Reply to Where do families in Petworth send their kids for Elementary School?

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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]look, OP, diverse neighborhood is what a lot of DC white people say when they mean they want a DCPS/charter/neighborhood/etc., that has demographics that doesn't match DC or DCPS. east of Rock Creek Park, i.e., strongly majority black. I know you may be new to DC, but effectively the only way to not put your white/Asian/high-SES child into a school where they are in the 4/8/10 percent that are of similar status is to live on the other side of the segregation divide.

So saying you don't want to be a significant minority is a crutch many use to say they don't want to integrate DC.

So please, evaluate your biases and live according to your values.[/quote]

In most of the United States, a white family that wants to send their kid to a school that is 50% african american, or even 70% african american, but is not 99% african american, would be accepted as having pro-integratioin values.   I am not saying that is right, but just wanted to bring in that reality check. [/quote]

The point is, you cannot customize a boutique diversity experience the same way you pick the backsplash for your kitchen. I'm sure most gentrifier parents would be happy if little Atticus were at a school that was diverse, but not too diverse -- say 30% high SES AA, plus a few Hispanics because "languages are so important", and a generous smattering of model minority Asians.  It just doesn't work that way -- people of color are not here to give your child a "diverse" experience according to your demands. [/quote]

You are reading an awful lot into a simple question. The OP only asked why the demographics of the schools don't match the demographics of the neighborhood. That mismatch is not because she doesn't want to send her kids there (she hasn't commented either way in that regard), but because most existing white and high-SES residents haven't sent their kids there. Your argument should be with those current residents, not prospective new ones.

Another thing, you can't force people to like a school. Your attitude appears to be: "the demographics of these schools are what they are and if you don't like it, you are a racist". Nobody is going to react positively to that message. I would think a better approach might be to suggest that the demographics don't tell the entire story and it is important to look beyond the numbers. The schools may or may not work for everyone, but simple numbers shouldn't make that determination.
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