SWS -- Atmosphere and Leadership

[Anonymous]

So, you aren't friends with any of the AA families at the school? Ok. Can you imagine what they might say too? Should you actually have a conversation with one of them? "Yeah, it'd be nice if there were more color?" What "evidence" will be satisfactory for you? The kind you get on an anonymous listserv?

Your intentions might be well and good, but you're foo nothing but creating a platform here for people with no firsthand experience to provide their outside "theories".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, you aren't friends with any of the AA families at the school? Ok. Can you imagine what they might say too? Should you actually have a conversation with one of them? "Yeah, it'd be nice if there were more color?" What "evidence" will be satisfactory for you? The kind you get on an anonymous listserv?

Your intentions might be well and good, but you're foo nothing but creating a platform here for people with no firsthand experience to provide their outside "theories".

But you don't need theories. You just need numbers. If SWS is a city-wide school, then there should not be a huge disparity between the demographics of the city and the school. Likewise, if the population of qualified teachers is racially balanced then you should not see a huge disparity. Furthermore there IS value in having teachers reflect the demographic - if you don't understand why, please do a little reading and educate yourself before you start opining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, you aren't friends with any of the AA families at the school? Ok. Can you imagine what they might say too? Should you actually have a conversation with one of them? "Yeah, it'd be nice if there were more color?" What "evidence" will be satisfactory for you? The kind you get on an anonymous listserv?

Your intentions might be well and good, but you're foo nothing but creating a platform here for people with no firsthand experience to provide their outside "theories".

Of course I am. That's where I've heard what I've heard. But I'm not friends with all of them, and it's not an easy subject to raise with people who aren't your friends. And non-AA families might have experiences of their own to share as well.

No, an anonymous message board is not a great venue for this. But I don't know of a better one. While anonymity introduces risks, it also gives people the freedom to say things they wouldn't feel comfortable saying in other contexts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible that AA families/teachers have less of a desire to attend/teach at this school for some reason?

Like they're made to feel unwelcome? Or there is a lack of diversity reflected in teaching materials? Or examples used in the classroom are specific to white culture?

Lets not invent problems. Maybe its just not convenient for a lot of parents to travel across the city to the school and then to their jobs. Its a lotterty not a conspiracy people. And the City is now 51% white, and the baby boom in the last few years has been fueled by white families. I don't know if any of these numbers are so shocking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an outside observer I have notice the following asp possible citrin using factors :

1) aftercare or should I say"extended day enrichment" includes Irish step dancing

2) the principal has historically let in families (even since becoming a city wide school) who aren't even on the wait list but who lobby really hard. Not sure what criteria he is using when allowing these families in, but it isn't diversity, from what I have observed.

3) when SWS was in the Peabody building, and started at pk4, while Peabody started at pk3, only families who could afford daycare an extra year could enroll in SWS, because SWS had a policy of not allowing in transfers from Peabody. This difference contributed to the "upstairs downstairs"' appearance.

Wow! Yuck

+1, number 2 doesn't surprise me at all

#2 is completely false

[Anonymous]

Um, no, it isn't. I know a current 1st grader whose father lobbied him in midway thru PK4. I know the practice used to be even more widespread before...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an outside observer I have notice the following asp possible citrin using factors :

1) aftercare or should I say"extended day enrichment" includes Irish step dancing

2) the principal has historically let in families (even since becoming a city wide school) who aren't even on the wait list but who lobby really hard. Not sure what criteria he is using when allowing these families in, but it isn't diversity, from what I have observed.

3) when SWS was in the Peabody building, and started at pk4, while Peabody started at pk3, only families who could afford daycare an extra year could enroll in SWS, because SWS had a policy of not allowing in transfers from Peabody. This difference contributed to the "upstairs downstairs"' appearance.

Wow! Yuck

+1, number 2 doesn't surprise me at all

#2 is completely false

NP here. No, #2 is most definitely true.

[Anonymous]

#2 is just funny. No facts, no evidence just "feelings". Not a very logical approach and grossly unfair to the Principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um, no, it isn't. I know a current 1st grader whose father lobbied him in midway thru PK4. I know the practice used to be even more widespread before...

I know exactly who you are talking about and that child had a very high wait list number in the fall and another PK4 family moved out of town. Most families do not want to change schools mid-year. No conspiracy there. You should be ashamed and get your facts straight next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:#2 is just funny. No facts, no evidence just "feelings". Not a very logical approach and grossly unfair to the Principal.

How is it not a fact when people KNOW families that have done it? I'm not a SWS parent, but I know a few different parents and they have all said that this did, in fact, happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:#2 is just funny. No facts, no evidence just "feelings". Not a very logical approach and grossly unfair to the Principal.

How is it not a fact when people KNOW families that have done it? I'm not a SWS parent, but I know a few different parents and they have all said that this did, in fact, happen.

Since the computerized lottery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible that AA families/teachers have less of a desire to attend/teach at this school for some reason?

Like they're made to feel unwelcome? Or there is a lack of diversity reflected in teaching materials? Or examples used in the classroom are specific to white culture?

Lets not invent problems. Maybe its just not convenient for a lot of parents to travel across the city to the school and then to their jobs. Its a lotterty not a conspiracy people. And the City is now 51% white, and the baby boom in the last few years has been fueled by white families. I don't know if any of these numbers are so shocking.

Sure they are. Look at diversity in other citywide programs. Like Logan. Same neighborhood, 54% AA, 35% white. No citywide charter has managed to be so white. Maybe sibling preference explains a lot, but they should be knocking themselves out trying to recruit a wider mix of kids.

[Anonymous]

Parents typically do not transfer mid-year if the number on the list comes up, they fear transition for their child. As a result a "higher number" from the lottery is enrolled because the parents are not afraid of a mid-year transition. Again lets be careful not to treat innocent people poorly by starting rumors.

[Anonymous]

I am sorry if I have posted this before, but it just made such an impression on me. I was one of the very few (maybe only?) non-white parents at an open house a few years back. Another parent (white) asked about diversity and what they're doing about it and the principal just seemed really put out by the question. He kind of shrugged and said, well, what can you do, we're not near any metro stations... because you know no minorities have cars or know how to use buses. it was a very weird moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am sorry if I have posted this before, but it just made such an impression on me. I was one of the very few (maybe only?) non-white parents at an open house a few years back. Another parent (white) asked about diversity and what they're doing about it and the principal just seemed really put out by the question. He kind of shrugged and said, well, what can you do, we're not near any metro stations... because you know no minorities have cars or know how to use buses. it was a very weird moment.

What would you have wanted him to say? You can't make people choose your school, can you? Can YOU?