full disclosure - my child was a TJ finalist who did not get in. She is cool with it, so I am cool with it. I suspect her math test was not high enough...moving on...there are tow from the same middle school who are resident aliens. I doubt they received a preference. I doubt TJ even requires they identify alien status. They probably tested better and were otherwise better qualified; however, when they are through being a student what happens to them? I hope they stay in the United States and return the benefit of their education, but if they don't, either because of national immigration policy or their own choice did we give resident aliens a spot at a prestigious public school over U.S. citizens? Our our local and national policies out of sync? Is there a problem here? I honestly don't know how I feel...full disclosure, maybe I'm not cool with it after all.

The Supreme Court ruled in Plyler v. Doe (1982) that the states must provide a free, public education to the children of illegal aliens under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. It was argued that these children were brought here by adults and had no choice in the matter. This probably has some implications for your argument. It would seem that the right of these children to a free, public education would assume that all educational opportunities are available to them (equal protection clause).

This was an important Supreme Court case.

Plyler v. Doe applies to grades K-12

TJ is great for those who truly belong there - i.e., the top 30-40% of the class who did not do test prep and who do not have parents grinding at their backs to grub for grades. It isn't so great for those who just slide in - the competition is intense and frankly challenging experiences can be had at base schools. I would not worry in the least - resident aliens or not. If you truly belong there, it works out - otherwise, there is lots of risk and work with lesser probabilities for award.

Theres a big difference between providing education and providing above and beyond.

If the kids speak and right English I have less of a problem with it. If they dont and are going to be holding the other kids back its just more quota bs

"If the kids speak and right English"

Since they're the ones who need to learn to 'right' English.

Model Virginian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "If the kids speak and right English"
>
> Since they're the ones who need to learn to
> 'right' English.


Oh no a typo on a message board filled with idiots. Sue me

Plyler v. Doe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Supreme Court ruled in Plyler v. Doe (1982)
> that the states must provide a free, public
> education to the children of illegal aliens under
> the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth
> Amendment. It was argued that these children were
> brought here by adults and had no choice in the
> matter. This probably has some implications for
> your argument. It would seem that the right of
> these children to a free, public education would
> assume that all educational opportunities are
> available to them (equal protection clause).
>
> This was an important Supreme Court case.

While they are entitled to a free public education at a school like South County HS or McLean HS, are they entitled to take places at a governor's school like TJ which is based on admission tests and teacher recommendations? What about rumors of Korean citizens who deliberately have their 7/8th graders move to Fairfax County into a dorm-style housing arrangement with a Korean den mom in hopes that they qualify to get into TJ?

Is the Korean government planning to help pay for the $89 million TJ renovation?

TJ was a great idea with great results at the beginning. Now it has become a social engineering program populated by diversity thanks to liberals. Which is too bad, it had promise but as with anything else that is successful liberals have to get involved and mess it up.

You state you believed they where resident aliens which implies they are legally here. As a parent, I have no issue with this either.

However, if they are here illegally (Undocumented for you Libs), they should rounded up with their families that are here illegally and immediately deported.

All 11-20 million of them? (That's the range for estimated number of illegal aliens). Immediately? ROFLMAO

One of the reasons the S.C. stated in Plyler was that these children will likely be staying here in the US and that an underclass of illiterates would have been created and that this would not be in the interest of the US as a whole.

Who's gonna pay for Social Security benefits for the oldsters?

What is a resident alien? Is that someone who is herelegally from another country or is it lib-speak for illegal aliens?

There are students that move here from Korea and Vietnam in the 6th grade for the sole purpose of attending TJ. They live with relatives, get into TJ, graduate, then move back to their native country. Fair?

@hahaha1: No.

But how can you distinguish between those students and others who are truly local and those who are likely to contribute to Virginia?

By "truly local," I'm not talking about race or ethnicity. But I think Governor's school attendees should be grounded in the local community. Either they've been living here for a certain number of years, or perhaps live with their parents or legal guardians who own or rent property here; or recently moved here but their parents/guardians are tied to the community through work or property ownership. But there are so many exceptions and scenarios. Diplomats who live here, Foreign Service officers (U.S. citizens) who are based in Northern Virginia but live elsewhere in the world. Require that the parents be citizens? I don't think you can do that. Our laws and the admissions policies of TJ simply don't favor local, Virginian students over others who want to come here temporarily and milk the generosity of the Commonwealth.

How do other countries deal with these types of situations?

full disclosure Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> full disclosure - my child was a TJ finalist who
> did not get in. She is cool with it, so I am cool
> with it. I suspect her math test was not high
> enough...moving on...there are tow from the same
> middle school who are resident aliens. I doubt
> they received a preference. I doubt TJ even
> requires they identify alien status. They probably
> tested better and were otherwise better qualified;
> however, when they are through being a student
> what happens to them? I hope they stay in the
> United States and return the benefit of their
> education, but if they don't, either because of
> national immigration policy or their own choice
> did we give resident aliens a spot at a
> prestigious public school over U.S. citizens? Our
> our local and national policies out of sync? Is
> there a problem here? I honestly don't know how I
> feel...full disclosure, maybe I'm not cool with it
> after all.

Half of all TJ applicants make the semi-final round (or as you call it 'final' round) as the math part of the test isn't very difficult. Even if your child performed well on the essay portion of the admissions test, had a strong GPA & great teacher recommendations, if she didn't do all that well on the math part of the admissions test, she would've likely struggled at TJ.

My child scored 50 on the match test, had a 4.0 GPA, Science Olympiad participant, etc, and always felt like the smartest kid at his base school. At TJ, he is middle of the pack. So for all you folks out there who believe that pushy parents & prep tests are responsible for TJ admission, know that these kids are off the charts intelligent & belong at this school.

As for resident aliens, they pay taxes and are entitled to send their children to public schools.

Lastly, the make up of TJ is quite diverse. My child has white, black, Asian, and hispanic friends. And ALL OF THEM are fluent in English.