Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually the point of the AA parents at Wilson thread was about race -- and specifically how teachers and administrators might perceive their children and hold their kids to different standards.

That's not what I took away from the other thread at all -- seems to me lots of the concern from black parents was about whether their black sons would be mistreated and/or led astray by other black students from rough neighborhoods. A pretty clear consensus of black parents seemed to be that their sons were better off at either private schools (higher-income black families) or Banneker/Walls (lower income black families). There was some mention of concern about how teachers might perceive the students, but that was an afterthought. There also was a separate discussion about how these concerns are different from black girls. It was altogether an excellent and illuminating discussion.

No doubt those are all valid concerns black parents might have. White parents might have a whole variety of different concerns about safety and learning, all of which are just as valid. Where this whole discussion goes off the rails is when one or two posters here decide that any viewpoints white parents have must be rooted in racism. That broad brush treatment is frankly offensive and divisive.

I can't decide whether those posters who keep accusing white parents are just trolls, or if they're actually the racists themselves.

Different poster. I agree with most of what you're saying but concern about how teachers perceive a black male student is not an afterthought. At all. It's so much part and parcel of the decision about schools that the posters there probably didn't feel the need to spell it out. The only difference between low SES and high SES black parents on that score is the number of options available to them.

As this thread demonstrates, perception is everything. There may be only one or two trolls calling white parents racist, but there are also a few on the other side dismissing racism as moot. It has the same offensive effect.

DC schools suck anyone with half a brain will tell you that

Even the poors know that muich KIPP and other schools like it are busting at the seems

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually the point of the AA parents at Wilson thread was about race -- and specifically how teachers and administrators might perceive their children and hold their kids to different standards.

That's not what I took away from the other thread at all -- seems to me lots of the concern from black parents was about whether their black sons would be mistreated and/or led astray by other black students from rough neighborhoods. A pretty clear consensus of black parents seemed to be that their sons were better off at either private schools (higher-income black families) or Banneker/Walls (lower income black families). There was some mention of concern about how teachers might perceive the students, but that was an afterthought. There also was a separate discussion about how these concerns are different from black girls. It was altogether an excellent and illuminating discussion.

No doubt those are all valid concerns black parents might have. White parents might have a whole variety of different concerns about safety and learning, all of which are just as valid. Where this whole discussion goes off the rails is when one or two posters here decide that any viewpoints white parents have must be rooted in racism. That broad brush treatment is frankly offensive and divisive.

I can't decide whether those posters who keep accusing white parents are just trolls, or if they're actually the racists themselves.

Thank you.

Well, they are against white people moving into black neighborhoods.
Against white people demanding that school administrators meeting the needs of their kids.
Even against white people wanting to make sure their kids aren't the lonely only white kid.
It does indeed sound to me like they are just pretty much against white people.

And, for the record, I believe that our society is deeply racist and classist. And the forum(meaning all of DCUM) shows that prejudice more openly than most places in our society.

But the DC Schools portion of the forum was not the right place to pick the "DCUM is racist" fight. Because we've seen enough of the reality of our kids choices and schools to know that many of the liberal tropes about education do not hold. Charter schools are not the devil. D.C. Schools could benefit from white kids staying not the continued segregation some of the anti-gentrification crowd is peddling. And public schools are nEither inherently better for a community nor more egalitarian. We just don't buy the bullshit certain folks are peddling. Education is local. Education solutions are best developed locally as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, here's a 5 page thread on black parents worried about sending their kids to Wilson. I doubt they would even pretend to consider Dunbar or Roosevelt.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/572935.page

What does that make them?

Oh it's ok for black parents to worry about schools. But if white parents do, they're racists.

I'm not the pp you're addressing. But if you're one of those who bristle at the mere hint of being called racist, "black parents do it, too" is not an argument you want to take up.

It displays an (unfortunate, but understandable) ignorance about decision-making for black parents. Expressing that ignorance comes off as . . . well, you know.

To be fair, it's equally ignorant to label white parents' decisions as racist with no consideration for other factors.

Awareness on both sides is helpful.

Anonymous wrote:I have a question for all the people seeking out racial and economic diversity in their children's school. Have you ever attended a predominantly black (low SES) school? I doubt 99% of posters have. If you attended one of these schools, you would never send your kids there! It's kind of crappy to call these people racists when they really just want what is best for their kids. People who don't see the issues with these students/schools are out of touch with reality.

I do send my child to one and honestly, the education my child had gotten this year is second to none. So amazing that I'm nominating the teacher for an award.

I have a question for all the people seeking out racial and economic diversity in their children's school. Have you ever attended a predominantly black (low SES) school? I doubt 99% of posters have. If you attended one of these schools, you would never send your kids there! It's kind of crappy to call these people racists when they really just want what is best for their kids. People who don't see the issues with these students/schools are out of touch with reality.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually the point of the AA parents at Wilson thread was about race -- and specifically how teachers and administrators might perceive their children and hold their kids to different standards.

That's not what I took away from the other thread at all -- seems to me lots of the concern from black parents was about whether their black sons would be mistreated and/or led astray by other black students from rough neighborhoods. A pretty clear consensus of black parents seemed to be that their sons were better off at either private schools (higher-income black families) or Banneker/Walls (lower income black families). There was some mention of concern about how teachers might perceive the students, but that was an afterthought. There also was a separate discussion about how these concerns are different from black girls. It was altogether an excellent and illuminating discussion.

No doubt those are all valid concerns black parents might have. White parents might have a whole variety of different concerns about safety and learning, all of which are just as valid. Where this whole discussion goes off the rails is when one or two posters here decide that any viewpoints white parents have must be rooted in racism. That broad brush treatment is frankly offensive and divisive.

I can't decide whether those posters who keep accusing white parents are just trolls, or if they're actually the racists themselves.

Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:Actually the point of the AA parents at Wilson thread was about race -- and specifically how teachers and administrators might perceive their children and hold their kids to different standards.

That's not what I took away from the other thread at all -- seems to me lots of the concern from black parents was about whether their black sons would be mistreated and/or led astray by other black students from rough neighborhoods. A pretty clear consensus of black parents seemed to be that their sons were better off at either private schools (higher-income black families) or Banneker/Walls (lower income black families). There was some mention of concern about how teachers might perceive the students, but that was an afterthought. There also was a separate discussion about how these concerns are different from black girls. It was altogether an excellent and illuminating discussion.

No doubt those are all valid concerns black parents might have. White parents might have a whole variety of different concerns about safety and learning, all of which are just as valid. Where this whole discussion goes off the rails is when one or two posters here decide that any viewpoints white parents have must be rooted in racism. That broad brush treatment is frankly offensive and divisive.

I can't decide whether those posters who keep accusing white parents are just trolls, or if they're actually the racists themselves.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm done with all of you. Just do me the courtesy of taking those MLK posters off your houses.

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

But only learn to live together if my child's school has a certain % or above of not poor kids.

If not, then I'll just move to the suburbs and learn to live with people that look like me.

No-- it's "if not then I'll just move to the burbs and learn to live with people who make as much money as me."

Why is this so hard to accept?

Okay fine.

"We must learn to live together as brothers (if you are good enough for me) or perish together as fools."

Better?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, here's a 5 page thread on black parents worried about sending their kids to Wilson. I doubt they would even pretend to consider Dunbar or Roosevelt.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/572935.page

What does that make them?

Oh it's ok for black parents to worry about schools. But if white parents do, they're racists.

Have you actually read the thread? There are some specific concerns that black parents have that are different than white parents. Those concerns are outlined in this and other threads.

Sure. But it illustrates the point -- Rich, educated people are concerned about cohorts. AA parents have greater sensitivity to this for specific reasons, but the source of the concern is still the same. WHICH IS ABOUT SES AND NOT RACE.

PP here. Mr. All Caps--if you'd read the thread, you'd know that it's not only about SES.

What do you think the "kids from SW" is referring to, then? It's about misbehavior coming from poorer kids, not the Deal contingent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, here's a 5 page thread on black parents worried about sending their kids to Wilson. I doubt they would even pretend to consider Dunbar or Roosevelt.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/572935.page

What does that make them?

Oh it's ok for black parents to worry about schools. But if white parents do, they're racists.

Have you actually read the thread? There are some specific concerns that black parents have that are different than white parents. Those concerns are outlined in this and other threads.

Sure. But it illustrates the point -- Rich, educated people are concerned about cohorts. AA parents have greater sensitivity to this for specific reasons, but the source of the concern is still the same. WHICH IS ABOUT SES AND NOT RACE.

PP here. Mr. All Caps--if you'd read the thread, you'd know that it's not only about SES.

Actually the point of the AA parents at Wilson thread was about race -- and specifically how teachers and administrators might perceive their children and hold their kids to different standards.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, here's a 5 page thread on black parents worried about sending their kids to Wilson. I doubt they would even pretend to consider Dunbar or Roosevelt.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/572935.page

What does that make them?

Oh it's ok for black parents to worry about schools. But if white parents do, they're racists.

Have you actually read the thread? There are some specific concerns that black parents have that are different than white parents. Those concerns are outlined in this and other threads.

Sure. But it illustrates the point -- Rich, educated people are concerned about cohorts. AA parents have greater sensitivity to this for specific reasons, but the source of the concern is still the same. WHICH IS ABOUT SES AND NOT RACE.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm done with all of you. Just do me the courtesy of taking those MLK posters off your houses.

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

But only learn to live together if my child's school has a certain % or above of not poor kids.

If not, then I'll just move to the suburbs and learn to live with people that look like me.

No-- it's "if not then I'll just move to the burbs and learn to live with people who make as much money as me."

Why is this so hard to accept?

Either way, it's a very ironic MLK quote to post on this forum, a forum with many (not all so don't jump on me) classists and racists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile, here's a 5 page thread on black parents worried about sending their kids to Wilson. I doubt they would even pretend to consider Dunbar or Roosevelt.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/572935.page

What does that make them?

Oh it's ok for black parents to worry about schools. But if white parents do, they're racists.

Have you actually read the thread? There are some specific concerns that black parents have that are different than white parents. Those concerns are outlined in this and other threads.