Thomas Jefferson High School Students are the Victims of Don Beyer's Negligence

Rep. Don Beyer has sent Virginia's schools on a race to the bottom.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 16, 2024

Contact: Jerry Torres for U.S. Congress

Email: Rudy@TorresUSCongress.com

Fairfax County, VA — Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) has fallen to 14th place in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report rankings, plummeting from fifth place in 2023. It's the second annual decline the school has suffered under Rep. Don Beyer's leadership after winning the top spot for three consecutive years — in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

"Thomas Jefferson High School students, their parents, and our entire community are the victims of Rep. Beyer's negligence," said Jerry Torres, Beyer's Republican challenger in the 2024 election. "Thomas Jefferson's decline is a direct result of Rep. Beyer’s support for academic policies that prioritize political correctness over students."

The school changed its admissions policies in 2020 to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which included eliminating the requirement of a standardized test for prospective students. The change coincided with a significant decline in the number of National Merit Semifinalists from the school, which fell from 157 in 2020 to just 81 for the 2025 scholarship cycle.

"The decline is the inevitable consequence of elevating ‘equity’ over excellence,” community resident Mark Spooner wrote in an analysis of the issue, noting that the changes were intended to disproportionately affect Asian-Americans. "The [school] board decided to downplay academic standards for admission in favor of demographic criteria; the new standards were intentionally designed to increase the percentage of other racial and ethnic groups at the expense of Asian-Americans.

“TJ’s ranking among elite high schools will probably be degraded even further in the future,” Spooner warned. “U.S. News’ ratings depend on data pertaining to the four-year cohort of high school freshmen through seniors, but TJ’s downgraded standards haven’t yet affected four years of TJ students.”

Torres said, "This is about ensuring every student, regardless of background, has an equal chance to succeed based on merit. Rep. Beyer's silence on this matter speaks volumes about his priorities. He has failed our community — and our Asian-American community in particular. "

He added, "As your representative, I pledge to fight for policies that put education first, not political agendas. We need to restore TJHSST's prestige and ensure every student's success is based on their abilities, not their ethnicity."

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact the Torres campaign office.

About Jerry Torres: Jerry Torres is a military veteran, philanthropist, and successful business leader dedicated to uniting and uplifting the communities of Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax. His campaign focuses on bringing inclusive, effective solutions to the pressing issues facing Virginia's 8th District, leveraging his experience and dedication to help all Virginians thrive.

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