Why are there no white kids at Banneker?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:DCPS says 0%
http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Benjamin+Banneker+High+School
Same for McKinley. 1% white according to DCPS. Both schools doing well. Would have thought the white middle classes would be all over them.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DCPS says 0%
http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Benjamin+Banneker+High+School
Same for McKinley. 1% white according to DCPS. Both schools doing well. Would have thought the white middle classes would be all over them.


Brown people is scary.
Anonymous
cos they don't apply or don't enroll
Anonymous
I don't really know, but my impression is that white kids don't apply to Banneker.

It would be interesting to see what happened if they did.

Anonymous
The neighborhood it's in? This is why I chose SWW because it was more diverse.
Anonymous
It's a self-perpetuating thing. Pretty sure most kids don't want to be the first/only white kid in high school.
Anonymous
Why is thread different from all the other threads asking why there are no white kids at Banneker?

The real question for MCWP is will my advanced kid be the 'only one'?

Cue endless back and forth on race and class in America.
Anonymous
OP here. Sorry I see now that this is well trodden ground on these boards.

At Banneker or McKinley the WMCP's kid wouldn't be the only advanced one. They would just be the only white one.
Anonymous
I know white kids have attended Banneker in the past, during the 80's and 90's. This was before culture diversity was all the rage. The school is top notch and being in the shadows of Howard Unviversity is a plus.
Anonymous
White kids have attended Bannaker and will again. But I think that now that there are other choices like Latin, Cap. City etc. it's not as popular. And white folks seem scared of the location for reasons I can't comprehend. The academic piece isn't for everyone, white or black and some kids want academics AND sports. But I think more folks (Latinos, Asians, Whites and Blacks) should seriously consider Bannaker.
Anonymous
White DCPS parent here. I asked a Black parent of my kid's friend (who grew up in DC) this. She advised against my kid applying/going and in fact said she wouldn't think of sending her kid there. Her reasons were more class than race: Bannaker, she says, is seen "for the have-nots" and well-off kids in general won't be welcomed.
But I agree with PP. Let's put it to the test and have all the kids who want an academically challenging school apply. Then we'll see for sure if indeed white families are still allergic to that neighborhood or if Banneker won't admit the percent of qualified non-AA who do apply....
Anonymous
When I was shopping for a high school for my caucasian son, I considered both McKinley and Banneker. The McKinley principal was unable to explain the mission of his school. The 20-something teacher representing Banneker at the school enrollment fair was unable to describe the school's curriculum and was only able to talk about assessments and standards.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I don't really know, but my impression is that white kids don't apply to Banneker.

It would be interesting to see what happened if they did.



I know white kids who have gotten into Banneker, but I don't know any who have enrolled.
Anonymous
Do you miss the white kids? It shows that a percentage of whites in a school is not mecessary for it to succeed. One percentage of whites is probably all we can tolerate. Banneker was an experiment in luring whites back to the school system. It failed miserably. Same with McKinley place a white principal at the helm and it was to attract whites in droves. Ha, ha that too was a joke.

One primary reason whites don't attend Banneker is because there are not enough whites to choose Banneker at one time. Plainly put there isnot enough of them and too many of the others.
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