Atlantic Article on Rolling Terrace and Outsized Role of Affluent White Parents

[Anonymous]

I have to admit that this is right in the sweet spot of things I find fascinating - gentrification, education policy, and how language immersion programs have been co-opted by White families.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/how-marginalized-families-are-pushed-out-of-ptas/491036/

When schools are cash-strapped, the priorities of the members of the parent organization often become the priorities of the school as a whole. Rivera-Blanco says she sees this dynamic play out often at Rolling Terrace with the Spanish-immersion program, which is populated largely by students with means. For example, parents of kids in the program ensure that its teachers receive gift cards at the beginning of the year and during Teacher Appreciation Week to pay for supplies. “There are parents in our school that can’t put enough cents together to get a coat much less give their teacher their supply list,” Rivera-Blanco said. “That imbalance is huge. You can walk into a classroom and know which is a Spanish-immersion classroom and which one isn’t.”

[Anonymous]

It is a bit sad that the PTA or whom ever focuses on gift cards vs. doing a clothing drive to have a clothing closet for kids who need it.

[Anonymous]

PTAs in this area are filled with the worst kinds of human beings. The PTA, national and state, should look into how groups using their name do business. They are all about "MINE MINE MINE MINE." One of the principles of the PTA is INCLUSION, and the PTA is all about EXCLUSION in this white exclusive area. THEY SUCK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a bit sad that the PTA or whom ever focuses on gift cards vs. doing a clothing drive to have a clothing closet for kids who need it.

My kids have been in two different affluent MCPSs that have PTAs that organize coat drives for needy schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PTAs in this area are filled with the worst kinds of human beings. The PTA, national and state, should look into how groups using their name do business. They are all about "MINE MINE MINE MINE." One of the principles of the PTA is INCLUSION, and the PTA is all about EXCLUSION in this white exclusive area. THEY SUCK.

Its not just white exclusive. They don't want the SN and and white families who are not in their click.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is a bit sad that the PTA or whom ever focuses on gift cards vs. doing a clothing drive to have a clothing closet for kids who need it.

My kids have been in two different affluent MCPSs that have PTAs that organize coat drives for needy schools.

But what about the kids in your school who need it? That's lovely to do it for another school but there are probably kids in your home school who have equal needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PTAs in this area are filled with the worst kinds of human beings. The PTA, national and state, should look into how groups using their name do business. They are all about "MINE MINE MINE MINE." One of the principles of the PTA is INCLUSION, and the PTA is all about EXCLUSION in this white exclusive area. THEY SUCK.

Its not just white exclusive. They don't want the SN and and white families who are not in their click.

I totally agree. I meant, it is the white well off PTA parents who are doing the excluding. Awful people who give PTA a bad name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PTAs in this area are filled with the worst kinds of human beings. The PTA, national and state, should look into how groups using their name do business. They are all about "MINE MINE MINE MINE." One of the principles of the PTA is INCLUSION, and the PTA is all about EXCLUSION in this white exclusive area. THEY SUCK.

Its not just white exclusive. They don't want the SN and and white families who are not in their click.

I totally agree. I meant, it is the white well off PTA parents who are doing the excluding. Awful people who give PTA a bad name.

You sound a bit racist. Its not just white who exclude and self-seggregate but please keep telling yourself that non-sense.

[Anonymous]

I think most PTAs in diverse schools have a demographic problem - just because middle class white families tend to have more time and energy to attend meetings at night, where there may or may not be snacks, and where the discussion is in English.

HOWEVER - what's happening at RT seems to go beyond these challenges. It sounds like the immersion parents have basically taken over the PTA and use it to advocate for the needs of their own kids at the expense of the rest of the student population.

I've also heard that the administration at that school has been completely beaten down by the white parents in the immersion program.

[Anonymous]

Not disagreeing with the gist of the article, because I loathe those types of parents (and it's my demographic), but how much does a child's coat really cost at Goodwill? $5?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not disagreeing with the gist of the article, because I loathe those types of parents (and it's my demographic), but how much does a child's coat really cost at Goodwill? $5?

That assumes that a family has $5, that they can get to Goodwill, and that Goodwill has a warm coat in the child's size. That's a lot of "ifs."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not disagreeing with the gist of the article, because I loathe those types of parents (and it's my demographic), but how much does a child's coat really cost at Goodwill? $5?

That assumes that a family has $5, that they can get to Goodwill, and that Goodwill has a warm coat in the child's size. That's a lot of "ifs."

+1, the family may have to prioritize over rent vs. food. Goodwill isn't always cheap either. I have gotten new coats for $5-8 at Kmart and Walmart but that is off season watching the clearance. The point is, it is a bit sad to fund/clothing raise for other schools but not make sure the kids at your school have what they need first.

[Anonymous]

Interesting that they assert that the Spanish Immersion programs were set up for Spanish speakers families while learning English..not at all true I don't think.

[Anonymous]

Those poor families don't need your used coats!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting that they assert that the Spanish Immersion programs were set up for Spanish speakers families while learning English..not at all true I don't think.

I think they mean nationwide, not in MCPS. I do know, however, that teachers in the Spanish immersion schools have lamented that Spanish speaking math and science teachers are reserved for the more affluent immersion kids. If recent arrivals could learn math in Spanish while learning English in all of their other subjects, it would help them to stay on track with their peers and probably help close the achievement gap. Unfortunately, ESOL kids just don't have access to those resources.