DCist - April 26th, 2022

“Critics of the lawsuit, including the TJ Alumni Action Group, which formed to push for a more inclusive admissions process, have also suggested that focusing primarily on the decrease in the percentage of Asian-American students in the class of 2025 is misleading. An analysis of the admissions data by the group points out that the acceptance rate of Asian-American students — 19.48% — is within the historical range (the number has hovered between 16.8% and 25% for the classes of 2008 to 2024).”

WJLA ABC 7 News - April 26th, 2022

The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology to continue its current admission process for the fall.

“It is great news,” said Andrew Hayes, the Acting President of Thomas Jefferson Alumni Action Group.

Hayes says TJ’s previous admission process was inequitable from the very beginning --- until the Fairfax County School Board overhauled the admissions process to diversify the student body at the elite Virginia high school in December 2020.

“The socioeconomically disadvantaged students jumped from less than once percent to 34 percent in less than one year which is absolutely amazing,” said Hayes.

WJLA ABC 7 News - March 31st, 2022

“These students deserve to be there," [said] Jiunwei Chen vice president of the TJ Alumni Action Group. "Just because they didn't do a standardized test, just because they didn't pay an admission fee, doesn't make them lesser than other students.”

The Georgetown Voice - March 18, 2022

“The TJ Alumni Action Group, an organization that fights for admission reforms, believes this failure must be addressed. They emphasize that increased diversity is not a you-win-I-lose situation. Adopting a holistic admissions system doesn’t directly decrease academic quality—it can actually lead to increases.”

“As an Asian American student, I want more underrepresented minorities in ‘elite’ institutions. Instead of thinking of educational opportunities as a zero-sum game, we need to think of DEI initiatives as a win-win. With GAAP weekend on the horizon and the next crop of Hoyas approaching, I urge elite institutions, like Georgetown or TJ, to seriously reconsider their purpose in a system that prioritizes merit over access in whom they welcome.”

Kathryn Yang

The Washington Post, - March 14, 2022

On the opposite side of the debate, the TJ Alumni Action Group — an advocacy group that supports the revised admissions system — issued a statement Monday praising Fairfax schools for appealing the ruling. “We reject the false narrative of anti-Asian discrimination and condemn the one-sided portrayal of the Asian American community,” the group wrote.

ABC 7 News, March 11, 2002

The TJ Alumni Action Group is an organization that disagrees with judge’s ruling.

"(The judge) didn't take into account the context," group member Jorge Torrico said. "They didn't take into account really the stress that this is going to add to these families."

"I think what he's done is completely flipped the table and we may end up with a decision that no one likes... no one," added group member Jiunwei Chen. "Frankly, this is all about wealth, not race.”

FOX 5 News, March 10, 2022

Jiunwei Chen, Vice President of the TJ Alumni Action Group, said the policy is still based on merit.

"They didn’t do it by tweaking racial quotas or anything they did it by targeting socioeconomic factors," Chen said. "Which is why as you saw when they made changes that targeted eliminating the admissions fee, eliminating the standardized test which has become increasingly preppable over the years, that increased equity; that made it more accessible for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds to apply and make it in."

ABC 8 News, March 8, 2022

TJ Alumni Action Group Vice President Jiunwei Chen, who is Asian-American, applauds the changes the school has made. He thinks the impact on his community is overstated and the model is aimed at increasing socioeconomic diversity.

“For them to sort of use this as a weapon infuriates a lot of progressive Asians like, no, this is not an example of anti-Asian hate. You’re just using it to further your political goals,” Chen said.

The Washington Post Editorial Board - March 6, 2022

“As for the argument that Asian American students have been denied a level playing field, data compiled by the TJ Alumni Action Group, advocates for equity in the school’s admissions, showed that the percentage of Asian students admitted in the Class of 2025, measured against the number of Asian students who applied, is in line with historical trends going back at least 17 years.”

FFXnow - March 1, 2022

“FCPS maintained that TJ admissions changes approved by the School Board on Dec. 17, 2020, are merit-based and race-neutral, noting that the first class admitted under the new system still had a majority of Asian American students and a grade point average in line with previous years…The TJ Alumni Action Group (TJAAG)...urged the school board to appeal the decision, arguing that it will make TJ less accessible, including for low-income Asian Americans and English language learners.”

The New York Times - February 25, 2022

“An organization formed by TJ alums who supported the new admissions process, the TJ Alumni Action Group, issued a statement saying it was “appalled” by the court’s ruling, urging the school system to appeal the decision.”

The Washington Post - February 25, 2022

“[T]he TJ Alumni Action Group, which supports the admissions changes — criticized Hilton’s ruling Friday. In a statement, the group said “this decision will make TJ less accessible once again for underrepresented students, including Asian American students who are low-income or English Language Learners.””

Virginia Mercury - February 22, 2022

“The most substantial change from TJ’s recent admissions reform was the drastic increase in accepted students who are economically disadvantaged from less than 1 percent to 25 percent, much closer to the general student population. Anti-diversity advocates often try to leverage the Asian American population as a talking point, but pro-equity admissions reforms benefit low-income Asians, English language learners, and other underrepresented Asian students as well.”

Co-authored by Akshay Deverakonda, TJAAG

The Century Foundation - August 11, 2021

“Opponents to reform position themselves as the mouthpiece for the entire Asian American community, but they do not speak for all of us. Especially not people like me. Although I graduated from TJ in 2015, I know firsthand some of the struggles underrepresented students face in seeking admission…People like me have historically had an uphill battle to gain admission to and succeed at schools like TJ.”

Brandon Kim, TJAAG

Virginia Mercury - June 28, 2021

“Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, currently ranked the No.1 high school in the nation, has released admissions statistics for the Class of 2025. The results are groundbreaking and a model for the nation: Admissions reform increased diversity on almost every metric without compromising the quality of the incoming class…the most revolutionary change as a result of the new admissions process came for students from low-income families.”

Makya Renée Little, TJAAG

Blue Virginia - March 20, 2021

“The TJ Alumni Action Group (TJAAG) unequivocally condemns anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) racism and violence in the United States and around the world…We are committed to fighting for an equitable, inclusive education for all children in Northern Virginia, and that includes ensuring AAPI children are safe in Northern Virginia schools.”

Richmond Times-Dispatch - January 22, 2021

“The inequity that prevails in TJHSST and MLWGS today is a betrayal of those very schools’ declared original intent. Racial minorities, low-income students, students from under-resourced middle schools, and other underrepresented groups possess as much passion, intelligence, and aptitude to succeed in the Commonwealth’s top schools. The recruitment and admissions processes have only failed to include and welcome them.

AsAmNews - November 6, 2020

“We, three Asian American alumni of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) in Fairfax County, Virginia, commend our local representatives’ efforts to improve our alma mater through sensible, pro-equity reforms…No group has a monopoly on merit or brilliance.”

Rachel Lei, Nicole Sbitani, and Anshu Sharma, TJAAG

The Connection - October 4, 2020

“By narrowly focusing on the Asian American majority attending TJ, critics ignore the experiences of countless Asian Americans the current system fails…Presently, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Fairfax County Public Schools, and other stakeholders have an extraordinary chance to do right for all young people in Northern Virginia by pursuing TJ reform that seeks to address the long-standing exclusion of too many in our communities.”

TJAAG and NAKASEC VA

EdSurge - May 25, 2021

“The mindset that we’re trying to promote when we talk about equity at TJ is this idea of ‘collective merit.’”

Akshay Deverakonda, TJAAG

Read more

March 26, 2021

Join us for an SEL Day discussion with David Adams, Rachel Lei (TJAAG), and Chi Kim.

February 27, 2022

“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.

April 15, 2021

“Given Virginia’s history as the nation’s leader in Massive Resistance to school desegregation, we urge the Commonwealth to lead the national conversation and effort to end modern day school segregation. As non-profits committed to education equity for all Virginia's children, we are pleased to announce a series of virtual fireside chats on Ending Modern Day School Segregation.”