Duke Ellington

[Anonymous]

American Idol was supposed to have taught us that mothers are not good judges of talent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the kids I know at Ellington are middle class and white. I'm not sure why you think a kid with no formal instruction is somehow going to do well at an open audition. DC Youth Orchestra is $600 per year, and the instruction is excellent.

Yeah, all the people I happen to know are white and UMC (nice houses in NW).

There. Fixed that for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the kids I know at Ellington are middle class and white. I'm not sure why you think a kid with no formal instruction is somehow going to do well at an open audition. DC Youth Orchestra is $600 per year, and the instruction is excellent.

Yeah, all the people I happen to know are white and UMC (nice houses in NW).

There. Fixed that for you.

Feel better? Good. Of course you’re hilariously wrong, but as long as judging and insulting a stranger makes you feel better that’s whats important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of a talented kid who has not had the luxury of attending fancy classes and is mostly self taught by ear and plays multiple instruments. After going through the process of auditions at DESA and open houses. I am convinced that if you are white this school doesn't want to take you. Sure there are a very few white kids at DE, but I do believe that this school was set up for under privileged blacks in DC and that is who they want, not a white kid from a middle class. Wish they were more transparent about it.

First of all, DE is 10% white which matches the white DCPS population from 5 years ago (it is now 15% but that’s includes preschool level which is far more white so I’d wager it matches or exceeds DC high school DCPS #s). Secondly, you say it’s meant for underprivileged black kids but also complain that those underprivileged kids pay thousands of dollars to train. Which is it? Lastly, you’re dead wrong as I know a white kid that is very average musician that attends. I’m guessing your kid is just not that talented. I’m sorry. Good thing he’s middle class and white, chances are that he will still succeed in life.

[Anonymous]

Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

PP I also know 2 black kids and a biracial kid at DE. Do you have anything to add?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of white families are just not interested in sending their kids to a school where the overwhelming majority of kids are black, TBH. Similar thing going on with Banneker.

Although, I think that is very slowly changing. And I know at least one white kid who was admitted this year.

If Ellington cut the Maryland students (both declared and fraudsters), there would be more places for kids from DC - which after all, pays for the school - and the composition might become more balanced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of a talented kid who has not had the luxury of attending fancy classes and is mostly self taught by ear and plays multiple instruments. After going through the process of auditions at DESA and open houses. I am convinced that if you are white this school doesn't want to take you. Sure there are a very few white kids at DE, but I do believe that this school was set up for under privileged blacks in DC and that is who they want, not a white kid from a middle class. Wish they were more transparent about it.

First of all, DE is 10% white which matches the white DCPS population from 5 years ago (it is now 15% but that’s includes preschool level which is far more white so I’d wager it matches or exceeds DC high school DCPS #s). Secondly, you say it’s meant for underprivileged black kids but also complain that those underprivileged kids pay thousands of dollars to train. Which is it? Lastly, you’re dead wrong as I know a white kid that is very average musician that attends. I’m guessing your kid is just not that talented. I’m sorry. Good thing he’s middle class and white, chances are that he will still succeed in life.

More and more, you’d think DE is for middle class kids from PG County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

Only racism can explain that disparity.

DC population is 50% non-black.

Where are the whites, the Hispanics, the Asians, the foreign-born?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

Only racism can explain that disparity.

DC population is 50% non-black.

Where are the whites, the Hispanics, the Asians, the foreign-born?

However, the population in public schools is predominantly black/Latino. I don’t remember the specific percentage but it’s still high, like 80%.

I think racism may affect the disparity, but not in the way you imagine. A recent WaPo article said something like half of DC white kids are in privates. Yes, half. If you want schools to be more diverse, convince white families to use public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

Only racism can explain that disparity.

DC population is 50% non-black.

Where are the whites, the Hispanics, the Asians, the foreign-born?

Why are you bringing up a stat that has NOTHING to do with the DC Schools? The demographics match almost identical to DCPS students in 9th-12th. Thank u, next.

[Anonymous]

Here's my complicated response to the OP:

My white kid applied to Ellington. When we went to the family interview, it was the first interview of the day, and the head of the department dd was applying to was distracted and left the meeting for 10 minutes and then came back. She wasn't rude but never seemed warm. And I heard that one of dd's AA friends was warmly welcomed by the department head and told what a wonderful writer she was. So I did wonder if dd being middle class and white would count against her. But dd was accepted and I learned later that the department head was very disorganized and she was notparticularly warm and since it was the first interview of the day I suspect she excused herself to go find dd's file. She may not have been prepared for the interview. Plus, dd's friend is in fact a wonderful writer and is now pursing a career as a poet.

I think this is a natural thing to wonder about - especially because over the years low-income kids in this city really have needed the support of their teachers and administrators at a place like Ellington. And when you're worried about your depressed kid getting into a magnet school they really like, all kinds of insecurities plague you. However, OP, your post reads rather differently. Your post states out right that Ellington doesn't care about white kids. Really? That's what you took away from your experience there?

I'm not saying that staff and teachers at Ellington don't see it as their special mission to serve low-income kids in this city but you're saying that they don't care about white, middle-class kids at all - all based on your brief experience. I think you might be suffering from confirmation bias - where people interpret events based on their pre-existing assumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

Only racism can explain that disparity.

DC population is 50% non-black.

Where are the whites, the Hispanics, the Asians, the foreign-born?

However, the population in public schools is predominantly black/Latino. I don’t remember the specific percentage but it’s still high, like 80%.

I think racism may affect the disparity, but not in the way you imagine. A recent WaPo article said something like half of DC white kids are in privates. Yes, half. If you want schools to be more diverse, convince white families to use public schools.

That study used 2011/12 school year data — I’d be curious if this has changed in the last seven years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

Only racism can explain that disparity.

DC population is 50% non-black.

Where are the whites, the Hispanics, the Asians, the foreign-born?

However, the population in public schools is predominantly black/Latino. I don’t remember the specific percentage but it’s still high, like 80%.

I think racism may affect the disparity, but not in the way you imagine. A recent WaPo article said something like half of DC white kids are in privates. Yes, half. If you want schools to be more diverse, convince white families to use public schools.

That study used 2011/12 school year data — I’d be curious if this has changed in the last seven years.

2018 data is there. Google is your friend. Total DCPS is 14% white. High school is significantly lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hilarious that everyone just know white kids attending Duke Ellington, yet it is approx 90% black. I'm sure it's really stiff competition.

Only racism can explain that disparity.

DC population is 50% non-black.

Where are the whites, the Hispanics, the Asians, the foreign-born?

However, the population in public schools is predominantly black/Latino. I don’t remember the specific percentage but it’s still high, like 80%.

I think racism may affect the disparity, but not in the way you imagine. A recent WaPo article said something like half of DC white kids are in privates. Yes, half. If you want schools to be more diverse, convince white families to use public schools.

That study used 2011/12 school year data — I’d be curious if this has changed in the last seven years.

2018 data is there. Google is your friend. Total DCPS is 14% white. High school is significantly lower.

And if you consider all public school students - not just DCPS - white students are 10%.