Black Parents at Wilson

[Anonymous]

Do you meant treated by the school or the students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP,
We are also an AA family of a rising junior, DD. We are having a positive experience at Wilson. No major complaints and my DD feels supported and is doing very well academically. I think the key is a strong peer group of kuds who want to acheive and have similar interests. There are cliques at wilson based on interests - the drama/theater kids, the newspaper kids, the sciency kids, the activist kids and some kids cross mulitiple cliques. Its not perfect but i know my dd so far has made the most of her time there.

If you raised kids right with some sense of dignity and manbers, they arent all of a sudden going to turn into the wild, loud kids you see after school. I think as parents we sell ourselves short on this point.

I only hear great things about the experience AA girls have at Wilson. As the mother of an AA son, I'm not worried about him falling into the bad crowd or suddenly going wild. He won't. I am worried about the constant pressure from that crowd for him to join them. It will be torture for him and I was hoping that that was starting to change.

I'm the PP above with a girl. And i feel you on this. I always try to imagine how it might be different if I had a boy.

As far as integration of higher achieving groups, my DD is in an integrated peer group but most of her friend group is white/mixed race. The kids at Wilson talk about this alot and as a result the Principal starting hosting conversations about race relations at the school. It's a complicated issue but not unlike the real world we all live in.

I'm a PP with a young child (girl) zoned for Wilson. This is what I was afraid of, although not surprised. Not the end of the world, but I'd prefer if my kid is not in a majority AA school where most of the high-achieving kids are white. Nothing wrong with having friends of all backgrounds, but just sort of unfortunate if my child would be one of the only AA faces in that group.

So where do the rest of the high-achieving black kids all get siphoned off to? Latin? Privates?

We are an AA family also zoned for Wilson. There was a pretty helpful and detailed thread about this last year. I'll try to find it. From what I gathered, there are a lot that go private (St John is a popular one). Some of my AA neighbors go to Banneker, Dematha, STA, Maret, Gonzaga, McKinley, SWW in addition to Wilson. We have a boy and are considering all of the above. It is a great concern, wouldn't be so much with a girl. Sad, but true.

Why is Wilson fine for your daughters, but not your sons? This is not just directed to the PP, but to everyone who has responded this way?

PP with a girl. You see what is happening in the news. Black boys get targeted and nit in positive ways. Many AAs with means choose a different route beacause black are often treated differently. As i said before if i had a boy, i might have run to St Albans or St johns.

Good point. I'm the PP w/young girl who commented about pressure to be a tough guy. I should've also said that there's concern that black boys at a school like Wilson might get treated like a knucklehead by others (teachers, administrators) even if he isn't--essentially, that he'd be lumped with the disorderly kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP,
We are also an AA family of a rising junior, DD. We are having a positive experience at Wilson. No major complaints and my DD feels supported and is doing very well academically. I think the key is a strong peer group of kuds who want to acheive and have similar interests. There are cliques at wilson based on interests - the drama/theater kids, the newspaper kids, the sciency kids, the activist kids and some kids cross mulitiple cliques. Its not perfect but i know my dd so far has made the most of her time there.

If you raised kids right with some sense of dignity and manbers, they arent all of a sudden going to turn into the wild, loud kids you see after school. I think as parents we sell ourselves short on this point.

I only hear great things about the experience AA girls have at Wilson. As the mother of an AA son, I'm not worried about him falling into the bad crowd or suddenly going wild. He won't. I am worried about the constant pressure from that crowd for him to join them. It will be torture for him and I was hoping that that was starting to change.

I'm the PP above with a girl. And i feel you on this. I always try to imagine how it might be different if I had a boy.

As far as integration of higher achieving groups, my DD is in an integrated peer group but most of her friend group is white/mixed race. The kids at Wilson talk about this alot and as a result the Principal starting hosting conversations about race relations at the school. It's a complicated issue but not unlike the real world we all live in.

I'm a PP with a young child (girl) zoned for Wilson. This is what I was afraid of, although not surprised. Not the end of the world, but I'd prefer if my kid is not in a majority AA school where most of the high-achieving kids are white. Nothing wrong with having friends of all backgrounds, but just sort of unfortunate if my child would be one of the only AA faces in that group.

So where do the rest of the high-achieving black kids all get siphoned off to? Latin? Privates?

We are an AA family also zoned for Wilson. There was a pretty helpful and detailed thread about this last year. I'll try to find it. From what I gathered, there are a lot that go private (St John is a popular one). Some of my AA neighbors go to Banneker, Dematha, STA, Maret, Gonzaga, McKinley, SWW in addition to Wilson. We have a boy and are considering all of the above. It is a great concern, wouldn't be so much with a girl. Sad, but true.

Why is Wilson fine for your daughters, but not your sons? This is not just directed to the PP, but to everyone who has responded this way?

PP with a girl. You see what is happening in the news. Black boys get targeted and nit in positive ways. Many AAs with means choose a different route beacause black are often treated differently. As i said before if i had a boy, i might have run to St Albans or St johns.

So why are AA girls treated better at Wilson? I really don't understand. If someone (teacher/admins/other students) is a bigot, won't they treat all AA students poorly?

[Anonymous]

^^^ Think about every negative stereotype you've heard re: young black males. Now, are there equivalent stereotypes about AA young women?

If the answer is no, then that answers your question. The influence of these sorts of stereotypes is what I'd be concerned about with a son, in terms of interactions with others who might assume these things about him.

[Anonymous]

Boys have a tougher time focusing and it's easier for them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Parents don't worry as much for the outcome of their daughters. Look at the number of degrees earned, women are outpacing men in every racial category, and it's especially evident amongst African Americans.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=72

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boys have a tougher time focusing and it's easier for them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Parents don't worry as much for the outcome of their daughters. Look at the number of degrees earned, women are outpacing men in every racial category, and it's especially evident amongst African Americans.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=72

My worry for my son is not due to the above. As PPs have indicated I worry more that wealthy neighbors, nearby police, or even Wilson parents may unfairly target my son assuming he is up to no good. Call it wrong or not but I wouldn't have the same fear if he were in a uniform down the street at STA. The worry would still be there but not as much as at Wilson where there is an admitted school within a school. He is also athletic (baseball and basketball) so I fear there will be more chance for stereotypes. Simply put there is a reason I belong to a group called Mothers of Black Boys. While AA girls are stereotyped, I don't fear for the life of my daughter as much as I do for my son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP,
We are also an AA family of a rising junior, DD. We are having a positive experience at Wilson. No major complaints and my DD feels supported and is doing very well academically. I think the key is a strong peer group of kuds who want to acheive and have similar interests. There are cliques at wilson based on interests - the drama/theater kids, the newspaper kids, the sciency kids, the activist kids and some kids cross mulitiple cliques. Its not perfect but i know my dd so far has made the most of her time there.

If you raised kids right with some sense of dignity and manbers, they arent all of a sudden going to turn into the wild, loud kids you see after school. I think as parents we sell ourselves short on this point.

I only hear great things about the experience AA girls have at Wilson. As the mother of an AA son, I'm not worried about him falling into the bad crowd or suddenly going wild. He won't. I am worried about the constant pressure from that crowd for him to join them. It will be torture for him and I was hoping that that was starting to change.

I'm the PP above with a girl. And i feel you on this. I always try to imagine how it might be different if I had a boy.

As far as integration of higher achieving groups, my DD is in an integrated peer group but most of her friend group is white/mixed race. The kids at Wilson talk about this alot and as a result the Principal starting hosting conversations about race relations at the school. It's a complicated issue but not unlike the real world we all live in.

I'm a PP with a young child (girl) zoned for Wilson. This is what I was afraid of, although not surprised. Not the end of the world, but I'd prefer if my kid is not in a majority AA school where most of the high-achieving kids are white. Nothing wrong with having friends of all backgrounds, but just sort of unfortunate if my child would be one of the only AA faces in that group.

So where do the rest of the high-achieving black kids all get siphoned off to? Latin? Privates?

OP here: my older son started at Banneker. I LOVED IT! He didn't. They have absolutely no discipline problems, the kids are smart as hell, and my son is a master at Latin even though he left after his first year. Boy thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys have a tougher time focusing and it's easier for them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Parents don't worry as much for the outcome of their daughters. Look at the number of degrees earned, women are outpacing men in every racial category, and it's especially evident amongst African Americans.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=72

My worry for my son is not due to the above. As PPs have indicated I worry more that wealthy neighbors, nearby police, or even Wilson parents may unfairly target my son assuming he is up to no good. Call it wrong or not but I wouldn't have the same fear if he were in a uniform down the street at STA. The worry would still be there but not as much as at Wilson where there is an admitted school within a school. He is also athletic (baseball and basketball) so I fear there will be more chance for stereotypes. Simply put there is a reason I belong to a group called Mothers of Black Boys. While AA girls are stereotyped, I don't fe9ar for the life of my daughter as much as I do for my son.

I'm in the same group! Just saying hey - no Wilson experience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys have a tougher time focusing and it's easier for them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Parents don't worry as much for the outcome of their daughters. Look at the number of degrees earned, women are outpacing men in every racial category, and it's especially evident amongst African Americans.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=72

My worry for my son is not due to the above. As PPs have indicated I worry more that wealthy neighbors, nearby police, or even Wilson parents may unfairly target my son assuming he is up to no good. Call it wrong or not but I wouldn't have the same fear if he were in a uniform down the street at STA. The worry would still be there but not as much as at Wilson where there is an admitted school within a school. He is also athletic (baseball and basketball) so I fear there will be more chance for stereotypes. Simply put there is a reason I belong to a group called Mothers of Black Boys. While AA girls are stereotyped, I don't fe9ar for the life of my daughter as much as I do for my son.

I'm in the same group! Just saying hey - no Wilson experience

I'm in that same group. I spoke to a mom today about her son going to Wilson. I think we might try it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys have a tougher time focusing and it's easier for them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Parents don't worry as much for the outcome of their daughters. Look at the number of degrees earned, women are outpacing men in every racial category, and it's especially evident amongst African Americans.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=72

My worry for my son is not due to the above. As PPs have indicated I worry more that wealthy neighbors, nearby police, or even Wilson parents may unfairly target my son assuming he is up to no good. Call it wrong or not but I wouldn't have the same fear if he were in a uniform down the street at STA. The worry would still be there but not as much as at Wilson where there is an admitted school within a school. He is also athletic (baseball and basketball) so I fear there will be more chance for stereotypes. Simply put there is a reason I belong to a group called Mothers of Black Boys. While AA girls are stereotyped, I don't fear for the life of my daughter as much as I do for my son.

No input re Wilson here. I just wanted to let you know how shitty I think it is that you have to worry in a way for your black son that I don't for my white son. I know it is a fact in the world in which we live but as a mom it makes me sad for all of our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys have a tougher time focusing and it's easier for them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Parents don't worry as much for the outcome of their daughters. Look at the number of degrees earned, women are outpacing men in every racial category, and it's especially evident amongst African Americans.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=72

My worry for my son is not due to the above. As PPs have indicated I worry more that wealthy neighbors, nearby police, or even Wilson parents may unfairly target my son assuming he is up to no good. Call it wrong or not but I wouldn't have the same fear if he were in a uniform down the street at STA. The worry would still be there but not as much as at Wilson where there is an admitted school within a school. He is also athletic (baseball and basketball) so I fear there will be more chance for stereotypes. Simply put there is a reason I belong to a group called Mothers of Black Boys. While AA girls are stereotyped, I don't fear for the life of my daughter as much as I do for my son.

No input re Wilson here. I just wanted to let you know how shitty I think it is that you have to worry in a way for your black son that I don't for my white son. I know it is a fact in the world in which we live but as a mom it makes me sad for all of our kids.

This warms my heart. I have tears in my eyes. I can't tell you how happy I feel to be surrounded by moms (of all colors) that truly understand the plight or even have empathy. I honestly don't think I can experience this type of community and understanding in many other places in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boys have a tougher time focusing and it's easier for them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Parents don't worry as much for the outcome of their daughters. Look at the number of degrees earned, women are outpacing men in every racial category, and it's especially evident amongst African Americans.

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=72

My worry for my son is not due to the above. As PPs have indicated I worry more that wealthy neighbors, nearby police, or even Wilson parents may unfairly target my son assuming he is up to no good. Call it wrong or not but I wouldn't have the same fear if he were in a uniform down the street at STA. The worry would still be there but not as much as at Wilson where there is an admitted school within a school. He is also athletic (baseball and basketball) so I fear there will be more chance for stereotypes. Simply put there is a reason I belong to a group called Mothers of Black Boys. While AA girls are stereotyped, I don't fe9ar for the life of my daughter as much as I do for my son.

I'm in the same group! Just saying hey - no Wilson experience

I'm in that same group. I spoke to a mom today about her son going to Wilson. I think we might try it.

I wonder how we can coordinate a MOBB group to discuss DC high schools/Wilson. Even if there's only 20 of us (I personally know 5 in MOBB/Wilson boundaries), there's got to be enough to meet and discuss high school.

[Anonymous]

Hi- I'm a lurker here ( not AA and not in DCPS), but I wondering if something as simple as uniforms would help. Not to over simplify and certainly doesn't solve the very real and scary issues your sons will sadly have to contend with, but I wonder if Wilson implemented a stricter dress code, it might curb some of the not great behaviors, and help people to recognize your boys for the kinds of students they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi- I'm a lurker here ( not AA and not in DCPS), but I wondering if something as simple as uniforms would help. Not to over simplify and certainly doesn't solve the very real and scary issues your sons will sadly have to contend with, but I wonder if Wilson implemented a stricter dress code, it might curb some of the not great behaviors, and help people to recognize your boys for the kinds of students they are.

But aren't some of the poor behaved students Wilson students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi- I'm a lurker here ( not AA and not in DCPS), but I wondering if something as simple as uniforms would help. Not to over simplify and certainly doesn't solve the very real and scary issues your sons will sadly have to contend with, but I wonder if Wilson implemented a stricter dress code, it might curb some of the not great behaviors, and help people to recognize your boys for the kinds of students they are.

But aren't some of the poor behaved students Wilson students?

Well that was kind of what I was getting at, helping to improve the behaviors across the board. It would be most helpful if there wasn't a contingent of "bad students" at all.