Why don't white students go to Banneker?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Hi everyone,
I'm a reporter with the Washington City Paper, and I'm working on a story on a question that has been raised several times on this forum: Why don't white students go to Banneker? I'm interested in speaking with parents who fall under one of these categories: - You have (or recently have) a child at Banneker - You're considering Banneker - You opted not to apply to Banneker, or got in but decided not to go there If you match the description, please feel free to send me an email at awiener (at) washingtoncitypaper (dot) com. Thanks very much! Aaron |
Anonymous
Because its Majority Black and located in Georgia Avenue near Howard University. Whites will not send their kids to majority black schools regardless of the test scores. People will say "Wilson" but lets be honest the "honor courses" or "humanities program" are Majority white and a school within a school where whites are the majority |
Anonymous
|
^^not representative of all white people
I'm quite a few years away, but I'd definitely encourage my white(ish) kids to consider it. They'll understand being a minority going through elementary school. So unless that's a real problem for them, why not? |
Anonymous
|
Here's a topic that should be addressed in your piece – SAT scores. How does a selective admission school score below the national average on the SAT?
Below is data taken directly from the Banneker web site: http://benjaminbanneker.k12.dc.us/about_bbahs.html READING DCPS 473 Banneker 496 National 496 MATH DCPS 466 Banneker 506 National 514 WRITING DCPS 461 Banneker 486 National 488 |
Anonymous
Then how do explain all of the sudden interest in Cleveland Elementary School right down the street? White people just discovered it. It frequently appeared on this year's DCUM lottery threads. (I'm black and didn't mention Cleveland to a soul until my kids got in. It's golden. Also one of the things I loved about Cleveland is that is majority AA/Latino, so my kids get to experience a strong minority populated educational setting, where all of the high achievers and school leadership looked like them.) |
Anonymous
Agree, but its not just Banneker...look at KIPP or other well performing schools that are majority black, whites won't go. I'm a white parent to a mixed kid. We did KIPP for one year in elementary and were the only not fully black family. We left because of the punitive attitude toward dsicipline, and the military style which allowed for almost no play or outdoor time even at age 4. Fun seemed to be a four letter word, and was not an approach to learning I could get behind. So I would guess most white families stay away due to race, but those that try (if Bannekar is anything like KIPP, which I know nothing about the HSs) are turned off by a school, mostly run by whites, that is run in a very punitive way for black students. |
Anonymous
Those Banneker scores seem surprisingly low. If true, well, that answers the reporter's question. |
Anonymous
| I don't think Banneker is anything like KIPP at all. I have interviewed several Banneker students for college and found them all very impressive. SAT scores are not everything. I would totally send my kid to Banneker when she is of age. |
Anonymous
| Why don't they make it like tj where anyone can go |
Anonymous
Wow, that's racist |
Anonymous
Indeed. That's what the white supremacists want. |
Anonymous
TJ in Fairfax? Not everyone can go there. Not sure what you are saying PP. |
Anonymous
Apples to apples, statistics class anyone? The fact that Banneker is WAY above national black SATs and almost on par with all races nationally, is very compelling. This topic gets raised all the time and parents always site the SATs knowing damn well it's not apples to apples and there is an obvious racial gap when it comes to testing and Banneker does an excellent job bridging that gap. National Black SATs Reading: 428 Math: 428 Writing: 417 |
Anonymous
| The "majority black" explanation doesn't distinguish Ellington or Hardy, both of which are majority black and over 10% white every year. Same was true of Walls (HS) until recently -- (and Walls is still plurality black). A good answer to OP's question will distinguish those schools. |
Anonymous
Interesting indeed, and IRRELEVANT to OP's question. Why don't white students go to Banneker? Because their SAT scores are surprisingly low for a selective admission school, clearly lower than other alternatives white students have. (I prefer to avoid race-specific thinking and metrics, but this is the only way to answer a race-specific question) |