Banneker interviews

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Small point, but they do, in fact, teach Latin at Banneker.

This thread suddenly turned into misinformation zone. Don't rely on it for real information about Banneker, folks.

It's really hard to tell if it's the usual racist trolls or if it's the type As trying to increase the odds of their kids getting in by getting others to drop interest.

They're not even trying hard - readily obvious falsehoods.

Grow up already.

They teach 14 or 15 AP subjects and we're racist trolls for noting that that's not nearly enough in 2024 for an elite "application" high school program. Got it. But our true racist selves emerge when we mention that Banneker IBD scores have been dismal from the get go, for many years now.

It’s also a Title 1 school that requires significant community service hours.

Are the community service requirements different from the usual 100 hours? And the point of offering more APs is that it gives students more choice.

Banneker requires 270 community service hours spread out over four years: 45 in freshman and sophomore year, 90 in junior and senior year.

Am I correct that since the DCPS graduation requirement is 100 hours of community service, Banneker will still allow you to graduate as long as you have 100 hours? The 270 hours of community service is a requirement in theory but cannot be enforced in practice

No clue. I graduated from there years ago, but no one ever challenged it. You have to go to your community lab site every Wednesday. Every other week, school gets out two hours early for that specific purpose. I'm not sure how it is now, but back when I was there you had to get a sign off from your community lab supervisor verifying your progress towards your hours.

This is all still true today. Also, community lab is 1.5 ungraded credits (0.25, 0.25, 0.5, 0.5), and those credits are required for the Banneker diploma. I suppose you could stop midway through your senior year and transfer to your neighborhood school and get a DCPS diploma, but why would you want to?

You can just stay at Banneker and get a DCPS diploma. I believe they would have to give it to you if you fulfill the DCPS graduation requirements. You would not need to transfer to your neighborhood school. And to be honest, barely anyone outside of Banneker is aware there is a separate Banneker diploma and who ever looks at your diploma anyway. I’m not advocating that students skip the Banneker community service requirements but I do believe clarifying options is important. Feel free to ask at the Banneker interview- what happens if a student does not complete all the required 270 hours of community service? If they are honest, they will tell you that the student will still graduate

Idk. My kid is already at Banneker and really enjoys their community lab situation, and also as a parent I try to encourage responsible and pro-social behavior, so I don’t plan to “clarify” this “option.”

Smart. Sounds like an easy way to weed your family out as it’s incredibly entitled to try to circumvent the requirements.

Banneker is not a school that caters to UMC parents nor should it be in a city for the diverse city of students it serves. I would love for them to offer additional IB and AP courses and they probably will eventually. Most kids prefer the AP track though there seems to be more interest than usual in the IB track in the current freshman class.

Brooklyn Tech grad, POC, who couldn't disagree more. Your myopia and, presumably, white guilt, is unacknowledged in the argument you're making. When an urban magnet HS "caters" to UMC parents, what it's doing is serving the talented, hard-working poor kids there better than a more socio-economically segregated program ever could. I doubt that I could have handled a top 10 SLAC on a Pell Grant without having had many high SES and, gasp, white and Asian classmates, in HS. At BT, I became friends with kids whose parents, who I also got to know, had attended my future alma mater. I didn't know those sorts of highly educated and prosperous people before HS. Making high SES friends at school broadened my horizons in a thousand constructive ways, enabling me to imagine my own UMC future. I'd really like to see Banneker become no more as AA and low SES than the population of the District is. The interview my kid just had seemed stuck in a time warp. We're not as interested as we were before our interviews.

PP here. My best friend is Brooklyn Tech grad, SWW for me. We're both disappointed in how drastically the demographics have changed over the years. We're both POC, FYI.

Attending a socioeconomically diverse school was an excellent experience for us as well. However, there was a time when SWW and Brooklyn Tech better reflected the city it serves. UMC families have MacArthur and Jackson-Reed as IB options, in addition to DC magnet. For some hardworking kids in the city, the alternatives are schools like Anacostia or Woodson, where completing HS is the accomplishment. While Banneker was our first choice, our family's backup plan was to move IB for RM or another MoCo school. As frustrating as navigating choices in DCPS can be, I recognize that most families at Banneker will not have the means to change zip codes for better options.

I really do appreciate that Banneker recognizes that some of their students were performing well at underperforming MSs and will arrive behind their peers. The goal is college readiness for everyone. The school is growing and AP/IB offerings will increase over time. Our household is trying to figure out where to fit in Physics with the IB program. Not ideal, but I get it. I've there are only 3 kids in IB desiring Physics, that probably wouldn't move the needle.

Do you mean do physics at Banneker or somewhere else. I don’t think Banneker offers physics

Banneker offers Physics but not an AP option. It's not available to those in the IB program, however.

Lame. This shouldn't be happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I for one really liked what I saw at the Banneker interview. The entry was so different from entering our EOTP middle. The security guards watched you but were friendly, no one was ordering you around, they helped you get through, even though they also weren’t shirking the process.

The kids at the table hustled DS off to his test or whatever it was. Another kid brought me to a nearby space where she answered my million questions. And though a charter kid she was clearly from my kid’s demographic. And just being there I could see a demographic mix I liked. Not dominated by Ward 3 kids, nobody slumming from privates, no Georgetown professor’s kids as far as I could tell.

And the program the AP and teacher and administrator described was rigorous. Character building. Community focused. The kind of thing we just haven’t seen up to this point. To date the program has taught my kid and not much more, he’s spent his time teaching his friends, and it’s tiring after a while despite his inherent goodwill and friendliness.

I think it’ll be good for him. And it’s inspiring to me. I yearn for a community like this. After seeing how DCPS has done so little to integrate or improve, with (now I’m sounding pretentious I know) Obama followed by Voldemort, with BLM ending in a painting on 16th Street, I am really looking forward to a small version of a future that America appears not to want. Where _these_ kids replace us.

Just impressed is all.

Rigor is relative and we're mired in relativity here in DCPS. Without ES GT, without above grade-level offerings in DCPS middle schools outside math (maybe) and without the demographics for broad-based high-achievement due to insufficient home support, Banneker can only be so rigorous across the board.

I used to interview at Banneker as volunteer for my Ivy, did that for over a decade. I stopped because nobody was getting in, not even close as far as I could tell. I was interviewing top students who'd scored 3s on most of their APs (having taken no more than 4 or 5 exams) with SAT scores in the high 500s or low 600s, or so the kids told me. Maybe you lose patience if you attended a full-fledged magnet high school where Banneker type students achieve so much more. I don't doubt that the school does a fine job with character building and community. Signed - Less Than Impressed Boston Latin Grad, POC, Firs Gen College

[Anonymous]

Hey, our old friend the burned-out Ivy interviewer is back!

For the record, this is not a new character on Banneker threads. The comment linked here is from October 2012.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/495/259188.page#2905469

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Small point, but they do, in fact, teach Latin at Banneker.

Not AP Latin.

I met the AP Latin teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I for one really liked what I saw at the Banneker interview. The entry was so different from entering our EOTP middle. The security guards watched you but were friendly, no one was ordering you around, they helped you get through, even though they also weren’t shirking the process.

The kids at the table hustled DS off to his test or whatever it was. Another kid brought me to a nearby space where she answered my million questions. And though a charter kid she was clearly from my kid’s demographic. And just being there I could see a demographic mix I liked. Not dominated by Ward 3 kids, nobody slumming from privates, no Georgetown professor’s kids as far as I could tell.

And the program the AP and teacher and administrator described was rigorous. Character building. Community focused. The kind of thing we just haven’t seen up to this point. To date the program has taught my kid and not much more, he’s spent his time teaching his friends, and it’s tiring after a while despite his inherent goodwill and friendliness.

I think it’ll be good for him. And it’s inspiring to me. I yearn for a community like this. After seeing how DCPS has done so little to integrate or improve, with (now I’m sounding pretentious I know) Obama followed by Voldemort, with BLM ending in a painting on 16th Street, I am really looking forward to a small version of a future that America appears not to want. Where _these_ kids replace us.

Just impressed is all.

Not sure what you have against Georgetown professors kids. I teach at American University. Is that a problem for you too? Would it help if I said I am AA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I for one really liked what I saw at the Banneker interview. The entry was so different from entering our EOTP middle. The security guards watched you but were friendly, no one was ordering you around, they helped you get through, even though they also weren’t shirking the process.

The kids at the table hustled DS off to his test or whatever it was. Another kid brought me to a nearby space where she answered my million questions. And though a charter kid she was clearly from my kid’s demographic. And just being there I could see a demographic mix I liked. Not dominated by Ward 3 kids, nobody slumming from privates, no Georgetown professor’s kids as far as I could tell.

And the program the AP and teacher and administrator described was rigorous. Character building. Community focused. The kind of thing we just haven’t seen up to this point. To date the program has taught my kid and not much more, he’s spent his time teaching his friends, and it’s tiring after a while despite his inherent goodwill and friendliness.

I think it’ll be good for him. And it’s inspiring to me. I yearn for a community like this. After seeing how DCPS has done so little to integrate or improve, with (now I’m sounding pretentious I know) Obama followed by Voldemort, with BLM ending in a painting on 16th Street, I am really looking forward to a small version of a future that America appears not to want. Where _these_ kids replace us.

Just impressed is all.

We were impressed as well. I got barked at by the security guards when picking up my kid from his MS and found the guards at Banneker incredibly sweet in comparison. The check in and marshalling process was entirely student-run and couldn’t have been more efficient. Our student escort - an IB senior - was very very smart and is likely on her way to a fantastic college. If what she and the teacher interviewers told us about college admissions and financial aid remotely bears scrutiny, it would hard to see how one could go wrong with Banneker. The building is beautiful and centrally located, so that’s a plus too. The downsides for us are what has been discussed here about the curriculum. Having a 20 kid IB program that only a third of interested kids are inducted into is silly. And the bare bones AP and foreign languages offerings are not befitting a school that seeks to attract the highest achievers in the city. It’s still a good choice but not the home run it should be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey, our old friend the burned-out Ivy interviewer is back!

For the record, this is not a new character on Banneker threads. The comment linked here is from October 2012.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/495/259188.page#2905469

That was the spouse back in October 2012.

For the record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, our old friend the burned-out Ivy interviewer is back!

For the record, this is not a new character on Banneker threads. The comment linked here is from October 2012.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/495/259188.page#2905469

That was the spouse back in October 2012.

For the record.

Still incredible that someone dug it up 12 years on. How the hell did they even remember it, let alone find it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, our old friend the burned-out Ivy interviewer is back!

For the record, this is not a new character on Banneker threads. The comment linked here is from October 2012.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/495/259188.page#2905469

That was the spouse back in October 2012.

For the record.

Still incredible that someone dug it up 12 years on. How the hell did they even remember it, let alone find it?

Here’s the Ivy interviewer themself, August 2012.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/165/249755.page#2639934

I only remembered it from a few years ago, when someone else ID’d them. Not hard to find them in the archives with a couple of key words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, our old friend the burned-out Ivy interviewer is back!

For the record, this is not a new character on Banneker threads. The comment linked here is from October 2012.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/495/259188.page#2905469

That was the spouse back in October 2012.

For the record.

Still incredible that someone dug it up 12 years on. How the hell did they even remember it, let alone find it?

Here’s the Ivy interviewer themself, August 2012.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/165/249755.page#2639934

I only remembered it from a few years ago, when someone else ID’d them. Not hard to find them in the archives with a couple of key words.

I wish I had your key word skills! I always get so many irrelevant results back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, our old friend the burned-out Ivy interviewer is back!

For the record, this is not a new character on Banneker threads. The comment linked here is from October 2012.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/495/259188.page#2905469

That was the spouse back in October 2012.

For the record.

Still incredible that someone dug it up 12 years on. How the hell did they even remember it, let alone find it?

Here’s the Ivy interviewer themself, August 2012.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/165/249755.page#2639934

I only remembered it from a few years ago, when someone else ID’d them. Not hard to find them in the archives with a couple of key words.

You have skills. I really hope you’re employed by the Library of Congress, The Daily Show, or some other entity who can put them to good use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I for one really liked what I saw at the Banneker interview. The entry was so different from entering our EOTP middle. The security guards watched you but were friendly, no one was ordering you around, they helped you get through, even though they also weren’t shirking the process.

The kids at the table hustled DS off to his test or whatever it was. Another kid brought me to a nearby space where she answered my million questions. And though a charter kid she was clearly from my kid’s demographic. And just being there I could see a demographic mix I liked. Not dominated by Ward 3 kids, nobody slumming from privates, no Georgetown professor’s kids as far as I could tell.

And the program the AP and teacher and administrator described was rigorous. Character building. Community focused. The kind of thing we just haven’t seen up to this point. To date the program has taught my kid and not much more, he’s spent his time teaching his friends, and it’s tiring after a while despite his inherent goodwill and friendliness.

I think it’ll be good for him. And it’s inspiring to me. I yearn for a community like this. After seeing how DCPS has done so little to integrate or improve, with (now I’m sounding pretentious I know) Obama followed by Voldemort, with BLM ending in a painting on 16th Street, I am really looking forward to a small version of a future that America appears not to want. Where _these_ kids replace us.

Just impressed is all.

Not sure what you have against Georgetown professors kids. I teach at American University. Is that a problem for you too? Would it help if I said I am AA?

Oh the Georgetown thing was something specific that turned me off and I’ll relate it quickly if I can: I went to a SWW open house and in the English or lit or humanities or whatever it is session, a 50s tanned white guy in a half-zip says “hi I’m a Georgetown professor and I wonder what your approach to teaching gender in the canon is,” or something like that. Such a turnoff humblebrag non-question - and I’m like, “why do I want to be around a community full of phonies like this?”

So it was that. It’s not everything or everyone. It’s the showy privilege oozing out of people that just didn’t seem part of the culture at Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I for one really liked what I saw at the Banneker interview. The entry was so different from entering our EOTP middle. The security guards watched you but were friendly, no one was ordering you around, they helped you get through, even though they also weren’t shirking the process.

The kids at the table hustled DS off to his test or whatever it was. Another kid brought me to a nearby space where she answered my million questions. And though a charter kid she was clearly from my kid’s demographic. And just being there I could see a demographic mix I liked. Not dominated by Ward 3 kids, nobody slumming from privates, no Georgetown professor’s kids as far as I could tell.

And the program the AP and teacher and administrator described was rigorous. Character building. Community focused. The kind of thing we just haven’t seen up to this point. To date the program has taught my kid and not much more, he’s spent his time teaching his friends, and it’s tiring after a while despite his inherent goodwill and friendliness.

I think it’ll be good for him. And it’s inspiring to me. I yearn for a community like this. After seeing how DCPS has done so little to integrate or improve, with (now I’m sounding pretentious I know) Obama followed by Voldemort, with BLM ending in a painting on 16th Street, I am really looking forward to a small version of a future that America appears not to want. Where _these_ kids replace us.

Just impressed is all.

Not sure what you have against Georgetown professors kids. I teach at American University. Is that a problem for you too? Would it help if I said I am AA?

Oh the Georgetown thing was something specific that turned me off and I’ll relate it quickly if I can: I went to a SWW open house and in the English or lit or humanities or whatever it is session, a 50s tanned white guy in a half-zip says “hi I’m a Georgetown professor and I wonder what your approach to teaching gender in the canon is,” or something like that. Such a turnoff humblebrag non-question - and I’m like, “why do I want to be around a community full of phonies like this?”

So it was that. It’s not everything or everyone. It’s the showy privilege oozing out of people that just didn’t seem part of the culture at Banneker.

Ha. That is funny

[Anonymous]

Anyone know the female to male ratio at Banneker? I know it skews female but is it a 70:30 ratio or more like 60:40 ratio

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey, our old friend the burned-out Ivy interviewer is back!

For the record, this is not a new character on Banneker threads. The comment linked here is from October 2012.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/495/259188.page#2905469

That was the spouse back in October 2012.

For the record.

Still incredible that someone dug it up 12 years on. How the hell did they even remember it, let alone find it?

Different PP here and the anti-Banneker/Ivy recruiter poster has been present in so many Banneker related posts that they’re easy to recognize.