Disappointed by the MoCo gifted programs?

[Anonymous]

One thing I worry about, in seeking a TAG program is that, in a way, it may be like the Wilson Academies; largely unreflective of the general population of the school
I've also heard good things about Deal and Hardy

[Anonymous]

Why does it matter if the TAG program doesn't reflect the general population of the school? Trying to understand... not on the offensive!

I went to G&T magnet schools in another city that didn't reflect any of the other demographics in the larger schools. With the exception of a few rough bullies in PE class (which we shared with the non-magnet kids) it wasn't an issue for me. My own program was excellent.

[Anonymous]

By "largely unreflective of the general population of the school" I think the poster is referring to demographics more than behavioral issues. In other words, to the extent that we value racial/religious/economic diversity we'd like to see all our children enjoying this. So if a certain program starts to look like all the students only reflect one demographic then this adds a negative element to the experience and sends a negative message all the way around.

Bluntly, if all the kids in the gifted classes are upper middle class and white then they're going to school in a country club environment and not one reflective of the real world. It's easier for adults to be comfortable with people of all racial/religious/economic backgrounds if that's what they've been exposed to since they were kids.

[Anonymous]

OP here: I'll ask the question another way: If you made the move to MoCo because your academically talented child was bored in DCPS, do you feel your child has lost anything? What are the disadvantages of moving to the suburbs solely for the schools? Or were there other considerations?

[Anonymous]

I'm one who made a comment about the academies
I know, for example, that the first hispanic girl to do AP biology at Wilson was within the past 2 yrs...
I tend to wonder if Wilson is institutionalized racism.
I had heard, too, that the popular science teacher who was removed from Wilson had been overtly unfair to minorities

[Anonymous]

Whoah. That's a pretty ugly charge to level without any proof!

The unfortunate truth is that there can be disparities in racial representation in the academies without the administration or teachers being racist.

[Anonymous]

I think this concern about not being politically correct is a big part of what's holding affluent DCPS parents back. It's in our best interest to push for gifted/ accellerated programs even if these programs benefit one demographic substantially more than another. While we waffle politely, DCPS bleeds educated families, losing promising students either to the suburbs or to private schools.

[Anonymous]

I agree that gifted programs must be sought
And my only proof is accounts from parents of recent graduates detailing their struggles to be included in accelerated programs...
But if I can't accept these personal narratives as proof, then what DOES constitute proof?
With their kids already graduated, and headed for GW or NYU, what did these parents have to gain by spinning tall tales?

[Anonymous]

Is it true that DC parents get some sort of break when it comes to college for their kids because of the lackluster UDC? I had heard that there was some sort of program at one time that would enable DC residents to attend other state schools (UVA UMd UCLA UC Berkeley)? Is this true (maybe I'm crazy and losing my memory)? If so, perhaps that's something to consider in the balancing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that DC parents get some sort of break when it comes to college for their kids because of the lackluster UDC? I had heard that there was some sort of program at one time that would enable DC residents to attend other state schools (UVA UMd UCLA UC Berkeley)? Is this true (maybe I'm crazy and losing my memory)? If so, perhaps that's something to consider in the balancing?

yes, up to 10K a year to make up the difference between instate and out-of-state tuition
The grant isn't available if your household income is over 1 million though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this concern about not being politically correct is a big part of what's holding affluent DCPS parents back. It's in our best interest to push for gifted/ accellerated programs even if these programs benefit one demographic substantially more than another. While we waffle politely, DCPS bleeds educated families, losing promising students either to the suburbs or to private schools.

You make a very good point. To me that raises the question of whether or not Wilson is really better served by doing AP courses instead of IB. I understand the Principal doesn't want to do IB because it creates a "school within a school" environment that is demographically monochromatic and ergo undesirable. Touché, but I have to wonder how that's qualitatively any different from the existing situation with the academies.

Meanwhile no-one in the suburbs ever worries about this because it's exactly what they went to the suburbs for. Once you're already in that monochromatic environment you can wring your hands with dismay and verbally promote "diversity" as loudly as you can. (Ah, the sweet, sweet peace of mind of white flight...)

[Anonymous]

We live in the District, but if we ever move to the suburbs, it will be in part to get away from this inane self-righteousness.

[Anonymous]

maybe you should take a flight out to those "monochromatic" suburbs and actually take a look at the schools. it's a polychromatic world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing I worry about, in seeking a TAG program is that, in a way, it may be like the Wilson Academies; largely unreflective of the general population of the school

I've also heard good things about Deal and Hardy

MoCo is very big on diversity, both racial and demographic. It's often real diversity, but unfortunately often it's also in name only. I know several families who game it, dragging out that American-Indian great-grandparent even though the kid's parents both went to Ivies, so that real socio-economic diversity is rarely the result. Geographic diversity means that they don't take all their kids from one school in Bethesda or Potomac. MoCo as a whole also prefers to leave racially balanced classes behind in the home schools, as well, as they will openly tell you during magnet open houses. So that a friend of mine was told several years go by a (very naive) school administrator that her kid was not taken because he was the only Asian kid in his home school, and they didn't want to upset that. FWIW.

[Anonymous]

11:08 here. While I was typing this some disturbing posts came through about monochromatic suburbs. Diversity is definitely in the suburbs, I have no idea where you get the idea that it isn't.

My point is merely that the MoCo magnet programs give lip service to diversity, with the result that you get a bunch of diverse but upper middle class kids in the magnet programs. The socio-economic diversity is all over MoCo, but sadly it isn't in the magnet programs.