It’s clear that those tagging me about the @FairfaxNAACP and my own comments regarding TJ admissions do not know me or my history and do not understand my heart or my advocacy on this issue. I think that to engage in a more fruitful dialog, I should introduce myself 1/ https://twitter.com/ssurovell/status/1297863039371419648

My parents are both scientists from Kerala, India, and my father came for a postdoc at Albany Medical College. I was born in that hospital. At the time, they did not have the $5 to buy my newborn photos, but my mother said I looked like a monkey, covered in hair. 2/

Delivery was free cuz he worked at hospital, so he sent their $455 tax return to India for my Kamala Ammai’s (*aunt) wedding. Billing office told dad the “room rent” was $450. He didn’t have it. Billing lady said, “Didn’t you know you were having a baby?” Still stings him 3/

My dad is actually one of the founding HIV/AIDS scientists. His work with Dr. Gallo saved the American Blood Bank. He was one of the scientists that invented the Western Blot and Elisa tests for HIV/AIDS. He worked with Dr. Fauci. He’s a real OG of the HIV/AIDS era. Anyway… 4/

They sacrificed in innumerable ways for me and my brother to succeed. There is and was nothing they would not do for us and to support our education. And I know you all feel the same for your kids. I know you. I am from the same places and people. I have lived the same life 5/

I know most of you don’t come from wealth. I know most of you make daily sacrifices so your kids can have prep courses to up their chances at TJ. I know you make these sacrifices because you feel that TJ will offer your children the best education they can get. 6/

And I understand the value of a TJ education. My brother went to TJ. My cousins went to TJ. Granted, this was decades ago, and none of them took prep classes, but still. They all love TJ deeply. So I want you to know, I do not hate TJ, and I do not hate you 7/

But what I want you to ask yourselves is this: Would your kids get into TJ without prep classes? Allow me another tangent: 8/

My son doesn’t LOVE math or science but he was an exceptional student, took Algebra in the 7th grade. Didn’t take prep classes, applied to TJ and was rejected. 100% right decision. He had absolutely no business there because he wasn’t passionate about math and science 9/

4 years later, same son applies to Harvard early decision and gets in. Just graduated. Will be attending Harvard Law School in 2 years. He didn’t take TJ prep, he didn’t get in without prep, he went to non-TJ High School, and the universe let him succeed anyway. 10/

Question to consider: If he had taken prep, would he have gotten in? Very possibly. I mean, I just got a list of 121 students from CURIE LEARNING who got into the 2020 TJ Class. My son is smart as a whip. With some coaching, might he have been able to be on this list? 11/

Next question to consider: If he had gotten in by taking prep, would he have been a stellar student there? Unlikely because he didn’t love math or science. Would he now be a Harvard Grad about to go to HLS? Very unlikely 12/

Believe it or not, TJ when you have to prep to get in, might not be the best place for you. The mental health issues at TJ are tragic. There is crippling anxiety associated with being at a school where you could prep for the entrance exam, but you couldn’t prep for the life. 13/

But regarding the other, nastier part of this argument, I want to say this to you clearly: If you have to pay exorbitant prep fees to gain access, and if that process starts many years before 8th grade, then you are gaming the system to get in. 14/

Also, the goal of the public school has to be to educate the whole community but we know that certain kids are shunted away from high level learning, from AAP, from honors classes, IB, AP. AAP especially can decide a child’s fate by the time she is 7 years old 15/

This is unconscionable but also not your fault. You are playing the game they gave you to play. I don’t fault you for it. I admire your tenacity and your grit and your fighting so hard for your kids. I feel the great love you have for your kids in every angry tweet. 16/

But I need you to know, I am here, the Ed Chair for the @FairfaxNAACP, to love all our kids. I am here to love the kids who got shunted away and never given the chance to prove their love for math and science 17/

I am here to fight for all the kids who don’t know about expensive TJ prep cuz it was kept a secret, and their parents don’t have money for those courses even if they knew. But they might be a better fit than your kids are if only they’d gotten half a chance 18/

My dad didn’t have enough food to eat, he had no shoes. He had two sets of clothes, one for school, one for home. His mother washed and hung them every night. In monsoon they never dried, so he wore his wet clothes to school. It was raining anyway so it barely mattered. 19/

But what he did have was an equal access to the very best education available to him. Everyone had the same access because though there was an admissions test for college, there was not one for high school. And if there had been, a boy who cannot eat, cannot take prep classes 20/

If my dad had been excluded from the best high school because others gamed the system, then a boy who grew up to save the American Blood Bank and invent the test for HIV/AIDS might never have gotten to go. He might not have been deemed smart enough, good enough, worthy enough 21/

Because poverty. And poverty should never be the factor that excludes us from the very tools to escape poverty. Race also should not. Maybe there is a way for us to find the children who truly belong at TJ because they are best suited because of all the qualities they bring 22/

Maybe if we find these kids best suited for TJ for all the qualities they bring, the atmosphere at TJ will not be so (to quote TJ students themselves) “totally toxic.” Maybe the kids at TJ will be happier and report less emotional strain and mental health concerns 23/

I close by saying this: I don’t think I’ve ever posted a tweet thread but that is how much I respect you and how much I want you to know that I love all kids. And just like you will fight for your kids, I will fight for all kids. @ssurovell Thanks for going to bat with us. Fin/