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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.”

I want an article to explain how it's possible that many black-majority schools in DC have been getting higher funding for decades, both capital and per-kid, and still severity lag behind.

Material resources is not all that counts. Those PTA-involved families do add a lot of value to schools, and short-sighted articles like this one only help mud the waters.

You don't need an article. Walk into one of those schools and the answer will hit you pretty quickly.

Meaning?

[Anonymous]

We're just down the road at ESS. Same problems, but perhaps less amplified because our kid's school doesn't have the immersion program.

Small, excessively vocal group of white, moneyed parents enforcing their values as if those values are indisputably correct. The PTA is trying to better engage the whole community, but these like 6 parents are so loud it just drowns everything else out.

[Anonymous]

I am guessing this article written by someone who has never actually had a child in a majority farms school. They are quoting one "bi-lingual" parent as the spokesperson for the Spanish speaking community. One problem is that the Spanish speaking community is not a monolith. They have different dialects, foods, educational backgrounds, and their own prejudices towards one another. Our translators translate pta notes like they are writing a dissertation. And our committee of bilingual parents ( meant to reach out to the Spanish speaking parents) are as classist (or more so if they are FOBs) as the American population.

Participation in social activities is high across all the races in our school, hispanic families involved in fundraising, curricular activities, and PTA meetings, not so much. I think it is primarily cultural.

[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.

So help us understand, what should the solution be? It's a dilemma. I would love to see a more inclusive PTA, but that requires people to SHOW UP. Is the solution to not voice a opinion or not show up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're just down the road at ESS. Same problems, but perhaps less amplified because our kid's school doesn't have the immersion program.

Small, excessively vocal group of white, moneyed parents enforcing their values as if those values are indisputably correct. The PTA is trying to better engage the whole community, but these like 6 parents are so loud it just drowns everything else out.

Yah how dare 6 parents try and effect change in an under performing school. Hevens forbid other kids start getting good test scores and make it out of that neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're just down the road at ESS. Same problems, but perhaps less amplified because our kid's school doesn't have the immersion program.

Small, excessively vocal group of white, moneyed parents enforcing their values as if those values are indisputably correct. The PTA is trying to better engage the whole community, but these like 6 parents are so loud it just drowns everything else out.

Yah how dare 6 parents try and effect change in an under performing school. Hevens forbid other kids start getting good test scores and make it out of that neighborhood.

Exactly. I am a member of the PTA and give generously to my kids' class as far as crayons, kleenex, hand sanitizer and pencils. Room parent. Mixed SES, some high, some low, a lot of ESOL, huge school. I also volunteer in the classroom once or twice a week where the student teacher ratiio is 26 to 1. I work with kids who are not getting one on one time with the teacher at the moment. Help them learn to read and write. They know me and are excited to see me when I also volunteer at lunch and recess for the whole grade. I love those kids. I also raise money at the aucton for items that benefit all classes at the school. I am not the only parent at the school who does this. There are many who put time in. According to you all, I am a horrible person. This forum is a freaking soul sucker. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate our PTA members for all that they do, like pp above.
If these other voices want to be heard, they need to attend the meetings and volunteer for things in order to be 'represented' at the PTA. I just don't buy the statement that six grown adults drown out any other voices. Speak up. Don't sit on the sidelines and complain you aren't represented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're just down the road at ESS. Same problems, but perhaps less amplified because our kid's school doesn't have the immersion program.

Small, excessively vocal group of white, moneyed parents enforcing their values as if those values are indisputably correct. The PTA is trying to better engage the whole community, but these like 6 parents are so loud it just drowns everything else out.

Yah how dare 6 parents try and effect change in an under performing school. Hevens forbid other kids start getting good test scores and make it out of that neighborhood.

Exactly. I am a member of the PTA and give generously to my kids' class as far as crayons, kleenex, hand sanitizer and pencils. Room parent. Mixed SES, some high, some low, a lot of ESOL, huge school. I also volunteer in the classroom once or twice a week where the student teacher ratiio is 26 to 1. I work with kids who are not getting one on one time with the teacher at the moment. Help them learn to read and write. They know me and are excited to see me when I also volunteer at lunch and recess for the whole grade. I love those kids. I also raise money at the aucton for items that benefit all classes at the school. I am not the only parent at the school who does this. There are many who put time in. According to you all, I am a horrible person. This forum is a freaking soul sucker. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I think the problem with the article, like many posters have hinted at, is that it lumps A) Volunteering and donating to the school with B) PTA control by a small minority. In my mind, being active in the school and providing resources to the teachers should be encouraged. Rolling Terrace actually handles this very well in terms of spreading the wealth despite what the article says.

The issue is when some parents and PTA shut out the voices of other parents in the community. Just because you are able to volunteer more does not mean you should have more say as to what goes on in the school. If you serve on PTA you should serve all students and not just advocate for your own. At Rolling Terrace there is a clique or "in group" that tends to ignore all outsiders. Despite what the article says this clique is actually diverse with parents from different backgrounds many of which are Hispanic. But it is primarily immersion parents.

I've been to meetings at the school where one person just stands up and dictates to the rest of the attendees what is going to happen. I've seen the "rolling of eyes" or dismissal of parents who try to speak up that are not in that group. I've seen "veteran parents" at the school talk down to new parents at the school who are just asking a question or looking at things from a new perspective. This type of environment discourages participation of a huge portion of the population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're just down the road at ESS. Same problems, but perhaps less amplified because our kid's school doesn't have the immersion program.

Small, excessively vocal group of white, moneyed parents enforcing their values as if those values are indisputably correct. The PTA is trying to better engage the whole community, but these like 6 parents are so loud it just drowns everything else out.

Yah how dare 6 parents try and effect change in an under performing school. Hevens forbid other kids start getting good test scores and make it out of that neighborhood.

You can't just assume that the desire to "effect change" means that change is in everyone's interest. That's the point of the article. The fact that you have time and money to make your changes does not excuse you from needing to consult the entire community. And if all you want is to steamroller your own priorities in -- well then you can hardly complain about being called "excessively vocal"!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate our PTA members for all that they do, like pp above.
If these other voices want to be heard, they need to attend the meetings and volunteer for things in order to be 'represented' at the PTA. I just don't buy the statement that six grown adults drown out any other voices. Speak up. Don't sit on the sidelines and complain you aren't represented.

Well, in just one example... A new policy was announced by the board and the PTA decided to organize a meeting to discuss it point by point mainly over a list serve. I expressed my opinion of one of the points of the proposal which differed greatly from the organizer of the meeting who was the head of one of the PTA committees and in the end we decided it would get addressed at the meeting. During the meeting said organizer essentially skipped over that issue by making a comment that "we don't care about that issue" and just moved on with what she wanted to discuss. I tried to bring the issue to the floor anyway and she gave me the death stare and stated that we had more important things to discuss. At that point we could've had a full blown smack down but decided against making a scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate our PTA members for all that they do, like pp above.
If these other voices want to be heard, they need to attend the meetings and volunteer for things in order to be 'represented' at the PTA. I just don't buy the statement that six grown adults drown out any other voices. Speak up. Don't sit on the sidelines and complain you aren't represented.

Well, in just one example... A new policy was announced by the board and the PTA decided to organize a meeting to discuss it point by point mainly over a list serve. I expressed my opinion of one of the points of the proposal which differed greatly from the organizer of the meeting who was the head of one of the PTA committees and in the end we decided it would get addressed at the meeting. During the meeting said organizer essentially skipped over that issue by making a comment that "we don't care about that issue" and just moved on with what she wanted to discuss. I tried to bring the issue to the floor anyway and she gave me the death stare and stated that we had more important things to discuss. At that point we could've had a full blown smack down but decided against making a scene.

I don't know if you are the same person talking about ESS, but I'm an ESS parent (and fairly active around the school) and am sorry you felt talked and not listened to. That sucks.

I think we all can do better. It means reaching out and learning about the administration's priorities (since they have the best sense of the school) as well as finding ways to include the voices of everyone, including those who don't turn up to every PTA meeting and school event. I'd like to believe that my fellow parents are decent human beings who genuinely believe they are doing their best for their own kids and the rest of the kids in the school. But that's the insidious thing about privilege, right? It can be hard to see outside your own experience, and hard to imagine the needs of someone whose life is different than yours. That's why all the PTAs, but particularly the ones in the racially and economically diverse schools, ought to really be thinking about how to amplify the voices of parents who are not part of the "Active 6."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Funny how you assume PP is a person of color

[Anonymous]

This is getting to be ridiculous. If you're white and send your kids to predominantly white schools, you're racist. If you're white and send your kids to "diverse" schools and then get involved in the PTA and care about your kids' education, you're racist. Is there anything white people can do that is NOT racist??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate our PTA members for all that they do, like pp above.
If these other voices want to be heard, they need to attend the meetings and volunteer for things in order to be 'represented' at the PTA. I just don't buy the statement that six grown adults drown out any other voices. Speak up. Don't sit on the sidelines and complain you aren't represented.

Well, in just one example... A new policy was announced by the board and the PTA decided to organize a meeting to discuss it point by point mainly over a list serve. I expressed my opinion of one of the points of the proposal which differed greatly from the organizer of the meeting who was the head of one of the PTA committees and in the end we decided it would get addressed at the meeting. During the meeting said organizer essentially skipped over that issue by making a comment that "we don't care about that issue" and just moved on with what she wanted to discuss. I tried to bring the issue to the floor anyway and she gave me the death stare and stated that we had more important things to discuss. At that point we could've had a full blown smack down but decided against making a scene.

I don't know if you are the same person talking about ESS, but I'm an ESS parent (and fairly active around the school) and am sorry you felt talked and not listened to. That sucks.

I think we all can do better. It means reaching out and learning about the administration's priorities (since they have the best sense of the school) as well as finding ways to include the voices of everyone, including those who don't turn up to every PTA meeting and school event. I'd like to believe that my fellow parents are decent human beings who genuinely believe they are doing their best for their own kids and the rest of the kids in the school. But that's the insidious thing about privilege, right? It can be hard to see outside your own experience, and hard to imagine the needs of someone whose life is different than yours. That's why all the PTAs, but particularly the ones in the racially and economically diverse schools, ought to really be thinking about how to amplify the voices of parents who are not part of the "Active 6."

PP here, thanks for your thoughtful response. This incident actually happened at Rolling Terrace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Neither group should self-segregate, but people of color typically do so to avoid having to cope with prejudice and racist policies, while whites tend to do it to preserve prejudice and racist policies.

That's a huge stereotype. Just curious, I'm assuming you are not white. How many close white friends do you have? How many have you invited into your home on a regular basis (not just 1-2 times)? How many do your kids have? At lunch, if you had a choice to go out with co-workers, what race are they?

NP but I agree with PP in the larger sense. And since you need my bona fides I have more than a handful of close friends who are white, my best friends are married to white people and I have white relatives and biracial nieces and nephews. My anecdata is a good as yours.