do you know a lot of people who are leaving DCPS next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I think it *might* be a reaction to all the white people who love to say: "Nobody's FROM DC!" completely ignoring that there have been families here for generations, just not a lot of white ones. That is a testament though of how segregated the city really is.

Agree that the divides are especially stark bc white people here are uniformly UMC.

I live on the Hill and there are a number of families threatening to leave, but will be interesting to see what happens. This is meant as a punishment to the rest of us somehow.

I was born here and I'm white. The child of transplants. And I know a lot of people who were born in the area and have stayed. Not many who live in the middle of the city, but they still live in the region. If you are white and from here, you mostly hang out with other people who are from here. My wife's family has lived in the area for a few generations.

The idea that only white people count, is racist. And so is the idea that only black people count. If I'm a public sector employee like DCPS employees are, then I serve the whole populaiton.

That said, if parents want to have a real voice in this city, we need to join together and use it. Mayor Bowser is right to think that she needs to be careful of the votes connected to the WTU. The constituency connected to the WTU is the reason why Fenty lost and Bowser won.

If we parents want our kids back in school we have to show that parents are an organized consituency who will stick around to vote. Leaving right now is less strategic than being actual players and changing the city governance structure.

This is the root cause of why DC schools still aren't fully open. This gets back to prior comments regarding the voting habits of the poor. They'll vote out who WTU tells them to vote out. And this is why my child hasn't been in a school building for a year.

This is not true. At least in my Ward 4 neighborhood, there were plenty of White progressive folks rallying around her, and she's plenty friendly with WTU. It's just a very simplistic view IMO.

Sorry, I meant to say, who voted for Janeese.

I agree, we live in Ward 4 and the typical DCUM folks do not understand or represent our views. I think there are a good number of folks like us around the southern half of Ward 4 and in Ward 1. Elsewhere too, I expect, we just happen to only live in one neighborhood at a time.

Just to try to explain who we are from a slightly objective perspective, we're white, liberal, kind of moralistic, and want to break down segregation rather than gentrify anything. We like fancy little Instagram-friendly stores but we don't call the cops on our neighbors for smoking weed. Many, probably most of us are from somewhere else but I think most like us are here and don't intend to leave until retirement or longer. Degrees, but bleeding heart jobs, no BIGLAW here. Not moving to the exurbs for COVID. Maybe pods for the kids, but not private schools to get your kids off of screens.

Charters are OK, but we'd rather have a DCPS with a mix of families but not do anything to push anyone out. We think equity in schooling, so things like "cater to high-achievers!" are balanced with "make DCPS or PCS work well for everyone in our schools." We want the WTU to succeed; we also want schools to open. Not going to a rally to demand it NOW or whatever though. I, at least, want it to be said that no teacher at my kids' school got COVID because we demanded reopening when distance learning was an option.

I think we are the people that DCUM folks want to deride as "woke but dumb" people who are going to wake up when our kids are in high school and smoking crack and skipping school because they aren't at Wilson or that some 12 year old in MS-13 is going to murder my kid at MacFarland, whatever . . . just, basically, not buying into that narrative of living in DC.

We don't all experience it the same way, even if superficially we might all fill out the survey as white, well-educated, well-paid dual income families with two kids and a single family home.

I hope DC can work for you. But these posts like "are you moving away due to classes not starting again?" just don't come closing to describing the reality me and my neighbors live. Hope we find common ground where we can though!

Wow, you just described me better than I could describe myself. Except I have charter kids, but don't disagree with you about DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Insufferably smug my God.

[Anonymous]

This whole thread is cringe. Goodbye, farewell.

To the Asian person who said they don't want to hear another word about Black History Month ... you're a piece of hot trash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is cringe. Goodbye, farewell.

To the Asian person who said they don't want to hear another word about Black History Month ... you're a piece of hot trash.

What do know about Asian history, both in Asia and in the US?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is cringe. Goodbye, farewell.

To the Asian person who said they don't want to hear another word about Black History Month ... you're a piece of hot trash.

No she isn’t, just being honest. You however have obvious anger issues. Get some help please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Insufferably smug my God.

Yeah I’m pretty glad I don’t live near those people, I cannot stop my eyes from rolling all the way back in my head

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh I’m in Ward 4, DC middle class, and everyone I know is pondering other options outside of public school in DC. Either moving to the suburbs or figuring out whether they can swing private for the short term.

Which burbs and is it really pandemic related or are they approaching middle school? The burb schools are a mess. Even in fluent areas like Whitman people are constantly complaining, and with county schools you wind up with similar challenges to DC.

No, all young ES kids. It’s a question of trying to but IB for the Wilson feeder schools or the near exurbs or suburbs. DC (and charters) not having any firm plans means people are pushing up their moves out of DC (that they would have done later). For those considering privates, that is largely Catholic, and it seems like a short term solution. Charters seem to be willing to allow you to enroll in a private school but keep your charter spot....so....

What? Absolutely no need to tell any charter, or DCPS, that you're enrolling in private school of course. You can tell admins before the start of the school year if you want, but no obligation.

You don't even need to tell them until a week or two into the school year (don't show, any longer than that, and they'll give your spot away).

But there are any families who need those spots so if you know why would you wait? That leaves other families scrambling around trying to get that spot and you neglect to tell the school that you will not be attending the next year. I feel that is selfish and inconsiderate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Insufferably smug my God.

If you’re referring to the long winded PP who lives in Ward 4- omg yes. Honestly such a cliche, but don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back. I’d rather live in upper NW. And to trot out another cliche- tell me how old your kids are and how long you’re staying in DCPS? Oh wait, you don’t go to your in-bounds school?

[Anonymous]

I'm the longwinded Ward 4 parent above. I was really only trying to offer a counterpoint to the conventional wisdom around here. I don't want this place to be an echo chamber as I know there are a multiplicity of views on many of the issues discussed here, just the toxicity of the discourse makes many stay away.

If you'd like, I will talk about my kids. Would you like to talk about yours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the longwinded Ward 4 parent above. I was really only trying to offer a counterpoint to the conventional wisdom around here. I don't want this place to be an echo chamber as I know there are a multiplicity of views on many of the issues discussed here, just the toxicity of the discourse makes many stay away.

If you'd like, I will talk about my kids. Would you like to talk about yours?

It’s impossible for you to STFU isn’t it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the longwinded Ward 4 parent above. I was really only trying to offer a counterpoint to the conventional wisdom around here. I don't want this place to be an echo chamber as I know there are a multiplicity of views on many of the issues discussed here, just the toxicity of the discourse makes many stay away.

If you'd like, I will talk about my kids. Would you like to talk about yours?

It’s impossible for you to STFU isn’t it?

DP.

What's with the attitude? Ward 4 PP seems very reasonable and offers a very relatable perspective (to me), except swap Black for White and draw a line through "Instagram-friendly." Spot on about the knee-jerk toxicity too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is cringe. Goodbye, farewell.

To the Asian person who said they don't want to hear another word about Black History Month ... you're a piece of hot trash.

What do know about Asian history, both in Asia and in the US?

Not PP but I know quite a bit as someone Black and Asian.

And that other PP is right, they are trash. Probably a colorist East Asian, they can be the most racist and colorist of them all. Saying this based on my family, friends of friends, my/their cultures, etc.

DC is certainly bad about AAPI celebration but then again Asians have tried to assimilate to white culture and have not tried to make their struggles as visible, until now. This isn't oppression Olympics though, they could have simply said we can care about all POC but nope hate is better. Just remember you show hate for others you get hate back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is cringe. Goodbye, farewell.

To the Asian person who said they don't want to hear another word about Black History Month ... you're a piece of hot trash.

What do know about Asian history, both in Asia and in the US?

Not PP but I know quite a bit as someone Black and Asian.

And that other PP is right, they are trash. Probably a colorist East Asian, they can be the most racist and colorist of them all. Saying this based on my family, friends of friends, my/their cultures, etc.

DC is certainly bad about AAPI celebration but then again Asians have tried to assimilate to white culture and have not tried to make their struggles as visible, until now. This isn't oppression Olympics though, they could have simply said we can care about all POC but nope hate is better. Just remember you show hate for others you get hate back.

Pot meet kettle lol.