Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday called for an investigation into a high school that delayed notifying students of their merit awards in an effort to advance the school’s equity policy.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, one of the top high schools in Northern Virginia, delayed notifying students of its recognition by national merit-based awards until after important scholarship deadlines had passed. university.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation awards the Commended Student Awards to recognize the top-performing high school students across the country.
Youngkin sent a letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares asking him to investigate allegations that the school withheld notifications from students about their merit awards.
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Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday called for an investigation into a high school that initially failed to notify students of its merit awards in an effort to promote the school’s equity policy.
(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“We need to get to the bottom of what appears to be an egregious and deliberate attempt to disadvantage high-achieving students at one of the best schools in the country,” Youngkin said in a statement.. “Parents and students deserve answers and Attorney General Miyares will launch a full investigation. I believe that this failure may have caused property damage to those students and their parents, and that this failure may have violated the Virginia Human Rights Act.”
The delayed notification was discovered by a parent whose son was not informed that he was in the top 3% of students in the country until teachers unceremoniously dropped the certificates on students’ desks about a month after the deadlines. Specials for National Merit Scholars.
Director of Student Services Brandon Kosatka reportedly told the parent when asked about the issue that student leaders minimized recognition to avoid hurting the feelings of students who did not earn the honors.
The misconduct comes after Fairfax County Public Schools recently adopted a new strategy that aims to provide “equal results for all students, no exceptions.”
Youngkin sent a letter to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares asking him to investigate allegations that the school withheld notifications from students about their merit awards.
(Photo by Julia Rendleman for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
FCPS said in a statement that it is aware of Youngkin’s investigative order and that the district shares “your desire to get to the facts surrounding the delay in notification of the National Merit Citations at Science and Technology High School.” Thomas Jefferson by 2022.”
The district said it has launched an independent, third-party investigation into the allegations.
“Our preliminary understanding is that this fall’s delay was a one-time situation due to human error,” FCPS said. “The investigation will continue to examine our records in more detail and we will share key findings with our community.”
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The misconduct comes after Fairfax County Public Schools recently adopted a new strategy that aims to provide “equal results for all students, no exceptions.”
(Fairfax County Public Schools)
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FCPS had previously said it had reached out to colleges to correct their student records to reflect their merit awards.
“In addition, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will be meeting with families tonight to hear their concerns,” the statement continued. “If the Virginia attorney general’s office launches an investigation, FCPS stands ready to work with our partners at the state level. As a reminder, once this error came to light, school staff contacted the universities to update the records where commended scholars had requested.”
