Racial/Socioeconomic diversity at Sidwell versus Beauvoir?

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your well reasoned post, OP. I want racial and socioeconomic diversity for my child for pretty much the same reasons that you mentioned here. We've decided to go with Sidwell.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure what the OP is seeking in regards to economic diversity. There are hardly any families at either who receive substantial FA.

I'm the OP. I asked about that because we wanted DC to be surrounded not just by kids who were from affluent families. My understanding from the comments here is that Sidwell is giving a lot of financial aid, which broadly suggests more kids coming from less affluent homes. We want that mix. We have not applied for FA. We are white. This kind of racial and socioeconmic diversity is very important to us. We don't want our child to mingle purely with kids from one strata of life.

[Anonymous]

I am a B parent, and I think both schools are great. We are very happy with B. My sense is both schools are diverse to the extent that private elementary schools can be diverse in the DC area. B certainly gives out a lot of FA. Since B runs through 3G only, and since Sidwell runs through HS, one can't compare FA budgets. Your child would be fine at either school.

[Anonymous]

Beauvour is probably more diverse in several ways. First, while Obama won the student Presidential poll last year, I am confident that Beauvoir is substantially more diverse in political leanings. Beauvoir is a traditional school that attracts substantial Republicans. Second, Beauvoir probably has fewer obnoxious types trying to climb the DC political ladder. This is no offense to certain recent Sidwell students, but Sidwell has no doubt attracted families who have other motives for sending their children there. BTW. I am a Dem who is looking forward to tonight's vote.

[Anonymous]

Both are diverse economically and socially and both have diverse faculty. I think Beauvoir is diverse across the board and has a mix of all nationailities while I have heard that Sidwell's diversity is mostly African American, which doesn't really matter I think. In regards to diversity, I think both schools are diverse in all aspects so I am not sure if that is where you should be comparing them. Look at programs and differences and what kind of learning style your child thrives with best etc... What feeling did you get at the new parent receptions? Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a B parent, and I think both schools are great. We are very happy with B. My sense is both schools are diverse to the extent that private elementary schools can be diverse in the DC area. B certainly gives out a lot of FA. Since B runs through 3G only, and since Sidwell runs through HS, one can't compare FA budgets. Your child would be fine at either school.

Beauvoir parent here. I agree - both schools are very diverse and great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then again, having a welcome event during the day when people are working isn't very inclusive.

You better get used to it regardless of what school you end up in ie: public, private, etc.... There will be lots of meetings and events that are held during the day and some you will make and some you can't. Regardless they are scheduled and I must say at our school most of the working parents do manage to get to many of these events.

[Anonymous]

Welcome events are held during the day so that prospective families can tour the school again - now that the decision is in the family's hands. It gives them another chance to get a sense of the school while the children are in the classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell by far is more diverse. Both are affluent although financial aid is provided.

This is based on personal experience at both schools?

[Anonymous]

A PP mentioned Beauvoir's majority-minority class each year--I am not sure they do this--at least according to a current parent at B.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is in a majority/minority boys class this year at Beauvoir, but it pertains to the boys only. There are 6 boys who are either AA, Asian, Hispanic, Mediterranean and 4 white boys. As for girls - there 2 girls who are Hispanic. (There may be more "diversity" but it's not immediately obvious). The primary teacher is AA. I think the school focuses on the gender part because although all the kids play together at this age the kids are forming deep friendships with children of the same sex. So, perhaps the majority/minority is gender specific. A friend of mine who is Asian, her daughter is in an "Asian girl" class this year. Five out of the ten girls in the class are Asian. From what I understand the school groups minorities in different configurations each year, so it's not the same set up year after year. They also have some classes with more single parents. The goal being that children have classmates with similar backgrounds and household set ups. Because Beauvoir has 60 children (3 classes in Pre-K) and 80 (K-3), the school can mix-up how they balance out classes. My daughter who is white doesn't think twice about what race/ethnicity her classmates are as her "boyfriend" is AA.

[Anonymous]

African Americans don't "really matter"? I'm surprised that a parent boosting Beauvoir's racial diversity would display such blatant arrogance and shameful intolerance.

Anonymous wrote:Both are diverse economically and socially and both have diverse faculty. I think Beauvoir is diverse across the board and has a mix of all nationailities while I have heard that Sidwell's diversity is mostly African American, which doesn't really matter I think. In regards to diversity, I think both schools are diverse in all aspects so I am not sure if that is where you should be comparing them. Look at programs and differences and what kind of learning style your child thrives with best etc... What feeling did you get at the new parent receptions? Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I'm not the poster you quoted and agree it could have been better stated, but I think the poster was saying for him/her there was there was no difference in having diversity that resulted from primarily AA students vs. diversity that resulted from AA students and students from other diverse ethnicities and backgrounds -- both types of diversity were appealing to him/her. I don't think the poster was saying AA don't count. I had the same response to the post as you did initially, but when I re-read it, the alternative reading I suggested seemed more likely.

[Anonymous]

Also not the quoted poster, but it seems quite clear that the quoted poster was saying that Beauvoir and Sidwell are BOTH diverse, and that in terms of that diversity it is not significant that Sidwell's diverse population is mainly African-American. The post was pleasant in tone and positive about both schools, as well. I am surprised that people misinterpreted it, but it was a misinterpretation.

[Anonymous]

I can certainly see why the statement from the Beauvoir parent that African Americans don't really matter would offend people--it's not exactly rocket science. Personally I think all racial groups matter and I don't think that any racial group should be dismissed. If you don't get it and you think that PP's comment was just "misinterpreted", then that's your issue, but I would hope that others in your parent community would display a little more sensitivity.

Anonymous wrote:Also not the quoted poster, but it seems quite clear that the quoted poster was saying that Beauvoir and Sidwell are BOTH diverse, and that in terms of that diversity it is not significant that Sidwell's diverse population is mainly African-American. The post was pleasant in tone and positive about both schools, as well. I am surprised that people misinterpreted it, but it was a misinterpretation.

[Anonymous]

A lot of people are surprisingly content to send their children to a school with diversity and can convince themselves that their obligation to teach their children about different peoples ends there. Any diversity suffices, so long as they can feel that they are exposing their children to other peoples. They might even shop around among schools for the highest percentages of diversity, like a badge of honor.