Anonymous
Post 07/06/2021 10:26     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
OP back. Ugh.

The TJ Parent Class of 2021 (that is not a typo - my kid has graduated) has back and forth hostile posts/emails that directly name the opposing parents. It is so depressing - the exchanges on both sides have turned into personal, angry tirades all about the other adults - not one side has talked about the kids, other than in passing.

In the beginning I thought the dispute was focused on whether or not the PTA would actively advocate for or against the new admissions system but now there are posts about the teaching of critical race theory. I am very sorry for the kids and parents coming in.
Anonymous
Post 07/06/2021 10:20     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
Anonymous wrote:As parent of a TJ graduate, and a Fairfax County taxpayer, it is totally acceptable ... indeed preferable ... to me that the opportunity to attend TJ be offered in equal shares to all middle schools. Some say the kids from the non traditional feeder schools won't make it. I am rooting for those kids and hope very much that they get a chance to shine at TJ. But if they can't keep up, then perhaps we learn something about the quality of education at the middle schools they came from (and perhaps also about the disparity in outside resources for the kids in those schools).


That's actually a very fair and simple solution. Have an admissions test and offer an equal share to all middle schools. Maybe even have some kind of low cutoff (or not). so if students are really weak, they won't have to endure TJ. middle school performance may actually improve. and the process is not now racially biased.

I have no dog in the race here btw.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2021 21:06     Subject: Re:TJHSST PTSA Election
Can someone give a short summary of what is going on with the TJ PTSA?? So hard to follow.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2021 19:35     Subject: Re:TJHSST PTSA Election
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/06/left-targets-testing-gifted-programs/619315/

Seems like a left leaning publication and a right leaning publication are agreeing on something.
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2021 19:33     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Very concerning to see that the Washington Post has published a falsehood-filled rant cowritten by the TJ parent who is a high-profile Trump voter and the fringe rightwing union-busting lawyer who is suing the school system.

It's concerning because the piece has already been shared and reshared over and over throughout the rightwing media ecosystem that runs on misinformation and outrage.

This all happens very quickly, and the damage is done. TJ's "brand" as one of America's finest high schools will never recover from being positioned in rightwing social media feeds as an example of something to be mocked and extinguished from American life. TJ students and parents can expect to be abused on social media, the school will likely receive threats, and there may be security issues in the physical world as well.

It means a TJ diploma won't mean what it used to. Ask Oberlin students how that works (Oberlin sustained lasting damage to its educational brand as a result of a Fox News campaign against it).

Weaponizing TJ-related disputes in the rightwing media ecosystem is a five-alarm fire.


And this is now at least the third op-ed the Post has published using these same individuals' completely baseless talking points. The lawyer even fed George Will's research assistant/ghostwriter the exact same drivel. Take heart, though: the TJ story never gains traction among the Republican troll armies because it doesn't really fit with the white nationalist and authoritarian narratives Fox News pushes in its quest to weaken democracies.


Fox News doesn’t have a ton of interest in aggrieved Indians.


https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/eli-steele-de-blasios-shameful-racial-profiling-of-asian-students
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2021 18:58     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
As parent of a TJ graduate, and a Fairfax County taxpayer, it is totally acceptable ... indeed preferable ... to me that the opportunity to attend TJ be offered in equal shares to all middle schools. Some say the kids from the non traditional feeder schools won't make it. I am rooting for those kids and hope very much that they get a chance to shine at TJ. But if they can't keep up, then perhaps we learn something about the quality of education at the middle schools they came from (and perhaps also about the disparity in outside resources for the kids in those schools).
Anonymous
Post 07/05/2021 14:52     Subject: Re:TJHSST PTSA Election
For all the rhetoric spewing from both sides of this clusterf$&k, what’s been lost is the positive impact the TJ PTA has had on the students. TJ will lose its charter and it’s very likely FCPS will step in and dictate how any parent run entity must operate, if at all. The admissions process will not change, nor will FCPS back off curriculum expectations. So great job screwing it up for the students. I’m happy to see the adults’ political agendas are having the desired outcomes.

As an aside, as the parent of a white male student hailing from the southeast corner of the county and graduated several years ago, it’s amazing how the racial equity debate is lost on our neighbors from the wealthier northwestern communities. The discussion always comes back to the same BS trope that it’s unfair to Asian students because they work harder and are, therefore more deserving of THEIR TS spot. Has anyone conducted an audit of how much personnel money is invested in prep tests or compared the PTA budget at Rachel Carson vs Carl Sandberg middle schools? Why are black and brown kids not getting into TJ? Maybe because they come from homes and base schools that don’t have unlimited financial resources to prepare them to take a test. Maybe they attend schools that worry about feeding their students and maintaining an acceptable attendance rate. Does it make kids from those schools less capable or is it simply they’re not on an equal footing because they can’t afford to live in the wealthy sections of the county and access to resources is limited. This argument isn’t about race; it’s about wealth distribution. Nobody wants to lose their spot to a poor kid from the wrong side of the county.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 16:04     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The division came from brabrand and the School Board and was strongly echoed by the principal who decided she didn’t like the current tj students.

I am so sad at what all those people did to a wonderful school experience for my kids. On top of all the hardships of covid, my kids had to deal with hate-filled talk from leadership and a divided school community. Truly heartless.

I don’t know what to do with the elections. I disapprove of the sloppy and racist admission changes but I don’t need the PTSA advocating in a way to further divide and hurt the kids. I am thinking about voting half and half and make them all work together.

I do wish bonitatibus were gone. She was truly cruel to the students.


Yes, the race neural admissions policies are racist because one group may or may not still account for 70 percent of the student population! And it's so cruel to be concerned about economically disadvantaged kids or to want TJ to serve the entire FCPS community. Racist, cruel and evil--did I miss any other buzzwords?

Not all asians, only the Chinese
It's the same crap that white people used to use to prevent fair hiring practices for literally all other minorities in the mid-1900s. The EXACT same language and coding.


Still whining? How about you teach your kids to study instead of spending hours on Tiktok?


NP.

I really don’t think the kids of parents on DCUM are the ones you mean to direct that horrible insult to.

But aside from that, it takes an incredibly selfish person to not care that children don’t choose the family or society they are born into. Every single person against admissions reform at TJ is selfish at the very least, and it’s truly despicable.


For the millionth time, I am not against reform. Just not the way it's being done and the opaque nature of the lottery lends itself to "fixing". Don't care to re-hash all the alternatives proposed in previous discussions. Pls. search and catch up.


And.. stop your pretend pearl clutching. Enough insults have been traded both ways starting with the insinuation that Asians are cheaters. Stop that BS and the others will stop as well.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 14:16     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Very concerning to see that the Washington Post has published a falsehood-filled rant cowritten by the TJ parent who is a high-profile Trump voter and the fringe rightwing union-busting lawyer who is suing the school system.

It's concerning because the piece has already been shared and reshared over and over throughout the rightwing media ecosystem that runs on misinformation and outrage.

This all happens very quickly, and the damage is done. TJ's "brand" as one of America's finest high schools will never recover from being positioned in rightwing social media feeds as an example of something to be mocked and extinguished from American life. TJ students and parents can expect to be abused on social media, the school will likely receive threats, and there may be security issues in the physical world as well.

It means a TJ diploma won't mean what it used to. Ask Oberlin students how that works (Oberlin sustained lasting damage to its educational brand as a result of a Fox News campaign against it).

Weaponizing TJ-related disputes in the rightwing media ecosystem is a five-alarm fire.


And this is now at least the third op-ed the Post has published using these same individuals' completely baseless talking points. The lawyer even fed George Will's research assistant/ghostwriter the exact same drivel. Take heart, though: the TJ story never gains traction among the Republican troll armies because it doesn't really fit with the white nationalist and authoritarian narratives Fox News pushes in its quest to weaken democracies.


Fox News doesn’t have a ton of interest in aggrieved Indians.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 14:14     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
Anonymous wrote:Very concerning to see that the Washington Post has published a falsehood-filled rant cowritten by the TJ parent who is a high-profile Trump voter and the fringe rightwing union-busting lawyer who is suing the school system.

It's concerning because the piece has already been shared and reshared over and over throughout the rightwing media ecosystem that runs on misinformation and outrage.

This all happens very quickly, and the damage is done. TJ's "brand" as one of America's finest high schools will never recover from being positioned in rightwing social media feeds as an example of something to be mocked and extinguished from American life. TJ students and parents can expect to be abused on social media, the school will likely receive threats, and there may be security issues in the physical world as well.

It means a TJ diploma won't mean what it used to. Ask Oberlin students how that works (Oberlin sustained lasting damage to its educational brand as a result of a Fox News campaign against it).

Weaponizing TJ-related disputes in the rightwing media ecosystem is a five-alarm fire.


And this is now at least the third op-ed the Post has published using these same individuals' completely baseless talking points. The lawyer even fed George Will's research assistant/ghostwriter the exact same drivel. Take heart, though: the TJ story never gains traction among the Republican troll armies because it doesn't really fit with the white nationalist and authoritarian narratives Fox News pushes in its quest to weaken democracies.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 14:14     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The current principal is awful! She never showed any interest in the current kids but came in with the agenda to get different kinds of kids at the school. The previous principal was great! He really understood and connected with the students.

Agree-she is the worst. Terrible to the students.


She's wonderful! I'm so grateful she's trying to improve the toxic environment there.


She is responsible for the toxic environment.


False. Aspects of the toxic environment have existed since the late 1990s, but have exploded in the period since about 2010 as Evan Glazer remade the school in his image from a high school to a research facility.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 10:45     Subject: Re:TJHSST PTSA Election
The Post clearly should stick to publishing lie-filled steaming piles of horseshit from left-wing lunatics. How's that no-lab leak story going?

BTW, Oberlin flushed their reputation long before Fox allegedly went after them (not that Fox singled out Oberlin at all.). Ever heard of Gibson's Bakery?
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 10:09     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
Anonymous wrote:If any of those things actually happened, the audience for them was infinitesimal compared with the mob that's going to come after TJ kids if Tucker Carlson calls attention to the fact-free diatribe the Post just published. I assume you're one of the co-authors? It's incredibly dangerous when a parent within a school community is also chasing clout in the rightwing media ecosystem. TJ may be burned to the ground metaphorically as a result.


I think you are the one who needs to watch your metaphors. And, no, I’m not a co-author of the WaPo piece. You simultaneously claim that it’s going to be read by a large audience and that anyone who agrees with any of the points made by the authors is one of them?
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 09:22     Subject: TJHSST PTSA Election
If any of those things actually happened, the audience for them was infinitesimal compared with the mob that's going to come after TJ kids if Tucker Carlson calls attention to the fact-free diatribe the Post just published. I assume you're one of the co-authors? It's incredibly dangerous when a parent within a school community is also chasing clout in the rightwing media ecosystem. TJ may be burned to the ground metaphorically as a result.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2021 08:49     Subject: Re:TJHSST PTSA Election
I see what you’re trying to do there, but maybe the damage to the “brand” was done when the far-left Virginia DOE head, Atif Qarni, began to attack the school, Principal B rebuked students as “privileged,” and an FCPS School Board member called the school “toxic” in public, and the TJ AAG lined up speakers to demand an end to merit-based admissions in favor of “diversity.”