except that placement in magnet schools and similar programs has been proven to have nothing to do with student intelligence or ability-- its parental lobbying

except that placement in magnet schools and similar programs has been proven to have nothing to do with student intelligence or ability-- its parental lobbying and teacher bias. What is suspiciously absent from this opinion piece, is what exactly the changes are to the TJ admissions process. Previously, acceptance was blind to what school a student was applying *from*, so 1/2 or more of the students came from 5/25 middle schools. The new model takes geography into account. Additionally, only 2-3% of TJ students were in the FARMS program, in a school system where over 30% of the total population is in FARMS. Tell me how parents are equipped to navigate the insanity of trying to get their kids into a magnet program when they are at less than 130% of the poverty line? The starting line for admission for kids in Fairfax county is widely variable and nearly all of the factors that influence that are out of their control. The changes to the admissions process aren't about race-- they are about class and social status. These Coalition for TJ nimbys and the goons like McGurn who perpetuate these class divisions are twisting the facts to fit their narrative and victim complex.