African American Son in a local Private/Independent School

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[Post New]11/01/2008 17:11
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:The OP asked for parents of AA amle children to weigh in and give specifics on schools....we certainly have not adequately answered the question. I see shout outs for Lowell, Green Acres, WIS and Maret. Any others? For those who posted...can you please give specifics.


I would say that OP should look at Norwood. We have had no trouble there.
[Post New]11/02/2008 06:31
lkhharper@aol.com
Member Offline
Anonymous wrote:
I would say that OP should look at Norwood. We have had no trouble there.


"Had no trouble there"....is a far cry from believing that self-esteem is being fostered and that your child is being treated with dignity. Perhaps the posters question has expectations that are too high for the beloved schools in this area.
[Post New]11/02/2008 08:36
Anonymous
pp, some people do not have the time to expand to the poetic level that some posts do. That's all.
[Post New]11/02/2008 10:36
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:OP here....I am surprised at the low number of responses to this post. I am looking for parents who are happy with their Private/Independent School and the treatment and education of their AA son.


Perhaps you should focus on finding a school that best meets your son's academic needs and his personality rather than looking at it strictly from the point of view of race.
[Post New]11/02/2008 11:26
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here....I am surprised at the low number of responses to this post. I am looking for parents who are happy with their Private/Independent School and the treatment and education of their AA son.


Perhaps you should focus on finding a school that best meets your son's academic needs and his personality rather than looking at it strictly from the point of view of race.


That is easier said than done. There is no point in having a great education if someone messes with your self esteem.
[Post New]11/02/2008 11:50
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here....I am surprised at the low number of responses to this post. I am looking for parents who are happy with their Private/Independent School and the treatment and education of their AA son.


Perhaps you should focus on finding a school that best meets your son's academic needs and his personality rather than looking at it strictly from the point of view of race.


These topics are not mutually exclusive. Research (especially that relates to urban and minority education) suggests that cultural differences, family differences, and peer interactions can become barriers to student success. Thus, race can and should be considered when determining the best educational environment for a child (especially for a minority child).
[Post New]11/02/2008 14:19
lkhharper@aol.com
Member Offline
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here....I am surprised at the low number of responses to this post. I am looking for parents who are happy with their Private/Independent School and the treatment and education of their AA son.


Perhaps you should focus on finding a school that best meets your son's academic needs and his personality rather than looking at it strictly from the point of view of race.



I am willing to bet that you are White. Non-white children are disproportionately disciplined in school and labeled with learning disorders. Further AA male children have been found to lose their quest for learning by the 3rd grade if they are not properly nurtured in their school and home environments. It matters....but it must be nice not to have to worry about the race issue while you are deciding about school placements for your child....and I certainly hope that we choose the next President without regard to race.
[Post New]11/02/2008 15:34
Anonymous
lkhharper@aol.com wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP here....I am surprised at the low number of responses to this post. I am looking for parents who are happy with their Private/Independent School and the treatment and education of their AA son.


Perhaps you should focus on finding a school that best meets your son's academic needs and his personality rather than looking at it strictly from the point of view of race.



I am willing to bet that you are White. Non-white children are disproportionately disciplined in school and labeled with learning disorders. Further AA male children have been found to lose their quest for learning by the 3rd grade if they are not properly nurtured in their school and home environments. It matters....but it must be nice not to have to worry about the race issue while you are deciding about school placements for your child....and I certainly hope that we choose the next President without regard to race.


You didn't know? There IS no racism in the US. Those teachers are totally color blind, they treat all kids the SAME. It's just blacks who need to pull themselves up by the bootstraps....
OP, keep looking for the right school. I will have my son at a Montessori school, less room for the competitive nonsense and so on. You're right to be concerned, as we all are about our beautiful children
[Post New]11/02/2008 16:50
Anonymous


Further AA male children have been found to lose their quest for learning by the 3rd grade if they are not properly nurtured in their school and home environments. It matters....but it must be nice not to have to worry about the race issue while you are deciding about school placements for your child....and I certainly hope that we choose the next President without regard to race.


I would venture to say that ANY child will lose his/her quest for learning if they aren't nurtured at school or home.

[Post New]11/02/2008 17:18
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:

Further AA male children have been found to lose their quest for learning by the 3rd grade if they are not properly nurtured in their school and home environments. It matters....but it must be nice not to have to worry about the race issue while you are deciding about school placements for your child....and I certainly hope that we choose the next President without regard to race.


I would venture to say that ANY child will lose his/her quest for learning if they aren't nurtured at school or home.



Try to venture out of your small world.
[Post New]11/02/2008 17:37
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Further AA male children have been found to lose their quest for learning by the 3rd grade if they are not properly nurtured in their school and home environments. It matters....but it must be nice not to have to worry about the race issue while you are deciding about school placements for your child....and I certainly hope that we choose the next President without regard to race.


I would venture to say that ANY child will lose his/her quest for learning if they aren't nurtured at school or home.



Try to venture out of your small world.


That is an odd statement to make towards someone who is stating that any and all children need nurturing both in and out of school. It seems as if your world view is much smaller in focus than the PP.
[Post New]11/02/2008 19:05
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:

Further AA male children have been found to lose their quest for learning by the 3rd grade if they are not properly nurtured in their school and home environments.


I am the mother of an AA male child and this is the main reason I chose an independent education for my son. My occupation enables me to witness the treatment of AA males in public schools; these boys are often talked down to, disciplined inappropriately, and quickly labeled Special Education or ADHD. As a result their self-esteem suffers and their love of learning is stolen away from them. I did not want this to happen to my son so an independent education was right for us. We were able to find the right school for him and he is loving school and learning!!

OP you are doing the right thing; just make sure you find a school that will nurture him and understand the struggles that he will face as an AA male. Good Luck!! BTW - My AA male child attends Beauvoir. HTH
[Post New]11/02/2008 20:26
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Further AA male children have been found to lose their quest for learning by the 3rd grade if they are not properly nurtured in their school and home environments. It matters....but it must be nice not to have to worry about the race issue while you are deciding about school placements for your child....and I certainly hope that we choose the next President without regard to race.


I would venture to say that ANY child will lose his/her quest for learning if they aren't nurtured at school or home.



Try to venture out of your small world.


That is an odd statement to make towards someone who is stating that any and all children need nurturing both in and out of school. It seems as if your world view is much smaller in focus than the PP.


I'm sure 17:18 could have said it in a more PC way. However, the comment by 16:50 somewhat diminishes the challenges of finding the right educational environment for an African American (or other minority) child by suggesting that *any* child needs to be nurtured. Obviously *any* child needs to be nurtured. However, there are nuances that are specific to being African American, Latino American, etc. that *any* child would not have to navigate.
[Post New]11/23/2008 00:09
Anonymous
I am an AA mom and I have a son at Beauvoir and one at St. Albans. We have been very pleased with their academic and social experiences thus far. Both boys are well rounded, well liked by peers and teachers. Over the years, DH and I have met and become friends with some incredible people (AA and non-AA). And our sons have made life-long friends too.

When choosing a school for any child, of course parents want to make sure the school environment will help develop and nuture a child's positive self-image and their self-esteem. But with AA boys it is especially true. During the application process we visited many schools: GDS, Sidwell, Maret, Lowell just to name a few. The academics at each are fantastic but what is equally important is a good fit. A good fit for your child and for the family. The whole process can be overwhelming, multi-tiered, and deadline driven but this I know is true; if you decide to send your kids to a private independent school, and you've chosen a school that is a good fit for your son (regardless of the name)---it will be the best decision you could have made.

Best wishes
[Post New]11/23/2008 04:00
Anonymous
PP Thank you for your thoughtful response. I am the OP and was happy to see my thread resurrected that actually included helpful thoughtful information and shared school names. Good luck to you and your sons.
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