This American Life tackles Desegregation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am listening to this episode again. I don't think that school integration is the first step of integration in DC. I think that the trend of upper middle class white families buying homes in historically black neighborhoods is a good start, provided that those families a) stay in the neighborhood and b) send their children to the local schools.

That hasn't happened in the past 15 years and seems very unlikely for the next 15.[/quote

I think it seems to be happening more frequently now than it did even a few years ago thanks to the fact that HRCS are more difficult to access than ever. Lots of DCPS now have IB waitlists. I think if DC stopped allowing new charter schools to open, we might see more integration. Charters have been great for the city's school system, however IMO the goal should ultimately be to phase them out.

Of course most of the HRCs (not all) are more balanced racially and economically than most DCPS schools. While not magnets they do draw students city wide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:De-segregation would work even better if we require mixed-race tables in the school lunchrooms. That would teach the students the correct mind-set from the very beginning. Over time, general social desegregation would become a matter of learned behavior, rather than a product of government-mandated busing.

I would never ever send my child white or black to a school that required such social engineering. Encouraging it or making it part of some lunchroom rotation of seating fine but if you start counting races at tables and making kids move because of it I am out.

Well then it could become part of a diversity awareness program at the schools. The principal and the homeroom teachers could make presentations to the kids explaining how important it is for a diverse tapestry to exist at every lunch-table, and indeed the entire school. I agree that forcing the kids to sit together might seem a bit draconian, but they should at least be educated from the very beginning about what is appropriate behavior in society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:De-segregation would work even better if we require mixed-race tables in the school lunchrooms. That would teach the students the correct mind-set from the very beginning. Over time, general social desegregation would become a matter of learned behavior, rather than a product of government-mandated busing.

I would never ever send my child white or black to a school that required such social engineering. Encouraging it or making it part of some lunchroom rotation of seating fine but if you start counting races at tables and making kids move because of it I am out.

Well then it could become part of a diversity awareness program at the schools. The principal and the homeroom teachers could make presentations to the kids explaining how important it is for a diverse tapestry to exist at every lunch-table, and indeed the entire school. I agree that forcing the kids to sit together might seem a bit draconian, but they should at least be educated from the very beginning about what is appropriate behavior in society.

When I was in elem and middle school we were required to sit with our class. And because the class was diverse, the people sitting next to us were diverse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:De-segregation would work even better if we require mixed-race tables in the school lunchrooms. That would teach the students the correct mind-set from the very beginning. Over time, general social desegregation would become a matter of learned behavior, rather than a product of government-mandated busing.

I would never ever send my child white or black to a school that required such social engineering. Encouraging it or making it part of some lunchroom rotation of seating fine but if you start counting races at tables and making kids move because of it I am out.

Well then it could become part of a diversity awareness program at the schools. The principal and the homeroom teachers could make presentations to the kids explaining how important it is for a diverse tapestry to exist at every lunch-table, and indeed the entire school. I agree that forcing the kids to sit together might seem a bit draconian, but they should at least be educated from the very beginning about what is appropriate behavior in society.

That will be a tough task since it is not particularly important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:De-segregation would work even better if we require mixed-race tables in the school lunchrooms. That would teach the students the correct mind-set from the very beginning. Over time, general social desegregation would become a matter of learned behavior, rather than a product of government-mandated busing.

I would never ever send my child white or black to a school that required such social engineering. Encouraging it or making it part of some lunchroom rotation of seating fine but if you start counting races at tables and making kids move because of it I am out.

Well then it could become part of a diversity awareness program at the schools. The principal and the homeroom teachers could make presentations to the kids explaining how important it is for a diverse tapestry to exist at every lunch-table, and indeed the entire school. I agree that forcing the kids to sit together might seem a bit draconian, but they should at least be educated from the very beginning about what is appropriate behavior in society.

When I was in elem and middle school we were required to sit with our class. And because the class was diverse, the people sitting next to us were diverse.

We also sat with our class at our majority AA upper elementary school. However, I distinctly remember that the two white girls in my 6th grade class always sat together and away from the other girls at the end of the table. The two white boys, however, intermingled freely with the other boys. Not sure what exactly explained the gender difference--could be just random chance--but in general, it is tough to force integration.

[Anonymous]

Who cares if they sit at the same lunch table???

The point is that governments, in general, serve schools with measurable white enrollments better than they do schools with segregated enrollment. More experienced teachers, more resources, etc. I don't care if the kids eat lunch on the roof!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:De-segregation would work even better if we require mixed-race tables in the school lunchrooms. That would teach the students the correct mind-set from the very beginning. Over time, general social desegregation would become a matter of learned behavior, rather than a product of government-mandated busing.

I would never ever send my child white or black to a school that required such social engineering. Encouraging it or making it part of some lunchroom rotation of seating fine but if you start counting races at tables and making kids move because of it I am out.

Well then it could become part of a diversity awareness program at the schools. The principal and the homeroom teachers could make presentations to the kids explaining how important it is for a diverse tapestry to exist at every lunch-table, and indeed the entire school. I agree that forcing the kids to sit together might seem a bit draconian, but they should at least be educated from the very beginning about what is appropriate behavior in society.

When I was in elem and middle school we were required to sit with our class. And because the class was diverse, the people sitting next to us were diverse.

We also sat with our class at our majority AA upper elementary school. However, I distinctly remember that the two white girls in my 6th grade class always sat together and away from the other girls at the end of the table. The two white boys, however, intermingled freely with the other boys. Not sure what exactly explained the gender difference--could be just random chance--but in general, it is tough to force integration.

PP again. I meant to add that even while it's tough, integration is still a worthwhile enterprise, for all the reasons discussed by prior posters.

[Anonymous]

Breaking news: contrary to OP's premise, some schools have decided that segregation is a GOOD thing for students:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/09/19/san-francisco-state-to-launch-afro-themed-dorm-floors/

And, DCPS has a new "males of color" high school -- founded explicitly on the idea that segregation is good for males of color.

So, why in the world should we entertain forced de-segregation via government rule, when when many educators are explicitly deciding that schools should do the opposite?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Breaking news: contrary to OP's premise, some schools have decided that segregation is a GOOD thing for students:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/09/19/san-francisco-state-to-launch-afro-themed-dorm-floors/

And, DCPS has a new "males of color" high school -- founded explicitly on the idea that segregation is good for males of color.

So, why in the world should we entertain forced de-segregation via government rule, when when many educators are explicitly deciding that schools should do the opposite?

It's so inspiring to see what the Obamas have done for their daughters, all the way from Chicago private schools to DC private schools.

Shows what character means.

[Anonymous]

Desegregation is so great!

—says Ira Glass, a millionaire who went to Northwestern and then Brown, and lives in a $1.5M apartment in an elite, mostly white Manhattan neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

While some of the stories on TAL are solid, the hosts/narrators are the most insufferable phonies I've ever heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While some of the stories on TAL are solid, the hosts/narrators are the most insufferable phonies I've ever heard.

Phony in what way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who cares if they sit at the same lunch table???

The point is that governments, in general, serve schools with measurable white enrollments better than they do schools with segregated enrollment. More experienced teachers, more resources, etc. I don't care if the kids eat lunch on the roof!

DC and Baltimore city spend far more per pupil than Montgomery County. It isn't usually about money. If it were, segregation would be irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Breaking news: contrary to OP's premise, some schools have decided that segregation is a GOOD thing for students:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/09/19/san-francisco-state-to-launch-afro-themed-dorm-floors/

And, DCPS has a new "males of color" high school -- founded explicitly on the idea that segregation is good for males of color.

So, why in the world should we entertain forced de-segregation via government rule, when when many educators are explicitly deciding that schools should do the opposite?

It's so inspiring to see what the Obamas have done for their daughters, all the way from Chicago private schools to DC private schools.

Shows what character means.

They bus their minority daughters to a predominantly white school so they are integrating!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yesterday the This American Life podcast put out an episode tackling the subject of desgrigation. I think it gives some interesting food for thought and is worth a listen: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/562/the-problem-we-all-live-with - This is definitely a general education subject but I posted it here in DCPS because 1) I am a DCPS parent and teacher and 2) It made me think about the OOB set aside. Listen if you have a chance!

Is there a transcript instead? I hate podcasts and videos; I'm a reader.