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It’s a Sad Day: TJ Discriminatory Admissions Policy Is Allowed to Stand
The U.S. Supreme Court, in an order entered yesterday, declined to review the decision of a court of appeals in Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board that upheld a discriminatory admissions policy for the once-elite Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (“TJ”). Two justices (Alito and Thomas) voted to take the…
Read MoreWill the Harvard/U.N.C. Decision Affect the TJ Admissions Case?
On May 23 of this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, overturned a federal district court’s ruling that the new admissions standards for the elite Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (“TJ”) violated the “equal protection of the laws” mandate of the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment. …
Read MoreSchool Board Rubber Stamps “Equity Policy” in Wee Hours
In a bizarre meeting that sometimes proved the “Law of Triviality,” the Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved a controversial “Equity Policy” at 12:30 a.m. on June 27. How the Meeting Unfolded The School Board’s meetings are user-unfriendly. They begin at 7:00 p.m., but the discussion of pending business often doesn’t begin until 9:00 p.m.…
Read MoreSchool Board Reaffirms Intent to Ram Through a New “Equity Policy” without Public Engagement
The Fairfax County Public School System (FCPS) revealed a proposed “Equity Policy” on June 14. No prior draft had been released. Nevertheless, FCPS scheduled it for discussion at a work session on June 21 and for a final vote on June 26. See “New Equity Policy — FCPS Schedules Key Vote with No Time…
Read MoreNational Merit Awards Controversy — Update
As previously reported, a controversy erupted in December of last year regarding delays by administrators in the Fairfax County Public School system (FCPS) in notifying students and families about prestigious National Merit “commended student” awards. In response, the FCPS Superintendent announced that a law firm was being hired to conduct an independent investigation into the…
Read MoreWhere Is the FCPS “Equity Policy”?
As reported two weeks ago (see HERE), the Fairfax County School Board has scheduled a work session for June 20 to consider a long-awaited “Equity Policy,” which has been kept under wraps during its year-long process of development. The Board has scheduled a formal meeting for six days after that, June 26, to vote to approve…
Read MoreCoalition for TJ v. School Board — Further Analysis
The two-judge majority in Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board concluded that the School Board’s revised admissions policy did not have a disparate, adverse impact on Asian American applicants to the high school; indeed, according to the court, this group was helped, not hurt, by the new admissions criteria. Having parsed through the…
Read MoreStrategic Plan and “Equity Policy,” Part 4 — The Superintendent Weighs In
The FCPS Superintendent, Michelle Reid, recently outlined her views about the relationship between a new “equity-based” Strategic Plan for the schools, and a new, overlapping Equity Policy. The occasion was a meeting with a group of citizens who have questions about the role of “equity” in the two FCPS initiatives. Background The three prior articles…
Read MoreLawsuit Against Fairfax County Schools Is Resolved.
Background about the Case As previously reported, I filed a lawsuit against the Fairfax County School Board in May, challenging its withholding of information I had requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). See “Fairfax Schools Monitor Sues Fairfax Schools, Round 2,” May 27, 2002. My FOIA request was for documents relating to the…
Read MoreNew “Equity Policy” for Fairfax Schools, Part 2
As reported in my post of July 13, the Fairfax County School Board plans to issue a new “equity policy” for its schools. The process of developing it is just getting underway. I have sent a letter to the Board and its staff with my preliminary comments. The letter makes three points. First, if the…
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