Reply to SWS -- Atmosphere and Leadership

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[quote=Anonymous]Ok, we are at SWS and while our experience has been on balance positive, and, having come from a non-diverse Title I school I agree with the PP who says you should be careful what you wish for, I do agree there are some things about the atmosphere and leadership that are sort of icky feeling.  Our family is not AA, so my feelings are not necessarily through that lens, but I could see how some of the "in-group/out-group" stuff could be perceived racially.

Some observations:

1.  I am not sure how many spots were available to non-sibs in the PK3 lottery this year, but it seems like maybe somewhere between 6 and 8.  At least 3 new AA families joined the PK3 class this year, and I know there were at least a few who joined PK3 last year too.  Integration will probably be slow due to the sib preference discussed ad nauseum on this board, but I do see it happening.

2.  I have a lot of complaints about aftercare, but see no problem with offering Irish Dance if people want it.  My complaint is that most/all of their offerings are artsy rather than physical.  The offerings tend to be skewed toward things girls, rather than boys, would enjoy.

3.  Principal discretion after count day.  Actually, that does NOT happen at most schools in high demand.  Most of these schools are in neighborhoods where everyone knows each other's number and IB families are desperate to get in. There would be outrage if principals tinkered with the waitlist.  I think the fact that PP thinks these post-count day shenanigans are normal speaks to the culture of SWS, frankly, that they can/should get away with things that other schools cannot.

4.  The hiring of parents as teachers and staff:  It is something that surprises me too.  The thing that makes me most uncomfortable about it is that it reinforces the insular nature of the school.  I have not found it is a place where leadership or parents like to be challenged, and hiring people who already accept the "culture" can be a way of avoiding those challenges.  I have no idea if it was deliberate, but I would like to give the school the benefit of the doubt that it was not race-motivated, at the very least.

5.  I have been pleased with some recent developments this year.  Adding a language program is one.  Getting rid of the policy where kids who were late (even on the first infraction) had to stand outside the classroom with their parents for 30 mins was another one.  I understand there was some pressure from DCPS on this, and I appreciate them getting rid of a policy that was disproportionately punitive to working parents. It seems like whether it is through their own thoughtfulness or being pushed by DCPS, they are becoming more in line with the norms (in a good way).

In sum, I think that as the school grows, and becomes more city-wide, we are going to see a lot of changes.  Some good, some bad, some good or bad depending on your perspective.  I would think/hope things are going to become more diverse as time goes on.  It really is a much better place than a lot of other options out there.[/quote]

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