DC privates educating suburban kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Awwww...I think it's so sweet that you're so concerned about "fairness" for D.C. residents. Since you're so interested in "fairness" and preserving "scarce resources", I'm assuming that you also want private schools to reflect the demographics in the D.C. area (i.e. reserve 56% of spots for D.C. Blacks, 33% for D.C. Whites and 8.3% for D.C. Hispanics--in order to be comparable to the city's racial make up). I mean, you wouldn't possibly want to reserve all of those D.C. spots for privileged people in Georgetown and Upper Northwest now, would you?

Sure, as long as we'e in cloud-cuckoo-land, I don't see anything wrong with that, so long as applicants meet some appropriate level of competency. Which shouldn't really be that hard, given the existence of Banneker. Of course, then these elite institutions would cease to hold their primary attraction for your average suburban parent. That is, as a racially pure haven from their local public school.

[Anonymous]

Private schools base their admissions on a number of factors, most of which aren't "fair." Life isn't fair, OP; grow up. You remind me of the person who complained how "unfair" it was that their child couldn't have access to a country club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Awwww...I think it's so sweet that you're so concerned about "fairness" for D.C. residents. Since you're so interested in "fairness" and preserving "scarce resources", I'm assuming that you also want private schools to reflect the demographics in the D.C. area (i.e. reserve 56% of spots for D.C. Blacks, 33% for D.C. Whites and 8.3% for D.C. Hispanics--in order to be comparable to the city's racial make up). I mean, you wouldn't possibly want to reserve all of those D.C. spots for privileged people in Georgetown and Upper Northwest now, would you?

Sure, as long as we'e in cloud-cuckoo-land, I don't see anything wrong with that, so long as applicants meet some appropriate level of competency. Which shouldn't really be that hard, given the existence of Banneker. Of course, then these elite institutions would cease to hold their primary attraction for your average suburban parent. That is, as a racially pure haven from their local public school.

Cloud-cuckoo-land indeed. My kid's DC private is significantly more diverse than his suburban public was, in terms of both ethnicity and socio-economic status. It's the suburban privates (some of them) which are relatively non-diverse.

[Anonymous]

I have no hard numbers/facts/stats, but DC kids go to MD/VA schools too, right? It's not such a big deal imo to have non-DC residents go to school in DC.

[Anonymous]

For the DC residents who like this idea, I'm curious: why have you chosen to live in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I posted before, private schools should give DC residents either a break in tuition, a preference in application, or a combination of both. we all know they don't HAVE to. Its more of a question of what they Should Do.

Personally, I think private schools should have to publish a list of how many DC residents BY Ward they enroll in order to keep their tax exempt status. What public good are they achieving in DC by educating MD and VA youth.

Oh, puleeze. It's thoughts like this that keep DC from having full voting rights. You think that the city government should get to pick and choose tax exempt status based on their subjective assessment of the relative good that a school is providing to the city? All that would lead to is private schools admitting a bunch of offspring of Mayor Fenty's fraternity brothers (even though their parents could afford tuition anywhere, based on the lucrative city contracts the mayor swings their way). Whether a group is tax exempt should not be subject to political whims. Grow up, and in few years, we'll reconsider giving you more of a voting responsibility.

Not really a big issue for me. I find it depressing that good friends of mine seem to think their single vote has some sort of impact on the essentially random character of elections in either MD or VA. You might just as well blow a dandelion while whispering your preferences to the wind, for all the impact an individual vote makes.

I bet you get up bright and early on election day to cast your all-important vote for dog-catcher. Good job!

Actually, I like living in MD. Because the state's elections are gimmees, this means that political debates are low-stakes. If I lived in Ohio or Florida, I might feel that the stakes were real, and that I had to convince my neighbors and friends of the merits of my position. In MD (and DC, for that matter), it just doesn't make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the DC residents who like this idea, I'm curious: why have you chosen to live in DC?

I'm not sure I follow... Is there some incompatibility between these two things?

I also favor traffic-calming measures on DC surface streets, yet have chosen to live in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I posted before, private schools should give DC residents either a break in tuition, a preference in application, or a combination of both. we all know they don't HAVE to. Its more of a question of what they Should Do.

Personally, I think private schools should have to publish a list of how many DC residents BY Ward they enroll in order to keep their tax exempt status. What public good are they achieving in DC by educating MD and VA youth.

Oh, puleeze. It's thoughts like this that keep DC from having full voting rights. You think that the city government should get to pick and choose tax exempt status based on their subjective assessment of the relative good that a school is providing to the city? All that would lead to is private schools admitting a bunch of offspring of Mayor Fenty's fraternity brothers (even though their parents could afford tuition anywhere, based on the lucrative city contracts the mayor swings their way). Whether a group is tax exempt should not be subject to political whims. Grow up, and in few years, we'll reconsider giving you more of a voting responsibility.

Really? I was unaware voting rights were contingent upon prudently exercising them.

In DC, they are. You don't have them. You want them. Yet, you elect the likes of Barry and Fenty. So, no Congress in its right mind is going to pass a law giving you more rights than you now have. And, we're certainly not going to amend the Constitution (which is the only legal way to give you a vote in Congress).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, I like living in MD. Because the state's elections are gimmees, this means that political debates are low-stakes. If I lived in Ohio or Florida, I might feel that the stakes were real, and that I had to convince my neighbors and friends of the merits of my position. In MD (and DC, for that matter), it just doesn't make a difference.

Believe me--as a former Marylander--it's even better in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In DC, they are. You don't have them. You want them. Yet, you elect the likes of Barry and Fenty. So, no Congress in its right mind is going to pass a law giving you more rights than you now have. And, we're certainly not going to amend the Constitution (which is the only legal way to give you a vote in Congress).

Love the delusions of grandeur.

Just to reiterate: your political power is a chimera. It's useless. Don't want it. I'd much prefer the power to elect folks who have the power to enact local policies to make your commute a living Hell on Earth. Don't see how a single vote in the House will help me do that.

[Anonymous]

said the limousine liberal/closet racist...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Awwww...I think it's so sweet that you're so concerned about "fairness" for D.C. residents. Since you're so interested in "fairness" and preserving "scarce resources", I'm assuming that you also want private schools to reflect the demographics in the D.C. area (i.e. reserve 56% of spots for D.C. Blacks, 33% for D.C. Whites and 8.3% for D.C. Hispanics--in order to be comparable to the city's racial make up). I mean, you wouldn't possibly want to reserve all of those D.C. spots for privileged people in Georgetown and Upper Northwest now, would you?

Sure, as long as we'e in cloud-cuckoo-land, I don't see anything wrong with that, so long as applicants meet some appropriate level of competency. Which shouldn't really be that hard, given the existence of Banneker. Of course, then these elite institutions would cease to hold their primary attraction for your average suburban parent. That is, as a racially pure haven from their local public school.

[Anonymous]

Speak for yourself. There are plenty of suburban minorities who send their children to D.C. privates--and believe me, it's not because we're not trying to avoid our own kind.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Awwww...I think it's so sweet that you're so concerned about "fairness" for D.C. residents. Since you're so interested in "fairness" and preserving "scarce resources", I'm assuming that you also want private schools to reflect the demographics in the D.C. area (i.e. reserve 56% of spots for D.C. Blacks, 33% for D.C. Whites and 8.3% for D.C. Hispanics--in order to be comparable to the city's racial make up). I mean, you wouldn't possibly want to reserve all of those D.C. spots for privileged people in Georgetown and Upper Northwest now, would you?

Sure, as long as we'e in cloud-cuckoo-land, I don't see anything wrong with that, so long as applicants meet some appropriate level of competency. Which shouldn't really be that hard, given the existence of Banneker. Of course, then these elite institutions would cease to hold their primary attraction for your average suburban parent. That is, as a racially pure haven from their local public school.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious - are there any New Yorker's out there? Is there this much resentment toward New Jersey and CT residents coming into NY to work, etc.?

I've lived in probably 10 cities and I've never heard of such venom towards people in our own metro area! People - we all share a common metropolitan region. We all cross the three borders every day, in all directions. To work, study, play, shop, eat, etc. Stop the madness!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious - are there any New Yorker's out there? Is there this much resentment toward New Jersey and CT residents coming into NY to work, etc.?

I've lived in probably 10 cities and I've never heard of such venom towards people in our own metro area! People - we all share a common metropolitan region. We all cross the three borders every day, in all directions. To work, study, play, shop, eat, etc. Stop the madness!

I'm a NYer and there really aren't many Westchester or NJ kids at the Manhattan privates. There are three privates in the Riverdale section of the Bronx (Riverdale, Horace Mann and Fieldston) that do get kids from Westchester and NJ. It isn't really an issue.

[Anonymous]

Thank goodness you are not a part of the Visi community.