Reply to Proposal Implications: Loss of Proximity, Forced to go to Lowest Performing School, Concerns OOB

Forum Index » DC Public and Public Charter Schools

Reply to "Proposal Implications: Loss of Proximity, Forced to go to Lowest Performing School, Concerns OOB"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Let me start by saying that I am not zoned out for a Ward 3 school. (I was never zoned in to begin with.) I just read your statement and felt compelled to comment.

I believe there is value in diversity that some people may not see because they have never had the opportunity to experience a truly diverse environment. I purposely seek out diverse schools for my kids because I grew up in NYC and went to schools with kids who represented every color in the rainbow, from every culture and religion you can think of, and that experience has served me well in my adult life in terms of how I relate to people both personally and professionally.

I distinctly remember my 10th grade Social Studies class when I sat next to an Asian girl whose family immigrated here from China and who shared with me that sometimes she felt as though people treated Asians as though they were invisible. When she said that, I realized that I had never bothered to learn her name and I began to be more cognizant of people outside my "group." I learned how to Salsa from my Latino friends and how to count to 20 in French from my Haitian friends (plus a few choice cuss words in Patois   ). My Buddhist classmate told me about her religion and I learned that there were many paths to God. I remember realizing that there were cultures within cultures, and that kids of all colors and economic levels could be dealt a bad hand. I learned empathy and compassion and patience with those that were different from me.

While DC does not have the full spectrum of colors and cultures that New York City has, that does not discount the value of a diverse environment and I would argue that it would be a good thing if every child had a chance to exchange thoughts and ideas with people who do not look exactly like them or live in their 10 block radius.

So some of the concerns about diversity aren't fake or contrived. They come from a place of understanding its value. 
[/quote]

Thanks -- I think a lot of people in living in DC have similar feelings, even if they didn't have a school experience as diverse and as positive as yours. [b]Diversity is welcomed, but the rough behavior and poor academic preparation that sometimes go along with it are not -- at least not on a daily basis, in school.  [/b]

I wonder if there is some way of allowing for more diversity among DCs school children that doesn't cause so much upheaval.  Maybe citywide programs at all grade levels that bring kids from different schools and areas together on some kind of regular basis?  I really don't have anything in mind -- just the idea of thinking about diversity in new ways.

Now instead of people piling on to say that won't work, how about some brainstorming first?  The idea presented is pretty vague, so maybe we could spend a a little time building on it  before or instead of tearing it down.[/quote]

While you may not have intended this, your statement comes across as though you believe that in order to have a diverse school environment you have to accept disruptive children.   What disruptive children are your referring to--"at risk", Black, Latino, all of the above?  Whatever the case, to suggest that ALL of these children have rough behavior and poor academic preparation is a misconception at best.

Deal is a diverse school for the District.  It has White kids, Black kids, Latino kids, "at risk" kids, and to my knowledge, there have been no major disruptions at Deal. As a matter of fact it is thought to be the best middle school in the city.

It has been my experience that disruptive kids, and kids who struggle academically, come in all colors and from every economic background.

The problem is that people (perhaps yourself included) often view disruptive behavior through the lens of their preconceptions.  For example, a white kid at Key throws a balled up piece of paper at a teacher and hits her in the head. What would the reaction be?  How much trouble would that kid get into?  What would happen at if a black kid did the same exact thing?

Most kids, come into a school and settle into the established culture, even if it's vastly different than what they are surrounded by at home.

Before we can discuss creating more opportunities for diversity, we have address people's perceptions--including our own.
[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics