AA Boys at JKLMM

[Anonymous]

That is very unfortunate for Wilson HS. It will be hard to improve in the long run if that is the culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our AA boy attended a JKLM and had a great experience. Went private after that.

This is extremely helpful. Do you wish you had started private earlier? Several longstanding AA families we know have suggested that several of the privates are a better fit for their kids.

"better fit" due to race or just, privates are nice for all kids? may be hard to tease out the differences since the latter are more homogeneous SES-wise.

I think this has been discussed in other threads (I am not AA, simply remember posts on this issue). Apparently some AA parents do not feel comfortable sending their kids to Wilson because they are concerned their kids, if high achieving, could be teased by other AA boys and accused to be "Oreos", "talking white", "acting white", for just being successful students. In private schools they are surrounded by like-minded kids of all races. While these issues are not coming up in elementary school, they do come up when kids grow up in middle school and especially in high school. I personally know only one AA family who did this (child went to Eaton and then Deal, but after that child went private instead of Wilson), but this was the explanation that the mother gave me (Wilson not a good environment for a young AA teenager)

Fascinating perspective. It begs the question of why the AAs not " acting white" (meaning they prefer to act gangsta) are allowed to harass the other students.

Perhaps the administration believes it is being sensitive to diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our AA boy attended a JKLM and had a great experience. Went private after that.

This is extremely helpful. Do you wish you had started private earlier? Several longstanding AA families we know have suggested that several of the privates are a better fit for their kids.

"better fit" due to race or just, privates are nice for all kids? may be hard to tease out the differences since the latter are more homogeneous SES-wise.

I think this has been discussed in other threads (I am not AA, simply remember posts on this issue). Apparently some AA parents do not feel comfortable sending their kids to Wilson because they are concerned their kids, if high achieving, could be teased by other AA boys and accused to be "Oreos", "talking white", "acting white", for just being successful students. In private schools they are surrounded by like-minded kids of all races. While these issues are not coming up in elementary school, they do come up when kids grow up in middle school and especially in high school. I personally know only one AA family who did this (child went to Eaton and then Deal, but after that child went private instead of Wilson), but this was the explanation that the mother gave me (Wilson not a good environment for a young AA teenager)

Fascinating perspective. It begs the question of why the AAs not " acting white" (meaning they prefer to act gangsta) are allowed to harass the other students.

For the same reason kids can be teased for being overweight or unattractive or a weak athlete. Bullying comes in all forms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is ONE AA child in PK (out of 80) kids at Janney this year and this child has white parents.

OMG. Bethesda has more diversity!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I guess that is what the community wants, since they fought against the 10% at risk and obtained a waiver.

That is sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is ONE AA child in PK (out of 80) kids at Janney this year and this child has white parents.

This statement is totally incorrect, but I have to admit that the truth is not much better. Current parent at Janney (2 kids). Definitely lacks racial diversity (reflects the neighborhood) but I think the quality of the school is worth it. We just make sure that our kids get lots of exposure to a diverse groups of kids.

Well, if you want a quality school for your kids, it seems you have it.

If you want racial diversity, you can always visit a nearby prison.

[Anonymous]

^^ Yikes. This may explain why so many AAs in our circles send their kids to private.

[Anonymous]

I am AA and not a single one of my AA friends' kids stayed in DCPS after ES/MS. They all went private, for the reasons noted earlier on this thread.

[Anonymous]

So if we sum up what has been said here so far:

1) AA will be singled out as trouble makers at non racially diverse high-ses schools
2) AA of high-ses will not attend diverse racially, and diverse ses schools
3) All DC schools must be diverse both racially and diverse from an ses perspective
4) Private school is okay even it basiclaly looks like #1 above.

I guess vouchers for private schools is the only way to find the magic unicorn at the end of this rainbow...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if we sum up what has been said here so far:

1) AA will be singled out as trouble makers at non racially diverse high-ses schools
2) AA of high-ses will not attend diverse racially, and diverse ses schools
3) All DC schools must be diverse both racially and diverse from an ses perspective
4) Private school is okay even it basiclaly looks like #1 above.

I guess vouchers for private schools is the only way to find the magic unicorn at the end of this rainbow...

no you got it wrong. except for a few people (or was it the same) reporting of hearing about prominent AA friends who reported JKLM school don't like AA kids, so far has been said that high AA kids in elementary school will do as fine as their white peers. Janney would need more diversity. maybe if those alleged AA IB for Janney sent their kids to Janney instead of Eaton or private, there would be more diversity.

instead of spending money on vouchers so people can pay private schools, money should be better spent on making sure other HS have access to AP classes and after school activities, not just Wilson. Same for middle school. Also, giving strong support to struggling students from disadvantage background since Pre-k 3 in elementary school. when kids graduate elementary school and do not know how to read and write, you can give them as many IB or AP classes you want, they will drop out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is ONE AA child in PK (out of 80) kids at Janney this year and this child has white parents.

This statement is totally incorrect, but I have to admit that the truth is not much better. Current parent at Janney (2 kids). Definitely lacks racial diversity (reflects the neighborhood) but I think the quality of the school is worth it. We just make sure that our kids get lots of exposure to a diverse groups of kids.

Well, if you want a quality school for your kids, it seems you have it.

If you want racial diversity, you can always visit a nearby prison.

This is inappropriate. However, this is pretty much exactly what the Post's Courtland Milloy -- who is know for being outspoken on race matters in DC -- wrote this morning, responding to those who have issues with a proposed high school for African American boys.

"But there is a precedent for having a public institution in the city that, on any given day, takes in only boys of color. It's called the juvenile detention center."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is ONE AA child in PK (out of 80) kids at Janney this year and this child has white parents.

This statement is totally incorrect, but I have to admit that the truth is not much better. Current parent at Janney (2 kids). Definitely lacks racial diversity (reflects the neighborhood) but I think the quality of the school is worth it. We just make sure that our kids get lots of exposure to a diverse groups of kids.

Well, if you want a quality school for your kids, it seems you have it.

If you want racial diversity, you can always visit a nearby prison.

This is inappropriate. However, this is pretty much exactly what the Post's Courtland Milloy -- who is know for being outspoken on race matters in DC -- wrote this morning, responding to those who have issues with a proposed high school for African American boys.

"But there is a precedent for having a public institution in the city that, on any given day, takes in only boys of color. It's called the juvenile detention center."

Facts speak for themselves.

I am all for improving things, but to do so you must start from reality, not from BS.