Banneker versus School Without Walls

[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.

What a convenient double standard. And it has the dubious bonus of being unaware of its inherent endogeneity. Well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You definitely can't meaningfully integrate schools without making a concerted effort to do so. Far more whites and Asians would enroll in DCPS if their options were better. A family like ours wouldn't have bothered with even a DCPS elementary program 10 or 15 years ago. We'd have gone charter, or moved to the burbs, by the time our kids were 8 or 9 years old. Things can change.

Banneker could offer an IB Diploma program to rival DCI's if DCPS were to set up a serious test-in program. Banneker's new building, in a fairly central location in the City, is much much better than that of BASIS, and Washington Latin. The Metro area burbs provide good test-in models.

[Anonymous]

Question, why is it not Banneker’s problem that more white kids do not apply and it is Wall’s problem that more black kids do not apply? And this is with Walls being a much more diverse school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What a convenient double standard. And it has the dubious bonus of being unaware of its inherent endogeneity. Well done.

While the obliviousness of the PP is true, the mechanisms that keep the homogeneous nature of the enclaves are not equal. White enclaves have a wall of wealth that as a whole, AA simply can’t qualify for. Banneker is black simply because it is black. The gov is the only thing that can make a dent in wealth segregation and if they did that I suspect DC parents might relook at a school full of high achieving kids if there was no where left to hide form the poverty that pockets the city. If the gov stepped in and messed with Banneker it would be simply because some parents want to mess with the one decent HS option available to motivated black students that can’t make the monetary climb out of the poorer sections of the city. That seems petty to this white guy

There should be a grade weighting to the lottery and there should be set aside sections in every school. There should be scholarship incentivization provided from the college tuition program from graduates of lower ranked high schools. Let the A students basically pick where they go and if they pick targeted schools give them more college money than the graduates of Wilson for example. I suspect you will see white students chase the money and enrichment all around. You can rig the levels on the college assistance and GPA required for certain schools to not only balance populations but enrollments too. It would stand up in court too

[Anonymous]

Not only would it incentivize serious college track kids to self integrate, it would give a way out for the local kids too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You completely missed the students' point. Par for the course on this thread.

For clarification : Majority Black does not equate to majority same.

Ill type the student's point twice for the people that don't read...

Majority black does not mean majority same.

- Last year's seniors graduated with a cumulative 50 million in scholarships... not bad during a pandemic.
- Banneker has been around for more than 50 years, with a unique history and culture.

Banneker is definitely diverse and a gem that is not quite hidden... just some refuse to look... or acknowledge.

[Anonymous]

White people worrying about a school that’s majority black and successful? Leave it alone and go about your business! If you want your kid to attend Banneker, then apply! Stop acting like black people were the ones who created Jim Crow! We’re not stopping or forcing you to do anything! My god the fragility is on full display here!

[Anonymous]

Just here to “shout out” the previous poster who reminded another previous poster that the high school students today won’t be living in a “majority white” nation. Also “shout out” the previous poster who stated that the “white fragility” was on full display here, bc it really is.

[Anonymous]

Nonsense. Segregation isn't a good thing in this country. Schools that are almost all white, schools that are almost all-minority schools....not the worst set-up if they're good schools like Banneker, but not the best either.

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society dominated, unfortunately, by white power and influence. Like it or not AA high school graduates are going to need to compete with whites to pursue successful, high-earning careers. They deserve a leg up in learning to study and work in multi-racial settings, so let them get on with it as teenagers. As an ethnic and racial minority, I was lucky to attend a public high school that was both highly diverse and strong academically. I'd like to see Banneker students have the same opportunities.

As posters point out, DCPS could commit time, energy and resources to ensuring that Banneker can attract a more diverse student body at a time when more diversity than ever is coming up the chain in public middle schools across the city, outside Wards 7 and 8. I'd like to see that happen even if others on this thread don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nonsense. Segregation isn't a good thing in this country. Schools that are almost all white, schools that are almost all-minority schools....not the worst set-up if they're good schools like Banneker, but not the best either.

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society dominated, unfortunately, by white power and influence. Like it or not AA high school graduates are going to need to compete with whites to pursue successful, high-earning careers. They deserve a leg up in learning to study and work in multi-racial settings, so let them get on with it as teenagers. As an ethnic and racial minority, I was lucky to attend a public high school that was both highly diverse and strong academically. I'd like to see Banneker students have the same opportunities.

As posters point out, DCPS could commit time, energy and resources to ensuring that Banneker can attract a more diverse student body at a time when more diversity than ever is coming up the chain in public middle schools across the city, outside Wards 7 and 8. I'd like to see that happen even if others on this thread don't.

In situations like this it would be useful to be precise as to what DCPS should do to attract more non-AAs to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nonsense. Segregation isn't a good thing in this country. Schools that are almost all white, schools that are almost all-minority schools....not the worst set-up if they're good schools like Banneker, but not the best either.

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society dominated, unfortunately, by white power and influence. Like it or not AA high school graduates are going to need to compete with whites to pursue successful, high-earning careers. They deserve a leg up in learning to study and work in multi-racial settings, so let them get on with it as teenagers. As an ethnic and racial minority, I was lucky to attend a public high school that was both highly diverse and strong academically. I'd like to see Banneker students have the same opportunities.

As posters point out, DCPS could commit time, energy and resources to ensuring that Banneker can attract a more diverse student body at a time when more diversity than ever is coming up the chain in public middle schools across the city, outside Wards 7 and 8. I'd like to see that happen even if others on this thread don't.

In situations like this it would be useful to be precise as to what DCPS should do to attract more non-AAs to the school.

Same things everyone thinks Walls should do to attract more AA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nonsense. Segregation isn't a good thing in this country. Schools that are almost all white, schools that are almost all-minority schools....not the worst set-up if they're good schools like Banneker, but not the best either.

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society dominated, unfortunately, by white power and influence. Like it or not AA high school graduates are going to need to compete with whites to pursue successful, high-earning careers. They deserve a leg up in learning to study and work in multi-racial settings, so let them get on with it as teenagers. As an ethnic and racial minority, I was lucky to attend a public high school that was both highly diverse and strong academically. I'd like to see Banneker students have the same opportunities.

As posters point out, DCPS could commit time, energy and resources to ensuring that Banneker can attract a more diverse student body at a time when more diversity than ever is coming up the chain in public middle schools across the city, outside Wards 7 and 8. I'd like to see that happen even if others on this thread don't.

In situations like this it would be useful to be precise as to what DCPS should do to attract more non-AAs to the school.

Same things everyone thinks Walls should do to attract more AA?

There are some high level things going on that are preventing Walls for attracting more AA students. This is way above Walls admin. It comes from DCPS and the mayor’s office. They don’t want more AA kids going to Walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nonsense. Segregation isn't a good thing in this country. Schools that are almost all white, schools that are almost all-minority schools....not the worst set-up if they're good schools like Banneker, but not the best either.

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society dominated, unfortunately, by white power and influence. Like it or not AA high school graduates are going to need to compete with whites to pursue successful, high-earning careers. They deserve a leg up in learning to study and work in multi-racial settings, so let them get on with it as teenagers. As an ethnic and racial minority, I was lucky to attend a public high school that was both highly diverse and strong academically. I'd like to see Banneker students have the same opportunities.

As posters point out, DCPS could commit time, energy and resources to ensuring that Banneker can attract a more diverse student body at a time when more diversity than ever is coming up the chain in public middle schools across the city, outside Wards 7 and 8. I'd like to see that happen even if others on this thread don't.

In situations like this it would be useful to be precise as to what DCPS should do to attract more non-AAs to the school.

Same things everyone thinks Walls should do to attract more AA?

Walls needs more space. They are jammed into their tiny building. Banneker will probably attract more students now because of their beautiful campus. I think many kids want HS sports which Banneker does not offer. Banneker has a drill and kill approach like the KIPP charter schools. Some people like that while others don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nonsense. Segregation isn't a good thing in this country. Schools that are almost all white, schools that are almost all-minority schools....not the worst set-up if they're good schools like Banneker, but not the best either.

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society dominated, unfortunately, by white power and influence. Like it or not AA high school graduates are going to need to compete with whites to pursue successful, high-earning careers. They deserve a leg up in learning to study and work in multi-racial settings, so let them get on with it as teenagers. As an ethnic and racial minority, I was lucky to attend a public high school that was both highly diverse and strong academically. I'd like to see Banneker students have the same opportunities.

As posters point out, DCPS could commit time, energy and resources to ensuring that Banneker can attract a more diverse student body at a time when more diversity than ever is coming up the chain in public middle schools across the city, outside Wards 7 and 8. I'd like to see that happen even if others on this thread don't.

In situations like this it would be useful to be precise as to what DCPS should do to attract more non-AAs to the school.

Run with a more serious admissions process for starters. Kids coast into Banneker far too easily. Improve teaching - too many teachers, particularly older teachers, are just clocking hours. Move away from AA-centric approaches in lesson content- far too much of that to attract many whites, Asians. Provide better SAT prep at Banneker - average scores aren't high enough. Stop encouraging kids to think in terms of 3s on APs as being great scores -they aren't. Don't push the kids around half as much - as the poster above put it, school runs too much like a KIPP. I could go on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nonsense. Segregation isn't a good thing in this country. Schools that are almost all white, schools that are almost all-minority schools....not the worst set-up if they're good schools like Banneker, but not the best either.

We live in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial society dominated, unfortunately, by white power and influence. Like it or not AA high school graduates are going to need to compete with whites to pursue successful, high-earning careers. They deserve a leg up in learning to study and work in multi-racial settings, so let them get on with it as teenagers. As an ethnic and racial minority, I was lucky to attend a public high school that was both highly diverse and strong academically. I'd like to see Banneker students have the same opportunities.

As posters point out, DCPS could commit time, energy and resources to ensuring that Banneker can attract a more diverse student body at a time when more diversity than ever is coming up the chain in public middle schools across the city, outside Wards 7 and 8. I'd like to see that happen even if others on this thread don't.

In situations like this it would be useful to be precise as to what DCPS should do to attract more non-AAs to the school.

Run with a more serious admissions process for starters. Kids coast into Banneker far too easily. Improve teaching - too many teachers, particularly older teachers, are just clocking hours. Move away from AA-centric approaches in lesson content- far too much of that to attract many whites, Asians. Provide better SAT prep at Banneker - average scores aren't high enough. Stop encouraging kids to think in terms of 3s on APs as being great scores -they aren't. Don't push the kids around half as much - as the poster above put it, school runs too much like a KIPP. I could go on.

https://edforwarddc.org/the-dc-schools-landscape-by-the-numbers/

So, some 9% of DCPS students are identified as “white” and 2% as “Asian” in the link posted above. It’s reasonable to posit that the percentage of white students in the DCPS might be larger in early grades — taking advantage of early childhood education— and lower in the HS grades.
It’s also reasonable to note that, at the HS level, white students are most likely to attend Walls, Wilson, and Ellington.

So the proposal is to “move away from AA-centric approaches to lesson content” — so that a very small number of the relatively small number of white and Asian HS students will somehow feel cosseted enough to spread themselves between 4 high schools instead of three. Further, the claim is that whitewashing the curriculum and the culture of the school is apparently for the benefit of the current student population, despite no indication that the current population has any concerns about the current curriculum and school culture.

Interesting plan. Do “go on”.