Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

It's not just about math and science. If your kid loves school period, and wants to be around other kids who feel the same, TJ is a dream school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

DP whose family member went there. Lover of math and science, but he was not a fan of having mostly stressed-out peers who were focused on what to achieve next (often pushed by parents rather than self motivated), in lieu of enjoying HS.

No thanks.

But isn't every high school in the McLean area "pressure cooker"? These days it's standard for kids/parents to stress themselves out over colleges, APs etc. TJ doesn't even have or care about APs, they have post AP electives. And if there are some kids who are obsessed about achievement, why should a kid who loves math and science let themselves be affected by it? If they truly love math and science, and love learning, TJ would be a dream school with all the highly qualified teachers and labs, etc.

I guess I'm wondering where is the downside here. Again, most high rated high schools are considered 'pressure cooker' but with a big difference in academics as compared to TJ. The only problem I can think of is that the commute could be brutal, depending on where one lives.

Lol, PP and I would not choose to send my own kids to Langley either, though for slightly different reasons.

I know it’s hard to believe, but different strokes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

The pressure cooker aspect comes not from rigorous coursework or demanding teachers, but an environment where less than perfection is considered a failure.

"An environment where less than perfection is considered a failure" - this comes from parents almost 100% of the time; kids don't feel this unless their parents set this type of impossible expectation in the first place. But for the kids whose parents do not and who instead have a different mantra.. perhaps something like: "Be curious, work hard, play hard, and build strong friendships", why wouldn't TJ be a dream school? There are so many amazing classes and things students groups work on which are all accessible at TJ, but not at other high schools, and on top of it, it's free.

+1

So much misinformation about TJ. I was the poster whose child did not get into TJ in 9th but got in for 10th grade. Sample of one, but our experience at base and TJ matches what you wrote here.

My child enjoyed both the base school and TJ and has wonderful friends at both schools. But child definitely enjoys TJ a lot more.

At TJ students need to be fully engaged in class 100% of the time. If not you fall behind really fast. It also makes the classes very interesting for an engaged student.

At base, there are classes where the work gets done in line 15-30 minutes out of a class period of 85-90 minutes. At base, child tells me lots of kids play video games during these 60+ minutes after they knocked off the work in 15-30 minutes. These are all very bright, smart kids and personally know many of them having coached them in their elementary and middle school for various events. At TJ, a little bit of this is happening as well to my surprise but it is an order of magnitude less. So base school might be more "fun" if that is what one wants for their kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

DP whose family member went there. Lover of math and science, but he was not a fan of having mostly stressed-out peers who were focused on what to achieve next (often pushed by parents rather than self motivated), in lieu of enjoying HS.

No thanks.

But isn't every high school in the McLean area "pressure cooker"? These days it's standard for kids/parents to stress themselves out over colleges, APs etc. TJ doesn't even have or care about APs, they have post AP electives. And if there are some kids who are obsessed about achievement, why should a kid who loves math and science let themselves be affected by it? If they truly love math and science, and love learning, TJ would be a dream school with all the highly qualified teachers and labs, etc.

I guess I'm wondering where is the downside here. Again, most high rated high schools are considered 'pressure cooker' but with a big difference in academics as compared to TJ. The only problem I can think of is that the commute could be brutal, depending on where one lives.

This is such a rose-colored glasses view of what TJ has been, and is, about. It's far more stressful than a neighborhood high school, whether Langley/McLean or elsewhere. The only difference is that they occasionally change the dynamics that give rise to the stress (i.e., with the admissions changes there may be less hyper-competitiveness but far more "imposter syndrome").

Nope! i want my child to have a normal HS experience.

If I thought he was particularly aligned to that atmosphere I would consider it.

Anonymous wrote:MIT grad here, I'm strongly discouraging it.

Hard to believe your statement since you didn't explain why. TJ is about as close to MIT as you can get; it's hard to imagine an environment more similar.. So either you are not being honest, or perhaps you are suggesting you did not enjoy MIT either?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

The pressure cooker aspect comes not from rigorous coursework or demanding teachers, but an environment where less than perfection is considered a failure.

"An environment where less than perfection is considered a failure" - this comes from parents almost 100% of the time; kids don't feel this unless their parents set this type of impossible expectation in the first place. But for the kids whose parents do not and who instead have a different mantra.. perhaps something like: "Be curious, work hard, play hard, and build strong friendships", why wouldn't TJ be a dream school? There are so many amazing classes and things students groups work on which are all accessible at TJ, but not at other high schools, and on top of it, it's free.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

The pressure cooker aspect comes not from rigorous coursework or demanding teachers, but an environment where less than perfection is considered a failure.

That pressure is only self induced from students or parents, not the school or teachers. Same student would feel pressure at any school. Also, TJ alumni don't always have children who are as motivated or intelligent in STEM as they were.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

If it were in fact just more rigorous classes and not a pressure cooker, my spouse would remember the time fondly and we would be setting up our kids to try to get in. Since that is not the case, we have not. Both my spouse and their sibling loved math and science. Both went on to get the hardest STEM degrees from T10 schools. And neither would send their kids.

I think every high rated high school is considered a pressure cooker. Kids can do their own thing, they don't have to be stressed about colleges or classes just because they see other kids also stressed. So maybe I'm missing something here... Are you instead implying the pressure is from teachers and classes? I would expect TJ teachers to be much better and more supportive on average than teachers at local high schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

DP whose family member went there. Lover of math and science, but he was not a fan of having mostly stressed-out peers who were focused on what to achieve next (often pushed by parents rather than self motivated), in lieu of enjoying HS.

No thanks.

But isn't every high school in the McLean area "pressure cooker"? These days it's standard for kids/parents to stress themselves out over colleges, APs etc. TJ doesn't even have or care about APs, they have post AP electives. And if there are some kids who are obsessed about achievement, why should a kid who loves math and science let themselves be affected by it? If they truly love math and science, and love learning, TJ would be a dream school with all the highly qualified teachers and labs, etc.

I guess I'm wondering where is the downside here. Again, most high rated high schools are considered 'pressure cooker' but with a big difference in academics as compared to TJ. The only problem I can think of is that the commute could be brutal, depending on where one lives.

At McLean and Langley, you have a drug and alcohol problem too. Plus a lot of unmotivated (and some entitled) peers and overcrowding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

If it were in fact just more rigorous classes and not a pressure cooker, my spouse would remember the time fondly and we would be setting up our kids to try to get in. Since that is not the case, we have not. Both my spouse and their sibling loved math and science. Both went on to get the hardest STEM degrees from T10 schools. And neither would send their kids.

With their solid TJ education, they have enough money to send them private school. We get it.

Anonymous wrote:TJHSST has such a weird history. It was created by Republicans as a marketing tool to attract defense contractors to the suburban office parks that the real estate developers who contributed to Republican campaigns in Fairfax were building in the 1980s. Now it’s a pork barrel project for Democrats on the School Board to show how they can allocate a scarce resource (access to TJ) across the county to the rainbow coalition they see as critical in future elections. At no point has the health and well-being of county students, whether those admitted to TJ or those forced to travel longer distances to other schools because TJ is not available as a community school, come first.

But for the fact that it’s such a flex for the Democrats to show how they can make TJ “their” magnet school, it seems like they would have put an end to this monument to the “race to nowhere“ by now.

So, hard no to OP’s question.

I know it's hard to understand from a modern perspective but the Republican party is/was traditionally pro-|education. The 1980s were before the party became more extreme and wandered away from principles. So saying that a science magnet high school was created by Republicans in the 1980s is a positive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

DP whose family member went there. Lover of math and science, but he was not a fan of having mostly stressed-out peers who were focused on what to achieve next (often pushed by parents rather than self motivated), in lieu of enjoying HS.

No thanks.

But isn't every high school in the McLean area "pressure cooker"? These days it's standard for kids/parents to stress themselves out over colleges, APs etc. TJ doesn't even have or care about APs, they have post AP electives. And if there are some kids who are obsessed about achievement, why should a kid who loves math and science let themselves be affected by it? If they truly love math and science, and love learning, TJ would be a dream school with all the highly qualified teachers and labs, etc.

I guess I'm wondering where is the downside here. Again, most high rated high schools are considered 'pressure cooker' but with a big difference in academics as compared to TJ. The only problem I can think of is that the commute could be brutal, depending on where one lives.

TJHSST has such a weird history. It was created by Republicans as a marketing tool to attract defense contractors to the suburban office parks that the real estate developers who contributed to Republican campaigns in Fairfax were building in the 1980s. Now it’s a pork barrel project for Democrats on the School Board to show how they can allocate a scarce resource (access to TJ) across the county to the rainbow coalition they see as critical in future elections. At no point has the health and well-being of county students, whether those admitted to TJ or those forced to travel longer distances to other schools because TJ is not available as a community school, come first.

But for the fact that it’s such a flex for the Democrats to show how they can make TJ “their” magnet school, it seems like they would have put an end to this monument to the “race to nowhere“ by now.

So, hard no to OP’s question.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my spouse and their sibling are TJ alums and neither will allow their kids to attend. Because of the “pressure cooker” aspect.

Why is having more rigorous classes and demanding teachers now deemed "pressure cooker" ? If a kid loves math and science, TJ is like a dream school.

The pressure cooker aspect comes not from rigorous coursework or demanding teachers, but an environment where less than perfection is considered a failure.