Question for parents of black children in Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
African Americans in Montgomery County are being displaced by hispanics in areas that used to have more AA residents. They are moving into PG and Howard.


True. Also true that many who stay, especially the parents of boys, are choosing privates or homeschooling.


Define *many*. There are thousands of African American students. You know of a handful who might do this, and that means "many"?

Actually there was a Montgomery County planning study or report done that had interesting maps and data about different races and SES groups moving around in Montgomery County over the past 20 years. It was done by the county not MCPS so it covered all ages not just students. The AA population is getting pushed out of areas where more hispanic residents are moving in.

Within the schools the AA and hispanic kids do not mix. White people may lump them all together but they are very different communities. This is a growing problem for AAs within Montgomery County.

Maybe, but that doesn't mean they are homeschooling or going private as ^PP asserts. In any case, what is MCPS supposed to do about AA families moving out?

Nothing -- why should they?

If AAs prefer to live wherever, that's their choice, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This country is great because we can have different cultures coexisting and respecting each other. Why do they have to mix? As long as they respect each other, I don't see a problem there.


They may coexist but on any given day there isn't always a lot of respect between the groups.

As one community grows, the others gets displaced. The hispanic community is growing at a very fast rate. Statistically hispanic families are likely to have more children. The hispanic population in Montgomery County is younger than the AA population. People follow each other. As more AA choose places other than Montgomery County, it simply influences the next set of AA to choose someplace else. As the hispanic population grows, more new hispanic residents will move in. MCPS focuses on white flight but it really should focus on black flight.

If you look at the trends changes, MCPS will end up being 60% hispanic, 10% AA, 10% Asian and 20% white.

I don't think MCPS cares.

They may not but that isn't the point. If you are a UMC or MC AA family and you are looking for an inclusive school system where you will find others like you then MCPS isn't the place to be. The other problem in MCPS is that the "black" community has its own divisions. White people just see black and don't realize that sub consciously they are choosing the less black people for friends. In TPMS/Blair the bi-racial and lighter skinned families will hang out with the white families excluding the AA families with darker skin and less wealth. The African immigrant families are not friendly to the AA families either.

You are saying there's a global conspiracy against AAs, which includes wealthy blacks and actual Africans?

[Anonymous]

I take it that you are not AA. Its pretty well known that African immigrants are often not friendly with African Americans.

Wealthy blacks avoid less wealthy blacks the same way wealthy whites avoid less wealthy whites. Whites in Montgomery County don't deal with this because there are very few poor whites. The economic disparity between the different racial groups is the real problem in Montgomery County along with institutionalized white privilege. This feeds into the schools.

Additional resources may be given to schools with high poverty but those resources get diluted by providing pull out groups, compacted math or special programs that are filled up with the UMC white kids. The attitude is that without putting resources toward more CES spots for white kids or showing that enrichment occurs for the white kids then whites will leave the area and scores will drop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The AA population is getting pushed out of areas where more hispanic residents are moving in.


Why is this happening? Is Hispanic buying power greater and they can out-bid AA buyers? It seems like the usual solution is "affordable housing" but wont' people of any race go for those?

Sigh, it isn't buying power. The hispanic population is growing because they are on average younger and have more kids. They have been displaced from DC as DC has gentrified. MOCO is a natural place to live with a growing hispanic population. They'll start moving from VA now that Fairfax and Arlington are pushing them out. Many people want to live in a community where they don't stand out or they believe that others are like them.

MOCO residents may talk trash about PG but PG is known as the wealthiest black community in the country. It is desirable to many AAs who want to live in a nice neighborhood and not be treated as a unicorn or looked upon with suspicion that they are really from the low income apartments down the road. For lower income AA, living in an AA community rather than a hispanic community has appeal too.

So.. is this a bad thing?

Well, it would be nice for all races to be equally financially successful, and therefore mingle in all neighborhoods, don't you think?
Then children would really grow up color-blind.

Color blind is not a good thing. If you are color blind, you miss a lot of injustice because you can’t see the trends. I also attended a predominantly white school that was colorblind that it completely missed that I and other minority students celebrated different milestones or had different grooming practices. It’s very funny now, but I paid $25 for a prom “swag bag” that didn’t have a single thing I could use (foundation for pale skin, a tanning salon gift certificate, and a pair of extra hose in “nude” are examples). Our senior sponsor was color blind so she picked those things. She was hurt that we were hurt that she didn’t think of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The AA population is getting pushed out of areas where more hispanic residents are moving in.


Why is this happening? Is Hispanic buying power greater and they can out-bid AA buyers? It seems like the usual solution is "affordable housing" but wont' people of any race go for those?

Sigh, it isn't buying power. The hispanic population is growing because they are on average younger and have more kids. They have been displaced from DC as DC has gentrified. MOCO is a natural place to live with a growing hispanic population. They'll start moving from VA now that Fairfax and Arlington are pushing them out. Many people want to live in a community where they don't stand out or they believe that others are like them.

MOCO residents may talk trash about PG but PG is known as the wealthiest black community in the country. It is desirable to many AAs who want to live in a nice neighborhood and not be treated as a unicorn or looked upon with suspicion that they are really from the low income apartments down the road. For lower income AA, living in an AA community rather than a hispanic community has appeal too.

So.. is this a bad thing?

Well, it would be nice for all races to be equally financially successful, and therefore mingle in all neighborhoods, don't you think?
Then children would really grow up color-blind.

Color blind is not a good thing. If you are color blind, you miss a lot of injustice because you can’t see the trends. I also attended a predominantly white school that was colorblind that it completely missed that I and other minority students celebrated different milestones or had different grooming practices. It’s very funny now, but I paid $25 for a prom “swag bag” that didn’t have a single thing I could use (foundation for pale skin, a tanning salon gift certificate, and a pair of extra hose in “nude” are examples). Our senior sponsor was color blind so she picked those things. She was hurt that we were hurt that she didn’t think of us.

Wow, that must have been horrifying.

My best friend was repeteadly beat up for daring to attend a black school, but that's nothing compared to what happened to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The AA population is getting pushed out of areas where more hispanic residents are moving in.


Why is this happening? Is Hispanic buying power greater and they can out-bid AA buyers? It seems like the usual solution is "affordable housing" but wont' people of any race go for those?

Sigh, it isn't buying power. The hispanic population is growing because they are on average younger and have more kids. They have been displaced from DC as DC has gentrified. MOCO is a natural place to live with a growing hispanic population. They'll start moving from VA now that Fairfax and Arlington are pushing them out. Many people want to live in a community where they don't stand out or they believe that others are like them.

MOCO residents may talk trash about PG but PG is known as the wealthiest black community in the country. It is desirable to many AAs who want to live in a nice neighborhood and not be treated as a unicorn or looked upon with suspicion that they are really from the low income apartments down the road. For lower income AA, living in an AA community rather than a hispanic community has appeal too.

So.. is this a bad thing?

Well, it would be nice for all races to be equally financially successful, and therefore mingle in all neighborhoods, don't you think?
Then children would really grow up color-blind.

Color blind is not a good thing. If you are color blind, you miss a lot of injustice because you can’t see the trends. I also attended a predominantly white school that was colorblind that it completely missed that I and other minority students celebrated different milestones or had different grooming practices. It’s very funny now, but I paid $25 for a prom “swag bag” that didn’t have a single thing I could use (foundation for pale skin, a tanning salon gift certificate, and a pair of extra hose in “nude” are examples). Our senior sponsor was color blind so she picked those things. She was hurt that we were hurt that she didn’t think of us.

Wow, that must have been horrifying.

My best friend was repeteadly beat up for daring to attend a black school, but that's nothing compared to what happened to you.

I’m sorry for what happened to your friend, but I want to show what happens when people who don’t see color think they are helping the world be less racist. If it makes you feel any better, when I was in third grade, I had to leave a different predominantly white school after one month due to overt racism by my classroom teacher and two white male students, including one who hurt me every day and the teacher ignored it. It took years to undo the psychological damage of that, but I still have the physical scars on my back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I take it that you are not AA. Its pretty well known that African immigrants are often not friendly with African Americans.

Wealthy blacks avoid less wealthy blacks the same way wealthy whites avoid less wealthy whites. Whites in Montgomery County don't deal with this because there are very few poor whites. The economic disparity between the different racial groups is the real problem in Montgomery County along with institutionalized white privilege. This feeds into the schools.

Additional resources may be given to schools with high poverty but those resources get diluted by providing pull out groups, compacted math or special programs that are filled up with the UMC white kids. The attitude is that without putting resources toward more CES spots for white kids or showing that enrichment occurs for the white kids then whites will leave the area and scores will drop.

Providing compacted math for one class costs no more than providing grade-level math for the same class. You're information is wrong and the conclusions you've reached are tainted. Non-local CES programs have an additional busing cost. They could try and make these programs all local but many small schools like Cold Spring and CCES lack sufficient student population to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I take it that you are not AA. Its pretty well known that African immigrants are often not friendly with African Americans.

Wealthy blacks avoid less wealthy blacks the same way wealthy whites avoid less wealthy whites. Whites in Montgomery County don't deal with this because there are very few poor whites. The economic disparity between the different racial groups is the real problem in Montgomery County along with institutionalized white privilege. This feeds into the schools.

Additional resources may be given to schools with high poverty but those resources get diluted by providing pull out groups, compacted math or special programs that are filled up with the UMC white kids. The attitude is that without putting resources toward more CES spots for white kids or showing that enrichment occurs for the white kids then whites will leave the area and scores will drop.

What? No. Smaller class sizes benefit everyone, but I would love for you to name the "special programs that are filled up with UMC white kids."

Using Focus and Title I funds to primarily benefit non-FARMS kids would actually be a violation of the school's use of the funds.

[Anonymous]

I think the biggest obstacle you will need to overcome is the low expectations the school system will have for your children. It's easy to have your grades slip or fall into poor behavior when the teachers/admin let you skate by with missed assignments or lack of reprimand. Kids aren't stupid, pick up on all this, and think school doesn't matter. The MCPS attitude does not prepare you for real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the biggest obstacle you will need to overcome is the low expectations the school system will have for your children. It's easy to have your grades slip or fall into poor behavior when the teachers/admin let you skate by with missed assignments or lack of reprimand. Kids aren't stupid, pick up on all this, and think school doesn't matter. The MCPS attitude does not prepare you for real life.

It can also be difficult to get your child screened for SN when staff expectations although your child is working incredibly hard. I can’t tell you how many times I or another AA teacher was told that our child would get xyz as a professional favor (rather than a legal right).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the biggest obstacle you will need to overcome is the low expectations the school system will have for your children. It's easy to have your grades slip or fall into poor behavior when the teachers/admin let you skate by with missed assignments or lack of reprimand. Kids aren't stupid, pick up on all this, and think school doesn't matter. The MCPS attitude does not prepare you for real life.

It can also be difficult to get your child screened for SN when staff expectations although your child is working incredibly hard. I can’t tell you how many times I or another AA teacher was told that our child would get xyz as a professional favor (rather than a legal right).

^staff expectations are low

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the biggest obstacle you will need to overcome is the low expectations the school system will have for your children. It's easy to have your grades slip or fall into poor behavior when the teachers/admin let you skate by with missed assignments or lack of reprimand. Kids aren't stupid, pick up on all this, and think school doesn't matter. The MCPS attitude does not prepare you for real life.

I think this is true in most school systems. We are aware of this in DCPS too (although our child is now in private).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Not exactly. Ideally, there would be a school with a critical mass of academically able AA and white kids along with a critical mass of academically challenged AA and white kids. The problem is SES and race. In MCPS, AA usually means poor. Poor usually means academically challenged. White people in these schools do not understand what it is like when everyone else who looks like you is failing and everyone who doesn't look like you is succeeding. The CES, magnets and AP classes just magnify this by 100. Its a myth that choosing a more diverse school in MCPS gives you a better experience with racial equity. Its the exact opposite!

Ironically, I hear from friends in VA that it isn't as bad over there with the AAP system. I don't have direct experience with those schools so I can't confirm whether this is true. It might also be the case that MCPS is just so overly focused on race that this plays out negatively while VA is less focused on it. I personally would not live in VA so I don't know.

This problem in MCPS though is why so many higher SES black parents choose to live in PG and do private schools, or accept being one of the only black kids in a W school or being one of only a handful of black kids at a more elite predominantly white private school. There just are no good options.

In 2017-2018, 21.4% of students in MCPS were black, and 10.8% of students in MCPS were black and on FARMS. In other words, half of black students in MCPS in 2017-2018 were NOT on FARMS.

When people assume that if you're black, you must have parents who are poor and have little education? That assumption is part of the problem.

THANK YOU FOR THIS.

I'm a Black mom here in MoCo...and we're certainly not poor, and neither are my Black neighbors. These assumptions irk my nerves.

[Anonymous]

OP: I'm a Black mom of a high schooler and an elementary schooler. We're on the line of the DCC and NEC. I've been generally pleased with their experiences thus far--my boys have been blessed to have teachers of all races that challenge them, and more than one Black educator, because representation is important. Both of my boys take advanced classes, and I didn't have to fight to get them placed.

You may find this information helpful: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/data/learning-accountability-and-results.html The county released these earlier this year. You may find it helpful as you look for a cluster that can best meet your family's needs--you can get an idea of how Black students are performing academically when compared to other races.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: I'm a Black mom of a high schooler and an elementary schooler. We're on the line of the DCC and NEC. I've been generally pleased with their experiences thus far--my boys have been blessed to have teachers of all races that challenge them, and more than one Black educator, because representation is important. Both of my boys take advanced classes, and I didn't have to fight to get them placed.

You may find this information helpful: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/data/learning-accountability-and-results.html The county released these earlier this year. You may find it helpful as you look for a cluster that can best meet your family's needs--you can get an idea of how Black students are performing academically when compared to other races.

Good luck!

Oh, and OP: I've only had to deal with possible bias ONCE--it was when my now high-schooler was in first grade. The principal basically told me that the fact my child is a high-performer doesn't make him special, and some other things that I don't remember. (I felt like he wasn't being challenged, and it didn't help that whenever I went to speak with her, she talked to me like I was a child...until she found out that I worked in K-12 educational leadership in another county.) Needless to say, she wasn't happy after I got done with her, and I haven't had any problems in this county since. She has since retired and her replacement is a Black principal that was AMAZING with my younger son.