Are Independent Schools for Black Children

[Anonymous]

why a nightmare for everyone? Do you have experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do not send your AA boy to an independent school. It will be a nightmare for everyone.

Are you a faculty member or administrator at a local independent school?

The four schools that I've consistently heard overall positive comments about from both AA boys and their families are: Edmond Burke, Field School, Gonzaga, and Potomac. Possibly because the schools are more diverse socioeconomically. I'm not familiar with the strength of their curriculum but all seem have solid college placement.

OP, it's really crucial to weigh the pros and cons of whatever school you choose for your son or that you decide to allow him to remain in hoping for the best. Are you more interested in the cache of a school's name-reputation or are you interested more in a multi-layered approach to his education prior to college.

Just because a school has a name nationally or in this region doesn't mean that college admission directors/committees will be so impressed that he attended when his grades/board scores are merely average or he presents with a personality that has been flattened out due to trying to fit in at a school where he was a misfit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, 22:49. Except for GDS, which was founded in the mid-40s by Black and Jewish families who were not being admitted at other privates, other schools did not begin admitting African Americans until after Brown v Board of Education was decided. Sidwell admitted their lone AA student in 1956. For reference: Thus it was not until January 1956, after several years of debate, that the Board of Trustees adopted a policy of "one-grade-a-year integration of admissions and to open the kindergarten to qualified Negro applicants in the fall of 1956."

My posting here is not a slam about Sidwell as this applies to other independents (but the info was most readily available for Sidwell), but against the notion that DC independents have been "educating kids of all races and religions for decades." Integration in these schools came after Brown v Board was decided and did not necessarily occur swiftly. The latter probably did not occur until the late '60s/early '70s. If we use that as the standard, then DC independents have been at this for about 45 years. Yes, decades, but not even a half century if you mark it from when there was genuine expansion and inclusion. Anything that occurred in my lifetime still seems like a drop on the arc of the history of this country.

45 or 50 years? No real difference. I attended 2 of the top independent schools around here in the 1970s. At both schools, AAs were well represented and were very much part of the social fabric. I do not recall any issues, though I certainly would not say that none occurred. The point can be said again. The independent schools around here have been educating AAs for decades, and no AA should hesitate to apply to whatever school he or she wishes. The PP also misses the broader point implied by other posters here. DC is no longer a black/white town. It is much more a mix of everything. And that is good, unless one is stuck in the black/white world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, 22:49. Except for GDS, which was founded in the mid-40s by Black and Jewish families who were not being admitted at other privates, other schools did not begin admitting African Americans until after Brown v Board of Education was decided. Sidwell admitted their lone AA student in 1956. For reference: Thus it was not until January 1956, after several years of debate, that the Board of Trustees adopted a policy of "one-grade-a-year integration of admissions and to open the kindergarten to qualified Negro applicants in the fall of 1956."

My posting here is not a slam about Sidwell as this applies to other independents (but the info was most readily available for Sidwell), but against the notion that DC independents have been "educating kids of all races and religions for decades." Integration in these schools came after Brown v Board was decided and did not necessarily occur swiftly. The latter probably did not occur until the late '60s/early '70s. If we use that as the standard, then DC independents have been at this for about 45 years. Yes, decades, but not even a half century if you mark it from when there was genuine expansion and inclusion. Anything that occurred in my lifetime still seems like a drop on the arc of the history of this country.

45 or 50 years? No real difference. I attended 2 of the top independent schools around here in the 1970s. At both schools, AAs were well represented and were very much part of the social fabric. I do not recall any issues, though I certainly would not say that none occurred. The point can be said again. The independent schools around here have been educating AAs for decades, and no AA should hesitate to apply to whatever school he or she wishes. The PP also misses the broader point implied by other posters here. DC is no longer a black/white town. It is much more a mix of everything. And that is good, unless one is stuck in the black/white world.

Well you must be white. I also attended several top independent schools here beginning in the late 60's through the 70's. At all the school's I attended AA's were definitely not a part of the social fabric. My friends report similar experiences. If you truly attended school here, why don't you talk to some of your AA friends, if you have kept in touch with any, about their experiences being part of the "social fabric". In my schools we felt unwelcome to eat in the cafeteria, join clubs, not invited to beach week, etc. The ones that could not hack it ended up in the psychiatrist offices. It was a joke in the AA DC community that you paid to send your kids to these schools so you could pay later to get their head straight. Am curious as to whether you are a native Washingtonian or came in from the suburbs. My native white Washingonian friends recognize that we were NOT part of the "social fabric".

[Anonymous]

12:56 again. Or maybe you just thought that the AA students didn't want to join the clubs. Or you are remembering the one or two militants that joined in spite of feeling unwelcome. After getting tired of not eating in the cafeteria because of the unwelcomeness, in my junior year, I use to sit at a different cafeteria table each day to see if I could get anyone to converse with me. After a month, one student finally said something earning her glares from the rest of the table as they continued to ignore me. Thankfully she kept trying to include me in the conversations. That lone white militant is still one of my best friends. Look around you - or maybe you are one of those that believe AA students self-segregate in these schools rather than having been conditioned to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, 22:49. Except for GDS, which was founded in the mid-40s by Black and Jewish families who were not being admitted at other privates, other schools did not begin admitting African Americans until after Brown v Board of Education was decided. Sidwell admitted their lone AA student in 1956. For reference: Thus it was not until January 1956, after several years of debate, that the Board of Trustees adopted a policy of "one-grade-a-year integration of admissions and to open the kindergarten to qualified Negro applicants in the fall of 1956."

My posting here is not a slam about Sidwell as this applies to other independents (but the info was most readily available for Sidwell), but against the notion that DC independents have been "educating kids of all races and religions for decades." Integration in these schools came after Brown v Board was decided and did not necessarily occur swiftly. The latter probably did not occur until the late '60s/early '70s. If we use that as the standard, then DC independents have been at this for about 45 years. Yes, decades, but not even a half century if you mark it from when there was genuine expansion and inclusion. Anything that occurred in my lifetime still seems like a drop on the arc of the history of this country.

45 or 50 years? No real difference. I attended 2 of the top independent schools around here in the 1970s. At both schools, AAs were well represented and were very much part of the social fabric. I do not recall any issues, though I certainly would not say that none occurred. The point can be said again. The independent schools around here have been educating AAs for decades, and no AA should hesitate to apply to whatever school he or she wishes. The PP also misses the broader point implied by other posters here. DC is no longer a black/white town. It is much more a mix of everything. And that is good, unless one is stuck in the black/white world.

Where exactly is "around here" because I know you are not referring to the Metro DC area when you say this.

[Anonymous]

It seems to be a mixed bag. In some ways AA students are given preferential treatment, but this leads to a backlash and also discourages assimilation. Forget what anyone tells you and look at the lunch room in lunch time to see if there is a table where the black kids congregate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to be a mixed bag. In some ways AA students are given preferential treatment, but this leads to a backlash and also discourages assimilation. Forget what anyone tells you and look at the lunch room in lunch time to see if there is a table where the black kids congregate.

And look at the lunch room and see where the white kids or Asian kids or Hispanic kids congregate.

[Anonymous]

Here is my take on Sidwell Upper School. Its a great place for an AA boy if your son is extremely studious and enjoys being challenged. Also it works best if your son is a self starter, articulate and can self-advocate well. To get the full benefit of this great school, he will need to be a very active participant in the school community. (The above is true for white boys as well). There some special issues for AA boys because of unconscious stereotyping; these are best addressed directly. Walking on eggshells is not a good way to go through life.

[Anonymous]

My child's school does an excellent job admitting a diverse group into their kindergarten classes. But if you follow the cohorts forward about three or four years and see who left the school, the diverse students leave at a MUCH higher rate than the white kids. Obviously, families leave for all kinds of reasons ... Moving, finances, poor fit, good fit but left for even better fit, etc. Still, I think if you look at the numbers, it is revealing. It implies to me that many diverse families conclude the school is not the best place for their child.

Most schools have their yearbooks in their libraries. A brief bit of browsing across the years will tell the story if there is one.

[Anonymous]

My AA DS attended Beauvoir, now this was a few years ago, and it was a nightmare. It wasn't the children as much as the parents of other children. I remember another AA mom told me when our DSs started that she was sending him to school there, but no birthday parties or other activities because she couldn't see how it would end well. At the time I thought she was being really shortsighted and judgmental. She was right, I was wrong. Now at another independent school things are better but still not great. I was naively surprised how differently the AA boys were treated. It's disappointing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My AA DS attended Beauvoir, now this was a few years ago, and it was a nightmare. It wasn't the children as much as the parents of other children. I remember another AA mom told me when our DSs started that she was sending him to school there, but no birthday parties or other activities because she couldn't see how it would end well. At the time I thought she was being really shortsighted and judgmental. She was right, I was wrong. Now at another independent school things are better but still not great. I was naively surprised how differently the AA boys were treated. It's disappointing.

This is an interesting post, but it creates more questions than it answers. For instance, how are AA boys treated differently than AA girls at Beauvoir? In what ways did the parents of the other children treat your son poorly? Why on earth did the other AA mom not want to let her son to attend birthday parties or other activities with Beauvoir children?

[Anonymous]

i've worked at three DC privates. here;s the deal: if you pay full tuition and your child is well behaved and attractive, you're golden. no worries. however, if your child does not have 3 out of 3, watch out.

[Anonymous]

AA..send you kid to SJC!

[Anonymous]

*your