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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
This is purely anecdotal, but after having spent years in MCPS, and talking to my friends and acquaintances who all have their kids in different MCPS schools than my kids, I have found an interesting thing: it seems to me that AA children have a better experience as minorities in wealthier schools than as the plurality in more average schools. This is because the area is progressive and wealthy/prominent progressives have a stake in at least appearing to defend minorities - and to be honest, most are perfectly sincere in that belief! You can take advantage of that.

Allow me to explain: Whitman HS in Bethesda, the whitest, wealthiest and most high-scoring high school in MCPS, dealt with racist issues last year, the most egregious of which was the case of a white student who was caught with a photo of herself in blackface with the n-word. There was an uproar, and AA parents at the school immediately worked with the administration to engage the community in race conversations. I went to one presentation, and the AA parent and Principal who spoke were both very impressive in their delivery and choice of plans going forward. I felt their voices were heard. MCPS has a team dedicated to facilitating such discussions, but I forget their name. They were also present at the meeting.

On the other hand, most students at the diverse Sligo MS in Silver Spring feel the need to group themselves according to skin color, and my friend's daughter felt excluded from her white friends' group because she was not white. Race is such a constant factor there that the administration doesn't even get involved. I'm not sure that a blackface photo would generate the amount of angst and public debate that it triggered at Whitman. It just seems to be a fact of life there.

I may be viewing this completely wrong, of course. Perhaps your children would prefer to not stand out as one of the very few AA students. I understand that.

In addition, MCPS schools are not created equal in the sense that they do not control the class atmosphere and whether students are more academically motivated or not. This depends entirely on the neighborhood, and not to put too fine a point on it, on the wealth/education of the parents, since these families will be able to emphasize college readiness and support it with tutors or whatever is needed. Education begins at home, so there is no reason that a child cannot be successful in a lower-income school, however they will have to expend some energy in avoiding students who are not college-bound. Wheaton and some Silver Spring schools have gang issues. There are drugs everywhere, of course. But wealthier high schools will have more students who have the means to succeed despite temptations, than the other high schools, and children always benefit from being part of a strong cohort. I am talking about high schools, because ultimately you are choosing a school pyramid and investing in a neighborhood, even if your children are very young.

[/quote]

I also agree with this. Even more so for BCC cluster. If you want to see it in action, attend a sporting event there. Very little race sorting, most kids are part of diverse friend groups, and I think kids and teachers go out of their way to be inclusive. Granted, BCC is more diverse than Whitman, but it's a very solid, inclusive student body.[/quote]

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