Code Words

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish we could all get over this idea that poor kids are somehow the problem in a classroom. I have taught for years in DC charters in a bunch of different elementary grades and the most challenging kids are more often than not the ones from middle class homes where the parents are in denial or resistant to interventions on behalf of their kid. Income level does not determine behavior in a classroom. It is not a question of covering up one's racist assumptions, it is a question of recognizing that those assumptions are fundamentally WRONG.

intoned with righteous indignation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Highly privileged liberally minded white person here. Looking to buy in an up and coming neighborhood to make the most of DC's gentrification but am concerned about exposing my kids to downsides of mixing with poverty.

Can people tell me the code words I need to use in posts so I don't appear racist?

Have you ever considered the upsides of mixing with those in poverty? For one, you learn compassion and empathy because you soon realize that there are people out there who are struggling day to day. If you are constantly in an environment surrounded by those who are just like you (financially), you miss the opportunity to learn from friends who have a completely different perspective. I went to elementary, middle, and high school where about 80% of the population were minorities and many were low-income. I had a very rich education because the schools incorporated cultural diversity (that was reflective of the class) into the curriculum. Reading Malcolm X in HS and discussing the book with my classmates was exciting because there was real debate with many different views. I doubt that I would have had the same experience reading Malcolm X in a room full of the same type of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Say you want schools that are "turning" or "flipping"

And rigorous, with a very active, contributing PTA/HSA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish we could all get over this idea that poor kids are somehow the problem in a classroom. I have taught for years in DC charters in a bunch of different elementary grades and the most challenging kids are more often than not the ones from middle class homes where the parents are in denial or resistant to interventions on behalf of their kid. Income level does not determine behavior in a classroom. It is not a question of covering up one's racist assumptions, it is a question of recognizing that those assumptions are fundamentally WRONG.

Agree with poverty point. By middle school the problem is disruptive thugs/thugesses.

[Anonymous]

Why should you be posting anything? Shouldn't you just do your homework on school profiles and test scores, then tell your realtor what your non-negotiables are? If you are looking for anything in DC, especially under $600K in DC, and you really are a racist, you should look elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why should you be posting anything? Shouldn't you just do your homework on school profiles and test scores, then tell your realtor what your non-negotiables are? If you are looking for anything in DC, especially under $600K in DC, and you really are a racist, you should look elsewhere.

What statement of OP's post allows you to slander them by calling them "a racist"?
"Highly privileged liberally minded" black parents also express on DCUM every once in a while their "concern[s] about exposing [their] kids to downsides of mixing with poverty."

And what's all the huff about self-identifying as a gentrifier"? What is so shameful or racist about looking to buy a house one can afford, bringing race- and class- diversity to a neighborhood in the process?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay, how is that racist:

Not all black people are poor.
Not all black neighborhoods are crime ridden
You are not God's gift to a neighborhood or a school.
Choose a neighborhood because of your future neighbors not in spite of them or choose a different neighborhood.
Seriously.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Except for decades people who chose neighborhoods in spite of their neighbors have made serious $$ by doing so, and then patiently waiting. Do you really expect people to pass that up because someone wrote a cool article about Columbusing?

I am the quoted PP. First of all, I have not read any articles about Columbusing. Which sounds like a really lame pseudo-word.

Secondly, I myself bought in a neighborhood where I am in the minority. So, I have no problem with buying in a neighborhood where you stick out either because of cultural background or SES. I'm simply stating that the OP should not buy in a neighborhood in which he holds his neighbors in serious contempt. His condescending attitude is definitely optional. And, whether he knows it or not, if the OP buys in a neighborhood where he looks down on his neighbors, he's making a mistake. I've loved getting to know my neighbors, inviting them into my home, and participating in neighborhood events. If the OP can't possibly imagine that being possible with his prospective neighbors, then I suspect he needs to look elsewhere.