An alarming report has emerged regarding a top high school in the United States.
It’s been revealed the school is blocking awards that would potentially help students gain admission to college in order to avoid hurting the feelings of students who did not receive the awards.
This shocking revelation raises questions about the priorities and values of the school and its administrators.
Thomas Jefferson High School Withholds National Merit Awards From Families
An investigation by the NY Post revealed the High School for Science and Technology of Thomas Jefferson (TJ) has been withholding notifications of National Merit awards from families, with most of the recipients being of Asian descent.
1/2 In China, TikTok promotes student achievement to drive its economy & society.
In US, we not only have brain-rot & social-rot TikTok but we have our best high school HIDING (and thus discouraging) gifted student achievement.
No sense. No patriotism.https://t.co/k7CC3mJXep
— Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) December 26, 2022
Students who are recognized in the top 3% nationally through these awards are given the opportunity to improve their chances of being accepted into college and earn scholarships. However, TJ officials chose to withhold announcements of the awards, denying students this opportunity.
This revelation comes in the midst of the school district’s new strategy of achieving equal outcomes for every student, without exception.
This strategy included the implementation of an equitable grading policy that eliminates zeros, awards students a grade of 50% simply for attending class, and assigns a code of “NTI” for assignments that have not been turned in.
This policy, along with the withholding of National Merit awards, has drawn criticism from parents and advocates, who argue it is a violation of students’ civil rights.
Shawna Yashar, a lawyer, and TJ High School for Science and Technology (TJ), discovered the school had been withholding National Merit awards.
Yashar’s son, a freshman at TJ, worked hard to keep up with the advanced studies at the school, which is ranked as the top school in America by US News & World Report.
He studied statistical analysis, literature reviews, and college-level science late into the night to ensure he was prepared for the rigorous curriculum.
However, despite his hard work, he was not informed he received a National Merit award. This prestigious honor can help students gain admission to top colleges and earn scholarships.
The Decision Impacted at Least 1,200 Students
For years, the principal and director of student services at Thomas Jefferson High School have been hiding information about National Merit awards from families and the public.
This decision impacted at least 1,200 students during the principal’s five years in office. It was an intentional decision to hide the awards from the parents of the students and keep students from being informed.
A top-ranked high school in Fairfax County, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, is accused withholding National Merit awards (that could help students get into college) to avoid hurting the feelings of other students.
DETAILS HERE ➖ https://t.co/gJyM98jOEG pic.twitter.com/xW1hzFIsxH
— Sierra Fox (@thesierrafox) December 28, 2022
Fairfax County Public Schools’ Assistant Superintendent, Fabio Zuluaga, acknowledged the school system made a mistake in not informing students, families, and the public about academic awards.
On December 12th, the school’s director of student services, Kosatka, sent an apology email to the parents of Commended Students for not sharing the news of their children’s achievements earlier.
He also stated school officials would be contacting college admissions offices to correct the record.
Despite this, the school’s principal has yet to publicly recognize the students or inform parents from previous years that their children received National Merit awards. She also has not yet delivered the missing certificates.
This article appeared in TheDailyBeat and has been published here with permission.
