Eliot-Hines Middle School

[Anonymous]

The Principal is good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Students in the actual feeder elementary schools for Eliot Hine: Tyler, Maury, Miner, Brent, Payne. Very few of these 5th graders go to their designated school, Eliot Hine.

The kids in the upper grades at the aforementioned elementary schools are mostly African American. Yet the parents working on "holding hands" and jumping into Eliot Hine are almost all white (and middle class). It doesn't have to mean anything nefarious is going on, but there is a an overwhelming element of race in play.

There's a risk of conflating race with class, here.

[Anonymous]

The kids in the upper grades at the aforementioned elementary schools are mostly African American. Yet the parents working on "holding hands" and jumping into Eliot Hine are almost all white (and middle class). It doesn't have to mean anything nefarious is going on, but there is a an overwhelming element of race in play.

yes, perhaps the parents working today for a better EH tomorrow are mostly white, middle class. so what? the AA parents will benefit, too, if their kids get algebra in middle school and a diverse student body. this isn't a zero sum game. one group won't lose because another group won. everyone wins! and you can act like nothing ever changes in DCPS, but we've seen real changes in all the capitol hill elementary schools. and it only happened when middle class parents got involved. and at our elementary school, many of the middle class parents who are so active just happen to be AA.

and, for the record, EH already has a new principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The kids in the upper grades at the aforementioned elementary schools are mostly African American. Yet the parents working on "holding hands" and jumping into Eliot Hine are almost all white (and middle class). It doesn't have to mean anything nefarious is going on, but there is a an overwhelming element of race in play.

yes, perhaps the parents working today for a better EH tomorrow are mostly white, middle class. so what? the AA parents will benefit, too, if their kids get algebra in middle school and a diverse student body. this isn't a zero sum game. one group won't lose because another group won. everyone wins! and you can act like nothing ever changes in DCPS, but we've seen real changes in all the capitol hill elementary schools. and it only happened when middle class parents got involved. and at our elementary school, many of the middle class parents who are so active just happen to be AA.

and, for the record, EH already has a new principal.

Great point. While Eliot Hine is 99% AA, it's also currently 85% low-income. So let's not pretend this is largely motivated by race--otherwise there'd be a high number of middle-class AA families sending their kids there. As a comparison, Stuart-Hobson is 47% low-income. Deal is 23%.

[Anonymous]

Yes, totally agree. I would venture that the reason that the AA parents of the kids in the upper school feeder schools have standards and expectations for academics and social environment in middle school thaat are decidely HIGHER than their white counterparts. I think many white parents think they would "take a chance " because one way or another their kid will be just fine. Plus they get a bit of pride from being the open minded, risk takers, game changers of the community. These attitudes come with the privileges that come with being white in our society/city. An AA parent faces a whole other set of assumptions and complications. Not least of which is the danger that your child will get in with the wrong crowd, lose interest in academics or be unfairly pigeon holed by teachers if not "protected" by being a different race than the majority

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, totally agree. I would venture that the reason that the AA parents of the kids in the upper school feeder schools have standards and expectations for academics and social environment in middle school thaat are decidely HIGHER than their white counterparts. I think many white parents think they would "take a chance " because one way or another their kid will be just fine. Plus they get a bit of pride from being the open minded, risk takers, game changers of the community. These attitudes come with the privileges that come with being white in our society/city. An AA parent faces a whole other set of assumptions and complications. Not least of which is the danger that your child will get in with the wrong crowd, lose interest in academics or be unfairly pigeon holed by teachers if not "protected" by being a different race than the majority

Very well put!!

As a white parent, I'm really in no position to disagree but I would like to throw into the mix of arguments that shielding one's child from that reality - until when? high school? college ? the workplace? - is an asset either. What I would rather see is that these concerns are addressed in a permanent dialogue that allows everybody to better understand the subtleties of race and socioeconomic realities in an urban context. I could have used a lot of that myself, much earlier than it dawned on me. If this is brought to bear in open, honest, and well mediated conversations on all ends, we'd all be in a better place. And what better place and time to tackle this is there than here and now?
There are tools out there to help accomplish this (MoCo I think it is uses Community Circles).

[Anonymous]

I just going out on a limb here but the probably the majority of the AA who reside in DC and attended DCPS. Probably did not have a nary white child in their classroom setting and are not worst for the wear. Many will feel that they have done just fine in the socializing arena while growing up. I think many AA are not saying where are the white people but many do question why are the white people? Please, don't kill the messenger but it is going to take time and patience on all ends. The hands being thrown up in frustration are coming from both ends.

I wouldn't consider it shielding because we have those AA's who've been exposed to the diversity from prek to 12th grade and choose to attend a HBCU. Will one settle that the reason for this is that familiarity brings comfort?

[Anonymous]

I wish I could understand your English, pp. I really do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just going out on a limb here but the probably the majority of the AA who reside in DC and attended DCPS. Probably did not have a nary white child in their classroom setting and are not worst for the wear. Many will feel that they have done just fine in the socializing arena while growing up. I think many AA are not saying where are the white people but many do question why are the white people? Please, don't kill the messenger but it is going to take time and patience on all ends. The hands being thrown up in frustration are coming from both ends.

I wouldn't consider it shielding because we have those AA's who've been exposed to the diversity from prek to 12th grade and choose to attend a HBCU. Will one settle that the reason for this is that familiarity brings comfort?

Why are the white people? Because I live here with my family, and I'd like to attend the public school in my neighborhood along with my neighbors. Seriously, is this really so hard to comprehend?

[Anonymous]

14:15, just pointing out the obvious, you are the group that will make certain schools that were all AA a diverse school. You are the group that we have been informed about at our PTSA that whites are moving into the neighborhood and therefore they will be attending the school. You are the white people that we are expecting, plain and simple. You are the white people here with your family and we are the black people who are here with our family.

12:25, your wish will come true sooner than later, I just purchased some race cards over the internet. Can't wait to play them at the next EH gathering.

[Anonymous]

15:42 Serious here. What issues do you worry about, or do you not want to deal with, if white people start enrolling at Eliot Hine?

[Anonymous]

No issues. Getting along is not meaning I am willing to go along. Many AAs at EH will be at the school when this influx happens, are hearing war-stories. We are getting the war-stories from AA parents who were part of an unofficial elementary circle. Believe it or not your reputation is proceeding you. I have said it on previous threads that DCPS officials are the worst gossips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No issues. Getting along is not meaning I am willing to go along. Many AAs at EH will be at the school when this influx happens, are hearing war-stories. We are getting the war-stories from AA parents who were part of an unofficial elementary circle. Believe it or not your reputation is proceeding you. I have said it on previous threads that DCPS officials are the worst gossips.

What is the reputation? Do white people have a bad reputation? A good reputation? A mixed reputation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the reputation? Do white people have a bad reputation? A good reputation? A mixed reputation?

Please do not fall and much less fish for race-baiting, which obviously provides pleasure here to one particular individual with a little too much time on his/her hand.

[Anonymous]

10:33, you are the name-caller and big-baller of this certain blog. Our paths will cross at EH because you're the stereo-typical middle-class parent who has the beacon that screams race-baiter exterminator!!!

Everything will honky-dorie in your own little world.