Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white mom of a child in ECE who has also been very involved with their Title I school's PTO, the type of comments from OP are so demoralizing. It's frustrating when someone subscribes motive for another person volunteering based on their race and age of child.

Yes, characterizing the involvement of ECE parents in the PTO as "trying to change" the school is not an accurate reflection of why most parents joint the PTO when their kids are in early grades. For me it was just a desire to be involved, get to know other parents, and support whatever the school was already doing however I could. I wasn't trying to take over or tell anyone how to run the school. In fact most of the time it was the opposite -- as a newer parent at the school, getting involved in the PTO was a way for me to learn from veteran parents, teachers, and administrators about the school. I just didn't know anything when it all started. I also have an only child so every single age/grade/phase is a first time experience for me, I've found the more information I have, the better.

Not sure I agree. And not sure it is a bad thing to try and change a school that has a decent ECE program and falters badly by upper elementary. I'm as liberal as they come but I am sick and tired of the purity police (many of them members of my own party!) deciding that white parents don't have the right to want quality education. If the school was overenrolled and succeeding in upper ES and parents wanted change that'd be something else entirely. But that's not what OP describes. I'm white and I want my kids to get a good education. The moment in time where I was supposed to apologies for this has thankfully passed us by. Good riddance.

The problem is that "white parents" don't always know how to construct to a good education, and they forcefully push the admin and professional educators to do things that don't make sense. Total lack of humility. I've seen it with my own eyes many many times. I think what works better is to select a school that you think is already good, rather than go to one and then try to change it with misguided ideas.

I'm the person you're responding to. Your response is a red herring and nonresponsive. First off, no one argued that "all white parents always know how to construct anything". What I said was that if a school is failing in upper ES then white parents have a right (and an obligation) to get involved and advocate for change just the same as all other parents. What you are arguing is that bad educational outcomes at majority black schools are better than good ones resulting from (GASP!) white peoples' suggestions and advocacy. Do you understand how regressive your position is? You're arguing that bad educational outcomes=blackness and should be embraced.

Plus, we aren't talking about good schools. This is DC. We don't have them. And the schools we're talking about have empirically bad educational outcomes.

Anonymous wrote:To clarify, I was part of the PTO so I’m sharing first hand accounts from parents. I know it’s not true at all schools. I believe all parents are doing the best they can for their kids. Sometimes that’s moving schools, for whatever reason. I also do believe principal changes can be the best way to change a school. I think frequent turn over of PTOs is not good for long term improvement. But I’m not trying to have a discussion about PTOs or parent involvement.

What I am talking specifically about is families getting into a school for PreK because it’s convenient and free, not because they are committed to the school. They leave at the first opportunity. What if families basically had to stay as a condition for accepting that free spot?

I’m not local and have no dog in this fight, but maybe those poor kids are better off overall after mixing with some higher quality kids/families even if it’s just for a couple of years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white mom of a child in ECE who has also been very involved with their Title I school's PTO, the type of comments from OP are so demoralizing. It's frustrating when someone subscribes motive for another person volunteering based on their race and age of child.

Yes, characterizing the involvement of ECE parents in the PTO as "trying to change" the school is not an accurate reflection of why most parents joint the PTO when their kids are in early grades. For me it was just a desire to be involved, get to know other parents, and support whatever the school was already doing however I could. I wasn't trying to take over or tell anyone how to run the school. In fact most of the time it was the opposite -- as a newer parent at the school, getting involved in the PTO was a way for me to learn from veteran parents, teachers, and administrators about the school. I just didn't know anything when it all started. I also have an only child so every single age/grade/phase is a first time experience for me, I've found the more information I have, the better.

Not sure I agree. And not sure it is a bad thing to try and change a school that has a decent ECE program and falters badly by upper elementary. I'm as liberal as they come but I am sick and tired of the purity police (many of them members of my own party!) deciding that white parents don't have the right to want quality education. If the school was overenrolled and succeeding in upper ES and parents wanted change that'd be something else entirely. But that's not what OP describes. I'm white and I want my kids to get a good education. The moment in time where I was supposed to apologies for this has thankfully passed us by. Good riddance.

The problem is that "white parents" don't always know how to construct to a good education, and they forcefully push the admin and professional educators to do things that don't make sense. Total lack of humility. I've seen it with my own eyes many many times. I think what works better is to select a school that you think is already good, rather than go to one and then try to change it with misguided ideas.

I’m sure all parents (not just white ones) would love to be able to just select a school they think is good and start. This is a bit tone deaf to the reality of 90% of families.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white mom of a child in ECE who has also been very involved with their Title I school's PTO, the type of comments from OP are so demoralizing. It's frustrating when someone subscribes motive for another person volunteering based on their race and age of child.

Yes, characterizing the involvement of ECE parents in the PTO as "trying to change" the school is not an accurate reflection of why most parents joint the PTO when their kids are in early grades. For me it was just a desire to be involved, get to know other parents, and support whatever the school was already doing however I could. I wasn't trying to take over or tell anyone how to run the school. In fact most of the time it was the opposite -- as a newer parent at the school, getting involved in the PTO was a way for me to learn from veteran parents, teachers, and administrators about the school. I just didn't know anything when it all started. I also have an only child so every single age/grade/phase is a first time experience for me, I've found the more information I have, the better.

Not sure I agree. And not sure it is a bad thing to try and change a school that has a decent ECE program and falters badly by upper elementary. I'm as liberal as they come but I am sick and tired of the purity police (many of them members of my own party!) deciding that white parents don't have the right to want quality education. If the school was overenrolled and succeeding in upper ES and parents wanted change that'd be something else entirely. But that's not what OP describes. I'm white and I want my kids to get a good education. The moment in time where I was supposed to apologies for this has thankfully passed us by. Good riddance.

The problem is that "white parents" don't always know how to construct to a good education, and they forcefully push the admin and professional educators to do things that don't make sense. Total lack of humility. I've seen it with my own eyes many many times. I think what works better is to select a school that you think is already good, rather than go to one and then try to change it with misguided ideas.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white mom of a child in ECE who has also been very involved with their Title I school's PTO, the type of comments from OP are so demoralizing. It's frustrating when someone subscribes motive for another person volunteering based on their race and age of child.

Yes, characterizing the involvement of ECE parents in the PTO as "trying to change" the school is not an accurate reflection of why most parents joint the PTO when their kids are in early grades. For me it was just a desire to be involved, get to know other parents, and support whatever the school was already doing however I could. I wasn't trying to take over or tell anyone how to run the school. In fact most of the time it was the opposite -- as a newer parent at the school, getting involved in the PTO was a way for me to learn from veteran parents, teachers, and administrators about the school. I just didn't know anything when it all started. I also have an only child so every single age/grade/phase is a first time experience for me, I've found the more information I have, the better.

Not sure I agree. And not sure it is a bad thing to try and change a school that has a decent ECE program and falters badly by upper elementary. I'm as liberal as they come but I am sick and tired of the purity police (many of them members of my own party!) deciding that white parents don't have the right to want quality education. If the school was overenrolled and succeeding in upper ES and parents wanted change that'd be something else entirely. But that's not what OP describes. I'm white and I want my kids to get a good education. The moment in time where I was supposed to apologies for this has thankfully passed us by. Good riddance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is irrelevant. I don’t care what she thinks. I will choose what is best for my kid always. Not what is nest for what other people think, what is best for the school or community.

The end.

Which is what most people do. So if the lottery was changed, what would you do?

Pay for private PK3 and PK4, enroll in our IB for early elementary, lottery at whatever point I deem it necessary for my family's wellbeing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is irrelevant. I don’t care what she thinks. I will choose what is best for my kid always. Not what is nest for what other people think, what is best for the school or community.

The end.

Which is what most people do. So if the lottery was changed, what would you do?

Move to the burbs of course.