Racial/Socioeconomic diversity at Sidwell versus Beauvoir?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then again, having a welcome event during the day when people are working isn't very inclusive.

Touche. Both schools my son was accepted to had welcome events during the week following the weekend they sent out acceptance letters. I work and couldn't get off with one or two days notice so I didn't go to either. One school called me a few days later and asked me if I had received the invite in the acceptance letter and I said "Yes." They asked why I didn't come to the event and I told them I work and couldn't take off w/o a good week's notice. That perplexed them. I ended up turning that school down.

[Anonymous]

I believe I heard the head of Beauvoir give a 42% "diversity" (however that is defined) figure in response to a parent question at Tuesday's coffee for possible new parents..

[Anonymous]

According to Beauvoir's own website, the figure that you provided is wrong and way too high--they claim it's only 30%. Sidwell, on the other, has racial diversity of 40%.

Anonymous wrote:I believe I heard the head of Beauvoir give a 42% "diversity" (however that is defined) figure in response to a parent question at Tuesday's coffee for possible new parents..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell definitely has more racial and socioeconomic diversity. They also have a Model UN, Chinese Language Club, Asian Student Alliance, Latin American Students club, French Club, Jewish Culture Club, Middle Eastern Culture Club, Black Student Union and Scots-Irish Alliance.

Below is the link from Sidwell's website--very inclusive:

http://www.sidwell.edu/data/files/pages/documents/upper_school/Student%20Clubs%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf

Beauvoir is a PK-3 school, so it would be rather unusual if they had these kinds of clubs -- how many Sidwell PK students participate in the Scots-Irish Alliance? Similarly, when comparing financial aid budgets you should not compare the amount that a PK-3 school gives with the amount a much bigger PK-12 school provides.

[Anonymous]

Sidwell wrote:For the 2009-2010 school year, 1,109 students (560 boys and 549 girls) are enrolled. Forty percent of the student body are students of color. Twenty-three percent of the student body receive $5.4 million of need-based financial assistance.

Wow, if you do the math, this is pretty amazing. This means that 255 students are receiving an average need-based assistance award of over $21,000. But for fundraising by the school, that means for the other 854 students not receiving aid, $6,300 (21%) of each student's tuition is going toward financial aid. Pretty amazing.

[Anonymous]

To the PP who stated that head of Beauvoir gave an incorrect number at the parent coffee, I would offer that perhaps she gave the correct number and the web site is not up-to-date. But then I just generally assume people, particularly a head of school, is telling the truth when speaking to a group of people who have presumably scoured the school's web site. Silly me.

[Anonymous]

The 30% stat comes from Beauvoir's own website. The inflated stat came from an anonymous poster on an anonymous message board. Guess which one is more credible?

Anonymous wrote:To the PP who stated that head of Beauvoir gave an incorrect number at the parent coffee, I would offer that perhaps she gave the correct number and the web site is not up-to-date. But then I just generally assume people, particularly a head of school, is telling the truth when speaking to a group of people who have presumably scoured the school's web site. Silly me.

[Anonymous]

This plus the info about giving over $5 million a year to needy families--very impressive, Sidwell!

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell definitely has more racial and socioeconomic diversity. They also have a Model UN, Chinese Language Club, Asian Student Alliance, Latin American Students club, French Club, Jewish Culture Club, Middle Eastern Culture Club, Black Student Union and Scots-Irish Alliance.

Below is the link from Sidwell's website--very inclusive:

http://www.sidwell.edu/data/files/pages/documents/upper_school/Student%20Clubs%20at%20a%20Glance.pdf

[Anonymous]

Parent with Sidwell-bound child here who was at the Beauvoir reception -- I can confirm that the Beauvoir director used the 42% number at the reception.

Anonymous wrote:The 30% stat comes from Beauvoir's own website. The inflated stat came from an anonymous poster on an anonymous message board. Guess which one is more credible?

Anonymous wrote:To the PP who stated that head of Beauvoir gave an incorrect number at the parent coffee, I would offer that perhaps she gave the correct number and the web site is not up-to-date. But then I just generally assume people, particularly a head of school, is telling the truth when speaking to a group of people who have presumably scoured the school's web site. Silly me.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't seem like the difference between 30% and 42% is really that significant. In a class of 21 children, that's 6 vs. 9 children. Not a huge difference either way. Not worth arguing about.

[Anonymous]

Honestly what counts as diversity may not really be "diverse"...some people lie...some people just mean they're not white (maybe they're Middle Eastern)...it doesn't count "economic diversity".

[Anonymous]

I think Beauvoir always has one class in each grade where the "minority" is the majority... and chances are if you are a minority family at least 2 of the 4/5 years at the school your child will be in the class where there will be more non-caucasians than caucasians. I think this is wonderful opportunity for both white and non-white children to let go of associating people who are white as the majority.

[Anonymous]

While I realize that the level of diversity in a school is not important to you, it is important to some of us--which is why OP started this thread and why some anonymous people are inflating stats in a misguided effort to promote their school. It's actually pretty straightforward--OP specifically asked which school has more racial and socioeconomic diversity. Both schools address these issues in writing on their official websites--40% racial diversity at Sidwell and 30% racial diversity at Beauvoir. Sidwell gives away $5.4 million per year to needy families, Beauvoir gives away $1 million per year to needy families. While Sidwell and Beauvoir are both lovely schools, the answer to OP's question is: Sidwell clearly has more racial and socioeconomic diversity.

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't seem like the difference between 30% and 42% is really that significant. In a class of 21 children, that's 6 vs. 9 children. Not a huge difference either way. Not worth arguing about.

[Anonymous]

PP here who posted the 42% for Beauvoir based on the Head of School's statement. I'm not "inflating" anything, just relaying what she said just days ago. Happily, most people actually facing the fortunate choice between the two schools would have been to both Beauvoir and Sidwell recently, heard what was said at both meet and greets, and had a chance to see some types of diversity with their own eyes (not that many kinds of diversity can be seen, but some can). Based on geographic issues we did not apply to Sidwell. Seems like a fabulous school from the close friends I know who've attended over several decades, and I certainly would have applied had it not been for the elementary school's location. Not all people who post things that may be different than what is on a school's site are lying or are a "booster," whatever that means. Those with a presumption against a school, however, may always assume the worst.

So, if anyone who attended the parent coffee at Beauvoir would like to chime in, please do. Oh, but then I'll be accused of necessarily being a sock-puppet who inflates numbers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I realize that the level of diversity in a school is not important to you, it is important to some of us--which is why OP started this thread and why some anonymous people are inflating stats in a misguided effort to promote their school. It's actually pretty straightforward--OP specifically asked which school has more racial and socioeconomic diversity. Both schools address these issues in writing on their official websites--40% racial diversity at Sidwell and 30% racial diversity at Beauvoir. Sidwell gives away $5.4 million per year to needy families, Beauvoir gives away $1 million per year to needy families. While Sidwell and Beauvoir are both lovely schools, the answer to OP's question is: Sidwell clearly has more racial and socioeconomic diversity.

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't seem like the difference between 30% and 42% is really that significant. In a class of 21 children, that's 6 vs. 9 children. Not a huge difference either way. Not worth arguing about.

I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm not only the person who thinks there's little meaningful difference between 30% and 42%, but I'm also the person who originally posted at 7:39 the data from each school's website that you're referencing. Moreover, I posted my own opinions about Sidwell's diversity at 7:12. Diversity is important to me too, and if there were a significant disparity between the diversity numbers at the schools, I'd consider that relevant. But given the relatively small class sizes, I don't see the difference between 30% and 40% and 42% as terribly significant. I suppose OP can decide for herself what's significant enough for her family.