2017 "Most Challenging" High Schools List (Wash Post/Jay Mathews) is out

[Anonymous]

you can't convince me that the majority of white people on this board don't look at Banneker because of the % of other white people that go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you can't convince me that the majority of white people on this board don't look at Banneker because of the % of other white people that go there.

Many is not majority.

Why don't you tell me why white people (not IB for Wilson, not choosing private) aren't clamoring for Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you can't convince me that the majority of white people on this board don't look at Banneker because of the % of other white people that go there.

Many is not majority.

Why don't you tell me why white people (not IB for Wilson, not choosing private) aren't clamoring for Banneker.

I already did. Race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a white parent and I urged my Washington Latin 8th grader to consider applying to Banneker-- and to SWW and to several private schools and also our IB high school, Eastern. He refused to even look elsewhere. (We aren't IB for Wilson.) He loves Latin too much to consider anything else. To say that makes him racist is absurd.

Racist, no, short-sighted, possibly. Maybe we should all wake up and smell the coffee about charter high schools in this city - they can be PC fun for kids without being first-rate academically. 1 AP class with a score of 3 isn't a high bar to clear for a group of kids who've been studying the ancient and modern worlds seriously for 7 or 8 years. Not at all, yet less than 20% has been pulling it off at Latin in the past couple of years. Sounds like he should have looked at St. Anselm's, mom, whatever his skin color.

Thanks for affirming that attending Latin and not Bannaker doesn't necessarily make my son racist. But your point about St Ansekms is very painful. I would have loved for him to look at St Anselms, but again he wasn't interested. The bottom line is that I've raised a kid that doesn't think being in a school for "first rate academic" elites is what he wants. Likes being around a truly diverse group of people and is certain he will have that at Latin. I really considered bribing or forcing him somehow to go to Bannaker, st Anselms, etc, but these schools all require interviews and his lack of interest would have been evident. So why waste everyone's time? Latin high school isn't perfect, but neither is my kid, neither is the world. I attended a rural high school with no IB no AP and only one honors class. I still got into a top school. And even if my son doesn't get into a top school, he can still have a great life.

if he had gone to a middle school that generally feeds much of the graduating class into Bannaker or other elite schools he would have tried these, but I'm thinking he just would go to Eastern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not much news here.

Among publics in DC SWW still ranks highest, followed by Banneker.

Washington Latin's SAT/ACT scores seem low - and only 18% of last year's seniors passed at least 1 AP exam?

But wait, isn't SAT scores the only reason white folk won't look at Banneker? Yet they'll flock to Latin. Sad.

Excellent point.

Banneker - SAT average for 2016 = 1038
Washington Latin - SAT average for 2016 = 943

Why do people send kids there?

I'm talking about Latin, and I'm really asking.

Latin's 18% AP participation is so grim that it sounds like a typo. Could it be a mistake? How can this be possible after a MS program offering great rigor/a classical education? I would have guessed that at least 2/3 of Latin HS students take APs, and that the SAT average was, say 1200. What is going at at this to-die-for charter? The Emperor may have clothes, but just underwear.

Grim

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but people here can keep convincing themselves they are progressive and "would NEVER" be racist. Eye roll.

So will you please commit here that you won't be one of the people screaming "racist gentrification!" when white families start applying to Banneker in mass, even when Banneker becomes a majority white school?

It won't. Because racism.

But like I said, most everyone here can keep trying to convince themselves.

OK, I'll mark that down as a commitment from you not to complain though if it does. I'm bookmarking this thread, because I suspect it might happen sometime in the next 5 years.

Can you explain your "racism" claim? No doubt there are many people who are consciously or subconsciously bigoted. But adding white students to Banneker doesn't take changing everyone in DC. Even if there are only a handful of white families who aren't bigoted, then that's some starting basis to apply to Banneker, right? Are you seriously contending that every white person in all of DC is so bigoted that they will refuse to apply to Banneker because it's a majority black school? Are you saying every single white person is racist? If that's your view, I'd like to hear you say it directly.

PP might not be saying "every single white person is racist" but I will. There is no way to grow up in the United State of America - with the kind of racial history we have baked into the cake of our society and not be racist. Period. I am white, have a black spouse and black children and I am racist. If I don't admit that to myself I will stop examining my bias and growing as a person.

I am white and I am not a racist. However every black person I've ever had as a friend was a racist.

[Anonymous]

By reading these post is racisms on both sides. Why does it matter who goes to Banneker or Latin if you kid is loving there experience where they are who cares about
what next parent is or not sending there kid.

[Anonymous]

Kids can love school without being pushed to excel, or taught very well. I had a blast in a small town HS, where I earned good grades and high SATs. I went on to an Ivy, where I wound up on academic probation in my first year due to poor preparation. The experience was akin to starting a mile-long race a lap behind the opposition. Sure, Latin's a happy school, and so is Banneker, but parents and students need to supplement pretty aggressively DCPS-wide if they're aiming high. Get your student to watch those Khan Academy videos, folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids can love school without being pushed to excel, or taught very well. I had a blast in a small town HS, where I earned good grades and high SATs. I went on to an Ivy, where I wound up on academic probation in my first year due to poor preparation. The experience was akin to starting a mile-long race a lap behind the opposition. Sure, Latin's a happy school, and so is Banneker, but parents and students need to supplement pretty aggressively DCPS-wide if they're aiming high. Get your student to watch those Khan Academy videos, folks.

This is really good, honest advice. That's the benefit to a solid curriculum like the IB program. You will be well prepared if you get an IB diploma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids can love school without being pushed to excel, or taught very well. I had a blast in a small town HS, where I earned good grades and high SATs. I went on to an Ivy, where I wound up on academic probation in my first year due to poor preparation. The experience was akin to starting a mile-long race a lap behind the opposition. Sure, Latin's a happy school, and so is Banneker, but parents and students need to supplement pretty aggressively DCPS-wide if they're aiming high. Get your student to watch those Khan Academy videos, folks.

This is really good, honest advice. That's the benefit to a solid curriculum like the IB program. You will be well prepared if you get an IB diploma.

IMO that is also the advantage of AP classes, especially at a charter school. You (and colleges) know that your child has/hasn't mastered a specific curriculum because they take an exam that is graded by someone neutral.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a white parent and I urged my Washington Latin 8th grader to consider applying to Banneker-- and to SWW and to several private schools and also our IB high school, Eastern. He refused to even look elsewhere. (We aren't IB for Wilson.) He loves Latin too much to consider anything else. To say that makes him racist is absurd.

Racist, no, short-sighted, possibly. Maybe we should all wake up and smell the coffee about charter high schools in this city - they can be PC fun for kids without being first-rate academically. 1 AP class with a score of 3 isn't a high bar to clear for a group of kids who've been studying the ancient and modern worlds seriously for 7 or 8 years. Not at all, yet less than 20% has been pulling it off at Latin in the past couple of years. Sounds like he should have looked at St. Anselm's, mom, whatever his skin color.

Thanks for affirming that attending Latin and not Bannaker doesn't necessarily make my son racist. But your point about St Ansekms is very painful. I would have loved for him to look at St Anselms, but again he wasn't interested. The bottom line is that I've raised a kid that doesn't think being in a school for "first rate academic" elites is what he wants. Likes being around a truly diverse group of people and is certain he will have that at Latin. I really considered bribing or forcing him somehow to go to Bannaker, st Anselms, etc, but these schools all require interviews and his lack of interest would have been evident. So why waste everyone's time? Latin high school isn't perfect, but neither is my kid, neither is the world. I attended a rural high school with no IB no AP and only one honors class. I still got into a top school. And even if my son doesn't get into a top school, he can still have a great life.

if he had gone to a middle school that generally feeds much of the graduating class into Bannaker or other elite schools he would have tried these, but I'm thinking he just would go to Eastern.

We looked at St. Anselm's and SWW for our son 4 years ago. He also decided to stay at Latin. We are very happy with his college acceptances (when I took a peak at SAA's it seemed to have a similar range). My son has been happy the last 4 years, has had great experiences, has had great teachers, taken classes that are challenging, but also has had time to pursue other interests. He has also gotten to know a diverse group of people. Latin is not private, not even a test in school, but everyone he knows is going to college or into the military. I don't really care how he does on his APs, but his pre-test scores indicated that he would get 4s and/or 5s. There are lots of school options. Finding one that works for your kid is more important than where it lands on the challenge index.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but people here can keep convincing themselves they are progressive and "would NEVER" be racist. Eye roll.

So will you please commit here that you won't be one of the people screaming "racist gentrification!" when white families start applying to Banneker in mass, even when Banneker becomes a majority white school?

It won't. Because racism.

But like I said, most everyone here can keep trying to convince themselves.

OK, I'll mark that down as a commitment from you not to complain though if it does. I'm bookmarking this thread, because I suspect it might happen sometime in the next 5 years.

Can you explain your "racism" claim? No doubt there are many people who are consciously or subconsciously bigoted. But adding white students to Banneker doesn't take changing everyone in DC. Even if there are only a handful of white families who aren't bigoted, then that's some starting basis to apply to Banneker, right? Are you seriously contending that every white person in all of DC is so bigoted that they will refuse to apply to Banneker because it's a majority black school? Are you saying every single white person is racist? If that's your view, I'd like to hear you say it directly.

PP might not be saying "every single white person is racist" but I will. There is no way to grow up in the United State of America - with the kind of racial history we have baked into the cake of our society and not be racist. Period. I am white, have a black spouse and black children and I am racist. If I don't admit that to myself I will stop examining my bias and growing as a person.

I am white and I am not a racist. However every black person I've ever had as a friend was a racist.

Please explain. What made all the black friends racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but people here can keep convincing themselves they are progressive and "would NEVER" be racist. Eye roll.

So will you please commit here that you won't be one of the people screaming "racist gentrification!" when white families start applying to Banneker in mass, even when Banneker becomes a majority white school?

It won't. Because racism.

But like I said, most everyone here can keep trying to convince themselves.

OK, I'll mark that down as a commitment from you not to complain though if it does. I'm bookmarking this thread, because I suspect it might happen sometime in the next 5 years.

Can you explain your "racism" claim? No doubt there are many people who are consciously or subconsciously bigoted. But adding white students to Banneker doesn't take changing everyone in DC. Even if there are only a handful of white families who aren't bigoted, then that's some starting basis to apply to Banneker, right? Are you seriously contending that every white person in all of DC is so bigoted that they will refuse to apply to Banneker because it's a majority black school? Are you saying every single white person is racist? If that's your view, I'd like to hear you say it directly.

PP might not be saying "every single white person is racist" but I will. There is no way to grow up in the United State of America - with the kind of racial history we have baked into the cake of our society and not be racist. Period. I am white, have a black spouse and black children and I am racist. If I don't admit that to myself I will stop examining my bias and growing as a person.

I am white and I am not a racist. However every black person I've ever had as a friend was a racist.

Please explain. What made all the black friends racist?

Don't encourage this troll.

[Anonymous]

ITT: A lot of black folks being racist towards whites, while ironically calling whites racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not much news here.

Among publics in DC SWW still ranks highest, followed by Banneker.

Washington Latin's SAT/ACT scores seem low - and only 18% of last year's seniors passed at least 1 AP exam?

I find it interesting the Wilson has found a way to show the averages for kids who are seriously college bound (i.e., the kids who could have gotten into Walls or Banneker, but chose Wilson). They publish the average for the subcategory of students who also take the SAT subject matter tests: 1953 (class of 2016)

http://www.wilsonhs.org/ourpages/auto/2011/4/15/39942607/Wilsonprofile2016-17webreduced.pdf