Anonymous wrote:The power point has a clear agenda to get rid of the essays, particularly the one which asks students to consider an ethical issue in a scientific context. I actually was happy when I read that my child had to think and write about an ethical issue on the exam. Considering such issues at an early age and continuing to do so through their schooling can only be a benefit to students who would like careers as scientists.

Lots of comments are included to make TJ sound like it's on a downward spiral. I was present at the meetings last year about the letter the math teachers wrote and I came away from those meetings with a completely different sense of the extent of the problem, the possible causes (many were listed), and possible solutions.

The fact is, Northern Virginia has lots of kids who are extremely talented in math and have also read widely and can write well. There is no need to accept kids who are great at math but need help in writing when there are so many who can do both. With only so many spaces available at the school, it makes sense to fill them with students who can do the math and science and then write about it, too.