Would you put your white kid in KIPP or Center City?

[Anonymous]

I'm struggling with this, and am grateful this is an anonymous board, so please be gentle. I have a middle class white kid who will be starting in Prek3 next year. I have absolutely no concerns with sending her to a school that is primarily black/latino. We live in Brightwood and racial and socioeconomic diversity are a pro in our book, not a con. But when I see a school that is 0-1% white, I wonder what her experience would be like as the ONLY white kid. Is that a valid concern? If your kids attend one of these schools, how do you think a white kid would fit in? If you're a parent to a white kid, did you/would you send your kid to one of these schools?

[Anonymous]

I have a white child at KIPP! It’s been a great experience - currently in upper elementary, and planning to stay for middle school.

[Anonymous]

My kid is black and I would not want to send him to a school where he would be the *only* black kid. But there are all kinds of studies about black kids being stereotyped as troublemakers by teachers and administration, so the reasoning is a little different. Another (AA) friend has her kid in an almost-all-white school because they have the SN programs that work for him. So you've got to decide based on your options and particular circumstances.

That said, my reservations are about school over the long haul, particularly middle school and up (when the "-to prison" pipeline kicks into high gear). PK3 is essentially free daycare and all DC schools do it fairly well, so if by some chance a school where my kid would be the only black kid was our best option for PK3, I'd probably be fine with it.

[Anonymous]

my coworkers son (went to Harvard law school, btw) has both his Asian kids there.

[Anonymous]

M kid is black and I wouldn't send her to KIPP. Our family is not the mission focus of KIPP. Nothing more or less. The purpose of a school is very important. Many people overlook that.

[Anonymous]

My kid is the only one in her PK4 class that isn't black, and it was the same in PK3. Being an "only" is not our preference, but it's fine.

[Anonymous]

I’d also prefer to not have my kids be the only white kid (so I get it), but I think for pk3 to kindergarten it’s fine. At that time you will have experience at the school and can decide whether you want to stay, keep playing the lottery, or move to a place where you like the IB school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d also prefer to not have my kids be the only white kid (so I get it), but I think for pk3 to kindergarten it’s fine. At that time you will have experience at the school and can decide whether you want to stay, keep playing the lottery, or move to a place where you like the IB school.

Agreed, except, KIPP is different in terms of its educational model so you would want to look closely at that, race aside. Don't know much about Center City. In either case, I'd list other school higher up but not because of race.

[Anonymous]

I was a middle class white kid at primarily black/latino schools, though not in DC. I did not notice it in K-3 (or maybe I did and I don't remember?). But it gets a little weird after that, I'll be honest. It's particularly confusing if you're in the gifted program (our gifted program started in 3rd grade) and the gifted class is mostly white while the rest of the school is not. I think that separation sends a weird message to young kids. Also, I definitely always felt like all the non-white kids were cooler than I was, like I was a little kid version of Dave Chappelle's impression of a white guy.

[Anonymous]

I would except do

[Anonymous]

I would except that I don't like KIPP's longer day and alternative calendar. Be sure to check that if you are looking at KIPP. Some people love it, some people don't.

[Anonymous]

No, not KIPP.

My kids are in schools that are, respectively, about 75 and 85 percent kids of color, so they are often one of only a handful of white or Asian kids in their classrooms.

However, I think the "no excuses" model of KIPP is bad for kids period, and I wouldn't subject my kids to that kind of model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm struggling with this, and am grateful this is an anonymous board, so please be gentle. I have a middle class white kid who will be starting in Prek3 next year. I have absolutely no concerns with sending her to a school that is primarily black/latino. We live in Brightwood and racial and socioeconomic diversity are a pro in our book, not a con. But when I see a school that is 0-1% white, I wonder what her experience would be like as the ONLY white kid. Is that a valid concern? If your kids attend one of these schools, how do you think a white kid would fit in? If you're a parent to a white kid, did you/would you send your kid to one of these schools?

I wouldn't worry about "white" per see (your words) but income level and ability. Title I schools and all that come with it...

[Anonymous]

Yes, I would send them to KIPP because I think it's a high-quality curriculum with families that value education. I'd be more worried about whether the teaching approach is a good fit for my particular kid than race. I know there's a lot of skepticism about KIPP but as it turns out my high SES white kid LOVES structure, and absolutely floundered in a more touch-feely "play based" PK. He would likely have loved KIPP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm struggling with this, and am grateful this is an anonymous board, so please be gentle. I have a middle class white kid who will be starting in Prek3 next year. I have absolutely no concerns with sending her to a school that is primarily black/latino. We live in Brightwood and racial and socioeconomic diversity are a pro in our book, not a con. But when I see a school that is 0-1% white, I wonder what her experience would be like as the ONLY white kid. Is that a valid concern? If your kids attend one of these schools, how do you think a white kid would fit in? If you're a parent to a white kid, did you/would you send your kid to one of these schools?

I wouldn't worry about "white" per see (your words) but income level and ability. Title I schools and all that come with it...

KIPP's PARCC performance outstrips many charters -- the concerns about income level and ability at KIPP are largely just about race purely. https://www.kippdc.org/kipp-dc-remains-highest-performing-prek3-12-public-school-system-in-d-c/