Why don't white students go to Banneker?

[Anonymous]

Banneker has been in existence coming up three plus decades and someone ask the questions why whites don't attend? In a city that is predominantly black as it relates to the school population the answer is there. The math is pretty evident...city population has a decreasing population of AA but the school system has increasing population of AA so...until the whites have more babies it will take about another series of decades before the tide is turnt and the questions will be when did Banneker become all-white?

[Anonymous]

It is funny...I shared the question with some colleagues at work who attended Banneker and they said it almost in unison. They [whites] don't attend because they weren't accepted, ask the question how many apply and are turned-down because they weren't the right-fit for Banneker is the question. One alumnus stated being white is not a criteria for being chosen to attend Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is funny...I shared the question with some colleagues at work who attended Banneker and they said it almost in unison. They [whites] don't attend because they weren't accepted, ask the question how many apply and are turned-down because they weren't the right-fit for Banneker is the question. One alumnus stated being white is not a criteria for being chosen to attend Banneker.

Are you saying that your colleagues suggest that the school does discriminate against whites? Or are they suggesting that none of the whites who applied were academically qualified?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is funny...I shared the question with some colleagues at work who attended Banneker and they said it almost in unison. They [whites] don't attend because they weren't accepted, ask the question how many apply and are turned-down because they weren't the right-fit for Banneker is the question. One alumnus stated being white is not a criteria for being chosen to attend Banneker.

there may be a few. But I would guess than in a given year its probably less than five applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is funny...I shared the question with some colleagues at work who attended Banneker and they said it almost in unison. They [whites] don't attend because they weren't accepted, ask the question how many apply and are turned-down because they weren't the right-fit for Banneker is the question. One alumnus stated being white is not a criteria for being chosen to attend Banneker.

Are you saying that your colleagues suggest that the school does discriminate against whites? Or are they suggesting that none of the whites who applied were academically qualified?

I believe what PP is suggesting--without realizing it-- is that there is a lot of self-delusion going on at Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Wow.

+1. Assuming the crazy posters are affiliated with Banneker, what a disgrace, and what a surprise. No wonder why more whites (or Latinos or Asians) send their kids there. I'm leaving for more productive endeavors, bye.

Wow, you are an ignorant ass. You have no idea who these people are posting. In addition, how dare you pass judgement on anyone. The shit I've read on DCUMs lately makes me think that I live in the deep south - it's been soooo racist.

I hope I'm not the only one to appreciate the irony of this post: "How dare you pass judgment on anyone", while calling the PP an "ignorant ass" and many others "sooo racist". Don't you have any self-awareness?

Doesn't seem to be part of Banneker's curriculum. They are too busy getting sub-standard SAT scores, and trying to manage the boys.

Funny how you guys always show your true colors. I don't have a kid at Banneker, but I do respect the kids and parents that I've met. If you don't want your kid to go to a school with sub-standard SAT scores, don't send them. They don't need you or want you. They don't manage the boys. That's the point. You go off and enjoy your snowflake who is probably sub par in every important way. Only is your eyes are they perfect.

NP here. Why do you feel the need to insult some anonymous stranger's child? While we're talking about "showing true colors", I don't think this reflects well on you at all.

I don't know you. I don't really care how you think it reflects on me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:
Wow.

+1. Assuming the crazy posters are affiliated with Banneker, what a disgrace, and what a surprise. No wonder why more whites (or Latinos or Asians) send their kids there. I'm leaving for more productive endeavors, bye.

Wow, you are an ignorant ass. You have no idea who these people are posting. In addition, how dare you pass judgement on anyone. The shit I've read on DCUMs lately makes me think that I live in the deep south - it's been soooo racist.

I hope I'm not the only one to appreciate the irony of this post: "How dare you pass judgment on anyone", while calling the PP an "ignorant ass" and many others "sooo racist". Don't you have any self-awareness?

Doesn't seem to be part of Banneker's curriculum. They are too busy getting sub-standard SAT scores, and trying to manage the boys.

Funny how you guys always show your true colors. I don't have a kid at Banneker, but I do respect the kids and parents that I've met. If you don't want your kid to go to a school with sub-standard SAT scores, don't send them. They don't need you or want you. They don't manage the boys. That's the point. You go off and enjoy your snowflake who is probably sub par in every important way. Only is your eyes are they perfect.

NP here. Why do you feel the need to insult some anonymous stranger's child? While we're talking about "showing true colors", I don't think this reflects well on you at all.

I don't know you. I don't really care how you think it reflects on me.

Different poster here: true, being anonymous, you don't care how it reflects on you. But you should care about how poorly the last few pages are reflecting on Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't see the sense of this thread. If white folks don't want to send their kids to Banneker, when they clearly can, and black folks do... then leave them alone. Really, who cares. It is some folks loss and others gain. All are welcome to apply, if you don't want to then you certainly don't need to justify your reason here. If you want to email the Washington City Paper and tell the "reason" you don't want your child to attend, you're free to do that too, I believe the contact information was posted!!!!

We can wait for Aaron's story but I assume the sub-text is that, if a magnet school like Banneker cannot attract white student, then what does that say about the future of many other public schools in DC that have few to no white students in neighborhoods with an increasing number of white residents?

If one were to let down one's guard and speak candidly, you'd probably come to the conclusion that a more integrated Banneker would be a good thing for the school and the students. Perhaps the school should engage in more outreach at certain middle schools, and perhaps some white parents should reflect on what it means to live in a city but not really participate in its public institutions. Banneker currently may be better than many other HS in DC, but objectively it simply is not very good or even relevant: the student body is very small; boys seem to leave at high rates; and the test scores are mediocre. It could be much better, but do people really want that?

Most parents whose children actually attend Banneker are actually pleased with the school, so that is not the issue. Objectively, "it simply is not very good or even relevant.." Hmmm, okay then, then please all those who think that, please don't apply. You haven't got a clue what is going on at Banneker, your loss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is funny...I shared the question with some colleagues at work who attended Banneker and they said it almost in unison. They [whites] don't attend because they weren't accepted, ask the question how many apply and are turned-down because they weren't the right-fit for Banneker is the question. One alumnus stated being white is not a criteria for being chosen to attend Banneker.

Are you saying that your colleagues suggest that the school does discriminate against whites? Or are they suggesting that none of the whites who applied were academically qualified?

I believe what PP is suggesting--without realizing it-- is that there is a lot of self-delusion going on at Banneker.

I don't get this. What is the measure of success? If the kids are getting into the top colleges, many of them ivy, then why is it not a success? Why do the top colleges consider Banneker a great school, even with the low scores, but white parents suggest that it is sub par.

I believe the reason is that Banneker is indeed graduating amazing students who are prepared. Study after study suggests that SAT scores have more to do with SES than intelligence.

If you look at the end game, Banneker's graduates have been much more successful, yet Wilson is considered the better school b/c of SAT scores?

[Anonymous]

It's one thing to go to a school where whites are maybe 5-10%. It's another if you r literally the only white kid in the entire school. I don't think any parent of any race would feel comfortable for their child to be the only person of that color in a school. Plus most white people can get into Wilson which is just as good as Banneker if you get into the right classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's one thing to go to a school where whites are maybe 5-10%. It's another if you r literally the only white kid in the entire school. I don't think any parent of any race would feel comfortable for their child to be the only person of that color in a school. Plus most white people can get into Wilson which is just as good as Banneker if you get into the right classes.

No 'most' white people cannot get into Wilson. Many good students of all races and SESs live outside the Wilson boundary and its feeder school boundaries. This may be a relatively new phenomenon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's one thing to go to a school where whites are maybe 5-10%. It's another if you r literally the only white kid in the entire school. I don't think any parent of any race would feel comfortable for their child to be the only person of that color in a school. Plus most white people can get into Wilson which is just as good as Banneker if you get into the right classes.

My son went to Banneker when there was only one white kid. Kid loved it. His parents loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's one thing to go to a school where whites are maybe 5-10%. It's another if you r literally the only white kid in the entire school. I don't think any parent of any race would feel comfortable for their child to be the only person of that color in a school. Plus most white people can get into Wilson which is just as good as Banneker if you get into the right classes.

No 'most' white people cannot get into Wilson. Many good students of all races and SESs live outside the Wilson boundary and its feeder school boundaries. This may be a relatively new phenomenon.

The majority of white teenage students who live in dc are in bounds for wilson. Your statement implies that most white students do not live in bound for wilson, which is incorrect.

[Anonymous]

Banneker was founded with the fairly modest aim of being a "college prep" high school, a place where good kids that were decent students could learn in a less disruptive environment than the standard DCPS high schools of the time. It was never meant to be a local version of TJ or Stuyvesant. As it is, it took a tremendous amount of political battling and comprising to get it approved in the face of opponents who saw the program as "elitist", and anything more "elite" never would have gotten past the school board of the era.

It does a good job of being the "college prep" school that it was meant to be, but it just isn't that impressive compared to Wilson or the average suburban public high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is funny...I shared the question with some colleagues at work who attended Banneker and they said it almost in unison. They [whites] don't attend because they weren't accepted, ask the question how many apply and are turned-down because they weren't the right-fit for Banneker is the question. One alumnus stated being white is not a criteria for being chosen to attend Banneker.

Are you saying that your colleagues suggest that the school does discriminate against whites? Or are they suggesting that none of the whites who applied were academically qualified?

I believe what PP is suggesting--without realizing it-- is that there is a lot of self-delusion going on at Banneker.

I don't get this. What is the measure of success? If the kids are getting into the top colleges, many of them ivy, then why is it not a success? Why do the top colleges consider Banneker a great school, even with the low scores, but white parents suggest that it is sub par.

I believe the reason is that Banneker is indeed graduating amazing students who are prepared. Study after study suggests that SAT scores have more to do with SES than intelligence.

If you look at the end game, Banneker's graduates have been much more successful, yet Wilson is considered the better school b/c of SAT scores?

This. For many reasons (including ones you've stated), SATs are going away as a requirement all together.