The admissions policy is established by the School Board. The admissions policy at TJHSST has been debated and modified several times to address the diversity issue.
1985 -- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is established as a gifted school for students excelling in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Prior to 2013 - All admission components were scored separately and those scores were compiled to arrive at a numerical score. Based on the numerical scores, the top 480 students were offered admission.
2013 - The school board changed the admissions policy which now provides that student semi-finalists undergo a comprehensive, holistic review process to assess their exceptional quantitative skills and interest in STEM, ability to meet the rigors of the TJHSST curriculum and the potential to be effective contributors to the school’s learning experience. The pool of semifinalists is determined strictly by the math, reading & science percentile ranks from the admissions tests and GPA.
2018 - Regulation 3355.13 was taken effect for the purpose of establishing TJHSST as a Fairfax County public school and as one of the Academic Year Regional Governor’s Schools for Science and Technology
Aug 23, 2019 - James F. Lane, Ed.D., Superintendent of Public Instruction, sent a memo (#202-19) to Division Superintendents on the subject, Local Gifted Education Technical Review Process which also includes the review schedule for the plan.
The general assembly asked superintendents responsible for Governor’s Schools to report to the General Assembly and Secretary of Education summarizing goals and additional information regarding diversity at our Governor’s Schools for the Budget Bill, to be submitted on October 1. TJHSST is Northern Virginia’s Governor’s School.
May 19, 2020 - In an email from Mark A Levy, Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science and Technology, the equity “report should end up rather simple, sticking closely to the specific wording of the budget language, with some basic data.” He put together a template for the report which “doesn’t have a requirement to be approved by the board.”
June 4, 2020 - TJ alumni started requesting anti-racism be added to TJ’s curriculum and to critically examine TJ’s diversity, and the exclusion of Black, Latino, and low-income students, and make a plan to fix it through emails sent to the TJ’s principal, Dr. Ann Bonitatibus Ed.D. It says TJ failed to adequately teach their students about racism, intersectionality, and privilege in the U.S.
June 7, 2020 - Blue Virginia published a false headline indicating that “ZERO African Americans” had been granted admission at TJ for the class of 2024, used by a group TJ Alumni Action Group in their campaign to make changes in TJ (and currently supports FCPS’s Proposed Merit Lottery for TJHSST Admissions)
Dr. Bonitatibus sent a letter to TJHSST families with a call to action on racial equity at TJ. She urged parents to check their “privileges.”
I implore you to think about your own journey and discovery of race and economic advantage in America. My parents never had to teach me about what it means to be white. I never have had to worry that someone would look at the color of my skin and think I either may not be smart enough to learn or I should be exceedingly smart in a certain subject. No one has surveilled me in a store while shopping, or locked their cars or front doors out of fear when seeing me in their neighborhood. While I did not come from a family with economic means, the color of my skin has given me privileges that others do not have. Please think of privileges you hold that others may not.
The email sparked discussions and received mixed reactions and several different opinions, positive and negative.
Jun 12, 2020 - Blue Virginia updated the article, admitting that the claim had been false.
June 18, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting
Jun 25, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting
Advocacy: With the year-end review of the budget upcoming, I would like the Board to see what immediate, short-term, and long-term actions we can take to improve FCPS with regard to racism and implicit bias. This is an urgent matter with budgetary implications. With the year-end budget review, we have an opportunity to potentially begin to address areas of improvement. This should be considered at a work session. (Cohen)
Discussion: The Board discussed the time frame, including immediate steps, long and short-term goals. Specific concerns were noted around school renaming, recruitment and hiring practices, and the need for building-wide professional development on racism and cultural competency. The professional development should include the dress code, discipline procedures, restorative justice, racial slurs, the AAP programs, admissions to TJ, and an anti-racist curriculum. Support was expressed for having multiple work sessions, entrenching the concepts in the strategic plan, and developing concrete solutions to build a system that is accommodating for all.
Consensus: To direct the Superintendent to create an intentional plan, including an assessment of what has been accomplished so far, with short and long-term goals and measurable timelines to combat racism in the Division and create an anti-racist mindset.
July 9, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting
July 23, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting
July 24, 2020 - A Diversity Group/Task force was created and started holding Task-force meetings to recommend to the Virginia State Legislature changes to TJ and its admissions process.
August 2020 - Coalition for TJ started their first petition to Governor Ralph S. Northam to keep Merit-Based Admissions at TJHSST.
September 2, 2020 - Public Engagement Committee Meeting
AGENDA:
Sept. 3, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting
Sept. 8, 2020 - Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni conducted a “Listening Session” with Students of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science (Alexandria, Va.) and Technology and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (Richmond, Va.) regarding ongoing conversation about changing the admissions policies on Governor’s schools.
Sept. 15, 2020 - A. FCPS School Board Work Session - Social Studies Curriculum Report
Subject: Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias Education Curriculum
Staff Contact: Scott Brabrand, Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
Other Staff Present:
Frances Ivey, deputy superintendent
Sloan Presidio, assistant superintendent, Instructional Services
Kathleen Walts, executive director, Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement
Leona Smith, director, Equity & Family Engagement
Noel Klimenko, director, Curriculum and Instruction
Nina Thomas, coordinator, Professional Development & Cultural Responsiveness
Colleen Eddy, coordinator, Social Studies
Deborah March, specialist, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
School Board Action Required: Information
Key Points: This session is in response to the Forum topic discussed on January 9, 2020. The outcome of that meeting was the following:
FCPS has a robust elective program regarding anti-hate and bias, and the Superintendent will develop plans to expand it, making it part of the core curriculum. The Board will schedule 1-2 work sessions so that Board members can provide feedback on the anti-hate and bias curriculum.
This work session also connects to the June 25, 2020 forum on Eliminating Racism & Implicit Bias in FCPS. Reforming curriculum is one key piece of eliminating racism and implicit bias in the larger system.
The Board reviewed a draft of FCPS goals & framework for anti-racism and anti-bias education, reviewed current FCPS curriculum revision projects with a focus on K-12 social studies, reviewed FCPS professional development actions, and discussed the need for an FCPS anti-racism and anti-bias policy.
Anti-Racism, Anti-Bias Curriculum Presentation
Design Principals for Cultural Responsiveness
B. FCPS School Board Work Session - TJ Admissions Review
Subject: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Admissions
Staff Contact: Scott Brabrand, Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools
Other Staff Present: Marty Smith, chief operating officer
Fabio Zuluaga, assistant superintendent, Region 2
Ann Bonitatibus, principal, TJHSST
Jeremy Shughart, director of TJHSST Admissions
Meeting Category: September 15, 2020 – Work Session
School Board Action Required: Information and Consensus
Presentation - TJHSST Admissions Merit Lottery Proposal
Sept. 17, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting
Sept. 20, 2020 - Students and parents protest proposed admissions changes
Sept. 23, 2020 - FCPS Community Town Hall with Dr. Brabrand - Thomas Jefferson Admissions
Sept. 29, 2020 - FCPS School Board Work Session Committee Reports
Oct. 6, 2020 - FCPS School Board Work Session TJ Admissions 10-6-20 Full Video
Staff Contact: Scott Brabrand, Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools
Other Staff Present: Marty Smith, chief operating officer
Fabio Zuluaga, assistant superintendent, Region
Ann Bonitatibus, principal, TJHSST
Jeremy Shughart, director of admissions, TJHSST
➢ Highest-evaluated students will be offered an opportunity to fill 20% of available seats (100) based on a holistic review of their application
➢ Remaining 400 seats will be filled by merit lottery
➢ FCPS region slots will be proportional to student enrollment
➢ Rolling admissions to keep a class of 500
➢ The highest-evaluated 100 students would be offered admissions. The remaining students would be selected randomly within their pathway.
TJHSST Admissions Revised Proposal
Oct. 7, 2020 - FCPS Town Hall Thomas Jefferson HS 10-7-20 Full Video with Dr. Brabrand’s 2nd Town Hall regarding TJ admissions.
Oct. 8, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting 10-8-20
Subject: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Admissions
Staff Contact: Scott Brabrand, Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools
Other Staff Present: Marty Smith, chief operating officer
Fabio Zuluaga, assistant superintendent, Region 2
Ann Bonitatibus, principal, TJHSST
Jeremy Shughart, director of admissions, TJHSST
Meeting Category: October 8, 2020 – Regular Meeting
School Board Action Required: Information and Consensus
Key Points: This presentation provided an update to the September 15, 2020 and the October 6, 2020 work sessions on the effort of continuous improvement of the Admissions Process for TJHSST, and information regarding the current admissions process and proposed changes for future admissions processes.
Board Member proposed motions:
1. I move to direct the Superintendent to develop and implement a public engagement plan regarding TJ admissions prior to bringing the updated TJ plan to the Board in December. This plan should allow for more thorough community input and dialogue on TJ admissions. This public engagement can include public hearings, interviews, panel and focus group discussions and other forms of collaborative discourse. At minimum input should be solicited on how to best determine merit, design an admissions process aimed at ensuring the demographics at TJ are more representative of our regional student demographics, and how to communicate the TJ opportunity to our communities. (Sizemore Heizer/Tholen) — Failed
2. I move to direct the superintendent to develop a plan for establishing policies and procedures for instituting a regional governing board for TJ High School for Science and Technology. The governing board shall be comprised of a proportionate representation of the school boards which send students to the school. The regional board shall be responsible for ensuring current Virginia Board of Education Regulations relative to jointly operated schools and programs are adhered to. The Superintendents plan shall be referred to the Governance Committee no later than March 2021. The Governance Committee will review the Superintendent’s proposed plan and bring its recommendation to the Fairfax County School Board for final approval prior to implementation. (Corbett Sanders) — Approved
3. I move to direct the Superintendent to establish a plan for student talent development and put into action means for student potential identification and outreach. This motion is intended to address the systemic issues that impact diversity at TJ. It is not intended to and shall not impact the immediate need to change the admissions process we are currently addressing. This plan may include but not be limited to:
We would ask for regular reporting from the Superintendent on these items as part of the Strategic Plan Goal reports. (Derenak Kaufax/Tholen)
Oct. 13, 2020 - FCPS School Board Work Session Committee Reports 10-13-20
Oct. 20, 2020 - FCPS School Board Work Session- Legislative Program 10-20-2020
Oct. 22, 2020 - FCPS School Board Meeting 10-22-2020
Meeting: Oct 22, 2020 - Regular Meeting
Category: Action Items - 8:30 p.m.
Subject: Addressing the systemic issues that impact TJ admissions diversity
Type: Action
I move to direct the Superintendent to establish a plan for student talent development and put into action means for student potential identification and outreach. This motion is intended to address the systemic issues that impact diversity at TJ. It is not intended to and shall not impact the immediate need to change the admissions process we are currently addressing. This plan may include but not be limited to:
We would ask for regular reporting from the Superintendent on these items as part of the Strategic Plan Goal reports. (Derenak Kaufax/Tholen)
Oct. 27, 2020 - FCPS School Board Work Session- AAP Report 10-27-2020
- FCPS School Board Work Session- AAP Report part-two 10-27-2020
- FCPS School Board Work Session- Legislative Program 10-27-2020