N word at Whitman

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well is this a county wide policy? Is the N word completely banned now in MCPS? Or is this on a case by case basis?

It's not just AS kids who use the N word. It's also commonly used by Latino kids at our school. Wonder if it was a Latino kid at Whitman who used it. And we're the kids at Whitman using it to refer to their friends or was it actually being used as an insult.

Anyone who works with kids knows that the N word is NOT always used as a derogatory term by teens/young adults.

Anyone who works with kids should teach kids about code-switching. Language you use among your friends is not necessarily appropriate to use at school, and the other way around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well is this a county wide policy? Is the N word completely banned now in MCPS? Or is this on a case by case basis?

It's not just AS kids who use the N word. It's also commonly used by Latino kids at our school. Wonder if it was a Latino kid at Whitman who used it. And we're the kids at Whitman using it to refer to their friends or was it actually being used as an insult.

Anyone who works with kids knows that the N word is NOT always used as a derogatory term by teens/young adults.

Anyone who works with kids should teach kids about code-switching. Language you use among your friends is not necessarily appropriate to use at school, and the other way around.

That's fine but how exactly do we expect the county to enforce this. Kids are hanging around with their friends at school, at lunch and at sports practices. It's pretty widely used at DC's school and it's tough to expect that the school monitor it.

Also that's why some context is needed here before parents summarily condemn all Whitman kids. We're the two kids at Whitman white? Were they just singing a song with the N word or were they telling it at other students.

[Anonymous]

Yelling it not telling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the kind of thing that gives me pause about sending my kids to a school like Whitman. Yes, the academics are good by public school standards, but then you have a huge lack of diversity to contend with. If the school's make-up was more like BCC the N word wouldn't be getting thrown around like that because there would be a fear of peer-to-peer repercussions. Which is much more impactful than adults slapping them on the wrist.

Have you been at places around BCC at lunchtime? There is plenty of the N word from all races. And I’m sure a other more diverse schools in the area too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the kind of thing that gives me pause about sending my kids to a school like Whitman. Yes, the academics are good by public school standards, but then you have a huge lack of diversity to contend with. If the school's make-up was more like BCC the N word wouldn't be getting thrown around like that because there would be a fear of peer-to-peer repercussions. Which is much more impactful than adults slapping them on the wrist.

Have you been at places around BCC at lunchtime? There is plenty of the N word from all races. And I’m sure a other more diverse schools in the area too.

Black kids using it among each other is a completely different scenario than two white kids ganging up on a black kid and saying it. I'm sure I don't need to break that down for you?

[Anonymous]

So now the “n” word is a serious offense.

I’d think serious was when they find a gun. Or a bomb threat.

So some kids said N&$$@?

How does anyone survive in the day to day world.

Go to school on the East side. This stuff is nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd like to know the race of the students who used the N word. And, maybe some context.

I obviously don't use the N word, but work in Gaithersburg and hear that word daily.

Also, 'sexual identity references'?? What does that mean? You can't talk about sexual identity?

my locker was in the Cooper section and I heard that word multiple times a day, but not from white kids. oh well.

Yes that's right, the AA kids can say it to each other but you cannot call someone this. Can your little brain not wrap itself around this concept?
Training is apparently available for that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the kind of thing that gives me pause about sending my kids to a school like Whitman. Yes, the academics are good by public school standards, but then you have a huge lack of diversity to contend with. If the school's make-up was more like BCC the N word wouldn't be getting thrown around like that because there would be a fear of peer-to-peer repercussions. Which is much more impactful than adults slapping them on the wrist.

Have you been at places around BCC at lunchtime? There is plenty of the N word from all races. And I’m sure a other more diverse schools in the area too.

Black kids using it among each other is a completely different scenario than two white kids ganging up on a black kid and saying it. I'm sure I don't need to break that down for you?

Are you saying this is what happened at Whitman? I didn't see those type of details anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So now the “n” word is a serious offense.

I’d think serious was when they find a gun. Or a bomb threat.

So some kids said N&$$@?

How does anyone survive in the day to day world.

Go to school on the East side. This stuff is nothing.

Just stop your little assholes from doing this - how hard is that? How can you survive in this world if you can't do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the kind of thing that gives me pause about sending my kids to a school like Whitman. Yes, the academics are good by public school standards, but then you have a huge lack of diversity to contend with. If the school's make-up was more like BCC the N word wouldn't be getting thrown around like that because there would be a fear of peer-to-peer repercussions. Which is much more impactful than adults slapping them on the wrist.

Have you been at places around BCC at lunchtime? There is plenty of the N word from all races. And I’m sure a other more diverse schools in the area too.

Black kids using it among each other is a completely different scenario than two white kids ganging up on a black kid and saying it. I'm sure I don't need to break that down for you?

First off? It is not just black kids using the word. Latinos also commonly use it. And honestly, some Asian young men also use it to refer to each other.

Again, this is why context matters. Do we know that it was two white kids using the word? Or two Asian kids referring to their friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now the “n” word is a serious offense.

I’d think serious was when they find a gun. Or a bomb threat.

So some kids said N&$$@?

How does anyone survive in the day to day world.

Go to school on the East side. This stuff is nothing.

Just stop your little assholes from doing this - how hard is that? How can you survive in this world if you can't do this?

Which little assholes? White little assholes or Black and Latino little assholes. Can you be more clear?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the kind of thing that gives me pause about sending my kids to a school like Whitman. Yes, the academics are good by public school standards, but then you have a huge lack of diversity to contend with. If the school's make-up was more like BCC the N word wouldn't be getting thrown around like that because there would be a fear of peer-to-peer repercussions. Which is much more impactful than adults slapping them on the wrist.

Have you been at places around BCC at lunchtime? There is plenty of the N word from all races. And I’m sure a other more diverse schools in the area too.

+1

This is so true. PP, you are completely delusional if you think a 'more diverse' HS means less use of the N word. What rock do you live under?

And peer-to-peer repercussions? Yeah, not quite.

[Anonymous]

The principal's letter is great. We need to be setting high expectations among our kids for respecting all people and not lodging insults at all, certainly not based on race and identity. The fact that some parents find this letter over the top suggests that schools need to work even harder to get the point across to the next generation.

[Anonymous]

I see nothing wrong with the letter. The principal is sending the message that they take this stuff seriously and expect students to speak to each other in respectful and appropriate ways. It's important for those at the top to set the tone. I don't really see what OP is upset about.

And the letter is clearly referring to words like c**t, f*****t, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see nothing wrong with the letter. The principal is sending the message that they take this stuff seriously and expect students to speak to each other in respectful and appropriate ways. It's important for those at the top to set the tone. I don't really see what OP is upset about.

And the letter is clearly referring to words like c**t, f*****t, etc.

Has this been an issue at Whitman? Graffiti or use of the words?