Wilson v. Banneker

[Anonymous]

I am re-directing this post from the Private Independent forum.

Someone asserted that upper/upper-middle class African Americans won't send their kids to Wilson, and I am a little confused by the that. Will they send them to Banneker? What about Ellington?

Furthermore, why won't the same upper/upper-middle class whites who have no problems with a public school (Wilson) overwhelmingly reject magnet school Banneker? Isn't Banneker in fact the more competitive school?

Is there some self-segregation going on here that seems counterintuitive?

[Anonymous]

segregation, definitely
and Banneker's geographic location, on 'the other side of the park'
But in my view, I'm going to try for
Banneker
Wilson Academies
School without walls
in that order

[Anonymous]

What about Ellington? I've heard good things about it.

I don't really know what to think about arts programs, I'm hoping that DC will choose to focus on math, science, or language(s), but I'd be interested to hear an informed opinion.

[Anonymous]

ellington is fantastic for arts
but I'm hoping NOT to raise a starving artist/artiste...

[Anonymous]

I think I posted on that thread, too, so some of what I will say is repetitive (sorry) but it may be of use to others who haven't read it.

Ellington is strong in the arts and has a great writing program. The students work with professionals and do lots and lots of writing. I can't speak to the other arts programs but I'm sure that they are highly regarded in the city. Math and science have not been as strong but I heard that two problematic teachers have since left and that the principal is requiring that the curriculum be more demanding. DD went last year and her friends who are still there say there is much more work. Still, if your kid goes there, just like any DCPS school you need to be vigilant. Extra tutoring in some subjects may be in order.

Two years ago when dd was in 8th grade she applied to the main magnet schools -- Banneker, Wilson Academy of Humanities, Arts and Media (HAM), Walls, and Ellington. If she had had the temperament, I would have preferred for her to go to Banneker. It strikes me as a very strong academic school with a lot of work and a "button-downed" atmosphere. Seemed very organized and together. But kids have to be able to handle the pressure.

I would have thought Walls would have suited my hippyish dd the best but it just did not appeal to her. It's hard to get a handle on the school unless you know someone who goes there. The open house was a disorganized mess and the kids can't shadow until they are accepted but after dd was accepted I attended the PTA and was quite impressed with the principal. Walls is great because the kids have more opportunities to take college classes than the average DCPS senior.

DD tells me that if she had gone to Wilson she would have been a slacker and hung out with her middle school friends who are now into partying. That's the drawback of Wilson for a kid like mine. It's easy for kids who want to to slide by but it also sounds like there are many great opportunities for students who want to excel. The other thing that gave me pause about Wilson is that the magnet program was heavily white. I didn't want dd (who is white) going to a white school within a majority black school. At the other three schools, white kids are just members of the overall student body, which is majority black at every school -- they don't form an elite.

The best school for your kid really depends on what your kid is like and what environment they need in order to thrive. I was pleased that there were so many options to choose from in DCPS (there's also McKinley Tech and some other magnet programs) and was sorry that dd didn't really take to Banneker or Walls, because I think she would have gotten the best education at one of those schools and it would have been free! (She talked us into sending her to a private school where I have to admit she is getting a lot of extra attention, which she needs. Not a disciplined self-starter, this one.)

So that doesn't really answer your question, OP. All I can say is that I have wondered that myself. There does seem to be a lot of self-segregation going on. This would be an interesting feature article, comparing the two schools. Hey you Washington Post writers out there who are looking for story ideas. Why don't you write about this?

[Anonymous]

I'm an upper middle class African American, and almost all of my friends and their kids either went private to start with or did DCPS elementary then went private. I have a couple friends who sent their daughters to Deal, but that's about it. While I was happy with the education my kids got in elementary school, I did not think DCPS middle and high could compare with what the privates offered and, after a couple years at private, I'm more convinced of it. Smaller classes, less disruption with disciplinary issues, committed teachers, well run and organized schools that don't have to deal with DCPS, and better facilities and resources are some of the reasons we switched. And to be perfectly honest, I think the schools/teachers have lower expectations for black kids, especially boys, and I wasn't about to have my child being accused of "acting white" because he gets good grades or speaks properly. While I'm sorry that we had to leave the public schools, I'm happy that we were able to afford the option. I'm sure if we couldn't, we'd make the best of it and our kids would do fine, but why risk it? And yes, there is a certain amount of segregation at Deal and Wilson.

[Anonymous]

To the PP, it's nice that you like your private school, but it doesn't address the question.

What I'm trying to suss out are the differences (real or perceived) between Wilson & Banneker, and to a lesser extent SWW & Ellington as well. It's become apparent that upper middle class white & AA families view these schools very differently. My DC is in elementary. She's higly intelligent and very self-motivated. Intellectually and personality-wise I know she could do well anywhere, public or private. I think she may have the personality for Banneker or SWW, but I'm a little surprised by the racial demographics of the schools. DC is not African American and I wonder what kind of a difference that would make.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the segragation issue at Deal. I heard they had "tracks" prior but during the open house i heard from the principal that they divide in 3 teams per grade. each team has 4 core subject teachers. the kids in the team are randomly selected by testing results and race so they are evenly dispersed. ie there is no team that is higher scorers or predominantly white or black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP, it's nice that you like your private school, but it doesn't address the question.

What I'm trying to suss out are the differences (real or perceived) between Wilson & Banneker, and to a lesser extent SWW & Ellington as well. It's become apparent that upper middle class white & AA families view these schools very differently. My DC is in elementary. She's higly intelligent and very self-motivated. Intellectually and personality-wise I know she could do well anywhere, public or private. I think she may have the personality for Banneker or SWW, but I'm a little surprised by the racial demographics of the schools. DC is not African American and I wonder what kind of a difference that would make.

A lot. But not necessarily bad. Just ask anyone who was the only Black, Asian, whatever at their school. But based on personal experience, it's impossible to guess how she might react to being a) the only white girl (it's worse than for boys), b) far from her neighbors and friends and c) high academic expectations but fewer resources than she knows she could get at other schools.

OP-it would be really hard for anyone to answer because there are very few, if any, parents of any race or class who would have experience with 2, let alone 4 high schools mentioned. (Although 21:41 was great food for thought IMHO.)

DD sounds like a lovely child! Maybe she'd enjoy exploring different schools and areas of the city in the interim? Maybe you could find activities or community service projects near these schools to let her see for herself what the areas and student bodies are like?

With recession on school reform, the "demographics" of DCPS may shift slightly at the margins with more upperclass families going public. But the bottom line is this is a majority minority less-than-affluent geographically divided city. No mystery. Just reality.

DC is your child's city. You can help her understand and appreciate it no matter what school she's in.

Hope things work out.

[Anonymous]

Sorry-recession AND school reform.