FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Two months after local advocacy groups filed a discrimination complaint against Fairfax County Public Schools, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights launched a formal investigation into the claims Wednesday.
On July 23, the Fairfax County branch of the NAACP and the advocacy group Coalition of the Silence submitted a formal complaint alleging FCPS is perpetuating discrimination against black, Latino and disabled students through the admission process for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
"Our hope is that this investigation will shine a bright enough spotlight on these issues to solve it not just for students in Fairfax County but for students across the nation," Tina Hone, a former school board member and founder of COTS, said in a statement.
The complaint asserts FCPS has committed "clear violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
FCPS Spokesman John Torre said in an email to Patch while it's not the system's practice to comment on pending litigation, "we intend to fully cooperate" with the Office of Civil Right's investigation.
While black and Hispanic students make up about 10 percent and 22 percent of the FCPS student body, respectively, they make up 1.5 percent and 2.7 percent of the TJHSST student body, the complaint says.
Sixty-four percent of students admitted to TJHSST attend middle schools with Level 4 Advanced Academic Middle School Centers. Most of the centers have limited diversity, carrying minority populations that don't reflect the county's demographic makeup, the complaint says.
"In essence, Fairfax County operates a separate and unequal 'sub' school system within its overarching taxpayer-funded, public school system," the complaint reads. "That separate and unequal subsystem is comprised of a network of level 4 advanced academic centers where Black and Latino students are grossly underrepresented."
At a July 19 work session, Fairfax County's school board discussed both the lack of diversity and the declining math scores at the Governor's School for science and technology in recent years, and charged FCPS staff to begin researching how to improve in both areas.
This week, staff returned to a board work session with four recommendations: maintain the admissions weighting system; increase the pipeline of students who apply by implementing Advanced Academics Program Recommendations from the AAP center at every middle school and also from the elementary-level center in each pyramid; re-evaluate math instruction and curriculum across the system; and require those students in this year's admissions process to complete the student information sheet in a "controlled setting."
The board has not made any formal votes on those recommendations, but at the work session decided to keep the current weighting system, at least temporarily and follow the recommendations for the student information sheet, Torre said.
The board asked Superintendent Jack Dale to return a more detailed plan on AAP centers -- and how to assess math issues -- by December, Torre said.
The school system will be required to cooperate with OCR or risk losing federal funding.
This article has been updated with board recommendations.
For more on TJ:
Fairfax School Board Explores Changes to Thomas Jefferson Admissions
Which Middle School Sends the Most Students to TJHSST?
FCPS Releases Admission Statistics for Thomas Jefferson High's Class of 2016
Q&A with Thomas Jefferson High School Admissions Director Tanisha Holland
Thomas Jefferson High School Application Process: Lengthy and Complex
Thomas Jefferson High School Admissions Increasingly Selective
Whether or not a public school for advanced students should make the effort to "adjust" the demographics of its students population by granting certain minority students the opportunity to attend becomes a philosophical matter when one considers that the bias toward more affluent families supersedes race, creed, color or ethnicity.
Have any of you considered how silly the whole minority definition actually is? Why are people from India and the Middle East classified as white? Did you know that Armenians were offered the option of being classed as a minority in 1915 when they came over as refugees and declined? Is there really a difference that is quantifiable if it's a CHOICE?
If we are to judge EVERYONE on the content of their character then we should all have the same chances and suffer the SAME consequences if we don't qualify or measure up. This is an example of liberal democrat soft racism. Liberals push for special treatement of minoritys because they have low expectations of them. The minoritys then have low expectations of themselves, they lose their self respect and ambition. ONLY when blacks are held to the same standards everyone else is will they advance from their world of being #1 in virtually every indicator of abject overty.
K-12 is broken. If it was a competent teaching system High School exit exams wouldn't test the 12th graders Knowledge at the 5th, 6th and 7th grade level. If K-12 was doing an adequate job The College Freshman classes would not be mostly remedial classes teaching what the student should have learned in High School. If K-12 system was a competent system High Tech companys would not need the B-1 visas to import competent Scientists and Mathimaticians. If you're going to make excuses at least come with up some new ones. Your using the same excuses they were using 20 years ago.
The problem starts way before the child goes to school. If parents park the kids in front of the tv and don't help them develop appropriate language skills, the child will struggle in Kindergarten. Sure, the school can help--but the schools cannot make up four years of educational neglect on the part of the parent. I'm not talking about formal instruction, I'm talking about positive interaction with other children and adults. This is not limited to poor or minority parents. I've seen mothers walking with their children in strollers while listening to their ipads or talking on their cellphone. I've seen mothers in produce sections of grocery stores with toddlers in the cart--talking on cellphones instead of picking up produce and talking to the child about it. These are lessons that are important for the intellectual development of a child. The only way this can be addressed is education for parents--they must understand how important it is to talk about things with their children, set standards of behavior, and help the child develop a curiosity about the world. If the child cannot/willnot respond to basic directions from the teacher, it is hard to make that up in a year or two of school. Most people would be surprised to learn that some children arrive at school not knowing basic information--colors, animals, foods, etc.etc. There used to be public service messages about the importance of reading to children. I'd like to see that again.
So, after so many years and so many attempts to improve academic performance of blacks and hispanics, WHY is it that in 2012, blacks and hispanics can not successfully compete with whites and asians in Fairfax County or the US education system overall? After more than 50 years of racial gerrymandering, affirmative action, forced busing, and many other attempts to help blacks and hispanics compete, I just don't buy the argument that Fairfax County or the nation is just a bunch of racists. So, the big question is, why can't blacks and hispanics achieve academic success at the same level as whites and asians? What are the real reasons? Can't wait to read the replies.
Check the High School Exit Exam at these High Schools of "exceptional opportinities" and you will find exit exams that test the 12th graders knowledge at the 5th, 5th and 7th grade level. Most tests are all multiple choice and passing is 50%. WHY ?????????????? The K-12 system is broken. The K-12 system is the greatest danger America has ever faced. A country can only exist and thrive with a well educated population.
All of these programs you speak of has inculcated un the thinking of the black community that they need and are entitled to extra programs to help them succeed. The black community has been brainwashed by 60+ years of democrat paty soft racism. ONLY when blacks are held to the same standards of everyone else will they become EQUALLYcontributing members of our society. It's time for liberals to stop making excuses for the black community and allow them to grow up. EVERY extremely successfull Conservative black person who has become successfull by working hard and getting a good education without democrat help is marked for destruction by the black community and their parent, the democrat party. WHY????????????? Soft Racism!
I've been saying basically the same thing for months on huffpost and you're the first person to actually agree with me. Spread the word and maybe more people will realize what the soft racism of low expectations can do to an entire segment of our society.
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