Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many folks posting comments here are either delusional or have no clue and would write anything to support their point of view that defies common logic. TJ math 4 article detailing email from tj 4 math teachers was not a surprise given all the tj kids now admitted are not tested for math even in the essay portion. TJ math is generally much harder than regular high school math, and even those with aptitude in math have to work hard to get good grade in these classes. Based on the email from math 4 teachers, this tj class was offered extra support, extra practice tests and quizzes, much easier test still the scores were the lowest ever, many students did not bother to even show-up for remedial 8th period classes. The practice final exam contained similar questions that were in final exam still many student got it wrong. Read the full email from the teachers to get better perspective. Unfortunately the low level school board politician or the brain dead TJ principal and the equity crusaders will not care about any of this simply because they don’t care about common sense reforms, but this will not go away because students without solid understanding of math 4 will face problems with math 5 and calculus ab and bc. I expect this problem will continue until they update the admission process to identify strong math students or dumb down the math curriculum significantly.

There were 2024 kids in Math 4. And the kids from 2025 who took geometry in 8th.

And many kids are still recovering from the world being turned upside down. Not getting help? Not doing the test corrections? That’s a motivation issue, not because the kids weren’t strong in math.

Sorry - can’t blame it all on admissions.

The world gets turned upside down twice every 24 hours and nobody seems to notice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We will be back to square 1. Honestly as a McLean resident - this is a great outcome. Our local school will be better unless the progressives start envying the success and start talking of bussing (not being a scaremonger but I dont trust anyone on this school board)

This is 100% spot on

This all started because there weren't enough blacks at TJ so the woke reformers will be back with another plan soon.

What's funny is their change of admissions process knocked out a black student at my kid's school.
(The error was on local school's part. I won't go further to prevent identification.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see much evidence that Asian kids flooded into "under-represented" middle schools like Whitman and Holmes this past year to "game" the new process.

It seems more likely to me that Asian families will just anchor in the top pyramids so they can hedge their bets (still have their kids apply to TJ, but rest assured that the alternative is Langley/McLean/Oakton/Chantilly/Woodson). And, as TJ becomes seen primarily as an alternative to lower-performing high schools, fewer of their kids will apply, just like Asian families in MoCo send their kids to Wootton with only some considering the Blair magnet.

Correct. Asian will stay in top school zones.

Some will have a small house in a lower ranked area and a larger house in the top zone.

Seems so overkill for high school. TJ is just a high school in the end. No one cares if you went to TJ later in life and college outcomes aren’t really better because it’s so competitive. If you read their confessional page, cheating is rampant and kids are totally unhappy. It’s crazy to me that folks are this desperate for TJ. Get a life.

It transcends whether people think their kids deserve to go to TJ. It’s also about whether we have a school system that recognizes merit and rewards hard work or instead is prepared to jettison all that just so FCPS can claim it is committed to “equity” (which has no clear meaning but quite suggests FCPS probably shouldn’t even be operating an exclusive magnet).

All FCPS wants are future TJ graduations with more Black and Brown kids and fewer Asian kids in the photos they post on their web site. That’s the sum total of their educational “philosophy.”

CoNspIrAcY tHeOrY

Who are you and whats up with your font? I see several posts with similar letters. Is there something wrong with your keyboard or fingers or .. ?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's also ironic that you sneeringly refer to TJ, before the admissions changes, as "some sort of cultural status symbol," when the admissions changes foisted upon families by an unpopular Superintendent and a misguided, out-of-control School Board were a blatant exercise in virtue-signaling intended to improve Scott Brabrand's tenuous standing with the School Board and enhance the status of the School Board members in their self-styled "progressive" circles.

I'll take "run-on sentences" for $200, Alex. It WAS a cultural status symbol, and still is for many.
.

That's not a run-on sentence.

Anonymous wrote:So did FCPS rescind offers?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see much evidence that Asian kids flooded into "under-represented" middle schools like Whitman and Holmes this past year to "game" the new process.

It seems more likely to me that Asian families will just anchor in the top pyramids so they can hedge their bets (still have their kids apply to TJ, but rest assured that the alternative is Langley/McLean/Oakton/Chantilly/Woodson). And, as TJ becomes seen primarily as an alternative to lower-performing high schools, fewer of their kids will apply, just like Asian families in MoCo send their kids to Wootton with only some considering the Blair magnet.

Correct. Asian will stay in top school zones.

Some will have a small house in a lower ranked area and a larger house in the top zone.

Seems so overkill for high school. TJ is just a high school in the end. No one cares if you went to TJ later in life and college outcomes aren’t really better because it’s so competitive. If you read their confessional page, cheating is rampant and kids are totally unhappy. It’s crazy to me that folks are this desperate for TJ. Get a life.

TJ is soooo shiny.

Probably not for long! Unless the admission process is revised to properly recognize the stem talent as well as actual interest, it will likely become rusty. In addition to grades, TJ needs kids that are self motivated, actively participate in stem related activities etc. Since even grades played very minor role, no teacher input, absolutely zero credit given to any stem participation and way tooooo much emphasis was placed on the essays, where anyone can write anything without any sort of validation, there is no way to tell if the incoming freshman class is really motivated into stem. I hope I am wrong and TJ will continue to shine bright.

So then maybe they will have true STEM talent/interest and not scores of kids groomed for TJ admissions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We will be back to square 1. Honestly as a McLean resident - this is a great outcome. Our local school will be better unless the progressives start envying the success and start talking of bussing (not being a scaremonger but I dont trust anyone on this school board)

This is 100% spot on

This all started because there weren't enough blacks at TJ so the woke reformers will be back with another plan soon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Fair enough. "Decimate" probably would have been more accurate than "cap." Their intent was obvious.

For class of 2025, there were 42 fewer kids admitted from previously "well"-represented MSs than in 2024.

“Decimate”?

42 is much worse than decimate, which means reduce by 10%.

It’s exactly 10%. And the modern definition in English means a large percentage.

Where in the heck are you pullling your data from

https://www.fcag.org/tjstatistics.shtml

The big 4 2024/2025

Carson 82 down to 42
Longfellow 57 down to 28
Rocky Run 32 down to 24
Cooper 33 down to 20

Overall 204 to 114 a 43% Decrease

Carson and Longfellow are basically sending more highly qualified STEM kids to their base school vs TJ

Can anyone explain how a 43% drop from the best middle schools is a good thing for a school designed for the best?????

From the FCAG data.

2025 2024 delta % change

underrep school 169 27 142 526%
well/over rep 366 408 -42 -10%
private 15 51 -36 -71%

Underrepresented schools
https://www.fcag.org/Underrepresented%20Schools.xlsx

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many folks posting comments here are either delusional or have no clue and would write anything to support their point of view that defies common logic. TJ math 4 article detailing email from tj 4 math teachers was not a surprise given all the tj kids now admitted are not tested for math even in the essay portion. TJ math is generally much harder than regular high school math, and even those with aptitude in math have to work hard to get good grade in these classes. Based on the email from math 4 teachers, this tj class was offered extra support, extra practice tests and quizzes, much easier test still the scores were the lowest ever, many students did not bother to even show-up for remedial 8th period classes. The practice final exam contained similar questions that were in final exam still many student got it wrong. Read the full email from the teachers to get better perspective. Unfortunately the low level school board politician or the brain dead TJ principal and the equity crusaders will not care about any of this simply because they don’t care about common sense reforms, but this will not go away because students without solid understanding of math 4 will face problems with math 5 and calculus ab and bc. I expect this problem will continue until they update the admission process to identify strong math students or dumb down the math curriculum significantly.

There were 2024 kids in Math 4. And the kids from 2025 who took geometry in 8th.

And many kids are still recovering from the world being turned upside down. Not getting help? Not doing the test corrections? That’s a motivation issue, not because the kids weren’t strong in math.

Sorry - can’t blame it all on admissions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's also ironic that you sneeringly refer to TJ, before the admissions changes, as "some sort of cultural status symbol," when the admissions changes foisted upon families by an unpopular Superintendent and a misguided, out-of-control School Board were a blatant exercise in virtue-signaling intended to improve Scott Brabrand's tenuous standing with the School Board and enhance the status of the School Board members in their self-styled "progressive" circles.

I'll take "run-on sentences" for $200, Alex. It WAS a cultural status symbol, and still is for many.
.

Anonymous wrote:So did FCPS rescind offers?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see much evidence that Asian kids flooded into "under-represented" middle schools like Whitman and Holmes this past year to "game" the new process.

It seems more likely to me that Asian families will just anchor in the top pyramids so they can hedge their bets (still have their kids apply to TJ, but rest assured that the alternative is Langley/McLean/Oakton/Chantilly/Woodson). And, as TJ becomes seen primarily as an alternative to lower-performing high schools, fewer of their kids will apply, just like Asian families in MoCo send their kids to Wootton with only some considering the Blair magnet.

Correct. Asian will stay in top school zones.

Some will have a small house in a lower ranked area and a larger house in the top zone.

Seems so overkill for high school. TJ is just a high school in the end. No one cares if you went to TJ later in life and college outcomes aren’t really better because it’s so competitive. If you read their confessional page, cheating is rampant and kids are totally unhappy. It’s crazy to me that folks are this desperate for TJ. Get a life.

TJ is soooo shiny.

This thread is intended for people interested in TJ. This is not a place to bash TJ as that point is going to fall on deaf ears. What is your purpose except maybe as someone embittered that TJ is unattainable?

I’m not bashing TJ. I’m bashing the parents who have been plotting their child’s path for TJ admissions since 2nd grade because they are obsessed with the prestige.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see much evidence that Asian kids flooded into "under-represented" middle schools like Whitman and Holmes this past year to "game" the new process.

It seems more likely to me that Asian families will just anchor in the top pyramids so they can hedge their bets (still have their kids apply to TJ, but rest assured that the alternative is Langley/McLean/Oakton/Chantilly/Woodson). And, as TJ becomes seen primarily as an alternative to lower-performing high schools, fewer of their kids will apply, just like Asian families in MoCo send their kids to Wootton with only some considering the Blair magnet.

Correct. Asian will stay in top school zones.

Some will have a small house in a lower ranked area and a larger house in the top zone.

Seems so overkill for high school. TJ is just a high school in the end. No one cares if you went to TJ later in life and college outcomes aren’t really better because it’s so competitive. If you read their confessional page, cheating is rampant and kids are totally unhappy. It’s crazy to me that folks are this desperate for TJ. Get a life.

TJ is soooo shiny.

Probably not for long! Unless the admission process is revised to properly recognize the stem talent as well as actual interest, it will likely become rusty. In addition to grades, TJ needs kids that are self motivated, actively participate in stem related activities etc. Since even grades played very minor role, no teacher input, absolutely zero credit given to any stem participation and way tooooo much emphasis was placed on the essays, where anyone can write anything without any sort of validation, there is no way to tell if the incoming freshman class is really motivated into stem. I hope I am wrong and TJ will continue to shine bright.

So then maybe they will have true STEM talent/interest and not scores of kids groomed for TJ admissions.