Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: valuable for PD etc or is there better

[Anonymous]

The teachers at DC's school read this after an incident at the school as PD - I think a number of them learned something from it, but it became a 'check the box' thing also, as though they now understood racism and let's move on... which was sad.

[Anonymous]

My school passed out copies to teachers for summer reading with the stated intention of “working through it” during the school year. It may be a DCPS thing as they bought the books for us and we are expected to return them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:people of similar backgrounds group together, race/class/religion/politics etc it's completely normal and expected

Are they though, particularly in this area? This has not been either of my kids experiences in school or among their friends outside of school at all. They are in high school and have never had a group of friends with a predominant racial profile.

Are you white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was interested in suggested reading on for lack of better terms, pop psychology of racial identity development in adolescents. Anybody read this book? Would you suggest it? Something better? Anything to avoid for discussions with staff or among parents, etc.?

I’ve heard great things, including from a friend who’s an academic in the field of educational diversity. For what it’s worth, though, small warning that the (long) intro to the new edition is kind of a disorganized mess. I got halfway through the intro, it felt like a slog, so I set it down and am just now realizing that I never went back to finish the book. Next time, I’ll just skip or skim the intro and dive right in to the text itself.

[Anonymous]

the very long prologue's point is that racism continues but it is not valuable if you read domestic news regularly.

[Anonymous]

Consider inviting students from MCPS’s minority scholars program to speak to your staff. They are powerful and moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:people of similar backgrounds group together, race/class/religion/politics etc it's completely normal and expected

Are they though, particularly in this area? This has not been either of my kids experiences in school or among their friends outside of school at all. They are in high school and have never had a group of friends with a predominant racial profile.

In my experience when white people say that, they are exaggerating. Not on purpose. They see 2-3 non-white kids in the otherwise all-white 10-12 person friend and think “Look how diverse!” Once I went to pick up my biracial DD from a pool party. There were eight girls. Two were mixed race. The others were white girls of various hair colors. The hosting mom snapped a photo of the girls and said “It’s just like a Benneton ad.” She honestly meant it. It really looked incredibly diverse to her.

My daughter's principal spoke at the back to school night about the pride he took in working in such a diverse place then proceeded to name a bunch of European countries that are represented at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:people of similar backgrounds group together, race/class/religion/politics etc it's completely normal and expected

Are they though, particularly in this area? This has not been either of my kids experiences in school or among their friends outside of school at all. They are in high school and have never had a group of friends with a predominant racial profile.

Are you white?

Whether or not they are I’m totally calling BS on this one.

[Anonymous]

It’s a really good one for folks at the “cultural proficiency 101” level but I think it would also spark some good discussion for teachers who are further along.

Blind Spot is another good one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:people of similar backgrounds group together, race/class/religion/politics etc it's completely normal and expected

Are they though, particularly in this area? This has not been either of my kids experiences in school or among their friends outside of school at all. They are in high school and have never had a group of friends with a predominant racial profile.

Are you white?

Whether or not they are I’m totally calling BS on this one.

Why is that strange? Np here. I am white and grew up with a diverse group of friends. Not from this area but it's not rare. My own kid also has a diverse group of friends. We also go to church with a diverse group of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider inviting students from MCPS’s minority scholars program to speak to your staff. They are powerful and moving.

Or Study Circles.

[Anonymous]

Here's a book that had a big impact on me as a white teacher.

"For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...and the Rest of Yall Too" by Christopher Emdin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:people of similar backgrounds group together, race/class/religion/politics etc it's completely normal and expected

Are they though, particularly in this area? This has not been either of my kids experiences in school or among their friends outside of school at all. They are in high school and have never had a group of friends with a predominant racial profile.

In my experience when white people say that, they are exaggerating. Not on purpose. They see 2-3 non-white kids in the otherwise all-white 10-12 person friend and think “Look how diverse!” Once I went to pick up my biracial DD from a pool party. There were eight girls. Two were mixed race. The others were white girls of various hair colors. The hosting mom snapped a photo of the girls and said “It’s just like a Benneton ad.” She honestly meant it. It really looked incredibly diverse to her.

My daughter's principal spoke at the back to school night about the pride he took in working in such a diverse place then proceeded to name a bunch of European countries that are represented at the school.

I worked at a W-feeder school where the principal did that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:people of similar backgrounds group together, race/class/religion/politics etc it's completely normal and expected

Are they though, particularly in this area? This has not been either of my kids experiences in school or among their friends outside of school at all. They are in high school and have never had a group of friends with a predominant racial profile.

Are you white?

Whether or not they are I’m totally calling BS on this one.

Why is that strange? Np here. I am white and grew up with a diverse group of friends. Not from this area but it's not rare. My own kid also has a diverse group of friends. We also go to church with a diverse group of people.

What percentage of these groups are white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:people of similar backgrounds group together, race/class/religion/politics etc it's completely normal and expected

Are they though, particularly in this area? This has not been either of my kids experiences in school or among their friends outside of school at all. They are in high school and have never had a group of friends with a predominant racial profile.

Are you white?

Whether or not they are I’m totally calling BS on this one.

Why is that strange? Np here. I am white and grew up with a diverse group of friends. Not from this area but it's not rare. My own kid also has a diverse group of friends. We also go to church with a diverse group of people.

NP. I’m black and from this area. Also grew up with a fairly diverse set of friends. But there was absolutely a black table. Also, I attended more than one county of schools, including JEB Stuart. There were AA, Hispanic, Vietnamese, Korean, misc tables at lunch even in majority minority districts. People will always find a way to cluster. I never really picked one table and didn’t run with a clique, which is why I had diverse friends. But people absolutely silo off, and this is common. I find it depends on what area you went to school in as to how diverse your friends were. Diversity in 22042 was very different gam the diversity I had in 22182.