Reply to Middle and high school on Capitol Hill

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Right, Asians and whites with strong students in 8th grade could elect to send their kids to Banneker for 9th. How about a even-handed, incisive academic study on why they don't?

OK, so the PARCC scores are wonderful. Why aren't white and Asians moved? I'd actually like to know. Simple racism can't explain the whole story.  [/quote]

I think racism is a part of it, but I think fear of the unknown is a really big part of it.  And I also think parents want the 'best' for their kids and for many whites/Asians, Banneker isn't the 'best.'

Look at how Brent, Maury, etc started attracting non-black families.  There was a very small group of white families that were 'brave' enough to look beyond the surface and see something that they thought could work for their kids.  Once you had some non-black families that neighbors knew and trusted their assessment to some degree, those schools saw more and more families willing to give them a chance.  A decade or so ago, when those very first families gave it a go, there were plenty of families that thought they were crazy and sacrificing their children.  Gladwell's Tipping Point helps to explain why some Capitol Hill schools became attractive to non-black families faster than others.

I think there's far fewer families that are able to 'brave' in this way at the middle school and high school levels.[/quote]

I think a BIG part of the issue is that Brent and Maury are neighborhood schools.  Banneker is not.  It is an "elite, test in" school.  I'm guessing that a high percentage of people are pro public neighborhood schools are at least a bit uncomfortable with elitist test in public schools.  I'm not saying they are totally against them, just that it isn't as easy a sell.  I doubt very many Brent and Maury parents attended a test-in elite public school-- but I bet most did attend their neighborhood elementary school.  You go with what you know.

[/quote]

Disagree.  I think there's a huge overlap between Brent and Maury parents complaining about middle schools, and those who would want a test-in school.  I mean, look at all the Hill parents who send their kids to charters, which is a concept that did not exist (or barely?) when they were kids. [/quote]

I just recall from back when Brent was doing parent surveys there were far more people that valued a comprehensive neighborhood middle school that would really serve the entire student body rather than a test in school.   A middle school that actually serves and challenges all the students is what most parents wanted.   And they went with Washington Latin and BASIS because they actually seemed (at least at the time) to actually be closer to that model than Jefferson. [/quote]

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