Save Merit.

Let Kids Thrive.

America faces a war on merit. It is a war on our kids.
We are standing up for merit. For kids.

The TJ Scandal

Intrepid parents of students and alumni of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, or TJ, a Governor’s School in Alexandria, Virginia, have discovered a disturbing truth that has shocked the nation: for years, the principal, Ann Bonitatibus, and administrators have hid National Merit Commended Student Awards from students. It’s not a “one-time” error in the fall of 2022, as administrators claim, but rather a pattern and practice of systemic injustice that must be abolished.

Our Demands

A coalition of parent groups — including American Hindu Coalition, Chinese American Parents Association of Northern Virginia, Coalition for TJ, Hispanics for STEM, Fight for Schools and Army of Parents — hand-delivered a letter to Fairfax County Public Schools Supt. Michelle Reid with demands to eliminate the flawed notion of “equal outcomes for every student” and save merit. The letter is being delivered to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares and other leaders.

What You Can Do

Since June 2020, our families — mostly minority, mostly immigrant, have led the parents’ movement against school boards, educrats and actvists more committed to indoctrination than education. We have elected a governor, won a historic court decision and inspired and galvanized a national parents’ movement. Join us in this movement by taking action to save merit. Our current campaign is to #SaveMerit at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.You can help us behind-the-scenes and out front.

News Flash

Gov. Youngkin calls for an investigation! Yes!

STATEMENT: Our diverse coalition of parents from northern Virginia cheer the news from Gov. Glenn Youngkin, calling for an investigation by Attorney General Jason Miyares into the systemic injustice against the kids at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. We the parents have said from day one that there is a war on merit and there is a war on children. The letter from Gov. Youngkin is sheer poetry. He sees us. He sees our families. He recognizes that violating children’s rights in education is a civil rights violation and it’s a human rights violation. We will win.

Read parent reactions at this link.

Associated Press – Youngkin seeks probe of delayed awards at elite high school – Jan. 3, 2022 – Matthew Barakat

WJLA – Gov. Youngkin urges Miyares to launch investigation into Fairfax County school scandal – Jan. 3, 2023 – 7NewsStaff

FOX & Friends interview about the damage done

Watch Harry Jackson, a TJ father, speak about the cost of the scholarships lost on the lives of young people.

400,000+ views because merit matters!

FOX5 reporter Sierra Fox interviewed TJ parents Harry Jackson and Srilekha Palle on a topic that earned 400,000+ views and counting because we care about education!

@TheSierraFox @FOX5DC

Learn more →

@MatthewBarakat @AP and @NBC Washington

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@Gellman_Scott @WTOP

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... High School Delayed National Merit Award Notifications", "Thomas Jefferson ... Fairfax County School Board in the Coalition for TJ's favor and ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-26
Five staffers in alleged rape cover up still work at Fairfax County Public Schools · In National Merit scandal, FCPS agreed to pay outside lawyers ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-26
... revealing over five years of National Merit awards being withheld from students, a majority Asian, at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-26
She is a former Fairfax County Public Schools teacher with a master's ... In National Merit scandal, FCPS agreed to pay outside lawyers hefty fee: ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-24
... Thomas Jefferson High School and, indeed, the entire Fairfax County ... the results of the annual competition for National Merit Scholarships.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-21
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is being questioned over its hiring of a ... for documents related to the National Merit Scholarship scandal.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-20
Fairfax County Public Schools is hiring an expensive K Street Law Firm as the ... And the A-G is investigating FCPS for delaying national merit ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-20
... Fairfax County Public Schools for withholding National Merit awards ... of National Merit awards at her son's school, Thomas Jefferson High ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-18
In National Merit scandal, FCPS agreed to pay outside lawyers hefty fee: $2,225 per hour · Fairfax County Police Department extends trial of ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-17
... are National Merit awards, and the issue has arisen because some parents have complained that some Fairfax County schools did fail to notify.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-17
... reported Fairfax County Public Schools' Thomas Jefferson High School ... didn't notify students of their national merit recognition (7News).... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-16
Virginia's Fairfax County is removing a question on an AP Government test ... Miyares also has been investigating the prestigious Thomas Jefferson ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-14
Fairfax County is also home to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science ... revealed that the postponed National Merit awards coincided with the ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-14
At 10:20 a.m. on March 2, a staffer at another Fairfax County school – this time, America's No. 1 high school, Thomas Jefferson High School for ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-14
The Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system has responded to ... Remember: @fcpsnews hid National Merit awards from mostly Asian students.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-12
Miyares has been actively investigating Fairfax County's Thomas Jefferson High School for withholding National Merit awards to Asian students to ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-11
In January, he launched a two-part investigation of Thomas Jefferson ... the National Merit part of the inquiry to encompass all of Fairfax County ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-11
Virginia AG Demands Fairfax County Middle School Stop Racial ... delay in informing students of national merit awards and the school's admission ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-11
... of multiple schools in Fairfax County, including Thomas Jefferson, to timely notify students of their National Merit Award Recognitions.”.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-11
... circumstances," Youngkin said, referring to reports from Fairfax County Public Schools that National Merit awards were withheld from students.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-10
... of multiple schools in Fairfax County, including Thomas Jefferson, to timely notify students of their National Merit Award Recognitions.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-10
... of National Merit awards from students in many Fairfax County high ... and the continuation of an admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-09
The highest-ranking high school in the nation, Thomas Jefferson High ... According to Fairfax County Public Schools, counselors attempted to ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-09
“Fairfax County Public Schools deliberately excludes Asian students, ... and director of student services at Thomas Jefferson High School for ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-09
... such equity efforts include the loss of National Merit recognition for exceptional students at Fairfax County schools after its strategy plan ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-05
Fairfax County Dispatchers Jill Ramos (left) and Peyton West (right) read to ... in the 2023 Competition for National Merit Scholarship awards.... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-03
Area principals admit to withholding National Merit Awards from students. While Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid claims ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-03
The bill responds to the failure by some Fairfax County high schools to notify students of their results on the 2022 National Merit Scholarship ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-03
Jackson, who identifies as Black, complained about Fairfax County schools, ... Parents plan to rally at Thomas Jefferson High over national merit ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-02
... of the National Merit commendations. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a magnet school in Fairfax County, ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-03-01
... one of the State's top high schools, Thomas Jefferson in Fairfax County, ... for a national merit award until after scholarship deadlines.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-28
Fairfax County School Board member Abrar Omeish claimed at a meeting the ... delayed announcing the winners of National Merit Scholarship awards, ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-28
Liberal officials at TJ also reportedly withheld notifications of National Merit awards from the school's students and families in the last five ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-27
The Fairfax County School District has a history of controversy, with officials allegedly delaying announcing the winners of National Merit awards ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-27
Thursday at the Fairfax County School Board meeting, member Abrar Omeish ... failing to report National Merit commendations in the name of equity.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-27
... controversies with the Fairfax County School Board, including the recent delay in notifying students they had received National Merit Awards.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-27
Statement from Fairfax County School Board Regarding National Merit ... delay of National Merit awards to Thomas Jefferson high's equity efforts, ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-24
And what has happened since your first article was published with the Fairfax County Times with the 17 area schools withholding the National Merit ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-24
The Fairfax County School Board is blasting Gov. ... for admission into the county's prestigious STEM school, Thomas Jefferson High School.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-23
Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria withheld National Merit awards notifications from students and their families.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-23
... in Fairfax County, Virginia, have relied on recently when they withheld or delayed notification of National Merit Scholarships to high school ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-22
New Fairfax County, Va., superintendent Michelle Reid advocated for "equal ... Then this fall, we discovered they withheld National Merit awards.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-22
Parents from the #SaveMerit coalition rally at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Va., January 3, 2023.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-22
... the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School failed to notify recipients of National Merit commended-student awards. Fairfax County is a ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-19
... Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County of not telling students they had received National Merit recognition ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-18
Schools failed to notify students or parents about the National Merit recognition ... Copyright 2020 Fairfax County Times | 20 Pidgeon Hill Drive, ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-17
Project: Fairfax County Historic Jail Roof Replacement ... Now 17 area schools withheld National Merit awards, mostly impact Asian students ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-17
Fairfax County's Thomas Jefferson High School Found Not Denoting Honors ... schools in Fairfax County to notify students of their National Merit ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-16
Fairfax County Launches Pilot Speed Camera Program ... Prince William County Superintendent Apologizes for National Merit Award Failure.... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-13
Fairfax County is launching a pilot program with eight speed cameras near ... Prince William County Superintendent Apologizes for National Merit ...... Read more
Published on: 2023-02-11

Accidental Activists

We are ordinary parents, like most of you. We are also mama bears and papa bears, and nobody gets between us and our cubs. And nobody stands in the way of their education.

Ying Julia McCaskill is a volleyball mom at TJHSST from China

Learn more →

Srilekha Palle walked miles to go to school in India

Learn more →

Asra Q. Nomani arrived in the U.S. at 4, not knowing a word of English

Born in Bombay, India, in the first generation after British colonialism, Asra Nomani knew not a word of English, growing up in public schools and becoming a Wall Street Journal reporter at the age of 23 and a mother years later.

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears

This is reprehensible. I have reached out to the Governor and Attorney General and asked for an investigation. Our children’s education is not a zero-sum game. We cannot punish success in order to have “equal outcomes at all costs”.

— Dec. 30, 2022, 7:50 AM

Read the Emails

On Sept. 16 of this year, National Merit sent a letter to Principal Ann Bonitatibus listing 240 students recognized as Commended Students.

The letter included these words in bold type: “Please present the letters of commendation as soon as possible since it is the students’ only notification.”

Read the emails

 

Fortune in the Book

We are inspired by the parents and grandparents whose courage is fearless. Watch their stories in a mini-documentary created by Pacific Legal Foundation.


We want to hear from you, whether you’re a parent or a congressional office.


We you or someone you know potentially impacted by the delays at TJ. Let us know how.


Numerous groups collaborated to write this petition to local, state and federal officials.

Shawnna Yashar

TJ mother

Mama Bear
Spotlight

It takes a lot to speak to the world. But our parents overcome their fears because they know if they don’t, who will? That’s what happened to Shawnna Yashar when she discovered that administrators at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology had waited a month to tell students they were National Merit Commended Students. She started digging and the rest of the story became international news. Previously, she spoke to CNN about learning loss. Thank you, Shawnna!

“Keeping these certificates from students is theft by the state,” says Shawnna Yashar, the mother of a TJ student impacted by the delay delivering National Merit Commendation awards.

How the New ‘Equity’ Agenda Threatens Merit

School administrators nationwide, have implemented an “equitable grading” policy, for example, in Fairfax County, Virginia, eliminating zeros, giving students a grade of 50 percent just for showing up, and assigning a cryptic code of “NTI” for assignments not turned in. It’s a race to the bottom.

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