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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
NP.  I'm gonna respond to this because there's a basic misconception with it comes to how AA parents view their kids' educations.  So, I'll preface this first by saying that I do not have a child that's MS age and I have no experience with SH so it may be a viable option.  That said, there are certain considerations that AA parents have to account for that other parents just don't: that's just reality.  We all have to consider peer group, whether our child will be challenged, and whether it's the right environment for our DC.  But, as an AA parents, our considerations are even more involved.  What may work for a white family may not (and often does not) work for an AA family.  Studies show that teachers often have less confidence in the abilities of AA kids even when test scores and general academic achievement are different.  AA kids also often get lumped in with certain non-achieving and/or disruptive peers even when their behavior is different.  Peer pressure can also look a little different here.  This is namely because the socioeconomic gap between non-white and white students is so vast in DC: there aren't a lot of white poor folks sitting around D.C. These are all things that Black folks weigh.  Also, it sometimes feels that black folks have to be even better than white folks to be considered for the same jobs or opportunities.  So, this is why this parent wants to ensure that his/her child is super prepared.  The parent wants to ensure that his/her child has no barriers to entry. It's not a matter of her kids "just not being that smart" because let's be honest all white kids aren't smart, just like all black kids aren't smart.  The question is even if I have a mediocre black child will they have the same opportunities to succeed as a mediocre white child.  If the answer is no, black parents are trying to figure out ways to make their mediocre black child, a stellar black child so at least maybe the playing field will even out a bit.  I hope that provides additional context about why black middle class parents seem so crazy and "academics focused."

Sorry for the typos typing quickly
[/quote]

Thanks for that thoughtful and informative comment. There's plenty that makes race and class such difficult issues, but as you point out, one factor is that white kids in DC almost universally have highly educated (at least college) parents, whereas other groups have much more socioeconomically diverse families.

[/quote]

say what you will about how well served students who are POC may fare at SH or any other school, but the "Maryland plates" sounds like the same barely coded racist bullshit that often passes uncritically on this site.[/quote]

Except that it’s an actual fact. [/quote]

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