Anonymous
Post 04/07/2013 09:51     Subject: Re:TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Re: The sarcastic statement that "TJ is a school for science and tech....not literature": You're betraying a grave lack of any knowledge of how real-life science and technology work. If TJ kids think it's enough to do math correctly and and set up labs properly, they are going to get a rude awakening when they have to write theses in college and grad school, and when they get actual jobs.

My husband was a math major and then a Ph.D. physicist and spent years in DOE and DOD national labs. He now works extensively with MDs at NIH institutes. Our family is very involved with a lot of extracurricular science activities for school-aged kids. He and every MD, engineer, chemist and physicist he knows would tell you: Good writing skills are absolutely essential to having any kind of real career in the sciences, period. If you can "do the math" but can't express your experimental results and reasoning in writing, you are not going to do well in sciences. Maybe you can get a job where you do nothing but math all day long somehow, but any form of science requires writing skills. The snarky comment that TJ is not for literature dismisses the entire idea that these kids need to learn not just the bare minimum of writing but outstanding writing skills. It's not literature they are going for; it's the ability to communicate scientific concepts clearly and accurately.


FABULOUS post!
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2013 08:32     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This area has plenty of kids who can do the math and also write well, so TJ does not need to take kids who can only "do the math." Why take a kid who is great at math but doesn't write well when you can accept kids who are great at math and also have great writing skills?
Some of the kids who have needed math help are kids who have had tutoring for years to help with them do well in school.
And TJ kids are not in "remedial math", some 9th graders are getting extra help with Algebra II, a course that is normally taken by 11th graders.


Sorry, TJ is a school for science and tech...not literature.

Re: The sarcastic statement that "TJ is a school for science and tech....not literature": You're betraying a grave lack of any knowledge of how real-life science and technology work. If TJ kids think it's enough to do math correctly and and set up labs properly, they are going to get a rude awakening when they have to write theses in college and grad school, and when they get actual jobs.

My husband was a math major and then a Ph.D. physicist and spent years in DOE and DOD national labs. He now works extensively with MDs at NIH institutes. Our family is very involved with a lot of extracurricular science activities for school-aged kids. He and every MD, engineer, chemist and physicist he knows would tell you: Good writing skills are absolutely essential to having any kind of real career in the sciences, period. If you can "do the math" but can't express your experimental results and reasoning in writing, you are not going to do well in sciences. Maybe you can get a job where you do nothing but math all day long somehow, but any form of science requires writing skills. The snarky comment that TJ is not for literature dismisses the entire idea that these kids need to learn not just the bare minimum of writing but outstanding writing skills. It's not literature they are going for; it's the ability to communicate scientific concepts clearly and accurately.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 20:09     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
I appreciate your comments as well. I simply mentioned my kids' gender as girls can also be strong in math and science - and laid back, too.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 20:00     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
I appreciate your comments, as I appreciate that many families also pursue academics for fun, like sports. I only mentioned my heritage because Latin Americans, while intelligent and successful, can be very laid back -- like Californians.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 19:56     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We used to live in Fairfax County, but now live elsewhere. DS is -- as I mentioned before -- participating in an outside course of independent study, in addition to attending school and participating in sports and music programs. He studies courses beyond his grade-level as part of his participation in the outside program.


Well, that explains a great deal. Nationwide, more and more kids are taking Algebra I as early as 5th grade. Your scenario makes much more sense to me now. Thanks!


He took Algebra I and Algebra II through JH CTY.


I know lots about their program as my kids have taken math courses through CTY as well. But FCPS would not accept the courses for credit.


He is not taking them for credit, he is taking them to learn Algebra I (A in course) and Algebra II (A in course so far).


So he is not taking the courses for school but for fun. My kids have done similar fun things. My oldest has done math and computer science things for fun. My youngest has done math and physics for fun. Lots of kids around northern Virginia have done similar things.

And both of my kids are girls, western European heritage.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 19:50     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:PP here again. It never occurred to me to have DS take the CTY courses for credit, and he has not taken them for credit despite the good grades. Perhaps it is just me, but I still believe that kids should learn/read/study just for the education of it, and not for some credit or recognition or resume line. Perhaps it is the Latina in me.



My kid is west indian and in a similar situation as yours academically. We do our own program for the same reasons you have - we're choosing not to rely on the school system to get our kids where need to go. He is also athletic and trilingual. Like you, I'm guessing, we prefer to fly under the radar and let others think what they will. We/he is not interested in TJ. He is mostly self taught and need zero help. Wish we could link up.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 19:18     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
PP here again. It never occurred to me to have DS take the CTY courses for credit, and he has not taken them for credit despite the good grades. Perhaps it is just me, but I still believe that kids should learn/read/study just for the education of it, and not for some credit or recognition or resume line. Perhaps it is the Latina in me.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 19:10     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We used to live in Fairfax County, but now live elsewhere. DS is -- as I mentioned before -- participating in an outside course of independent study, in addition to attending school and participating in sports and music programs. He studies courses beyond his grade-level as part of his participation in the outside program.


Well, that explains a great deal. Nationwide, more and more kids are taking Algebra I as early as 5th grade. Your scenario makes much more sense to me now. Thanks!


He took Algebra I and Algebra II through JH CTY.


I know lots about their program as my kids have taken math courses through CTY as well. But FCPS would not accept the courses for credit.


He is not taking them for credit, he is taking them to learn Algebra I (A in course) and Algebra II (A in course so far).
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 18:32     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We used to live in Fairfax County, but now live elsewhere. DS is -- as I mentioned before -- participating in an outside course of independent study, in addition to attending school and participating in sports and music programs. He studies courses beyond his grade-level as part of his participation in the outside program.


Well, that explains a great deal. Nationwide, more and more kids are taking Algebra I as early as 5th grade. Your scenario makes much more sense to me now. Thanks!


He took Algebra I and Algebra II through JH CTY.


I know lots about their program as my kids have taken math courses through CTY as well. But FCPS would not accept the courses for credit.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 18:11     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We used to live in Fairfax County, but now live elsewhere. DS is -- as I mentioned before -- participating in an outside course of independent study, in addition to attending school and participating in sports and music programs. He studies courses beyond his grade-level as part of his participation in the outside program.


Well, that explains a great deal. Nationwide, more and more kids are taking Algebra I as early as 5th grade. Your scenario makes much more sense to me now. Thanks!


He took Algebra I and Algebra II through JH CTY.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 17:23     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This area has plenty of kids who can do the math and also write well, so TJ does not need to take kids who can only "do the math." Why take a kid who is great at math but doesn't write well when you can accept kids who are great at math and also have great writing skills?
Some of the kids who have needed math help are kids who have had tutoring for years to help with them do well in school.
And TJ kids are not in "remedial math", some 9th graders are getting extra help with Algebra II, a course that is normally taken by 11th graders.


My 7th grader is currently taking Algebra II without the help of a tutor, and getting an A in the course. He is also Latino.


It looks like he is a future TJ student. Ho-ray! We get some smart Latino here.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 15:43     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:We used to live in Fairfax County, but now live elsewhere. DS is -- as I mentioned before -- participating in an outside course of independent study, in addition to attending school and participating in sports and music programs. He studies courses beyond his grade-level as part of his participation in the outside program.


this is the Viginia schools forum
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 15:30     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:We used to live in Fairfax County, but now live elsewhere. DS is -- as I mentioned before -- participating in an outside course of independent study, in addition to attending school and participating in sports and music programs. He studies courses beyond his grade-level as part of his participation in the outside program.


Well, that explains a great deal. Nationwide, more and more kids are taking Algebra I as early as 5th grade. Your scenario makes much more sense to me now. Thanks!
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 15:28     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
We used to live in Fairfax County, but now live elsewhere. DS is -- as I mentioned before -- participating in an outside course of independent study, in addition to attending school and participating in sports and music programs. He studies courses beyond his grade-level as part of his participation in the outside program.
Anonymous
Post 04/06/2013 15:24     Subject: TJ: Kids having second thoughts?
Anonymous wrote:He is not part of the Fairfax Math Circle. He may have taken Geometry as part of his program, but honestly I have never had to monitor or keep track of his studies - - he is very independent.


I have not heard of a student in FCPS taking Algebra II without having taken Geometry before.