TJAAG Denounces District Court Opinion Striking Down TJ Reform

The TJ Alumni Action Group (TJAAG) is appalled by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruling eliminating pro-equity admissions reform at our alma mater, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (TJ). We reject the Coalition for TJ’s false narrative of anti-Asian discrimination and condemn the portrayal of the Asian American community as a monolith. Many Asian Americans from all walks of life, including many members of our organization, strongly support pro-equity changes including TJ admissions reform.

The Fairfax County School Board’s historic reforms to the TJ admissions process were race-neutral. The new quantitative rubric clearly recognized that TJ has been historically inaccessible to those with the fewest resources (see Appendix A). The largest change prompted by new admissions standards was the drastic increase in economically disadvantaged students from less than 1% of the admitted class to 25%, much closer to the proportion of the draw districts. Moreover, the percentage of Asian students admitted out of all Asian students who applied last year is in line with historical trends going back at least 17 years (see Appendix B), showing Asian students remain just as competitive under the reformed system.

TJAAG advocates for access for all students and recognizes this decision will make TJ less accessible once again for underrepresented groups, including Asian American students who are low-income or English Language Learners. The district court ruling implies that any change that improves racial representative diversity will be seen as having a “disparate impact” against Asian students. This approach defies logic and prevents stakeholders from making necessary changes to what has remained a demonstrably discriminatory process for generations. For these reasons, we denounce the district court opinion striking down TJ admissions reform and urge the Fairfax County School Board to appeal.

Background

TJAAG is a committed group of volunteers from diverse backgrounds: Black, Latinx, Asian, White, Indigenous, mixed-race, women, men, parents and non-parents, married and single, immigrants and non-immigrants, English language learners and native speakers, and lived experience across the socioeconomic spectrum. What unites us is our vision of an equitable, inclusive education for all children in Northern Virginia. Since 2016, we have encouraged alumni engagement in TJ equity and inclusiveness.

Additional Information