Reply to Can Gentrifers Use Their Skills and Resources to "Make" a Great School?

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Reply to "Can Gentrifers Use Their Skills and Resources to "Make" a Great School?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Long time close-in DC resident here who has been reading about these debates for a LONG time. My kid will be entering the system in the fall.

I have been frustrated for my 16 years here that people who move to gentrifying neighborhoods are basically not allowed to want something better. You're not even allowed to voice your desire for something better.  That, because these neighborhood schools are crappy, and that crappiness is the direct result of years of a bigger racist system that is set up against the long time residents, the newcomers have to just shut up and take it, or move away. And that somehow you are a righteous entitled brat if you ask about how to improve things. The crazy thing is that most of these crappy schools are under-enrolled, so it's not like you're robbing the original residents of their right to their school.  There's this big issue that the gentrifying parents have to sit back and be observers, lest they interfere in the parents who are already there trying to fix things. But the reality is that nothing is going to fix until more rich kids (regardless of race) enroll in these schools. And more rich kids aren't going to come until lots of rich kids are already there. Which is only going to happen by letting the gentrifying parents get really vocal and involved. By making the gentrifying parents shut up and take a back seat, you effectively resign the school to staying mostly poor and therefore never improving.

Sorry for the rant. In more seriousness, my impression is that spending money doesn't do anything. All the PTA activities, fundraisers, volunteer events, park cleans etc are nothing more than a mechanism/signal for other high SES parents to connect with each other and to send a signal to each other and other potential parents that the school may be on the up and up -- so long as the momentum stays in place. But the activities themselves (better libraries, better park etc) have no bearing on the quality and educational outcomes. Nothing affects that other than the quality of the kids coming in. [/quote]

I cannot agree with this post more- this is exactly how I feel.  Nothing good ever happens without enthusiasm and energy.  There is no secret to getting good schools- it requires hard work and parents demanding high standards.  This is not a race thing in any way.  If any parents sit back and don't try and improve their schools - Gentrifers or otherwise - then nothing is going to happen.

So we have this "awkward" history where poor schools exist because of the large socioeconomic / racial environment.  But guess what - this larger issue is only the truth in the big picture.  We can do alot in the a particular situation- you don't often get a good school my changing the larger picture- you get it one child, parent, teacher at a time.  If every parent was demanding higher standards for their schools they would get better.  If Gentrifers are the ones who lead or contribute to this then that is great.  If they don't get involved out of feelings of liberal guilt then everyone is worse off.  [/quote]

Yes, this is the crux of the problem.

I think there is some embarrassment on the part of the low income families.  The realization that you don't even know something was wrong with the school or that there is in fact a better way to do something and have a bunch of people come in and tell you and then you realize that yes, the way we do things and the school itself is pretty bad.

I also think it forces lower income families into an uncomfortable situation and that is realizing that they way they spend their money and time directly effect their kids and their kids future.  
It's easy to say you are going to do better and want better for your kids but it's a lot harder to make those sacrifices and do things like spend what little income is available and use it for an enrichment or for school supplies or what little time is available and instead of partying with friends and dropping kids of with friends, staying at home and reading or playing with their kids.

I have never heard any Gentrifier request that I thought sounded absurd. Most requests are for the basics that suburban schools with higher income families have. Nothing far flung, nothing crazy.

The message needs to go from the Principal of the school that the requests being made are normal, in line with what kids need to succeed, etc and above all the message needs to be "yes, you do in fact need some "rich white people" coming in and telling you that needs to be done to make the school better because you have not been able to figure it out or do it on your own"[/quote]

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