GDS claims 30% non-white students but I didn't see them
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I still think OP is trolling. But I would agree GDS diversity numbers are less impressive than I'd have expected. http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolName=georgetown+day&NumOfStudentsRange=more&IncGrade=-1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1&ID=Y9101619
799 of 1075 students (almost 75%) are white? Only 86 in the whole school (8%) are black? |
Anonymous
To put things in context, that's less racially diverse than NCS. http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolName=national+cathedral&NumOfStudentsRange=more&IncGrade=-1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1&ID=A9300244 12% AA, and 68% white. |
Anonymous
What should matter most is socio-economic diversity. I fail to see how the African-American daughter of some Big Law managing partner brings more valued "diversity" than the Caucasian daughter of a Pooleville handyman. |
Anonymous
|
So GDS isn't your cup of tea.
Yes, DC publics and charters have more students of color. But they do not come close to reflecting the demographics of the region or the nation by income or ethnicity. As a non-white parent, I find that GDS makes a real effort to educate students about the complexities of race, ethnicity, and class. Yes, GDS and the other selective privates cost $36k/year but that's not because they aim to be economically exclusive. The fact of the matter is that tuition is driven by small class size, teacher salaries (generally lower than public schools), and financial aid. With an average financial aid award of $23k, GDS is financially accessible for many more than you think. |
Anonymous
I'm not sure I agree with "most," but I do agree socio-economic diversity is important as well. Nevertheless, regardless of socio-economic diversity, it seems school should strive for racial diversity as well, don't you think? |
Anonymous
Huh? I'd say a public school is a lot more representative of the area that surrounds it. Nobody said the $36K price tag was deliberately designed to keep out the riffraff. They said that's the effect, though. |
Anonymous
I think that socio-economic diversity pulls in a lot of racial diversity. But I don't see how one can claim that the well-advantaged children of very successful minority parents should be viewed as bringing in much "diversity." Nor (as President Obama has said about kids like his), should such students get an advantage where diversity is weighted in school admissions or hiring. Of course, the reality is that schools crave such superficial or "facial" diversity because it doesn't involve the resources commitment and potential academic risk that may come with admitting students from more challenged social and economic backgrounds. In other words, it's an easy, safe choice for admissions staff. |
Anonymous
That's a pretty white picture, and the AA kids are clustered in a way that makes me think the school isn't well integrated. |
Anonymous
Ah, but I believe you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. It is this exactly. What NW private, really, would seek out the Caucasian daughter of a Poolesville handyman? |
Anonymous
What? Are you joking? Race doesn't matter any more, remember? We actually have a black president now. |
Anonymous
What percent receive financial aid and what is the median financial given? |
Anonymous
| I am pretty sure they are including the teachers and other staff with the demographics. |
Anonymous
| It is ignorant to narrowly define diversity as something you can see -different colored students. Often mixed race students are not very visably non-white. Further, most private school students who are brown or black come from very high SES households and have very privileged backgrounds. Diversity includes things that you can't see: children of any race on FA, people from different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. |
Anonymous
Yes, diversity can include plenty of things you cannot see, such as different economic backgrounds. But where some posters lose me is when they try to suggest that racial diversity is not "real diversity" if it's not also accompanied by economic diversity. If it's ignorant to limit yourself to just differences you can see, it's just as ignorant to pretend those visible differences don't count. That's especially true because so much of what we do as parents is teaching our children to appreciate and respect those who seem different from us. If the differences are invisible ones that no one even knows about, then children are not learning much about diversity, are they? |
Anonymous
| Although I agree that prestigious private schools should seek economic diversity, please do not assume if you are AA and not poor you do not face discrimination. We are a middle class AA family with DC at well known private schools in the DC area. They have faced racism at school at times. Outside of school they have many economic advantages, but they are certainly not immune to racism. For example many white people have commented to me that my DC were admitted to these schools because they are black. They have no idea of our childrens' grades and test scores. So in addition to economic diversity, I believe that racial diversity remains important, not as compensation for discrimination, but because a true learning community needs to have people with a diversity of perspectives. |