How many does it take

[Anonymous]

18:51, yep, I totally hear you.

It's sad and awful that children and adults say these sorts of things. Somehow it's acceptable though in DC, as has been referenced on previous threads.

Over racism (shouting racial slurs, etc...) towards Hispanics, Asians and Whites is condoned by many in DC.

I'm not sure how this is ever ok, but it's a reality of of living in this city.

[Anonymous]

It isn't just this city, it is most of the world. Many of us are fortunate to live in less harsh conditions, but in every corner of the world I have been to, and especially rural locales, the prejudice and ethnic bias is just as crappy, or worse, than in DC. That includes Finland, Egypt, China, Japan, Namibia, Costa Rica, England, Trinidad, Israel, Australia, and more.

I would argue that this sort of ugliness is hard-wired into our DNA and somehow it has some sort of evolutionary advantage . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Completely agree. As a Howard grad (biracial), knowing many Howard grads with kids and grand kids, I can't imagine a 5 year old saying "it's a black thing" ever! Maybe at the middle school level, but still that could be a stretch. You'll notice that the poster that said her 5 year had that was told that hasn't spoken up, I'm sure it was a statement s/he made up to emphasize his/her stance, but sounds like a bunch of lies to me.

As a naive white "gentrifier" in a neighborhood not far from Howard, I was - and am - shocked by the vulgar things I have heard small children say. I don't blame their race or their schools, I blame their parents. I'm sure their unfortunate economic circumstances play a large part, but ultimately the lack of appropriate parenting and adult role-models in their lives is irreplaceable. It's possible to be poor and still be well-raised and goal-oriented. There's no excuse for teaching or allowing your elementary school aged child to say to a random stranger "Kill that white bitch!"

If I hadn't heard it, I never would have believed it. And I've heard it more than once. So, I'm new to this thread, but "It's a black thing" is hardly an inconceivable racial fireball in my experience. I've lived on this side of 14th street for a decade now, I can handle it, though it saddens me. However, there's more than one good reason that I would never let my children attend the local DCPS pipeline-to-the-penitentiary.


(BTW, my offense was walking up the street - on the other side - within view of said vulgar small child.)

I agree and it saddens me as well to witness this type of language/behavior. I come across it often especially at my neighborhood metro (Anacostia). However, a 5 year old saying these vulgar things is a stretch. In my experience, the age range for the young ones that develop the poor behavior could be as young as 7/8, but still doubt it coming from a 5 year old. It could very well be that the PP gets this all the time (very likely) and is assuming the little brown kids in her kid's class could be capable of such behavior or perhaps it was an older kid in the school, but I'll bet my 401k that a 5 year old did not say that to her kid.

Signed,
A nearly decade resident of SE where the language is probably the worst

[Anonymous]

We are getting off the subject. We have went from not letting their child attend a DCPS school, to offensive language and then someone said the DCPS is a pipeline-to-the-penitentiary.

C'mon tell us how you really feel. As you fight for diversity for your neighborhood school, I guess the question should be how many [blacks] will it take for you to leave a DCPS. Yes, there are those who say they will not let their child be the first white child to attend a DCPS school. But by chance he/she therefore how many incidents will it take for you to leave DCPS?


00:58, you do know there are two sides of SE?

[Anonymous]

Not sure I follow you, PP.
What do you mean by "fight for diversity in your local public school?" or "How many blacks will it take to leave"?

The reason people mention offensive language is that it is one of many things that worry white parents. White adults have the maturity to recognize that when young children cuss or use racial epithets, it is because of poor parenting.

Young children are not mature, and don't have knowledge of history, racial discrimination, segregation, etc. to understand the complex causes of poverty in DC--therefore, while I may be able to understand being called a white bitch (which has occurred to me as well), my children don't.

[Anonymous]

"am bamboozled at the fact that the timid reaction for not sending their white child to a school where they are the only one is because of ????? What has brought on this attitude is there a rise in race-riots or black on white bullying at DCPS."

Oh please, I've lived in this city for 20 years. Reverse (black against white) racism is alive and well. There's no way I'd want my kid to be in a school where he's only a small number of white kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Completely agree. As a Howard grad (biracial), knowing many Howard grads with kids and grand kids, I can't imagine a 5 year old saying "it's a black thing" ever! Maybe at the middle school level, but still that could be a stretch. You'll notice that the poster that said her 5 year had that was told that hasn't spoken up, I'm sure it was a statement s/he made up to emphasize his/her stance, but sounds like a bunch of lies to me.

As a naive white "gentrifier" in a neighborhood not far from Howard, I was - and am - shocked by the vulgar things I have heard small children say. I don't blame their race or their schools, I blame their parents. I'm sure their unfortunate economic circumstances play a large part, but ultimately the lack of appropriate parenting and adult role-models in their lives is irreplaceable. It's possible to be poor and still be well-raised and goal-oriented. There's no excuse for teaching or allowing your elementary school aged child to say to a random stranger "Kill that white bitch!"

If I hadn't heard it, I never would have believed it. And I've heard it more than once. So, I'm new to this thread, but "It's a black thing" is hardly an inconceivable racial fireball in my experience. I've lived on this side of 14th street for a decade now, I can handle it, though it saddens me. However, there's more than one good reason that I would never let my children attend the local DCPS pipeline-to-the-penitentiary.

(BTW, my offense was walking up the street - on the other side - within view of said vulgar small child.)

I'm sad that this has happened to you. I live way east of 14th too but never had a similar experience. I love our neighborhood and know most of my neighbors. I'm Asian married to a white guy. Our next door neighbor to one side is also a mixed race marriage, AA woman to a white guy. The people across the street are a pair of gay men. We have Hispanics, Whites, AA and Asians on our block and overall I've found people to be friendly and helpful. I can't imagine any of the children on our block, black, white or purple shouting a racial slur at me or anyone, I know their parents... We're originally from NYC and I used to think our building/neighbor there was diverse but I've found DC to be equally if not more with friendlier people.

Our biracial, Asian/White, DC attends Yu Ying. DC's two best pals are a AA/Asian and a very fair blue eyed blond. Too cute! Not sure if our kid understands the concept of race at all.

[Anonymous]

I think it takes at least 15% white and at least 50% non-FARMS. There is a "sweet spot" for schools that have more than 40% FARMS, but not much more, to be Title 1, get that extra funding, but still have 50% kids from non-FARMS households.

In my search for an acceptable OOB, that's what I'm looking for. Scan for yes Title 1, but FARMs in the ~50% range.

[Anonymous]

Title I only gets you around $150K more in the average-sized school. Not much of a dent in the problems poverty brings to the academic lives of children.

[Anonymous]

10:13, I am just trying to figure out this whole premise of neighborhood school (A) is a good school but not that good scenario. I am hearing too many conversations of I [we as parents] "hope" that high-school is better when our child is able to attend. Then the follow-up questions are always hinted towards race but now it is straight-up inquiries of how many white kids attend the school now? Which I am always amazed when quoting a number of 1 to none the response is where do the kids come from and when the explanation is that the school boundary well keep the ratio of whites demographically low to blacks, then the option [response] is always I [white parent] will send my child to an OOB school that has diversity.

I have seen it with my own eyes where a group of black children berated an older white woman for using the word boy in a response. You're right my young child couldn't understand the hostility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am bamboozled at the fact that the timid reaction for not sending their white child to a school where they are the only one is because of ????? What has brought on this attitude is there a rise in race-riots or black on white bullying at DCPS.

Finding a few white folks is not comforting to hear. Again, the reality is that whites must come as group to conquer the fear of educating their children in a school system that is predominantly AA.

We all want the best education possible for our children but do we??? I want my child to have the best but let's not have the poor, uneducated parent base at the school. Oh! I want the diversity of my child's school we have AA PTSA President, White Principal but the poverty level is hovering around 40% and we haven't met AYP in years. See where I am going with this, it will never be politcally correct.

Sory, can you rephrase this? I cannot follow you.

[Anonymous]

I think the answer for white parents who don't want their kid to be an "only" is to have a group of other white parents enter at the same time. However, if it looks planned, people fear white people will take over the school?

[Anonymous]

I am a white WOHM. My daughter is one of two white faces in her PK-4 class, last year she was the only one. Her school is almost 50% hispanic and almost 50% AA, with lots of different nationalities and mixes represented. She has lots of friends at her school. She reads at a first grade level. Her best friend, who she hangs out with in aftercare, is AA.
There are a lot of middle class parents but there are some who, sorry to have to say it like this, are pretty ghetto. The things that bother us include off-hand use of coarse language by AA siblings and even some parents, we really don't want DD learning the N-word from a Dad with his pants hanging down, yelling at his kid on the playground after school. That kind of thing bothers me the same way I'd be bothered by too many rednecks if we went to school in the VA countryside.

[Anonymous]

It takes more than a group of white parents. It takes a committed program of advanced academic curriculm.

As to the notion that there is a sweet spot of 40% for FARM, I have to say even that his high. The challenge you have with that high of FARM is not just the students are behind but their parents are often unable to contribute. I could not imagine myself saying this several years ago, but after serveral years at Thomson and leaving, I know this is my reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It takes more than a group of white parents. It takes a committed program of advanced academic curriculum.

There are several factors that can turn around a struggling school, but the single most important one is that a school should become less than 50% disadvantaged. Aside from KIPP and a few other programs, there are zero school systems that have turned-around by implementing curriculum or some other program. Concentrations of poverty decimate a school.