Reply to Which DCPS elementary has the highest number of affluent AAs?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Affluent AA's in DC send their kids to private after elementary school.[/quote]

Ummm...I'm thinking you're either not AA, you don't have a kid at Deal, you're stuck in 1987 or, you're just talking out of your "arse."  Of course there are affluent AA's who send the kids to public schools in the city.  Just like many affluent white families do.  And just like white families, a lot depends on where you live in the city and what schools you're zoned for.[/quote]

Not PP, but I think there is actually some truth to PP's point about private being a bit more preferred among affluent AAs than among affluent white families in this city.  Others have made these points, but here they are summarized:

1) many of these families are DC natives and went to private schools themselves (when DC public schools were in an even worse state than at present), so that may just be what they're familiar with.  (As an example, one affluent AA, a DC native, recently told me that no DCPS or DCPCS schools were acceptable to their family except LAMB, but they had bad lottery luck twice--they're now at a Big 3 private.)

2) only very recently have EOTP schools in the "Gold Coast" area, along with Shepherd, Cleveland, Eaton, etc., started turning around and gaining some traction among more educated families.

3) some AA educated/affluent families may be concerned about their children being especially susceptible to negative influences from peers, perhaps moreso than white families of the same SES.  There was a thread on this topic sometime within the past year but I don't recall the name of it.[/quote]

I don't agree with some of your assertions particularly #2.  Shepherd was THE school back in the day for those on the Gold Coast who didn't go private for elementary.  As a matter of fact, most went to Shepherd for elementary and then transferred to private for middle.  In those days, Eaton and Hearst (which only went to 3rd grade) were the other options for middle/upper class blacks.

With regard to #1-- if you're talking about your DC native, Jack & Jill set-- they're majority private but, I believe some with younger kids are definitely taking a serious look at some of the city's public schools.  They wouldn't have done this a few years ago, but they too see the changes taking place across the city.

As for #3.  I agree.  Most affluent AA's do not want their kids exposed to negative influences any more than our white counterparts.  However, that's simply not an issue at schools like Eaton, Shepherd, Hearst, and Deal.   Of course there are "negative influences" everywhere-- including private-- but the student populations at schools like these just don't have a critical mass of kids with the issues that negative behaviors stem from. At my kids' school, there are a few that present with negative behaviors but because they are not in the majority they are forced to conform.

I was on the playground one day last year and one little boy (maybe 4th grade) was wearing his pants low.  Another boy looked at him and said, "Yo man, pull up your pants!"  And he did.  None of the other boys on the playground dressed like that.

Majority rules  :lol: .

Again, it depends on your location.  Like white families, if you live inbounds for Deal or are in a Deal feeder, and you are not already in private, it's makes sense to test drive Deal before you shell out money for private middle school.  One of my kids is at Deal now and we are extremely happy with that option--and yes, we could have gone private like some of our neighbors.  I'm not sold on Wilson for my oldest but it may be a consideration for my younger kids.  In the meantime, I would most definitely consider Banneker or School Without Walls.  College tuition and real estate prices are way too out of control for me not to use good public school options that are available to me.  I personally would prefer to put that money towards college and a down payment on a house which they will probably need when that time rolls around.[/quote]

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