FARMS

[Anonymous]

I agree that some people seem to throw around the word "FARMS" as code for race. This mostly reflects continued de facto school segregation.

For those of us not from DC, our childhood school experience with the word "FARMS" may mean something completely different from those who are from DC.

I grew up in a school where about 40% of school was FARMS and all white. When I see someone use the word FARMS, I know it means low income, and since I know DC, I know it also means AA or Hispanic usually in DC. Once again, because of school segregation and poverty.

I don't think that makes me racist to associate the two words.

[Anonymous]

No it does not make you a racist, when you share that story. It makes you a racist, when you say that you don't any FARMS or they have too many FARMs at that school. Better yet, when it is stated the school would thrive if they get rid of the FARMS. See how the racist tone is coming across.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It makes you a racist, when you say that...they have too many FARMs at that school.

No. Actually this isn't evidence of racism at all. I don't have any problem sending my kid to a school with 90% members of a different race. I have a big problem with sending my kid to a school with 90% FARMS students. Because there's plenty of evidence that in most cases, when you have a school with a very high poverty load, that school does not work. Particularly in an urban environment.

To ignore that is just to ignore reality. And to yell "racism" at someone who points out this plain fact is disingenuous at best.

[Anonymous]

+1 to 13:00

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: It makes you a racist, when you say that...they have too many FARMs at that school.

No. Actually this isn't evidence of racism at all. I don't have any problem sending my kid to a school with 90% members of a different race. I have a big problem with sending my kid to a school with 90% FARMS students. Because there's plenty of evidence that in most cases, when you have a school with a very high poverty load, that school does not work. Particularly in an urban environment.
To ignore that is just to ignore reality. And to yell "racism" at someone who points out this plain fact is disingenuous at best.

Agreed, and I am an AA who would not send my kids to a school which is 90% FARMS for the reasons mentioned above as well as the fact that there are often behavioral issues in these schools which I don't want my children exposed to.

[Anonymous]

@13:00 (NP here) I think there is some racism there when FARMS is used as a euphemism for Black or Latino. So when someone says there's too many FARMS at the school. What they're really saying is that there's too many Black and Latino kids at a school for their liking. When FARMS is meant to mean one's SES only, then there's no racism, but because it can be used as a shorthand substitute for Black/Latino, it can be. It depends on the person using the term and how they view it.

[Anonymous]

Our school is a Title 1 school so every child, white, black, rich, middle and poor gets a FARM if they want one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free and reduced meals. Heavily coded to represent AA. You do know what AA stands for?

No, that's heavily coded for families that qualify with a low enough income to have their children recieve reduced meals! You can be a parent making a six figure income and if you have one child, you wouldn't qualify but if you have four kids and your debt to ratio can qualify for you that you may really be living off of a $40,000 salary then you too can qualify for FARM. So sick of you white parent using sites like this to dump your racist, ignorant remarks! The fact that you see an AA and assume they are on reduced lunch because we are poor is beyond me. There are so many stable white Americans taking advantage of these programs as well that really don't need it as if you "high/SES/whites" haven't benifited from enough fucking free labor from AA. You know what I mean by that? This nation was built on the backs of slaves for free labor for a long damn time! You stole this land from natives and used others to build you big houses to sit your lazy asses in for years! Now y'all wanna throw hidden body shots! I so WISH for some of you on here making these comments could have the courage to say these same things publicly face to face or in open forum!!!!! But that will NEVER happen so all you can do is hide behind "anonymous". LMBFAAO!!!! This is not for all white people, just those scared, fake privileged assholes cause your "status" comes from using my ancestors. Shame on you and I feel sorry for your children.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free and reduced meals. Heavily coded to represent AA. You do know what AA stands for?

No, that's heavily coded for families that qualify with a low enough income to have their children recieve reduced meals! You can be a parent making a six figure income and if you have one child, you wouldn't qualify but if you have four kids and your debt to ratio can qualify for you that you may really be living off of a $40,000 salary then you too can qualify for FARM. So sick of you white parent using sites like this to dump your racist, ignorant remarks! The fact that you see an AA and assume they are on reduced lunch because we are poor is beyond me. There are so many stable white Americans taking advantage of these programs as well that really don't need it as if you "high/SES/whites" haven't benifited from enough fucking free labor from AA. You know what I mean by that? This nation was built on the backs of slaves for free labor for a long damn time! You stole this land from natives and used others to build you big houses to sit your lazy asses in for years! Now y'all wanna throw hidden body shots! I so WISH for some of you on here making these comments could have the courage to say these same things publicly face to face or in open forum!!!!! But that will NEVER happen so all you can do is hide behind "anonymous". LMBFAAO!!!! This is not for all white people, just those scared, fake privileged assholes cause your "status" comes from using my ancestors. Shame on you and I feel sorry for your children.

Please tell me this is not true. I don;t care what color you are, if you're making a six figure income, there is no way you should be getting free and reduced meals. That's absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Free and reduced meals. Heavily coded to represent AA. You do know what AA stands for?

Umm. This is could represent any child. In fact, back in my youth, I was eligible for and received FARMS as a white kid.

Ditto.

Fantastic. In the District of Columbia (and this is a thread on DCUM, in the DC Public Schools topic section), the vast majority of the time FARM kids are minorities. This is not a controversial statement - it's an objective fact.

I'm always fascinated by people who post the equivalent of, "Oh, yeah? Well, in a completely different situation, you'd get a completely different result." No shit. If my aunt had a penis, she'd be my uncle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we just stipulate that FARMS is code for poor, that nearly all of the poor in DC are black and Latino, that many who participate in this forum will do anything to limit their interactions with all of the above?

I think if you read enough of these threads, you'll know that to be true.

I just wonder why those folks are living in a city.

I don't think you know what "code" means.

[Anonymous]

14:55, you are precious. Don't change. Here we go with skewed statiatics to make meaningless point. What are the FARM stats for Banneker but yet whites feel that Banneker is not worthy, regardless of their track record. What is SWW FARM stats? What is McKinley's FARM stats but their Principal is the Principal of the year at a school with large AA. Is it an oxymoron?

[Anonymous]

"FARMS" is apparently only "code" to a few thin-skinned people from DC. The rest of us don't give a damn about your "code".

[Anonymous]

18:15, the person you referenced is without a clue on this topic. A family of 4 has to have an income of right around 42K or lower to qualify for a Free or Reduced Price Meal in the DC public schools.

I think the poster is the cousin of word salad lady from Eastern...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:55, you are precious. Don't change. Here we go with skewed statiatics to make meaningless point. What are the FARM stats for Banneker but yet whites feel that Banneker is not worthy, regardless of their track record. What is SWW FARM stats? What is McKinley's FARM stats but their Principal is the Principal of the year at a school with large AA. Is it an oxymoron?

It has nothing to do with FARMS. Banneker and Walls are excellent "for DC". But in the grand scheme of things? They are no better than regular, comprehensive, "good" high schools out in the suburbs around here. McKinley isn't even in the same caliber as the others so I wish people would stop throwing that into the mix.