Reply to tired of "diversity for Deal and Wilson" as an argument

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]NP. I am a native Washingtonian who in the early 80's traveled from Columbia Heights across Rock Creek Park to attend a quality elementary school and then Deal Jr high school.  Back then there were plenty of spaces since these schools were not in vogue with those who lived in the neighborhood.   It was easier to manage this OOB process than try to deal with the fact that DC in the 1980s remained as segregated (in terms of housing and education) in the 80s as it had been in the 60s.  Fast forward to today, I think DC still does not want to (or does not know how to deal) with fact that DC was never truly integrated and the discriminatory practices employed in the 50s, including redlining and covenants prohibiting sales of Ward 3 homes to African-Americans/Black, were never ameliorated.  Now as a result of this inaction, DC is still [i]de facto [/i]segregated and now thanks to gentrification, economically segregated.

If  the Ward 3 schools become neighborhood schools, essentially a "separate and unequal" school system has been created - with the best public schools being in Ward 3 with great facilities, test scores, innovative classes/course work, teaching staff etc and the other schools across the park with low test scores, inferior facilities and classes, teachers etc .  DC has begun to improve on the physical plants of its East of the Park schools but test scores are still dismal compared to Ward 3 schools.  This is why I think that a legal challenge to any boundary revisions that cuts out diversity in Ward 3 has a chance of success.  The history of racial discrimination in DC is distinguishable from the facts of the PICS and might lead to a different outcome.  I agree with jsteele in that the threat of being branded as the govt that brought back a separate system for elite Whites in Ward 3 vs  AA/Blacks in the  Wards across the park means that diversity at Deal and Wilson will be somehow be retained.    [/quote]

Probably the best remark I've read on DCUB in a LONG time.  +1000[/quote]

They have always been neighborhood schools that made open spots available to OOB children.  The facility improvements have been happening all over the city and there a a number of ward 3 schools that have not yet had facility upgrades.  Their facilities are only not grim because of family involvement in beautification, not special treatment by DCPS plant.  Excellent principals and teachers have been deployed to low performing schools.  What is the difference, the cohort of children that attend.  There are many other children around the city that are being raised in families that care about education and send their children to school ready to learn, many overcoming challenges to do so. DCPS has not been able to figure out a way to or is not willing to take the political hit to put those kids together in school, because that is seen as discriminatory against the children that do not have the benefit of such families. Thus, families that care a lot about education seek out the schools where that is the dominant neighborhood family type.  It is not about race, it is about SES and culture.  It is not racist to do what you can to place your child in a high performing school.  My children go to a JKLM.  It is not a lily white school, there are many cultures and languages represented.  It does not have a large AA population but it does have a good number of AA students and they are from the neighborhood and OOB.  I dont't care about the racial make up of my school, I do care about the preparedness of the students and the values of the families.

I dont think DCPS should cut out its eotp feeder schools, I do think they should reconsider the automatic right to progress to the MS or HS the feeder feeds when a student is OOB.  Perhaps replace it with a priority in the lottery.  I also think they should do more to create schools eotp families want to send their children to, I would certainly consider it if it were actually a good option and I am a ward 3 parent.[/quote]

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