Ludlow-Taylor getting a new a new Principal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's not as simple as "white vs. black." It's more "white culture" vs. "black culture." In addition to the culture class, there is an economic class that breeds a lot of resentment. This resentment comes from both 1) entitled white people who want to attend their school of right and make it a high-SES and tier 1 (like the other gentrified schools in nearby communities) and 2) disenfranchised black people who have deep ties to the school community and feel the heat coming from white people who clearly want them out. The principal was in group 2 and was very defensive about it, which group 1 used to further their cause.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of people in the middle (lie myself) that don't fit either stereotype who are frustrated by the race discussion and just want everyone to focus on educating our kids.

"White culture vs Black culture"? What is this 1955? In the age where we have a African-American President & a First Lady who are both Ivy League educated with Law degrees, it's interesting how some people still want to look at white people as being entitled, higher SES type people, and black people as "disenfranchised".

It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

In my opinion, if you want higher SES families at your school, then just say that. Don't say "Black", "White", "Latino", "Asian", etc.

BTW, I'm an African-American currently doing my master's at Johns Hopkins Univ and my wife is an African-American with a master's from George Washington University, we have two kids, and hopefully we won't be looked down upon if we decide to enroll our kids at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School.

Another high SES AA here. I also wondered about my child being judged negatively in Cap Hill schools after reading comments on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

"White culture vs Black culture"? What is this 1955? In the age where we have a African-American President & a First Lady who are both Ivy League educated with Law degrees, it's interesting how some people still want to look at white people as being entitled, higher SES type people, and black people as "disenfranchised".

I agree with you, but I was simply stating what folks having been saying on these boards and around town. The culture clash being things like "what type of fundraisers will we have (e.g.candy fundraiser or fish fry like in the past or something more high-SES like an auction) ?

Yes, the discussion is actually around high-SES versus low-SES, but there are many people on this board that continue to say black vs. white regardless. As I said, there's a middle ground of folks who are frustrated with these stereotypes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's not as simple as "It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

I once lived in baltimore in an area where white urban pioneers were steadily replacing ethnic and appalachian low SES whites. Many similar issues. I never had to deal with the schools, but I probably would not have wanted my kid to attend a neighborhood school there. There really weren't any high SES school age kids in the area - commutes from close in high SES parts of Baltimore COunty were quite reasonable.

But DC is not Baltimore, it has not had any significant number of low SES whites in a generation (they are mostly gone from the inner suburbs now as well) it has a long history of bitter racial rhetoric, and its really hard to seperate the race and class issues.

While I am unsympathetic to the folks talking about wanting a white principal, I am not sure I am unsympathetic to those expressing some degree of entitlement to a school that focuses on the needs of the high achieving kids (of whatever race or SES) who also just happen to be the kids the school is zoned for. Resentment by the principal toward such parents, while perhaps understandable given the history of the school, and the real needs of lower achieving children, still seems quite inappropriate to me, and guaranteed to worsen the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's not as simple as "It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

I once lived in baltimore in an area where white urban pioneers were steadily replacing ethnic and appalachian low SES whites. Many similar issues. I never had to deal with the schools, but I probably would not have wanted my kid to attend a neighborhood school there. There really weren't any high SES school age kids in the area - commutes from close in high SES parts of Baltimore COunty were quite reasonable.

But DC is not Baltimore, it has not had any significant number of low SES whites in a generation (they are mostly gone from the inner suburbs now as well) it has a long history of bitter racial rhetoric, and its really hard to seperate the race and class issues.

While I am unsympathetic to the folks talking about wanting a white principal, I am not sure I am unsympathetic to those expressing some degree of entitlement to a school that focuses on the needs of the high achieving kids (of whatever race or SES) who also just happen to be the kids the school is zoned for. Resentment by the principal toward such parents, while perhaps understandable given the history of the school, and the real needs of lower achieving children, still seems quite inappropriate to me, and guaranteed to worsen the situation.

I don't know anything about the former principal. However, I doubt if she was resentful of the new white IB parents. Educated AAs are not resentful of, or intimidated by educated white people. However, we are sensitive to conversations that involve racial distinctions. I would bet that she was rattled by statements made by some of the parents who didn't view their comments as being elitist, and/or insulting, or even perhaps racist-- but they were. As a principal, you have to keep your cool even when someone is saying the most outrageous things about you and people who look like you. I suspect she had trouble masking her frustration and distaste and it just spilled over.

What a tough situation. The new principal will find it equally difficult, but from the other side. That's why if LT is going to move forward, the people in its community are going to have to find some common ground of respect. That's your starting point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's not as simple as "It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

I once lived in baltimore in an area where white urban pioneers were steadily replacing ethnic and appalachian low SES whites. Many similar issues. I never had to deal with the schools, but I probably would not have wanted my kid to attend a neighborhood school there. There really weren't any high SES school age kids in the area - commutes from close in high SES parts of Baltimore COunty were quite reasonable.

But DC is not Baltimore, it has not had any significant number of low SES whites in a generation (they are mostly gone from the inner suburbs now as well) it has a long history of bitter racial rhetoric, and its really hard to seperate the race and class issues.

While I am unsympathetic to the folks talking about wanting a white principal, I am not sure I am unsympathetic to those expressing some degree of entitlement to a school that focuses on the needs of the high achieving kids (of whatever race or SES) who also just happen to be the kids the school is zoned for. Resentment by the principal toward such parents, while perhaps understandable given the history of the school, and the real needs of lower achieving children, still seems quite inappropriate to me, and guaranteed to worsen the situation.

You're right, it's not Baltimore. At all. Be grateful for that, but come on. This thread is just so . . . I can't even find a word for it.

The line that really takes the cake is the one about parents calling the shots. I don't care what race or class make-up a school has, it's entirely inappropriate to take this stance at a public school. The challenge to principals in this town is not the students, it's their parents! No wonder there's so much turnover. What leader wants to be led around by a nose ring yanked on by people with no education experience and no regard whatsoever for the majority of the school's population?

And to the AA parent wondering if your kids will be stigmatized by color, regardless of your income or education level - the answer is yes, it will happen. Not always and not in obvious ways. But it doesn't take much for people to reveal their biases, so you can steer clear of them.

HOWEVER. I have to wonder how this group prejudice will play out in a school where the parents are "calling the shots." If they're exerting pressure on a principal to change the demographics of the school (or to show whites more preference) as a benchmark of success, I think you would have real reason for concern. Indeed.

[Anonymous]

I don't know anything about the former principal. However, I doubt if she was resentful of the new white IB parents as a poster suggested. Educated AAs are not resentful of, or intimidated by educated white people. However, we are sensitive to conversations that involve racial distinctions. I would bet that she was rattled by statements made by some of the parents who didn't view their comments as being elitist, and/or insulting, or even perhaps racist-- but they were. As a principal, you have to keep your cool even when someone is saying the most outrageous things about you and people who look like you. I suspect she had trouble masking her frustration and distaste and it just spilled over.

What a tough situation. The new principal will find it equally difficult, but from the other side. That's why if LT is going to move forward, the people in its community are going to have to find some common ground of respect. That's your starting point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's not as simple as "white vs. black." It's more "white culture" vs. "black culture." In addition to the culture class, there is an economic class that breeds a lot of resentment. This resentment comes from both 1) entitled white people who want to attend their school of right and make it a high-SES and tier 1 (like the other gentrified schools in nearby communities) and 2) disenfranchised black people who have deep ties to the school community and feel the heat coming from white people who clearly want them out. The principal was in group 2 and was very defensive about it, which group 1 used to further their cause.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of people in the middle (lie myself) that don't fit either stereotype who are frustrated by the race discussion and just want everyone to focus on educating our kids.

"White culture vs Black culture"? What is this 1955? In the age where we have a African-American President & a First Lady who are both Ivy League educated with Law degrees, it's interesting how some people still want to look at white people as being entitled, higher SES type people, and black people as "disenfranchised".

It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

In my opinion, if you want higher SES families at your school, then just say that. Don't say "Black", "White", "Latino", "Asian", etc.

BTW, I'm an African-American currently doing my master's at Johns Hopkins Univ and my wife is an African-American with a master's from George Washington University, we have two kids, and hopefully we won't be looked down upon if we decide to enroll our kids at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School.

Another high SES AA here. I also wondered about my child being judged negatively in Cap Hill schools after reading comments on this forum.

Don't be naive. It doesn't matter how many degrees you have or your HHI, some of these people will see your DC and immediately think another "obstacle"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Again. Comments like this really don't build community. But apparently, you're not interested in building a unified community. I'm going to have to call this one the way it sounds...you just want the black families out. But here's a newsflash for you--many of those little black children are IB for LT, and they aren't going anywhere. I know newcomers think that every black person they see at their school is sneaking in here from PG county, but that is an urban myth. It happens, but not on a level anywhere near DCUMers believe it does. When it does, it's a case of separation or divorce. Moreover, there aren't a whole lot of PG county residents who are sneaking into DC schools to attend LT. No offense, but I can name two dozen other schools (including charters) that they would go to before they would ever think of LT.

Seriously, you guys IB for LT need to tamp down your rhetoric. It's ugly and counterproductive. If you really want a great IB school, spend your energy working on a solution that benefits children of every race and socio-economic level. And stop with the IB/OOB distinction. LT is NOT a Ward 3 school, and if you want to emulate Ward 3 schoosl, the whole "I'm IB and you're not" attitude is the last thing you would want to take from them.

Some good points above but even more counterproductive palaver. On my little street alone, near Ludlow, there are half a dozen grandmothers who've been passing off their grandchildren, now in the upper grades, as IB kids since preschool without fear.

With more and more of the elderly people in the neighborhood, almost all of whom arrived in the 60s, leaving for nursing and retirement homes, and passing away, rampant address cheating is dying a death of attrition. There were at least twice as many families on the street playing the game at L-T five years ago. Brent isn't a Ward 3 school either, but it's FARMs rate has dropped from 3/4 to under 10% in just over a decade. Maury just shed its Title 1 status, with its FARMs rate halving in five years.

Demographers estimate that at least two-thirds of the children under age 5 in the L-T catchment area are white and high SES. The rest are a mix of races and classes.

PPs sound horrified by the prospect of neighborhood families, who are mostly white, collectively embracing the school and staying through the upper grades, causing L-T to become majority high SES. This is being on the wrong side of history, like the states fighting gay marriage. Demographic sea change has already arrived, with a flood of affluent families choosing to raise their kids in the L-T District.

The new principal will be confronted with endless demands for pullout groups and challenge for "advanced learners" (mostly average ability upper middle-income kids), with less and less emphasis on SN and remedial education as the years pass. Gentrifiers of all races are weary of lottery stress and school commutes far into NE; they have a right to send their kids to their neighborhood school before other comers. More are going to stay for K+ with every passing year. With both mayoral candidates pushing for better neighborhood schools, low SES L-T community members will have little choice but to leave or cope with the influx.

Pretending that a unified school community is possible in light of the large high SES-low SES achievement gap, while DCPS rejects GT programming, won't help. Much tension will continue to come of this calculus, at least until high SES parents emerge as the majority at L-T. Good intentions aside, it's not all rainbows and kittens at any of the Hill schools caught in seismic demographic shifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It's not as simple as "white vs. black." It's more "white culture" vs. "black culture." In addition to the culture class, there is an economic class that breeds a lot of resentment. This resentment comes from both 1) entitled white people who want to attend their school of right and make it a high-SES and tier 1 (like the other gentrified schools in nearby communities) and 2) disenfranchised black people who have deep ties to the school community and feel the heat coming from white people who clearly want them out. The principal was in group 2 and was very defensive about it, which group 1 used to further their cause.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of people in the middle (lie myself) that don't fit either stereotype who are frustrated by the race discussion and just want everyone to focus on educating our kids.

"White culture vs Black culture"? What is this 1955? In the age where we have a African-American President & a First Lady who are both Ivy League educated with Law degrees, it's interesting how some people still want to look at white people as being entitled, higher SES type people, and black people as "disenfranchised".

It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

In my opinion, if you want higher SES families at your school, then just say that. Don't say "Black", "White", "Latino", "Asian", etc.

BTW, I'm an African-American currently doing my master's at Johns Hopkins Univ and my wife is an African-American with a master's from George Washington University, we have two kids, and hopefully we won't be looked down upon if we decide to enroll our kids at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School.

Another high SES AA here. I also wondered about my child being judged negatively in Cap Hill schools after reading comments on this forum.

Don't be naive. It doesn't matter how many degrees you have or your HHI, some of these people will see your DC and immediately think another "obstacle"

I have to stop reading DCUM. It's starting to depress the sh-- out of me. I really want to believe in the good in people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

In my opinion, if you want higher SES families at your school, then just say that. Don't say "Black", "White", "Latino", "Asian", etc.

BTW, I'm an African-American currently doing my master's at Johns Hopkins Univ and my wife is an African-American with a master's from George Washington University, we have two kids, and hopefully we won't be looked down upon if we decide to enroll our kids at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School.

Another high SES AA here. I also wondered about my child being judged negatively in Cap Hill schools after reading comments on this forum.

I'd say there are a couple things at play here:

First, because there are effectively no low-SES non-Hispanic white people living in DC proper, white families are presumed to be high-SES; meanwhile, there are AA families at every SES level in the District, but I think many white people assume that AA kids at LT are from wards 7 & 8 and likely low-SES. Basically, unless AA parents show up and discuss their jobs with white parents, they're often assumed to be low-SES. (That sounds awful. It -is- awful. But I think it's true.)

Second, I think for many white families, it's not about SES -- it really is about color. They want a critical mass of white children so their kids won't stick out as the only white ones.

I frequently see people comparing LT to Maury and offering Maury as something LT should strive to be. But LT already has way more kids performing at the advanced level than Maury does -- the biggest difference is in the demographics: Maury is 48% white and 40% black, with 55% of students IB; LT is 16% white and 77% black, with 21% IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I think for many white families, it's not about SES -- it really is about color. They want a critical mass of white children so their kids won't stick out as the only white ones.

I would have been concerned about my DC being the only non-Polish Catholic kid at a school in Baltimore, even had none of them been low SES Polish kids.

I realize blacks have more experience being "the only one in the room", and may resent white's concern about being the only one in the room. But I'm not sure its fair to consider that concern to be racism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

In my opinion, if you want higher SES families at your school, then just say that. Don't say "Black", "White", "Latino", "Asian", etc.

BTW, I'm an African-American currently doing my master's at Johns Hopkins Univ and my wife is an African-American with a master's from George Washington University, we have two kids, and hopefully we won't be looked down upon if we decide to enroll our kids at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School.

Another high SES AA here. I also wondered about my child being judged negatively in Cap Hill schools after reading comments on this forum.

I'd say there are a couple things at play here:

First, because there are effectively no low-SES non-Hispanic white people living in DC proper, white families are presumed to be high-SES; meanwhile, there are AA families at every SES level in the District, but I think many white people assume that AA kids at LT are from wards 7 & 8 and likely low-SES. Basically, unless AA parents show up and discuss their jobs with white parents, they're often assumed to be low-SES. (That sounds awful. It -is- awful. But I think it's true.)

Second, I think for many white families, it's not about SES -- it really is about color. They want a critical mass of white children so their kids won't stick out as the only white ones.

I frequently see people comparing LT to Maury and offering Maury as something LT should strive to be. But LT already has way more kids performing at the advanced level than Maury does -- the biggest difference is in the demographics: Maury is 48% white and 40% black, with 55% of students IB; LT is 16% white and 77% black, with 21% IB.

I really appreciate your well thought out assessment. Unfortunately, many of the IB high-SES/white parents are not willing to accept that they have a biased, stereotypical view of AA at L-T. Perhaps, it is because many of the gentrifiers are from ethnically homogenous communities of the midwest, where non-whites are looked down upon. I think that these IB high-SES parents should immediately put their homes on the market and relocate to N.VA or MoCo if they hold such racist/white supremacist views.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I think for many white families, it's not about SES -- it really is about color. They want a critical mass of white children so their kids won't stick out as the only white ones.

I would have been concerned about my DC being the only non-Polish Catholic kid at a school in Baltimore, even had none of them been low SES Polish kids.

I realize blacks have more experience being "the only one in the room", and may resent white's concern about being the only one in the room. But I'm not sure its fair to consider that concern to be racism.

In my experience, people can be sympathetic if it's explained as, "I'd prefer to have a few more white kids so my kid isn't the only one." But all too often, from what I've seen, having additional white children is described as "turning the school around" or some similar phrase that implies *improving* the school, as though it's self-evident that more white kids=a better school.

I think it's THAT attitude that really stuck in Cobbs' craw -- the idea that there's something inherently less desirable about a classroom of black children, regardless of their academic performance.

I saw her respond to comments along those lines at a PTA event, and one line really stuck out for me: "We *love* our fifth graders." From what I saw, she felt very protective of the kids at her school (even the ones whose parents annoyed her), and I think she felt hurt on her 5th graders' behalf that someone would walk past their classrooms and find them lacking because there weren't any white faces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

In my opinion, if you want higher SES families at your school, then just say that. Don't say "Black", "White", "Latino", "Asian", etc.

BTW, I'm an African-American currently doing my master's at Johns Hopkins Univ and my wife is an African-American with a master's from George Washington University, we have two kids, and hopefully we won't be looked down upon if we decide to enroll our kids at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School.

Another high SES AA here. I also wondered about my child being judged negatively in Cap Hill schools after reading comments on this forum.

I'd say there are a couple things at play here:

First, because there are effectively no low-SES non-Hispanic white people living in DC proper, white families are presumed to be high-SES; meanwhile, there are AA families at every SES level in the District, but I think many white people assume that AA kids at LT are from wards 7 & 8 and likely low-SES. Basically, unless AA parents show up and discuss their jobs with white parents, they're often assumed to be low-SES. (That sounds awful. It -is- awful. But I think it's true.)

Second, I think for many white families, it's not about SES -- it really is about color. They want a critical mass of white children so their kids won't stick out as the only white ones.

I frequently see people comparing LT to Maury and offering Maury as something LT should strive to be. But LT already has way more kids performing at the advanced level than Maury does -- the biggest difference is in the demographics: Maury is 48% white and 40% black, with 55% of students IB; LT is 16% white and 77% black, with 21% IB.

I really appreciate your well thought out assessment. Unfortunately, many of the IB high-SES/white parents are not willing to accept that they have a biased, stereotypical view of AA at L-T. Perhaps, it is because many of the gentrifiers are from ethnically homogenous communities of the midwest, where non-whites are looked down upon. I think that these IB high-SES parents should immediately put their homes on the market and relocate to N.VA or MoCo if they hold such racist/white supremacist views.

PP, you are out there and confused re the Mid-West. And maybe you haven't been to MoCo or NoVa recently, but that's not too vanilla either. Diversity anywhere and everywhere is good. Maybe L-T will become even more diverse now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's also interesting how on this thread people are genuinely expressing there desire for more white kids at this school, when I think what people really want is more kids at the school that come from higher SES. If not, then would the people on this thread, who claim to want more white families at the school, welcome a more white kids from families like "Honey Boo Boo"? I think not. Alternatively, what if the school was majority black, but the black kids came from families like the Obamas (Ivy league educated lawyers)? Would this not be Ok?

In my opinion, if you want higher SES families at your school, then just say that. Don't say "Black", "White", "Latino", "Asian", etc.

BTW, I'm an African-American currently doing my master's at Johns Hopkins Univ and my wife is an African-American with a master's from George Washington University, we have two kids, and hopefully we won't be looked down upon if we decide to enroll our kids at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School.

Another high SES AA here. I also wondered about my child being judged negatively in Cap Hill schools after reading comments on this forum.

I'd say there are a couple things at play here:

First, because there are effectively no low-SES non-Hispanic white people living in DC proper, white families are presumed to be high-SES; meanwhile, there are AA families at every SES level in the District, but I think many white people assume that AA kids at LT are from wards 7 & 8 and likely low-SES. Basically, unless AA parents show up and discuss their jobs with white parents, they're often assumed to be low-SES. (That sounds awful. It -is- awful. But I think it's true.)

Second, I think for many white families, it's not about SES -- it really is about color. They want a critical mass of white children so their kids won't stick out as the only white ones.

I frequently see people comparing LT to Maury and offering Maury as something LT should strive to be. But LT already has way more kids performing at the advanced level than Maury does -- the biggest difference is in the demographics: Maury is 48% white and 40% black, with 55% of students IB; LT is 16% white and 77% black, with 21% IB.

I decided to put the above comment in bold in order to emphasize why you see so much division in the world. You still have a critical mass of people who like to divide humans in us/them groups. This is a problem, because there is no monolithic group of people on this planet who think alike just because you decide to put them in a group. Think about this for a second when you look at what is currently happening in Iraq. Sunnis fighting Shia. Most Americans (probably people on this thread too) could see a Sunni and Shia, and just think of them as being the same. The reason I gave this example is because this whole idea of "whites" being a monolithic group is also wrong. This is such a simplistic way of thinking when you look at history and you saw Germans fighting Russians, Russians fighting the Polish, and Germans fighting Americans. Today, we would see them as all "white" and thus the "same".