New Report on Racial and Economic Diversity in DC public and charter schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At some point, well-educated UMC parents (regardless of race) need to wake up (become "woke" heh) and realize being an elitist is not evil. You worked hard to be an elite, and you want to give your kids the same opportunity. Or, if not, just be a hypocrite about what you say versus what you do. There's not much in-between, other than to try to be a good person while seeking the best for your family.

Yup. This is why I live in the 'burbs, after PS-2 in DC.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Chicago sounds like a real pain in the tuchas for families with school-age children. San Francisco, too. And Manhattan. It's really tough to be a highly-educated person who loves an urban environment but also wants to raise well-educated kids. On the bright side: the availability of self-determined options in D.C. is a lot better than what's available in some other cities.

spare me. you don't get to "love an urban environment" and not have to, you know, actually LIVE with your neighbors side by side.

You're trying to say something else. Obviously, everyone who lives in the city lives next to their neighbors, "side by side." You seem to be really angry that some people who have money can get a good school for their kids AND live in the city; whereas you are stuck with literally the worst performing school system in the United States because you either can't, or refuse, to move into a better public school boundary. If you own your residence, it's still possible to move into a condo in a better school zone, depending on how much you care about your child's education. Clearly, we need more condos to make choices along this line even easier; but you don't seem the type to even consider it. Stew away.

My kid goes to an excellent and diverse school, so I have no worries at all about the quality of his schooling. What's gross is to say "Oh Muffie, don't you just love the urban environment" whilst clutching pearls at your children having to attend school along with the locals.

Where we seem to agree is we both like living in the City. Where we disagree is my ability to see how the overall quality of DCPS is at an apocalyptic level of horrible, recognize that reality, and encourage others to do their best to avoid the worst. Instead, you want to condemn your neighbors to to send their kids into that mess, based on some kind of moralistic mantra that I can't figure out or even wish to understand. But, based on your last comment, it seems you have made a wise choice to benefit your family. Good for you. Hypocrisy though?

My child is going to his zoned IB DCPS school and it's excellent. We're considering the zoned middle school as well, but I think that if DCPS wants diversity they have to do more to engaged with high SES (not all white!) parents. My "moralistic mantra" is "don't be a racist d*ck."

Wait - all of this preaching, and you're only "considering" the IB middle school. Well, well, well. You're not wholeheartedly embracing it? What are your reservations? Perhaps they are the same reservations as your neighbors, who have already moved their kids, have?

Elementary school in DC is easy, for the most part. Most schools are fine. But you're thinking of bailing when the rubber meats the road in MS. There's a word for that, isn't there?

Oh you think you "got me," lol. Several issues with what you wrote. First of all, no, it is not true that "elementary school is easy." Many schools have seen more IB investment by high SES parents in the past 10 years due to concerted, thoughful effort by parents willing to think outside the box and not be scared of diversity. Second of all, I transparently admit that I have hesitations about the zoned middle school. I wrote upthread that MS and HS pathways are the big stumbling block to diversity, and that anyone who truly cares about diversity would realize that they have to engage with high SES parents more than they are currently. Nobody ever said (except for Nikole Hannah Jones, who is actually lying about the school she chose) that you have to enroll your child in the worst school. That's nonsensical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At some point, well-educated UMC parents (regardless of race) need to wake up (become "woke" heh) and realize being an elitist is not evil. You worked hard to be an elite, and you want to give your kids the same opportunity. Or, if not, just be a hypocrite about what you say versus what you do. There's not much in-between, other than to try to be a good person while seeking the best for your family.

Yeah you only think that because you're scared. I'm here to tell you that there are extremely smart, extremely well-educated parents who are not obsessed with maximizing the eliteness of our children's educations via whiteness as a proxy. Perhaps we are more secure in our childrens abilities than you are? Probably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At some point, well-educated UMC parents (regardless of race) need to wake up (become "woke" heh) and realize being an elitist is not evil. You worked hard to be an elite, and you want to give your kids the same opportunity. Or, if not, just be a hypocrite about what you say versus what you do. There's not much in-between, other than to try to be a good person while seeking the best for your family.

Yeah you only think that because you're scared. I'm here to tell you that there are extremely smart, extremely well-educated parents who are not obsessed with maximizing the eliteness of our children's educations via whiteness as a proxy. Perhaps we are more secure in our childrens abilities than you are? Probably.

I don't think anyone with children enrolled in a DC Public School is scared of diversity. At all. Transparently, you think the worst of "white people's" motivations, when they are participating in a school district composed of only 10% white people. You're blind. This isn't Alabama or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At some point, well-educated UMC parents (regardless of race) need to wake up (become "woke" heh) and realize being an elitist is not evil. You worked hard to be an elite, and you want to give your kids the same opportunity. Or, if not, just be a hypocrite about what you say versus what you do. There's not much in-between, other than to try to be a good person while seeking the best for your family.

Yeah you only think that because you're scared. I'm here to tell you that there are extremely smart, extremely well-educated parents who are not obsessed with maximizing the eliteness of our children's educations via whiteness as a proxy. Perhaps we are more secure in our childrens abilities than you are? Probably.

I don't think anyone with children enrolled in a DC Public School is scared of diversity. At all. Transparently, you think the worst of "white people's" motivations, when they are participating in a school district composed of only 10% white people. You're blind. This isn't Alabama or something.

Ok you clearly have an ax to grind that has nothing to do with those of us who want to stay in DC and improve DCPS/Charters for all. Good day, sir!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At some point, well-educated UMC parents (regardless of race) need to wake up (become "woke" heh) and realize being an elitist is not evil. You worked hard to be an elite, and you want to give your kids the same opportunity. Or, if not, just be a hypocrite about what you say versus what you do. There's not much in-between, other than to try to be a good person while seeking the best for your family.

Yeah you only think that because you're scared. I'm here to tell you that there are extremely smart, extremely well-educated parents who are not obsessed with maximizing the eliteness of our children's educations via whiteness as a proxy. Perhaps we are more secure in our childrens abilities than you are? Probably.

I don't think anyone with children enrolled in a DC Public School is scared of diversity. At all. Transparently, you think the worst of "white people's" motivations, when they are participating in a school district composed of only 10% white people. You're blind. This isn't Alabama or something.

I'm white and hate political correctness but you are blind as a bat to say this. Many white folks are avoiding schools because they don't have a high enough white population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At some point, well-educated UMC parents (regardless of race) need to wake up (become "woke" heh) and realize being an elitist is not evil. You worked hard to be an elite, and you want to give your kids the same opportunity. Or, if not, just be a hypocrite about what you say versus what you do. There's not much in-between, other than to try to be a good person while seeking the best for your family.

Yeah you only think that because you're scared. I'm here to tell you that there are extremely smart, extremely well-educated parents who are not obsessed with maximizing the eliteness of our children's educations via whiteness as a proxy. Perhaps we are more secure in our childrens abilities than you are? Probably.

I don't think anyone with children enrolled in a DC Public School is scared of diversity. At all. Transparently, you think the worst of "white people's" motivations, when they are participating in a school district composed of only 10% white people. You're blind. This isn't Alabama or something.

I'm white and hate political correctness but you are blind as a bat to say this. Many white folks are avoiding schools because they don't have a high enough white population.

Where? In D.C.? I suppose you could bring up Banneker as maybe the only example, but whites are not avoiding that school because they're "scared of diversity," which was the premise of this mini-thread. Maybe they are avoiding that demonstrably very good school because it is NOT diverse, but that would be another point entirely.

[Anonymous]

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Integration is such a liberal white folks things. Have you actually talked to any black folks almost none actually want it. In fact most people are fine with the current DC education landscape.

The key for schools is always the principal. There are several success stories with public and charters getting real results with at-risk kids. Its time to take some of the assistant principals at these schools and give them their own schools. That's the only change that needs to happen.

In fact, many of the black folks I have talked to about school options have specifically mentioned an integrated school as important to them. And it certainly a focus of black writers/reporters like Nikole Hannah-Jones.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/magazine/the-resegregation-of-jefferson-county.html

+1. Black person here (raises hand). I want integrated schools, and know plenty of other black people who agree with me. Why revisit this point? We know from history that predominantly black/brown schools don't get the same resources as white schools (Brown vs. Board, anyone?). Plus, I think there is value in attending school with people from different backgrounds--I wish more on this thread felt that way.

I agree with you on the different background being beneficial thing. In 2018 schools receive equal funding so that's not an issue. With open choice if people want to integrate great if not so be it. I think trying to socially engineer this stuff isn't the way to go.

But people don't understand that the educational performance of black students was trending upwards for a long period after the civil rights movement. Integration did work but then all of that became undone and many of those gains were lost. Lost of research on this. Most black people know, myself included that integration works, but at the end of the day white folks really don't want it. You're kidding yourself if you think schools receive equal funding - they in fact do not especially when you start counting the impact of PTA donations. Definitely not equal.

At some point as well, studying hard and achieving academically was no longer celebrated in strugglijg black neighborhoods, but instead was derided as “acting white.” That epithet didn’t help.

And your speaking from personal experience, or what you've heard?

NP. Heard, read, observed. The educational attainment buck ultimately stops with a student's parents, then the student himself. Families that believe education is something you outsource to public schools, or worse, that educational attainment means surrendering to "white values" -- using standard English grammar, academic competitiveness, the rigor of the scientific method -- are doing a grave disservice to their children.

Oh please, "NP," this makes me sick. Blame the poor, disenfranchised black people for their disenfranchisement. I'm sure it's more comfortable to you to blame the effects of generations of concentrated poverty on "acting white" instead of institutionalized racism. I have personal experience attending all black schools, with a good portion of my classmates being very poor, living in the projects, etc.--but personal experience isn't even really necessary to see the lie in your reasoning.

[Anonymous]

Don’t deny that the ‘acting white’ slur holds back some kids. How to stamp out pernicious attitudes like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t deny that the ‘acting white’ slur holds back some kids. How to stamp out pernicious attitudes like this?

how about we stamp out the systematic racism that made "acting white" a thing in the first place? k thanks bye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t deny that the ‘acting white’ slur holds back some kids. How to stamp out pernicious attitudes like this?

how about we stamp out the systematic racism that made "acting white" a thing in the first place? k thanks bye.

How about we stamp out all that paranoia about skin color and race that made systematic racism a thing in the first place?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t deny that the ‘acting white’ slur holds back some kids. How to stamp out pernicious attitudes like this?

how about we stamp out the systematic racism that made "acting white" a thing in the first place? k thanks bye.

Bye, Felicia.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your contributions to this discussion. Very useful, as always.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple posters have touched on this but here's the thing: housing demand and costs are rising across most of DC, including at the top end, generally west of Rock Creek Park, and there is much greater participation in DCPS west of Rock Creek Park overall.

Higher-bracket incomes and race are highly correlated in this area - we know it skews heavily white with the rest of the demographic mix you see at your professional jobs. Overlay that with historical segregation, and there is minimal economic diversity west of Rock Creek Park and the racial and demographic trends correlated with that.

This means that all the "diversity" west of Rock Creek Park (that isn't assimilated/high income) is people taking the excess capacity seats in these DCPS schools. But we are quickly approaching the time when there is no excess capacity.

So if you want diversity, you have to engineer access rules like the lottery or boundaries differently. It's mostly unfixable because it comes at the nexus of geography, income, and race.

My view as someone with kids in the feeder systems further east is to give up on the segregated west. the factors that exclude us are unfixable. Those schools aren't a solution and there's much more to be gained by integrating schools east of Rock Creek Park and helping your neighborhood schools.

We think of diversity as the icing, but academic quality is the cake. When push come to shove, we'll take the cake.

Well, then. Allow me to let you eat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t deny that the ‘acting white’ slur holds back some kids. How to stamp out pernicious attitudes like this?

how about we stamp out the systematic racism that made "acting white" a thing in the first place? k thanks bye.

How about we stamp out all that paranoia about skin color and race that made systematic racism a thing in the first place?

So Jim Crow, sunset towns, redlining and the foreclosure crisis fueled by banks targeting what they described as “mud people” are due to “paranoia”? You might want to check yourself and learn a little history and current affairs.