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TJ admissions changes stir controversy

BATTLE OVER TJ ADMISSIONS CONTINUES

Judge rules new process is racially discriminatory

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AKASH BALENALLI WEBSITE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | ALEENA GUL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Acrowd of parents, pointing and shouting “racist” at school board members at a meeting on March 10, have become the face of a nasty battle over equity-oriented admissions changes to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). The parents were in support of a Feb. 25 federal district court decision by Judge Claude Hilton, who ruled that the policy discriminated against Asian Americans.

“It is clear that Asian American students are disproportionately harmed by the Board’s decision to overhaul TJ admissions,” Hilton wrote in his opinion. “Currently and in the future, Asian American applicants are disproportionately deprived of a level playing field.”

FCPS initially changed the process, which took effect for the first time last school year, to address low enrollment rates for Black and Hispanic students. Prior to the changes, students completed multiple rounds of standardized tests and met certain criteria like a minimum GPA. FCPS tweaked the criteria, generally making them more demanding, but removed the standardized tests and replaced them with a holistic process.

“I think the standardized testing was kind of important, and then they implemented the [minimum] GPA,” said Kathy, a TJHSST senior who asked to remain anonymous due to the politically charged environment. “I don’t think it’s that hard to get a high GPA in middle school, so I don’t think it’s a good indicator of whether you’re ready for TJ.”

The factors used in the holistic process have been a source of contention since their implementation. They attempt to collect information about applicants that was not previously considered.

“[The new process uses] a one-round holistic process that considers GPA, a Student Portrait Sheet, a Problem Solving Essay and certain ‘Experience Factors,’” Hilton wrote.

The “Experience Factors” take into account controversial indicators that a student is part of an underrepresented group. They include whether the student attends a middle school underrepresented at TJHSST, the student’s eligibility for free and reduced price meals, the student’s English fluency and their special education status. Opponents to the admissions changes say these factors make it more difficult for Asian Americans to be admitted into TJHSST.

Another change included guaranteeing each middle school seats totaling 1.5% of their eighth grade class sizes. Once those have been filled, applicants compete for about 100 extra seats granted to each school. The judge argued that the policy would make admission harder for Asian American students in wellrepresented schools like Longfellow, where competition is intense.

The conflict over admissions led to the proliferation of two opposing groups: the liberal-leaning TJ Alumni Action Group (TJAAG), which supports changes to the process, and the conservative-leaning Coalition for TJ, which opposes the changes and initiated the lawsuit. FCPS defended

ASIAN AMERICAN APPLICANTS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY DEPRIVED OF A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.”

- CLAUDE HILTON U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

scrutinizing the school board — Members of the Coalition for TJ shout “racist” at school board representatives during a board meeting in Luther Jackson Middle School on March 10. Coalition co-founder Asra Nomani spoke at the podium in protest of equity-oriented admissions changes to the Thomas Jefferson High School for

Science and Technology. (Photo obtained from FCPS School Board livestream)

3.05% 1.77% 18.34%

71.97%

Other

White

Hispanic or Latino

Black

Asian 36.8% 19.8%

10.0%

27.1%

racial makeup of tjhsst (2020-2021 school year) racial makeup of fcps (2020-2021 school year)

Source: Fairfax County Public Schools

against criticism of the admissions process in a press statement in June 2021, in line with the TJAAG’s claims that the Coalition for TJ and Judge Hilton have contextualized enrollment data incorrectly.

“For the first time in at least 10 years, every FCPS middle school has students who were offered admission to TJHSST,” the FCPS statement said. “The average GPA for applicants (3.9074) is slightly higher this year than it has been in the past five years.”

The TJAAG points to TJHSST’s stark underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students. During the 2020-2021 school year, 71.97% of the student body was Asian American, while only 1.77% of students were Black and 3.05% were Hispanic or Latino.

“There are 550 spots in TJ. Black students make up [around] 10% of the county,” said Jiunwei Chen, a TJAAG member and 1997 TJHSST graduate. “We’re just looking for 55 top Black students in their eighth grade class...that are well-prepared for TJ. I dispute the idea that...there are zero Hispanic and Black students that are capable at TJ.”

Just 2.27% of TJHSST students received free or reduced-price lunches last school year. Proponents for the admissions changes have argued the previous standardized test process heavily favored those who could afford years of expensive test preparation. Many students prepared for the exams beforehand, some starting as early as elementary school.

Members of the anti-change Coalition for TJ point to potential issues, including a degradation of education quality. As schools that have historically produced a smaller quantity of qualified TJ applicants receive a similar number of seats to those that usually produce larger numbers, they argue TJHSST’s intellect will decrease over time.

“It’s just so sad to me that they decided that this class is not racially diverse enough or not good enough,” said Asra Nomani, cofounder of the Coalition for TJ. “These are kids and they shouldn’t feel ashamed. They worked hard, they didn’t cheat, they took the test and got in.”

Opponents of the changes say that admission updates cannot cover a lack of investment in underrepresented schools. TJAAG members agree, but they believe it cannot be the only focus.

“I do think there is opportunity to change education all throughout, like the number of Black and Hispanic students that are in Geometry versus Algebra 2 is far less than some of their peers in other [racial] groups,” Chen said. “When we’re talking about TJ... we’re just talking about [making sure we admit] the top three to four percent of each racial demographic. They exist, [but] we just deny them access to the school.”

FCPS requested a delay in the ruling, arguing that it was too late to administer standardized tests for applicants. Judge Hilton denied the request, saying FCPS should have prepared alternatives to the current process as the lawsuit had been ongoing for months.

While the Coalition applauded the move and agreed with the judge’s justification, TJAAG and some current TJHSST students have expressed disapproval. Application components for next year have already been submitted and final admission decisions were set to be released in late April, just weeks from the court ruling.

“It’s a real hassle to just have 2026...take a completely different format that they didn’t prepare for,” Kathy said. “I don’t think that’s fair to the Class of 2026. I think the judge should not have denied it.”

Political activists involved in the admissions debate have woven it into existing political battles involving Critical Race Theory and LGBTQ+ book bans. Parents protesting at the board meeting on March 10 were part of the Coalition for TJ and quickly went viral in conservative circles, but TJHSST has seen similar incidents in its Parent Teacher Student Association and at previous public events.

As FCPS appeals to the circuit court, where a decision could be unpredictable, parents, students and activists involved in the admissions change debate are hoping the end result works in their favor.

“Asian American students are targeted by the Fairfax County Public Schools board, and we have to stand up,” Coalition for TJ member Norma Margulies said at a rally before the March 10 school board meeting. “We have to stand up and support their fight. We have a ruling with a judge who says, ‘Yes, indeed, the changes to the admissions process are racist.’”

IT’S A REAL HASSLE TO JUST HAVE [THE CLASS OF] 2026...TAKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FORMAT... I DON’T THINK THAT’S FAIR.”

- ANONYMOUS TJHSST SENIOR

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