Powerful Letter to the Arlington County School Board about Diversity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that Yorktown HS most closely mirrors the demographics of Arlington County.

Interesting- I got on here to debunk this- but when I looked it up apparently the poster is correct...
The county is approximately- 64% white; 15% Latino; 8% African-American; 10% Asian.
https://arlingtonva.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/04/2016ProfilePagesFINAL.pdf

Yorktown is - 64% white; 15% Latino; 6% African-American; 8% Asian.
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil-Rights-Table-1-2016-11-30-web.pdf

However- if you just go with students enrolled in APS- it would be 47% white; 28% Latino; 10%African-American; 9% Asian.


I guess the households without Children really do not mirror the demographics of households with children.

[Anonymous]

Yorktown doesn't reflect the county's free and reduced lunch population, that's for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A very powerful letter written by a student at Washington and Lee High School. I'm in Fairfax, but we have similar issues here and "white" (or higher SES) flight from more diverse schools.

http://www.crossedsabres.org/opinion-2/2016/12/07/open-letter-to-the-school-board/

I also recommend this podcast:
https://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/562/the-problem-we-all-live-with

And these articles:
http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/white-kids-benefits-diverse-schools
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/10/19/446085513/the-evidence-that-white-children-benefit-from-integrated-schools

Hmm. Did Herrity and his friend's try to pupil place at Wakefield? Are he and his friend's parents willing to pay the county to compensate for any increased costs due to transportation?

Why should students at the only high school that reflects the demographics of the county move to another high school? Especially when that high school is very diverse and high performing? Isn't the point that that model is working? What purpose would this serve?

Don't bother responding to these trolls. These are the same people who will tell people who do go to Wakefield that if they didn't like the situation there, they should have made a different choice. So basically, their response boils down to: if you are concerned about Wakefield, then you should go there. But if you go there, you can't complain because you chose it. So shut up.

It's an attempt to deflect and distract from a topic that makes them uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yorktown doesn't reflect the county's free and reduced lunch population, that's for sure.

it reflects the county- not the school aged population.
The county has a 7% poverty rate- http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil-Rights-Table-1-2016-11-30-web.pdf
Yorktown has a 12% FARMS Rate.
APS overall is 30% FARMS.
https://www.apsva.us/statistics/free-and-reduced-price-meals/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A very powerful letter written by a student at Washington and Lee High School. I'm in Fairfax, but we have similar issues here and "white" (or higher SES) flight from more diverse schools.

http://www.crossedsabres.org/opinion-2/2016/12/07/open-letter-to-the-school-board/

I also recommend this podcast:
https://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/562/the-problem-we-all-live-with

And these articles:
http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/white-kids-benefits-diverse-schools
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/10/19/446085513/the-evidence-that-white-children-benefit-from-integrated-schools

Hmm. Did Herrity and his friend's try to pupil place at Wakefield? Are he and his friend's parents willing to pay the county to compensate for any increased costs due to transportation?

Why should students at the only high school that reflects the demographics of the county move to another high school? Especially when that high school is very diverse and high performing? Isn't the point that that model is working? What purpose would this serve?

Yet another post that shows that the true motives of the student and his supporters are to try and elevate W-L's status (just right) over Yorktown (too white) and Wakefield (too brown).

I have to say it's been well played, but I also have no doubt that the motives are not really so laudable. The W-L crowd occupies a uniquely sanctimonious spot in the county, alternating between talking up their "diversity" and talking up their real estate values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why should students at the only high school that reflects the demographics of the county move to another high school? Especially when that high school is very diverse and high performing? Isn't the point that that model is working? What purpose would this serve?

Yet another post that shows that the true motives of the student and his supporters are to try and elevate W-L's status (just right) over Yorktown (too white) and Wakefield (too brown).

I have to say it's been well played, but I also have no doubt that the motives are not really so laudable. The W-L crowd occupies a uniquely sanctimonious spot in the county, alternating between talking up their "diversity" and talking up their real estate values.

A high school junior claims to care about balancing school populations across the county, but he's really concerned about real estate values?

I can't get over how hostile you are to a teenager. Why are you so quick to insult him? What did he ever do to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why should students at the only high school that reflects the demographics of the county move to another high school? Especially when that high school is very diverse and high performing? Isn't the point that that model is working? What purpose would this serve?

Yet another post that shows that the true motives of the student and his supporters are to try and elevate W-L's status (just right) over Yorktown (too white) and Wakefield (too brown).

I have to say it's been well played, but I also have no doubt that the motives are not really so laudable. The W-L crowd occupies a uniquely sanctimonious spot in the county, alternating between talking up their "diversity" and talking up their real estate values.

A high school junior claims to care about balancing school populations across the county, but he's really concerned about real estate values?

I can't get over how hostile you are to a teenager. Why are you so quick to insult him? What did he ever do to you?

Don't respond the this poster. This is a crazy troll who is either a YHS parent or a real estate speculator with homes in the YHS zone who can't stand the idea that W-L is now the most sought-after school. I am not nor will I be a W-L parent. But everyone in my social circle, both those inbounds for Wakefield and those inbounds for Yorktown, would prefer W-L, and it's not for the IB per se. It's for the academic rigor AND diversity that W-L offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that Yorktown HS most closely mirrors the demographics of Arlington County.

Interesting- I got on here to debunk this- but when I looked it up apparently the poster is correct...
The county is approximately- 64% white; 15% Latino; 8% African-American; 10% Asian.
https://arlingtonva.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/04/2016ProfilePagesFINAL.pdf

Yorktown is - 64% white; 15% Latino; 6% African-American; 8% Asian.
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil-Rights-Table-1-2016-11-30-web.pdf

However- if you just go with students enrolled in APS- it would be 47% white; 28% Latino; 10%African-American; 9% Asian.


I guess the households without Children really do not mirror the demographics of households with children.

I think it makes sense for the schools to reflect the demographics of the school system, not the overall population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that Yorktown HS most closely mirrors the demographics of Arlington County.

Of Arlington County as a whole, or of the school-age population?

I don't see how it can be the latter when the other two high schools are so much more diverse (racially and economically) than Yorktown.

pp here.

So, there was this debate on a FB group I follow recently. Someone insisted the schools mirror the county's demographics as a whole. Someone posted that Yorktown did, in fact, most closely mirror those stats.

Your question is a good one. Because in reality, the county is 15% Hispanic, but 28% of students in APS are Hispanic. The county is 65% white but whites make only 49% of students.

So if your goal is to have the schools reflect the county as a whole, that's probably impossible. And having them mirror the student population will require busing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that Yorktown HS most closely mirrors the demographics of Arlington County.

Interesting- I got on here to debunk this- but when I looked it up apparently the poster is correct...
The county is approximately- 64% white; 15% Latino; 8% African-American; 10% Asian.
https://arlingtonva.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/04/2016ProfilePagesFINAL.pdf

Yorktown is - 64% white; 15% Latino; 6% African-American; 8% Asian.
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil-Rights-Table-1-2016-11-30-web.pdf

However- if you just go with students enrolled in APS- it would be 47% white; 28% Latino; 10%African-American; 9% Asian.


I guess the households without Children really do not mirror the demographics of households with children.

I think it makes sense for the schools to reflect the demographics of the school system, not the overall population.

Some would accuse you of moving the goal posts. Several people have insisted it mirror county demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that Yorktown HS most closely mirrors the demographics of Arlington County.

Interesting- I got on here to debunk this- but when I looked it up apparently the poster is correct...
The county is approximately- 64% white; 15% Latino; 8% African-American; 10% Asian.
https://arlingtonva.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/04/2016ProfilePagesFINAL.pdf

Yorktown is - 64% white; 15% Latino; 6% African-American; 8% Asian.
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil-Rights-Table-1-2016-11-30-web.pdf

However- if you just go with students enrolled in APS- it would be 47% white; 28% Latino; 10%African-American; 9% Asian.


I guess the households without Children really do not mirror the demographics of households with children.

Or, Hispanics are having more kids per household and whites are having fewer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that Yorktown HS most closely mirrors the demographics of Arlington County.

Interesting- I got on here to debunk this- but when I looked it up apparently the poster is correct...
The county is approximately- 64% white; 15% Latino; 8% African-American; 10% Asian.
https://arlingtonva.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/04/2016ProfilePagesFINAL.pdf

Yorktown is - 64% white; 15% Latino; 6% African-American; 8% Asian.
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil-Rights-Table-1-2016-11-30-web.pdf

However- if you just go with students enrolled in APS- it would be 47% white; 28% Latino; 10%African-American; 9% Asian.


I guess the households without Children really do not mirror the demographics of households with children.

No, you have misunderstood or people on Internet message boards have misspoken. Those actually working on this issus have only ever argued that the schools should reflect the diversity of APS, not the county's overall population of Clarendon bros.

I think it makes sense for the schools to reflect the demographics of the school system, not the overall population.

Some would accuse you of moving the goal posts. Several people have insisted it mirror county demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Some would accuse you of moving the goal posts. Several people have insisted it mirror county demographics.

I suspect that the latter group haven't thought about variations in demographic groups. Unless you're going to send 20-somethings and retirees back to school, you can't make school demographics mirror county demographics. But you can create better-balanced school demographics if that's actually something you value.

And yes, there may be some busing, but it's not overwhelming, and considering the quantity of whining that happens when a bus is taken away and the number of parents who drop their kids off, I am not persuaded that the better balance would really have a significant impact on the percentage of students on buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The irony is that Yorktown HS most closely mirrors the demographics of Arlington County.

Interesting- I got on here to debunk this- but when I looked it up apparently the poster is correct...
The county is approximately- 64% white; 15% Latino; 8% African-American; 10% Asian.
https://arlingtonva.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2016/04/2016ProfilePagesFINAL.pdf

Yorktown is - 64% white; 15% Latino; 6% African-American; 8% Asian.
http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Civil-Rights-Table-1-2016-11-30-web.pdf

However- if you just go with students enrolled in APS- it would be 47% white; 28% Latino; 10%African-American; 9% Asian.


I guess the households without Children really do not mirror the demographics of households with children.

Or, Hispanics are having more kids per household and whites are having fewer.

No, it's the bros.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Some would accuse you of moving the goal posts. Several people have insisted it mirror county demographics.

I suspect that the latter group haven't thought about variations in demographic groups. Unless you're going to send 20-somethings and retirees back to school, you can't make school demographics mirror county demographics. But you can create better-balanced school demographics if that's actually something you value.

And yes, there may be some busing, but it's not overwhelming, and considering the quantity of whining that happens when a bus is taken away and the number of parents who drop their kids off, I am not persuaded that the better balance would really have a significant impact on the percentage of students on buses.

Then they are just making this up as they go along. I mean, talk about your uninformed opinions.

I'm also opposed to opposed to force busing. This is probably while they'll choose choice programs.

I travel back and forth between Yorktown and Wakefield a lot and it's not something I'd wish on a teen on a daily basis.