Question for parents of black children in Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont see why anyone in their right mind would think schools are segregated in MoCo. They are so diverse it is almost annoying. It is like the United Colors of Benneton advertising campaign.

BTW Bethesda/Chevy Chase and WJ drive by at lunch time or when schools let out. It is like a We are the World.

Because they are.

WJ, a "W" school, is 55% white and 45% non-white. Compared to the overall population of MCPS students, it is disproportionately white. But it's not segregated. It's not a school that non-white students are not allowed to attend, and it's not a school that non-white students do not in fact attend. It is rather a school that over 1,000 non-white students attend.

It is important to talk about the fact that there are schools in our county that are disproportionately white and that have disproportionately few low income students. There are also schools that have disproportionately few white students and disproportionately high numbers of low income students (and I would not call those schools "diverse"). This is an important discussion. But the people who react against saying these schools are "segregated" are not crazy.

Yes, it's basically 55% white and 45% Asian.

Absolutely false.

[Anonymous]

I'm a AA dad living in Damascus with two kids in middle school and one in HS. I've had a great experience in MoCo. I have noticed that if you are involved with you child's education, the school will be involved you your child's education. But if you show a low interest in your child's education, the school will let your child slip through the cracks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a AA dad living in Damascus with two kids in middle school and one in HS. I've had a great experience in MoCo. I have noticed that if you are involved with you child's education, the school will be involved you your child's education. But if you show a low interest in your child's education, the school will let your child slip through the cracks.

In Damascus?

Are your kids biracial, but look racially ambiguous or pass for white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a AA dad living in Damascus with two kids in middle school and one in HS. I've had a great experience in MoCo. I have noticed that if you are involved with you child's education, the school will be involved you your child's education. But if you show a low interest in your child's education, the school will let your child slip through the cracks.

In Damascus?

Are your kids biracial, but look racially ambiguous or pass for white?

My kids are not biracial. They are not as dark as me, but they do not pass as racially ambiguous.

[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.

DP,

I take it that you are not either.

Signed,

A Black Person in real life, not just on DCUM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I believe there is an E in Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I believe there is an E in Yes

I believe there is a “D” in your momma

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a AA dad living in Damascus with two kids in middle school and one in HS. I've had a great experience in MoCo. I have noticed that if you are involved with you child's education, the school will be involved you your child's education. But if you show a low interest in your child's education, the school will let your child slip through the cracks.

Isn’t that the truth?

Get involved and show your kids and your kids’ teachers that education is a priority for your family.

[Anonymous]

You know it is possible that not every AA has the exact same experience at every single place. I had never heard of Damascus before the broom articles so I have no idea if racism is prevalent there or not. I wouldn't accuse an AA parent who said they had a good experience of not being black enough to see it.

[Anonymous]

My kids old school which was public in NY had 1,000 students in school. 970 were white. 30 kids were Asian/Indian/Black, etc.

How did this happen. Well it happened as it was a blue collar/upper middle class town with slightly above average schools. But not great schools.

The great Schools in nearby richer neighborhoods over last 30 years gained a large Asian Population attracted to good school.

The lower income, Spanish and AA areas were priced out of our town as homes still sold for 500k-700K and the higher income Spanish and AA dont dream to live in a blue collar type town full of white cops, teachers, nurses and firemen and middle office types. They shoot for better areas if they have money.

Is that town bad. There was zero incidents in history of school against non-whites. Also town has a lot of second and third generation in town as it is niether poor or rich. The son of a cop or son of a fireman lives near Mom and Dad so houses often sell to folks who grew up there.

Meanwhile a rich neighborhood not all kids can afford it when they grow up and a poor neighborhood folks want to get out.

The single Indian boy in my daughters old HS was class President. Everyone liked him. However, I doubt his life desire it to buy a house there when he grows up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids old school which was public in NY had 1,000 students in school. 970 were white. 30 kids were Asian/Indian/Black, etc.

How did this happen. Well it happened as it was a blue collar/upper middle class town with slightly above average schools. But not great schools.

The great Schools in nearby richer neighborhoods over last 30 years gained a large Asian Population attracted to good school.

The lower income, Spanish and AA areas were priced out of our town as homes still sold for 500k-700K and the higher income Spanish and AA dont dream to live in a blue collar type town full of white cops, teachers, nurses and firemen and middle office types. They shoot for better areas if they have money.

Is that town bad. There was zero incidents in history of school against non-whites. Also town has a lot of second and third generation in town as it is niether poor or rich. The son of a cop or son of a fireman lives near Mom and Dad so houses often sell to folks who grew up there.

Meanwhile a rich neighborhood not all kids can afford it when they grow up and a poor neighborhood folks want to get out.

The single Indian boy in my daughters old HS was class President. Everyone liked him. However, I doubt his life desire it to buy a house there when he grows up.

Yeah, your town isn’t Damascus. Your town probably doesn’t have people who have Confederate bumper stickers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I believe there is an E in Yes

I believe there is a “D” in your momma

that was beautiful

[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.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids old school which was public in NY had 1,000 students in school. 970 were white. 30 kids were Asian/Indian/Black, etc.

How did this happen. Well it happened as it was a blue collar/upper middle class town with slightly above average schools. But not great schools.

The great Schools in nearby richer neighborhoods over last 30 years gained a large Asian Population attracted to good school.

The lower income, Spanish and AA areas were priced out of our town as homes still sold for 500k-700K and the higher income Spanish and AA dont dream to live in a blue collar type town full of white cops, teachers, nurses and firemen and middle office types. They shoot for better areas if they have money.

Is that town bad. There was zero incidents in history of school against non-whites. Also town has a lot of second and third generation in town as it is niether poor or rich. The son of a cop or son of a fireman lives near Mom and Dad so houses often sell to folks who grew up there.

Meanwhile a rich neighborhood not all kids can afford it when they grow up and a poor neighborhood folks want to get out.

The single Indian boy in my daughters old HS was class President. Everyone liked him. However, I doubt his life desire it to buy a house there when he grows up.

Yeah, your town isn’t Damascus. Your town probably doesn’t have people who have Confederate bumper stickers.

Ain't diversity grand!