended use.

Not sure what that was since TJ as a STEM school of national renown has been around as long as I can remember. Sounds like you want to dumb it down. Now that would be a shame. One of the last bastions of true merit left, along with the NBA (which no one ever seems to object to due to its racial composition).

You lose credibility when you compare access to quality education with professional sports. And it's a misnomer that TJ exists purely as a meritocracy - they turn down more talented, more successful, and harder-working students who have greater aptitude for STEM all the time in favor of students who sold out having a well-rounded middle school activities experience in favor of only doing activities that would help their TJ application.

One of the biggest tragedies of TJ's admissions process is the fact that kids give up their passions (arts, sports, writing) at such an early age in order to try to optimize their application to a flawed process. TJ shouldn't be in the market for kids who pretend to be 100% STEM-oriented at such an early age.

O.K., some of the parents are liars; I'll grant you that. They encourage their kids to convince the school they're really into STEM when they are not. Sure stuff like that happens on college applications too. Pity, but it doesn't mean the whole process lacks merit. Those selected are by and large the most academically advanced and ambitious students.

All I would ask for is that they drop the notion that students must have a demonstrated interest in STEM prior to the application process. These kids are 11, 12, 13 years old when they are nominally building that resume - they shouldn't be asked to declare their college major at that point.

Sure, you'll have a few kids who are genuinely sure of what they want to do at that point, but the environment is toxic because you have too many kids who are trying to pursue too narrow a group of fields.

TJ was a much more enjoyable place for students when they had a 400-student class of bright, hard-working students with strong STEM aptitude but diverse passions and interests that they could use to set themselves apart.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's amusing to watch the School Board members like Keys Gamarra who pretend to care about "equity" dance around taking on TJ reform.

The reality is they are scared of angry Asians showing up to protest at a Board meeting or work session.

But until they woman up and do the hard work FCPS will just perpetuate its separate and unequal system. Shameful.

Actually it's a model that ought to be copied elsewhere. Accept students based to a specialized STEM school based on merit. What a novel concept.

Actually it is a copying a model that is used elsewhere, in societies that people often hope to escape.

Not a novel concept at all, but also not one that we should have emulated. It is past time to return TJ to its originally intended use.

Not sure what that was since TJ as a STEM school of national renown has been around as long as I can remember. Sounds like you want to dumb it down. Now that would be a shame. One of the last bastions of true merit left, along with the NBA (which no one ever seems to object to due to its racial composition).

You lose credibility when you compare access to quality education with professional sports. And it's a misnomer that TJ exists purely as a meritocracy - they turn down more talented, more successful, and harder-working students who have greater aptitude for STEM all the time in favor of students who sold out having a well-rounded middle school activities experience in favor of only doing activities that would help their TJ application.

One of the biggest tragedies of TJ's admissions process is the fact that kids give up their passions (arts, sports, writing) at such an early age in order to try to optimize their application to a flawed process. TJ shouldn't be in the market for kids who pretend to be 100% STEM-oriented at such an early age.

O.K., some of the parents are liars; I'll grant you that. They encourage their kids to convince the school they're really into STEM when they are not. Sure stuff like that happens on college applications too. Pity, but it doesn't mean the whole process lacks merit. Those selected are by and large the most academically advanced and ambitious students.

All I would ask for is that they drop the notion that students must have a demonstrated interest in STEM prior to the application process. These kids are 11, 12, 13 years old when they are nominally building that resume - they shouldn't be asked to declare their college major at that point.

Sure, you'll have a few kids who are genuinely sure of what they want to do at that point, but the environment is toxic because you have too many kids who are trying to pursue too narrow a group of fields.

TJ was a much more enjoyable place for students when they had a 400-student class of bright, hard-working students with strong STEM aptitude but diverse passions and interests that they could use to set themselves apart.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's amusing to watch the School Board members like Keys Gamarra who pretend to care about "equity" dance around taking on TJ reform.

The reality is they are scared of angry Asians showing up to protest at a Board meeting or work session.

But until they woman up and do the hard work FCPS will just perpetuate its separate and unequal system. Shameful.

Actually it's a model that ought to be copied elsewhere. Accept students based to a specialized STEM school based on merit. What a novel concept.

Actually it is a copying a model that is used elsewhere, in societies that people often hope to escape.

Not a novel concept at all, but also not one that we should have emulated. It is past time to return TJ to its originally intended use.

Not sure what that was since TJ as a STEM school of national renown has been around as long as I can remember. Sounds like you want to dumb it down. Now that would be a shame. One of the last bastions of true merit left, along with the NBA (which no one ever seems to object to due to its racial composition).

You lose credibility when you compare access to quality education with professional sports. And it's a misnomer that TJ exists purely as a meritocracy - they turn down more talented, more successful, and harder-working students who have greater aptitude for STEM all the time in favor of students who sold out having a well-rounded middle school activities experience in favor of only doing activities that would help their TJ application.

One of the biggest tragedies of TJ's admissions process is the fact that kids give up their passions (arts, sports, writing) at such an early age in order to try to optimize their application to a flawed process. TJ shouldn't be in the market for kids who pretend to be 100% STEM-oriented at such an early age.

O.K., some of the parents are liars; I'll grant you that. They encourage their kids to convince the school they're really into STEM when they are not. Sure stuff like that happens on college applications too. Pity, but it doesn't mean the whole process lacks merit. Those selected are by and large the most academically advanced and ambitious students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's amusing to watch the School Board members like Keys Gamarra who pretend to care about "equity" dance around taking on TJ reform.

The reality is they are scared of angry Asians showing up to protest at a Board meeting or work session.

But until they woman up and do the hard work FCPS will just perpetuate its separate and unequal system. Shameful.

Actually it's a model that ought to be copied elsewhere. Accept students based to a specialized STEM school based on merit. What a novel concept.

Actually it is a copying a model that is used elsewhere, in societies that people often hope to escape.

Not a novel concept at all, but also not one that we should have emulated. It is past time to return TJ to its originally intended use.

Not sure what that was since TJ as a STEM school of national renown has been around as long as I can remember. Sounds like you want to dumb it down. Now that would be a shame. One of the last bastions of true merit left, along with the NBA (which no one ever seems to object to due to its racial composition).

You lose credibility when you compare access to quality education with professional sports. And it's a misnomer that TJ exists purely as a meritocracy - they turn down more talented, more successful, and harder-working students who have greater aptitude for STEM all the time in favor of students who sold out having a well-rounded middle school activities experience in favor of only doing activities that would help their TJ application.

One of the biggest tragedies of TJ's admissions process is the fact that kids give up their passions (arts, sports, writing) at such an early age in order to try to optimize their application to a flawed process. TJ shouldn't be in the market for kids who pretend to be 100% STEM-oriented at such an early age.