Reply to Is caring deeply about the quality of school a new construct?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's a complicated dance brought about in large parts by busing and the virulently racist reactions against it in some parts of the East Coast and Midwest.  White people hop from burb to burb in search of the American Dream, but when push comes to shove, will tolerate living among model minoritied only.  Tipping points.  Redlining.  Location, location, location.  O what a tangled web we weave when quiet racists try to deceive.[/quote]

Maybe some people obsessed with school choices are racists, but I really don't think it's as much about racism as your post implies.  I'm a minority and my kids attend Title I schools.  Many whites avoid the schools my kids attend, but it would be disingenuous of me to say it's all about racism when I'm seriously considering moving.  Unfortunately, race and SES still have a strong correlation, so it's easy to attribute things to race/racism when they may not be the issue.  In Title one schools the kids as a whole come in much less prepared, and continue to be less prepared, than kids from higher SES backgrounds.  This happens for various reasons like non-English speaking parents, parents who are undereducated and don't know how to help, parents working multiple jobs and don't have time to help, a misguided expectation that schools, without parental involvement, can fully educate a child....That takes a toll on the education received by kids who come in prepared and have academic support at home.  This places those kids at a disadvantage when they get to college and are being compared to peers who went to schools with a majority of highly prepared student who have been challenged academically throughout their academic careers.  My kids are a minority minority at their Title I schoos and that doesn't bother me at all.  The lack of academic challenge does, however.  Am I racist or classist?  No, I'm just realistic about the realities that are present in many lower SES schools.  We bought our house pre-kids based on location, and, not being afraid of "diversity," stayed after having kids.  After experiencing the challenges in the schools, we now have to assess the impact on our kids.  So far we've chosen to stay and supplement at home.  It's possible we will decide that moving is a better option as they get older.[/quote]

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