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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We changed our older child from a title 1 dcps dual language to oyster adams in 4th. The difference was mostly in a more prepared and (wealthy) peer group. Teaching in core subjects was equally strong in both schools, but the specials were much better at oyster adams. The kids’ behavior was not much better, but academically the kids were much stronger at Adams.[/quote]

Thank you. How do you think the difference in academic strength translated into a different experience for your child? Do you mind sharing which school you switched from? [/quote]

Bump (DP)[/quote]

Are you still deciding or already regretting your decision?[/quote]

OP here. Actually we’re at the Title 1 and [b]I’m convinced it’s mostly racism scaring people away.[/b] They look at a playground of brown kids and assume they’re below grade level and misbehaved. They’re not. The games the big kids play with the little kids are adorable and sweet, and all of the 3rd-4th graders I know (classmates siblings and kids from activities) seem bright and [b]are certainly well spoken[/b]. I understand not all Title 1 schools are created equal, but I’m happy my child has the experience of seeing kids that don’t look like her being leaders and doing better in some things than her. Those are life lessons that really can change how a person interacts with the world going forward.[/quote]

Accusing everyone else but themselves of racism but then saying the Black and Brown kids are "well spoken" -- the classic condescending compliment that white people use toward Black and Brown people and only Black and Brown people -- is quite a flex.

Let's be honest here: no white person has ever described another white person as "well spoken."

I bet PP has "a lot of Black friends," too.[/quote]

Thank you. I have found, over many years, that the clueless parents screaming about others' racism based on their school choices demonstrate a shockingly high level of paternalistic, white-saviour-type thinking about their children's classmates. They also have no understanding at all of the way that middle and upper class people of color go about making their schooling decisions.  They'd rather not think about that.
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Yep. UMC POC (especially black folks) are often the most wary of putting their kids into a settings with predominantly underperforming same-race peers. Frankly, it’s often better to be a black “only” (or one of a few) than to be a high SES+black “only” in a midst of low-SES black students. [/quote]

As an UMC POC, since we're not a monolith, I don't agree with this at all. There are trade offs with each situation, and the #1 thing I worried about moving my son from a Title 1 DCPS to a HRCS was losing black male teachers, role models and class mates. I am constantly taking note of the amount of black children in the school and how he's situated in his class. [/quote]

You don't agree with the fact that UMC POC often think like this...or their decision to do so?  FWIW -- I'm more in your camp on evaluating schools, but I know plenty of black folks that try to avoid schools with a large low SES black populations.  I that racist?  On some level, it might be actually.  But its behaviorally no different than what many (not all) white folks do when it comes to school choices, even if the points of departure and implcations are different  [/quote]

That would be classism if they are avoiding low SES Black student groups, or racism if they are OK with low SES white student groups but not Black.  Or a complicated mixture because those are so tied in DC.  Or there may be other factors at play that they are avoiding in largely low SES Black schools that are not apparent to or not applicable to white parents.[/quote]

Well, in DC proper, there really aren't any low SES white groups to speak of, so it's a bit theoretical to assume that high-SES blacks would be ok with poor whites, but not poor blacks.  I think that most high-SES black folks would like there to be at least a critical mass of same-race/-SES peers for their children -- or if not necessarily high-SES, at least solidly middle class.   That's a bit hard to find in DC (outside of private schools that can curate for that).  Whereas, if you are white or Asian, any place in DC that has a critical mass of folks that look like you, will invariably have a critical mass of same-race/SES peers.

[/quote]

Hold on.  You seem to think we're all ok with "racism bad, classism good" and I think that's messed up.[/quote]

So black folks preferring what DC-area white/Asians can get as a matter or course is now classism?  Not wanting my black kids to be the only UMC black kids in a school is classist?  I have no doubt that you appreciate the material consequences of that, right? Sad fact is that many peer groups break down along race/class lines, so I’d like a few similarly-situated blacks at the school, not that my kids’ social group needs to be so-limited. [/quote]

White UMC DC is/has been pretty classist for... ever?  For example, look at dynamics on capitol hill.  If what you're going for is what they have, then yes you're trying to replicate their classism.  I don't think that's very complicated.

But what you said you want: "a few similarly-situated blacks at the school" is not that.  And it's what many white parents don't understand.[/quote]

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