Brookland IB for both Noyes and Burroughs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In case you were wondering, Noyes is terrible. I assume that you know that and are making sure that isn't your only option. There are 2 housing projects that feed into that school and very few kids from anywhere else.

Please try to be less judgemental, it just makes you sound BAD and uninformed. Noyes is not terrible just bnecause there are students from housing projects. Please do us all a favor and leave the city if that's how you feel about children from public housing. Noyes has a great early childhood team, and some wonderful teachers in other grades. I have known many students to graduate from Noyes who are wonderful and have since graduated from Banneker and gone to some great colleges. So please take you judgements and assumptions and LEAVE DC!!

Ok -
I live in Brookland the kids that live in those housing projects are rough and there is no way around it. They have egged my car, sworn at my kids are out way past 10:00 pm on many a night. I am sure there are a few that have escaped, but I would never put my kid in Noyes not just because it was the epicenter of the whole Rhee cheating scandle but because it has all the issues of an inner city school with out many other real community supports. There are some realities we can't be PC about and trying to shame a poster because she tells the truth is not going to help those kids.

Yes, I too have lived in Brookland for over ten years and am very familiar with the children in the area, as a teacher, parent and citizen. It's very easy to judge how other people raise their kids and people often validate their judgements with personal reasons. In the end, judgements are still judgements. I have children in Noyes and it has been fine. Lots of learning happening. There is something you can find unappealing in any school, so it is important to look optimistically with hope, but not be blinded. I am certainly not desiring to be PC. What I am in support of, is being HUMAN and having some understanding that is uninhibited by judgement. By the way, how are you helping "those kids"? This is your community right? It takes a village. Truth is relative to what rock you live under.

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, I am a teacher, parent and citizen, too. I am a very close neighbor to the school and have been for more than ten years. I would never, ever consider sending my child there. We have had many dozens of run-ins with the students ranging from having rocks thrown at our house (many times over the years) to being threatened with being shot, and everything else you can imagine. My kids have been beaten up by them, had their bikes stolen and called every racial slur you can possibly imagine.
Over the years I've watched kids grow up there. Some seem to move on quietly and I can presume (hope) they are fine. Some end up on the street doing drugs, vandalizing and whatever else. I used to help some of them with their bikes and whatever else when they were younger. It saddens me to see them turn that way, but that is reality. As a PP said, they are rough and there is no way around it. I'm not just a random interloper or uninvolved passerby. This is very much my community and I know it very well.


And furthermore, 17:29: Since you have kids there and are so involved you would know that the kids are shouted, lined up shoulder to shoulder on the playground and given groups punishments so regularly that it would make a sane person appalled. The things I've heard those children get called and the way they are shouted at is terrible. I've seen correctional facilities use similar tactics. I'm sure there are plenty of nice kids there. I feel sorry for them dealing with all the problems that go along with keeping such a large number of rough kids in line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For what it's worth, I am a teacher, parent and citizen, too. I am a very close neighbor to the school and have been for more than ten years. I would never, ever consider sending my child there. We have had many dozens of run-ins with the students ranging from having rocks thrown at our house (many times over the years) to being threatened with being shot, and everything else you can imagine. My kids have been beaten up by them, had their bikes stolen and called every racial slur you can possibly imagine.
Over the years I've watched kids grow up there. Some seem to move on quietly and I can presume (hope) they are fine. Some end up on the street doing drugs, vandalizing and whatever else. I used to help some of them with their bikes and whatever else when they were younger. It saddens me to see them turn that way, but that is reality. As a PP said, they are rough and there is no way around it. I'm not just a random interloper or uninvolved passerby. This is very much my community and I know it very well.


And furthermore, 17:29: Since you have kids there and are so involved you would know that the kids are shouted, lined up shoulder to shoulder on the playground and given groups punishments so regularly that it would make a sane person appalled. The things I've heard those children get called and the way they are shouted at is terrible. I've seen correctional facilities use similar tactics. I'm sure there are plenty of nice kids there. I feel sorry for them dealing with all the problems that go along with keeping such a large number of rough kids in line.

Like I said, we all justify our viewpoint. The only thing I can say to you (because it sounds like you have already made up your mind about how you see the world around you), is don't give up so easily on your fellow neighbor. There is a lot of great things mixed in with the negatives at Noyes. I have never seen the things you have seen go on there but, if I did, I would fight it out of love and concern not just turn my back and complain about my neighborhood school. The only way for it to get better is to work with the community and understand the issues at hand, unless you are ok with scorning your own neighborhood and giving up. Maybe helping the local kids with their bikes is a start, but it surely doesn't have to end there. It just depends on how genuine you are with your interactions with people and whether you are faint-of-heart. I wish you all the best, there's no need going back and forth. I just hope that someday you can believe in the community your in regardless of the flaws. We are all a product of our environment. It sounds like you feel unsafe. I know if I felt that way for real, I would do everything in my power to pack it up and go for the sake of my family or ...... HELP the situation. PEACE.

[Anonymous]

Your tone speaks volumes. You say "join in your community" but what it seems like you don't want to consider is that I am a very active part of my community. I don't need to work "with" the community or "believe in" the community because I AM community. Noyes seems to have absolutely zero interest in interacting with the community. NOTHING. Regardless of the lack of positive lead from the school, I do see great kids every day coming from Noyes and walking past my house. I'm saddened that for whatever reason (logistics, disorganized home life, absent parents) the nice kids are forced to go to school with thugs-in-training and other kids that think it is acceptable to be culturally isolated, ignorant and racist. There are definitely enough of those rough kid there that it must be really challenging for them. I thank God daily that there is school choice for all kids in this city.

[Anonymous]

NP. 14:44 I would say that your choice to NOT send your kids to Noyes (while well within your right) means that you have chosen to NOT be a part of the Noyes community and since you are not a part of Noyes how do you know that they are not interacting with the greater Brookland/Edgewood community?

Finally, your tone about the great kids you see walking by house and the sadness you feel is so condescending and it reminds me of those movies where the poor black kids need a savior to swoop in and save them from the harsh life of the inner city. Have you taken a moment to ask them how they like their school or are you assuming they need to be rescued?
I love the dig about their parents as being "absent" and/or "disorganized" because of course it's their fault that they live in segregated city..so wait when a white family chooses to live in Spring Valley, Burleith, Kent, or Palisades do you label them as culturally isolated, ignorant, and racist...smh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your tone speaks volumes. You say "join in your community" but what it seems like you don't want to consider is that I am a very active part of my community. I don't need to work "with" the community or "believe in" the community because I AM community. Noyes seems to have absolutely zero interest in interacting with the community. NOTHING. Regardless of the lack of positive lead from the school, I do see great kids every day coming from Noyes and walking past my house. I'm saddened that for whatever reason (logistics, disorganized home life, absent parents) the nice kids are forced to go to school with thugs-in-training and other kids that think it is acceptable to be culturally isolated, ignorant and racist. There are definitely enough of those rough kid there that it must be really challenging for them. I thank God daily that there is school choice for all kids in this city.

What you are saying is unbelievable. It's you that I feel sad for if you truly mean what you say. If you were "the community", then your outlook would be much different. You sound very closed minded and uninformed. I thank God for many things too, but, I also pray to God that attitudes from people of your ilk act out of support and love rather than out of fear and grudges. You say kids at Noyes are culturally isolated, well, I challenge you to look in the mirror for the reason that is. Matter of fact, you sound like you are behaving culturally isolated. Making DC homogenous in your likeness could possibly be the downfall of real culture in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your tone speaks volumes. You say "join in your community" but what it seems like you don't want to consider is that I am a very active part of my community. I don't need to work "with" the community or "believe in" the community because I AM community. Noyes seems to have absolutely zero interest in interacting with the community. NOTHING. Regardless of the lack of positive lead from the school, I do see great kids every day coming from Noyes and walking past my house. I'm saddened that for whatever reason (logistics, disorganized home life, absent parents) the nice kids are forced to go to school with thugs-in-training and other kids that think it is acceptable to be culturally isolated, ignorant and racist. There are definitely enough of those rough kid there that it must be really challenging for them. I thank God daily that there is school choice for all kids in this city.

What you are saying is unbelievable. It's you that I feel sad for if you truly mean what you say. If you were "the community", then your outlook would be much different. You sound very closed minded and uninformed. I thank God for many things too, but, I also pray to God that attitudes from people of your ilk act out of support and love rather than out of fear and grudges. You say kids at Noyes are culturally isolated, well, I challenge you to look in the mirror for the reason that is. Matter of fact, you sound like you are behaving culturally isolated. Making DC homogenous in your likeness could possibly be the downfall of real culture in DC.

The reality is poverty limits your opportunities. Sure a few kids figure out some options, but by definition it does. That is why we advocate for policies trying to get people out of poverty and don't celebrate it. Now I get you that you don't want kids stigmatized and yes a select few kids can really give a place a reputation, but here is the reality, those of us that are middle class don't care for kids that swear and call names, through rocks and eggs at our homes and cars. It won't ever endear the neighbors. Noyes has a problem, it has one of the largest cohorts of poor kids in all of Brookland, no one is running to say let me join in. To ignore that reality is just being oblivous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your tone speaks volumes. You say "join in your community" but what it seems like you don't want to consider is that I am a very active part of my community. I don't need to work "with" the community or "believe in" the community because I AM community. Noyes seems to have absolutely zero interest in interacting with the community. NOTHING. Regardless of the lack of positive lead from the school, I do see great kids every day coming from Noyes and walking past my house. I'm saddened that for whatever reason (logistics, disorganized home life, absent parents) the nice kids are forced to go to school with thugs-in-training and other kids that think it is acceptable to be culturally isolated, ignorant and racist. There are definitely enough of those rough kid there that it must be really challenging for them. I thank God daily that there is school choice for all kids in this city.

What you are saying is unbelievable. It's you that I feel sad for if you truly mean what you say. If you were "the community", then your outlook would be much different. You sound very closed minded and uninformed. I thank God for many things too, but, I also pray to God that attitudes from people of your ilk act out of support and love rather than out of fear and grudges. You say kids at Noyes are culturally isolated, well, I challenge you to look in the mirror for the reason that is. Matter of fact, you sound like you are behaving culturally isolated. Making DC homogenous in your likeness could possibly be the downfall of real culture in DC.

The reality is poverty limits your opportunities. Sure a few kids figure out some options, but by definition it does. That is why we advocate for policies trying to get people out of poverty and don't celebrate it. Now I get you that you don't want kids stigmatized and yes a select few kids can really give a place a reputation, but here is the reality, those of us that are middle class don't care for kids that swear and call names, through rocks and eggs at our homes and cars. It won't ever endear the neighbors. Noyes has a problem, it has one of the largest cohorts of poor kids in all of Brookland, no one is running to say let me join in. To ignore that reality is just being oblivous. [/quot

I hear what your saying in some respects about policy. It's not ignoring the problem to be active in a school even if your child doesn't go there. Not saying for everyone to necessarily send their children there if it's not what you're looking for, however, don't badmouth it when you have no idea what's going on there. Running away from problems is being oblivious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your tone speaks volumes. You say "join in your community" but what it seems like you don't want to consider is that I am a very active part of my community. I don't need to work "with" the community or "believe in" the community because I AM community. Noyes seems to have absolutely zero interest in interacting with the community. NOTHING. Regardless of the lack of positive lead from the school, I do see great kids every day coming from Noyes and walking past my house. I'm saddened that for whatever reason (logistics, disorganized home life, absent parents) the nice kids are forced to go to school with thugs-in-training and other kids that think it is acceptable to be culturally isolated, ignorant and racist. There are definitely enough of those rough kid there that it must be really challenging for them. I thank God daily that there is school choice for all kids in this city.

What you are saying is unbelievable. It's you that I feel sad for if you truly mean what you say. If you were "the community", then your outlook would be much different. You sound very closed minded and uninformed. I thank God for many things too, but, I also pray to God that attitudes from people of your ilk act out of support and love rather than out of fear and grudges. You say kids at Noyes are culturally isolated, well, I challenge you to look in the mirror for the reason that is. Matter of fact, you sound like you are behaving culturally isolated. Making DC homogenous in your likeness could possibly be the downfall of real culture in DC.

The reality is poverty limits your opportunities. Sure a few kids figure out some options, but by definition it does. That is why we advocate for policies trying to get people out of poverty and don't celebrate it. Now I get you that you don't want kids stigmatized and yes a select few kids can really give a place a reputation, but here is the reality, those of us that are middle class don't care for kids that swear and call names, through rocks and eggs at our homes and cars. It won't ever endear the neighbors. Noyes has a problem, it has one of the largest cohorts of poor kids in all of Brookland, no one is running to say let me join in. To ignore that reality is just being oblivous. [/quot

I hear what your saying in some respects about policy. It's not ignoring the problem to be active in a school even if your child doesn't go there. Not saying for everyone to necessarily send their children there if it's not what you're looking for, however, don't badmouth it when you have no idea what's going on there. Running away from problems is being oblivious.

By the way, who are poor and rich don't like it when children swear either. To say that middle-class people don't care for children who do that is so cruel, they are children after all, still able to be corrected and not a lost cause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your tone speaks volumes. You say "join in your community" but what it seems like you don't want to consider is that I am a very active part of my community. I don't need to work "with" the community or "believe in" the community because I AM community. Noyes seems to have absolutely zero interest in interacting with the community. NOTHING. Regardless of the lack of positive lead from the school, I do see great kids every day coming from Noyes and walking past my house. I'm saddened that for whatever reason (logistics, disorganized home life, absent parents) the nice kids are forced to go to school with thugs-in-training and other kids that think it is acceptable to be culturally isolated, ignorant and racist. There are definitely enough of those rough kid there that it must be really challenging for them. I thank God daily that there is school choice for all kids in this city.

What you are saying is unbelievable. It's you that I feel sad for if you truly mean what you say. If you were "the community", then your outlook would be much different. You sound very closed minded and uninformed. I thank God for many things too, but, I also pray to God that attitudes from people of your ilk act out of support and love rather than out of fear and grudges. You say kids at Noyes are culturally isolated, well, I challenge you to look in the mirror for the reason that is. Matter of fact, you sound like you are behaving culturally isolated. Making DC homogenous in your likeness could possibly be the downfall of real culture in DC.

I understand and support what you are saying. It is why my children attend a school that reflects the diversity of the city. That means that there are majority black students and minority white, hispanic and (to a much lesser degree) Asian. I am in fervent opposition of racial homogeneity, and you should be, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your tone speaks volumes. You say "join in your community" but what it seems like you don't want to consider is that I am a very active part of my community. I don't need to work "with" the community or "believe in" the community because I AM community. Noyes seems to have absolutely zero interest in interacting with the community. NOTHING. Regardless of the lack of positive lead from the school, I do see great kids every day coming from Noyes and walking past my house. I'm saddened that for whatever reason (logistics, disorganized home life, absent parents) the nice kids are forced to go to school with thugs-in-training and other kids that think it is acceptable to be culturally isolated, ignorant and racist. There are definitely enough of those rough kid there that it must be really challenging for them. I thank God daily that there is school choice for all kids in this city.

What you are saying is unbelievable. It's you that I feel sad for if you truly mean what you say. If you were "the community", then your outlook would be much different. You sound very closed minded and uninformed. I thank God for many things too, but, I also pray to God that attitudes from people of your ilk act out of support and love rather than out of fear and grudges. You say kids at Noyes are culturally isolated, well, I challenge you to look in the mirror for the reason that is. Matter of fact, you sound like you are behaving culturally isolated. Making DC homogenous in your likeness could possibly be the downfall of real culture in DC.

I understand and support what you are saying. It is why my children attend a school that reflects the diversity of the city. That means that there are majority black students and minority white, hispanic and (to a much lesser degree) Asian. I am in fervent opposition of racial homogeneity, and you should be, too.

Agreed.