Banneker versus School Without Walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Key stats strangely unmentioned as yet:

Banneker is roughly 1% white, 0% Asian, 10% Latino and 89% AA. No idea if this will change in their new building but it might not.

Doesn't seem like a very 21st century student body to me.

And who’s fault is that?

You tell me. It's far from clear to me that the Mayor, DCPS higher-ups, corporate and Howard Univ supporters of Banneker and and the school's leadership, faculty and community want lots of white and Asian students to enroll. What evidence do we have that they do? The program's tradition isn't for this to happen.

What gives you that impression? There are currently white kids at Banneker. Do you need like an engraved invitation? I’m not sure what you expect? They have a great program, wonderful teachers, great students, and a beautiful new building. Not sure what more white people need?

DP. I wouldn't encourage my white DC to go to Banneker or to a HBCU. It's not for us. Nor would I encourage my DS to go to a women's college.

??? Why are you contributing to this discussion then? Again there are white kids at Banneker. It’s a school for motivated, smart students.

The comment above is unreasonable, given that the student body at Banneker has never been more than 2% white. Banneker is, and always has been, the HS equivalent of an Historically Black College. As far as I'm know, DCPS has never written that down anywhere, but anybody who knows a thing about "application" DCPS high schools is aware of the situation. Banneker doesn't actively keep whites out, but enrolling them has never been the school's mission. White parents in search of a good public HS in this city almost always respect the special space that Banneker is for advanced AA students by not seeking to enroll their children in the program. You can pretend otherwise, if a sanctimonious, knee-jerk PC way, but it's clueless, and silly.

I'd like to see Banneker stop being the high school equivalent of an HSBC in this decade. This would clearly be a complex, deliberative, labor-intensive process, starting with hiring a lot more staff and faculty members who aren't AA or Latino, starting to feature white and Asian students in Banneker PR materials etc.

Is enrolling whites ANY DCPS school's mission? I sure hope not.

It should be. But it's not.

So you DO expect an engraved invitation. You’re so special!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Key stats strangely unmentioned as yet:

Banneker is roughly 1% white, 0% Asian, 10% Latino and 89% AA. No idea if this will change in their new building but it might not.

Doesn't seem like a very 21st century student body to me.

And who’s fault is that?

You tell me. It's far from clear to me that the Mayor, DCPS higher-ups, corporate and Howard Univ supporters of Banneker and and the school's leadership, faculty and community want lots of white and Asian students to enroll. What evidence do we have that they do? The program's tradition isn't for this to happen.

What gives you that impression? There are currently white kids at Banneker. Do you need like an engraved invitation? I’m not sure what you expect? They have a great program, wonderful teachers, great students, and a beautiful new building. Not sure what more white people need?

DP. I wouldn't encourage my white DC to go to Banneker or to a HBCU. It's not for us. Nor would I encourage my DS to go to a women's college.

??? Why are you contributing to this discussion then? Again there are white kids at Banneker. It’s a school for motivated, smart students.

The comment above is unreasonable, given that the student body at Banneker has never been more than 2% white. Banneker is, and always has been, the HS equivalent of an Historically Black College. As far as I'm know, DCPS has never written that down anywhere, but anybody who knows a thing about "application" DCPS high schools is aware of the situation. Banneker doesn't actively keep whites out, but enrolling them has never been the school's mission. White parents in search of a good public HS in this city almost always respect the special space that Banneker is for advanced AA students by not seeking to enroll their children in the program. You can pretend otherwise, if a sanctimonious, knee-jerk PC way, but it's clueless, and silly.

I'd like to see Banneker stop being the high school equivalent of an HSBC in this decade. This would clearly be a complex, deliberative, labor-intensive process, starting with hiring a lot more staff and faculty members who aren't AA or Latino, starting to feature white and Asian students in Banneker PR materials etc.

Is enrolling whites ANY DCPS school's mission? I sure hope not.

It should be. But it's not.

So you DO expect an engraved invitation. You’re so special!

Not to Banneker. But yes, DCPS should try to reach all students, which includes white students. Instead of driving them away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Key stats strangely unmentioned as yet:

Banneker is roughly 1% white, 0% Asian, 10% Latino and 89% AA. No idea if this will change in their new building but it might not.

Doesn't seem like a very 21st century student body to me.

And who’s fault is that?

You tell me. It's far from clear to me that the Mayor, DCPS higher-ups, corporate and Howard Univ supporters of Banneker and and the school's leadership, faculty and community want lots of white and Asian students to enroll. What evidence do we have that they do? The program's tradition isn't for this to happen.

What gives you that impression? There are currently white kids at Banneker. Do you need like an engraved invitation? I’m not sure what you expect? They have a great program, wonderful teachers, great students, and a beautiful new building. Not sure what more white people need?

DP. I wouldn't encourage my white DC to go to Banneker or to a HBCU. It's not for us. Nor would I encourage my DS to go to a women's college.

??? Why are you contributing to this discussion then? Again there are white kids at Banneker. It’s a school for motivated, smart students.

The comment above is unreasonable, given that the student body at Banneker has never been more than 2% white. Banneker is, and always has been, the HS equivalent of an Historically Black College. As far as I'm know, DCPS has never written that down anywhere, but anybody who knows a thing about "application" DCPS high schools is aware of the situation. Banneker doesn't actively keep whites out, but enrolling them has never been the school's mission. White parents in search of a good public HS in this city almost always respect the special space that Banneker is for advanced AA students by not seeking to enroll their children in the program. You can pretend otherwise, if a sanctimonious, knee-jerk PC way, but it's clueless, and silly.

I'd like to see Banneker stop being the high school equivalent of an HSBC in this decade. This would clearly be a complex, deliberative, labor-intensive process, starting with hiring a lot more staff and faculty members who aren't AA or Latino, starting to feature white and Asian students in Banneker PR materials etc.

Is enrolling whites ANY DCPS school's mission? I sure hope not.

It should be. But it's not.

So you DO expect an engraved invitation. You’re so special!

Not to Banneker. But yes, DCPS should try to reach all students, which includes white students. Instead of driving them away.

Please go private! The private my kids attended before I put them in DCPS was full of people like you.

[Anonymous]

Not the poster you're responding to, but who the hell are you to tell a DC resident with school-age kids to go private because they may not share your precise vision of what a DC public school should be?

I couldn't agree more that DCPS should try a whole lot harder to welcome and serve families of all backgrounds, political leanings and colors in both its neighborhood and "application" schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not the poster you're responding to, but who the hell are you to tell a DC resident with school-age kids to go private because they may not share your precise vision of what a DC public school should be?

I couldn't agree more that DCPS should try a whole lot harder to welcome and serve families of all backgrounds, political leanings and colors in both its neighborhood and "application" schools.

What on earth are you talking about? How is DCPS not welcoming? DCPS offers a great education. I fail to see what you are missing. How old are your kids?

[Anonymous]

My kid who is at Banneker read this thread and laughed out
loud.

According to my kid:

" The teaching staff is very diverse, they are from all over the country and world. I hate to be labeled as one thing just because I am (insert race). What is (insert race) to me has a different meaning to someone else who is also labeled (insert race). A kid that is from Ethiopia and grew up in DC may be completely different from another kid who is also from Ethiopia but a different part of that same country. Banneker is a good school and I feel safe , I also like that they keep our phones because people were mean at my old school, with vids and group chats...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid who is at Banneker read this thread and laughed out
loud.

According to my kid:

" The teaching staff is very diverse, they are from all over the country and world. I hate to be labeled as one thing just because I am (insert race). What is (insert race) to me has a different meaning to someone else who is also labeled (insert race). A kid that is from Ethiopia and grew up in DC may be completely different from another kid who is also from Ethiopia but a different part of that same country. Banneker is a good school and I feel safe , I also like that they keep our phones because people were mean at my old school, with vids and group chats...

This is helpful feedback. Thanks to you and your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid who is at Banneker read this thread and laughed out
loud.

According to my kid:

" The teaching staff is very diverse, they are from all over the country and world. I hate to be labeled as one thing just because I am (insert race). What is (insert race) to me has a different meaning to someone else who is also labeled (insert race). A kid that is from Ethiopia and grew up in DC may be completely different from another kid who is also from Ethiopia but a different part of that same country. Banneker is a good school and I feel safe , I also like that they keep our phones because people were mean at my old school, with vids and group chats...

Simple truth, Banneker can only be so good if it can't attract a diverse student body in a city where white or Asian with HS-age kids almost always means UMC (and more often than not, strong academically).

Banneker with hardly any whites and no Asians is a can of worms, none of the pols will touch. Too bad.

[Anonymous]

Of all the work DCPS need to do, integrating Banneker doesn’t make the top 400. It’s a high-performing ~all-black school. DC needs more of those, not less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the work DCPS need to do, integrating Banneker doesn’t make the top 400. It’s a high-performing ~all-black school. DC needs more of those, not less.

Good lord, this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the work DCPS need to do, integrating Banneker doesn’t make the top 400. It’s a high-performing ~all-black school. DC needs more of those, not less.

Well said! Banneker is doing just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the work DCPS need to do, integrating Banneker doesn’t make the top 400. It’s a high-performing ~all-black school. DC needs more of those, not less.

Another +1

[Anonymous]

From these posts it is clear that for whatever reason these two schools have different race percentages. However, race percentages do not tell us what is most important about a school. Thank you everyone for the great feedback, especially about the fundamental qualities of the schools and personal feedback from students. - OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the work DCPS need to do, integrating Banneker doesn’t make the top 400. It’s a high-performing ~all-black school. DC needs more of those, not less.

Good lord, this.

+100

Work on integrating white enclaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the work DCPS need to do, integrating Banneker doesn’t make the top 400. It’s a high-performing ~all-black school. DC needs more of those, not less.

Good lord, this.

+100

Work on integrating white enclaves.

The “white enclaves” are actually amazingly diverse. They are just low on African Americans.

In any event, whether Banneker is all-Black or not, the fact is that most DCPS schools will be majority Black because that is the demographics of the system. You can’t meaningfully integrate all the schools with the existing enrollment.