Let's Talk About African - American Children

[Anonymous]

Which schools do a great job with educating African - American children. Children are treated fairly, invitations are extended for playdates and birthday parties, African - American history is embedded in the curriculum, Diversity committee or something similiar, and parents have positive interactions with other parents.

Please state school and your experience/s. We have applied to several schools just trying to get additional insight. Our child will be entering Pre - K.

TIA

[Anonymous]

Our kids go to Lowell and it seems as though they do a great job on this issue (we are not AA, but are close with many AA families including both my daughters' current best friends). There is a significant effort to include relevant history in the curriculum and there are many AA role models, including the head of the upper school and the head of the Preprimary program. There is a diversity committee and the head of admissions is also AA. And based on my kids' classes, there does not seem to be any "sorting" of kids by race when it comes to birthday parties or friendships.

[Anonymous]

Good question OP. I have heard that VA public schools are doing a better job than MD public schools of closing the academic gap between Whites and Blacks. I assume that you are asking about private schools though. I would recommend taking a look at Green Acres.
There has been a lot of negative criticism about Sidwell on that issue, but I bet you that there are two African American girls there that are getting a ton of play date invitations.

[Anonymous]

Hello I am the OP thanks for the post thus far. Can anyone else comment on schools? Possibly the Big Three or Four???? (Cathedral schools (NCS, STA, and Beauvoir), GDS, Sidwell, and Maret)? What about Sheridan we have an application there also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello I am the OP thanks for the post thus far. Can anyone else comment on schools? Possibly the Big Three or Four???? (Cathedral schools (NCS, STA, and Beauvoir), GDS, Sidwell, and Maret)? What about Sheridan we have an application there also.

Frankly, all of these schools try hard to educate all children. Period. Regardless of what some naysayers may be saying on this forum, all of these schools welcome and try to cultivate diversity. They all have the same recruitment goals. They all have the same diversity committees. They all do the right things in this regard. The issue is more with the parents. Where you find more uptight parents, such as at Beauvoir and Sidwell, you're bound to find folks who might not be terribly willing, or terribly good at, connecting with people of color. Or just terrible all around I suppose. In the "crunchier" schools, the afore-mentioned Lowell, for one, as well as Green Acres, and I'd add to the list GDS, you're bound to find more laid back parents, who in my experience are generally more willing, and better at, connecting with a wider range of people.

Can't say I have direct knowledge of Sheridan. We visited. Found it cozy and seemingly more of the "crunchy" type. But we didn't apply and don't know anyone there.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

We are a family with same-sex parents - so are also sensitive to diversity issues of all kinds. Our child has been at Aidan Montessori (which does extend into elementary), and we are very happy with how different cultures and races are integrated into the curriculum and school environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a family with same-sex parents - so are also sensitive to diversity issues of all kinds. Our child has been at Aidan Montessori (which does extend into elementary), and we are very happy with how different cultures and races are integrated into the curriculum and school environment.

My observation, having direct experience with 3 private schools - the more AA children at the school, the more welcome same-sex parents feel, rgardless of race. The fewer AA children at the school, the more difficult it is for the same-sex families to truly fit in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a family with same-sex parents - so are also sensitive to diversity issues of all kinds. Our child has been at Aidan Montessori (which does extend into elementary), and we are very happy with how different cultures and races are integrated into the curriculum and school environment.

We also are a same-sex family, as well as African-American. We recently applied at Aiden, & hoping all works out. It's good to hear your feedback. We also applied at British School of Washington, which we also like very much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello I am the OP thanks for the post thus far. Can anyone else comment on schools? Possibly the Big Three or Four???? (Cathedral schools (NCS, STA, and Beauvoir), GDS, Sidwell, and Maret)? What about Sheridan we have an application there also.

Frankly, all of these schools try hard to educate all children. Period. Regardless of what some naysayers may be saying on this forum, all of these schools welcome and try to cultivate diversity. They all have the same recruitment goals. They all have the same diversity committees. They all do the right things in this regard. The issue is more with the parents. Where you find more uptight parents, such as at Beauvoir and Sidwell, you're bound to find folks who might not be terribly willing, or terribly good at, connecting with people of color. Or just terrible all around I suppose. In the "crunchier" schools, the afore-mentioned Lowell, for one, as well as Green Acres, and I'd add to the list GDS, you're bound to find more laid back parents, who in my experience are generally more willing, and better at, connecting with a wider range of people.

Can't say I have direct knowledge of Sheridan. We visited. Found it cozy and seemingly more of the "crunchy" type. But we didn't apply and don't know anyone there.

Good luck.

As a parent at one of the schools you mention I think its disrespectful and unfair of you to characterize the parents of Beauvoir and Sidwell as more uptight. Stop with all these awful generalizations.

OP - good luck with your choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello I am the OP thanks for the post thus far. Can anyone else comment on schools? Possibly the Big Three or Four???? (Cathedral schools (NCS, STA, and Beauvoir), GDS, Sidwell, and Maret)? What about Sheridan we have an application there also.

Frankly, all of these schools try hard to educate all children. Period. Regardless of what some naysayers may be saying on this forum, all of these schools welcome and try to cultivate diversity. They all have the same recruitment goals. They all have the same diversity committees. They all do the right things in this regard. The issue is more with the parents. Where you find more uptight parents, such as at Beauvoir and Sidwell, you're bound to find folks who might not be terribly willing, or terribly good at, connecting with people of color. Or just terrible all around I suppose. In the "crunchier" schools, the afore-mentioned Lowell, for one, as well as Green Acres, and I'd add to the list GDS, you're bound to find more laid back parents, who in my experience are generally more willing, and better at, connecting with a wider range of people.

Can't say I have direct knowledge of Sheridan. We visited. Found it cozy and seemingly more of the "crunchy" type. But we didn't apply and don't know anyone there.

Good luck.

As a parent at one of the schools you mention I think its disrespectful and unfair of you to characterize the parents of Beauvoir and Sidwell as more uptight. Stop with all these awful generalizations.

OP - good luck with your choices.

Can anyone address this issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello I am the OP thanks for the post thus far. Can anyone else comment on schools? Possibly the Big Three or Four???? (Cathedral schools (NCS, STA, and Beauvoir), GDS, Sidwell, and Maret)? What about Sheridan we have an application there also.

Frankly, all of these schools try hard to educate all children. Period. Regardless of what some naysayers may be saying on this forum, all of these schools welcome and try to cultivate diversity. They all have the same recruitment goals. They all have the same diversity committees. They all do the right things in this regard. The issue is more with the parents. Where you find more uptight parents, such as at Beauvoir and Sidwell, you're bound to find folks who might not be terribly willing, or terribly good at, connecting with people of color. Or just terrible all around I suppose. In the "crunchier" schools, the afore-mentioned Lowell, for one, as well as Green Acres, and I'd add to the list GDS, you're bound to find more laid back parents, who in my experience are generally more willing, and better at, connecting with a wider range of people.

Can't say I have direct knowledge of Sheridan. We visited. Found it cozy and seemingly more of the "crunchy" type. But we didn't apply and don't know anyone there.

Good luck.

Agree with this post - that it is really the parents that matter and that all the schools likely do their best to make sure all the children get the best education. If you really think about it, it is very hard for any school to regulate who gets invited on playdates and how parents get along with each other. A school could have 101 events with rigid seating charts but parents will interact with each other only if they want to. Same goes for playdates and birthday parties. The school can have rules about not excluding kids, but these totally unenforceable (aside from the ole "not using our mailbox" rule) and parents will still cherry pick.

Op, I have no real advice for you, we will not enter the fray until next year and I have some of the same concerns. One thing that I would say is that if this is really important to you, you should be prepared to take a lead in making connections, this is, instead of waiting for the paydate invitations you should be prepared to be the one to make the first move - yes there may be some painful rejections but you and your child may make some lasting friendships.

[Anonymous]

Definitely GDS puts out the most efforts, with two diversity coordinators and hosting numerous diversity/inclusion seminars, workshops, etc. Beauvoir, not much efforts, same w/St. Albans and NCS, as compared to GDS or Sidwell even.

Agree w/poster re Lowell and Green Acres. Very diverse and inclusive. If you're into even more 'untraditional' than Lowell and GA, the Waldorf Schools (Oneness and Wash Waldorf) are all about 'inclusion'.

Norwood is trying to be more open/inclusive/accepting, but the reality still stands that most of their students are from caucasian, heterosexual, VERY WEALTHY Potomac/Bethesda families.

[Anonymous]

Grace Episcopal Day School has many, many African American families, who are well represented on the board of governors and at the highest levels of development efforts. Interactions among parents and children have been uniformly positive for us. Playdates and close friendships are the norm across races. We have never been in such a fully and naturally integrated environment, and we have nothing but good things to say about it.

[Anonymous]

As a parent at one of the schools you mention I think its disrespectful and unfair of you to characterize the parents of Beauvoir and Sidwell as more uptight. Stop with all these awful generalizations.

OP - good luck with your choices.




I think that all we can go on is generalizations, and that is OK. With these issues, there is no way to get objective info. It is always that way when it comes to race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello I am the OP thanks for the post thus far. Can anyone else comment on schools? Possibly the Big Three or Four???? (Cathedral schools (NCS, STA, and Beauvoir), GDS, Sidwell, and Maret)? What about Sheridan we have an application there also.

Frankly, all of these schools try hard to educate all children. Period. Regardless of what some naysayers may be saying on this forum, all of these schools welcome and try to cultivate diversity. They all have the same recruitment goals. They all have the same diversity committees. They all do the right things in this regard. The issue is more with the parents. Where you find more uptight parents, such as at Beauvoir and Sidwell, you're bound to find folks who might not be terribly willing, or terribly good at, connecting with people of color. Or just terrible all around I suppose. In the "crunchier" schools, the afore-mentioned Lowell, for one, as well as Green Acres, and I'd add to the list GDS, you're bound to find more laid back parents, who in my experience are generally more willing, and better at, connecting with a wider range of people.

Can't say I have direct knowledge of Sheridan. We visited. Found it cozy and seemingly more of the "crunchy" type. But we didn't apply and don't know anyone there.

Good luck.

As a parent at one of the schools you mention I think its disrespectful and unfair of you to characterize the parents of Beauvoir and Sidwell as more uptight. Stop with all these awful generalizations.

OP - good luck with your choices.

I don't think anyone things that ALL parents of Beauvior and Sidwell kids are uptight. It IS a generalization. I thought that what was interesting about your post was a tacit admission that in general, in your view, Beauvoir and Sidwell parents are uptight. Maybe you didn't mean it. A slip of the tongue, perhaps. In any event, that is my general view, and having had a child at Beauvoir who outplaced to Sidwell, I can also say I have a fair basis for saying this.