Reply to UMC parents in low income schools

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think posters well meaning (and some not) are missing the point.

The point of the article is that a small number of white parents come in and not only control the influencing factors on the school but also define how that happens and what it means to be a better school. The PTA in itself is the problem as there are other barriers for poor families to enter it. The PTA issue is that the white parents basically define that the PTA is the way to influence and the poor people either join into their structure or stay out.

The things that the small number of white people want to do to "improve the school" are usually things that benefit their kids and don't play into the needs of poor families. Tracking and gifted centers is a perfect example. The pressure for more seats to be in compacted math or get into the local or regional CES and open up more seats so the white kids don't get left behind with the hispanic kids is intense. White parents will push teachers to spend time with the higher reading groups and give their kids enrichment when other kids can't even read. White parents often want to see after school programs and enrichment programs at the school yet they are the only ones who can afford it. White parents want the field trips that cost over $50.

White parents act as if they are saving the school. Many of the comments are very tone deaf. Comments made to other white parents considering pulling out to private schools along the lines of "oh we can't loose you, we need everyone to stay so the school can get better" within earshot of teachers or non-white parents is harmful. Yes keeping more high scoring white kids in the school will help the rankings and possibly attract more white parents into the school but their presence alone isn't making it better , in fact, sometimes it is hurting by taking away desperately needed resources.

Look at all the posts from people saying look at the test scores by race not the school as if its perfectly fine for all the hispanic to be failing as long as the white kids are passing. [/quote]

Why are you narrowly and naively assuming that URM also don’t want tracking and gifted programs for their children? This isn’t able white people. I’m an URM, upper middle class  and my children attend public school because I believe in it.  DH and I want our children to be around other children of a diverse background. However, your argument that only the middle class white people care about their own in high FARMS or ESOL schools is flawed. This is purely about socioeconomics, many middle class people and upper middle class people send their children to public schools across the country because they believe in the school community. I’m not sure why articles like this paint the middle class people as uncaring. This is nothing more than clickbait that get people to fall for it EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. Furthermore, middle class people often do make positive changes in largely ESOL and FARMS schools.

What is with these clickbait articles and the people who defend them? It seems as if they want public education to be a race to the bottom. Middle class and Upper middle class parents that send their children to high FARMS and ESOL schools want the betterment for the entire community. They want to raise the expectations of the school culture and see it be successful. You and the author of this ridiculous article are being racist in your belief that the poor and URM don’t want to also see improvement in the form of enrichment. In many cases, poor parents are thankful that people with time and resources are willing to roll up their sleeves to put in the hard work that they would be unable do to. People fail to realize that the parents of some URM (FARMS, ESOL, etc) have a lot of barriers and aren’t necessarily always opposed to the help from their more affluent peers.

Articles like these always find a way to demonize white people or middle class people while making URM victims. [/quote]

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