Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"strong level of resistance with some DC residents (especially those from the lower class black communities) against integration and diversity."

PP, your composition was okay until you dropped this line. Perhaps you are the one against integration and diversity. Why live in DC if you have a problem with its population? Move to VA or better yet WV.

Excuse me, I'm an AA Washingtonian born and raised here. I'm not going anywhere! DC is my home. I'm also an advocate of diversity. Look I know what I'm talking about because those are my experiences attending DCPS and working in social services. I'm sorry if my reality and experiences are not PC enough for you. However, this is the reality of many children growing up in DC. I also stand corrected when I say that many folks here in DC are against integration because it's the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, but pretending that certain realities don't exist doesn't help with matters. So, please have a seat and let me school you on what it is like being a minority child growing up in DC. If you really care, then volunteer your time to make things better instead of hiding behind the veil of PC.

PP, I'm glad you're AA like me. Our opinions clearly differ, but in my experience white people have being resistant to integration and diversity. I send my child to a predominantly white school, black children are less than 5%. My attempts at scheduling play dates and making friends with the majority have failed miserably presumably because of the color of my skin. I really cannot attribute it to anything else.

On the point of play dates, I to am an AA with kids at a predominantly white school where black children are less than 5%. We have had numerous play dates and parties over the years, very close friends of my kids who have visited our home etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"strong level of resistance with some DC residents (especially those from the lower class black communities) against integration and diversity."

PP, your composition was okay until you dropped this line. Perhaps you are the one against integration and diversity. Why live in DC if you have a problem with its population? Move to VA or better yet WV.

Excuse me, I'm an AA Washingtonian born and raised here. I'm not going anywhere! DC is my home. I'm also an advocate of diversity. Look I know what I'm talking about because those are my experiences attending DCPS and working in social services. I'm sorry if my reality and experiences are not PC enough for you. However, this is the reality of many children growing up in DC. I also stand corrected when I say that many folks here in DC are against integration because it's the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts, but pretending that certain realities don't exist doesn't help with matters. So, please have a seat and let me school you on what it is like being a minority child growing up in DC. If you really care, then volunteer your time to make things better instead of hiding behind the veil of PC.

PP, I'm glad you're AA like me. Our opinions clearly differ, but in my experience white people have being resistant to integration and diversity. I send my child to a predominantly white school, black children are less than 5%. My attempts at scheduling play dates and making friends with the majority have failed miserably presumably because of the color of my skin. I really cannot attribute it to anything else.

Anonymous wrote:Where is the evidence that poor families are more disfunctional than higher SES families? This chain has got to be a joke or most of these posters are just plain ignorant.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone does realize that schools categorized as 99% FARMs aren't necessarily 99% FARMs, right? It just means they're over a certain threshold and DCPS doesn't bother to give the exact percentage. At my child's 99% FARMs school, only 2 to 3 kids in his PS3 class of 14 are possibly FARMs. Admittedly, the older grades have much higher percentages.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find this discussion extremely offensive. I am from a low-income family, went to public school in a predominantly low-income/minority community, and did quite well and made lasting friendships. Just because the school is composed of low-income student population does not mean the students will be ill-mannered and illiterate or that their parents do not love them. This is the part I find most offensive. These parents are doing the best for their children, like my single mother did, by working multiple jobs to feed the family. These parents may not have the time or the resources to attend every PTA meeting, but that does not mean that they don't care about their kids.

Parents that don't have the time or resources fall short. We see this on the local news every night. This is the problem right here. This is why poor women in America need access to birth control. Schools and society had to foot the bill because your mother chose not vet the man she was sleeping with. You're mother had you without a father. Now was that the right choice to make? Who's fault was that? See I would have utilized birth control, place you up for adoption, or got an abortion. Bringing a child into the world when you can't afford to take care of yourself is selfish and negligent. Yes, you're a rare gem and a diamond in the rough. That's great that you made it out. However, thousands of children do not make it out. Hopefully, you will learn from your mother's mistake by not repeating the cycle of poverty. Use birth control and vet the men that you sleep with. Until poor women began learning about reproductive health, stop making babies with worthless men, and utilize birth control this will forever be a problem. Your father is the blame too. What type of man leaves a woman to raise children alone? A man who doesn't care.

Unfortunately, sometimes our best is not good enough. If numerous of children born into poverty will be okay, then let's eliminate welfare, free school lunches, food banks, shelters, and other programs. You know and I know that without these programs America will turn into a third world country overnight. Just because you're okay that doesn't mean that other children from impoverished communities are okay. Believe me these children are not okay. There are countless books and studies to prove that. We wouldn't be discussing the problems with DCPS if the poor children in the district were okay.

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't with FARMS families in general - it's specifically with dysfunctional FARMS families. There's a far higher percentage of dysfunctional families in FARMS than there are in other SES groups.

Anonymous wrote:I find this discussion extremely offensive. I am from a low-income family, went to public school in a predominantly low-income/minority community, and did quite well and made lasting friendships. Just because the school is composed of low-income student population does not mean the students will be ill-mannered and illiterate or that their parents do not love them. This is the part I find most offensive. These parents are doing the best for their children, like my single mother did, by working multiple jobs to feed the family. These parents may not have the time or the resources to attend every PTA meeting, but that does not mean that they don't care about their kids.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone does realize that schools categorized as 99% FARMs aren't necessarily 99% FARMs, right? It just means they're over a certain threshold and DCPS doesn't bother to give the exact percentage. At my child's 99% FARMs school, only 2 to 3 kids in his PS3 class of 14 are possibly FARMs. Admittedly, the older grades have much higher percentages.

Anonymous wrote:

Also, it will be extremely difficult for you to establish friendships with the parents. There is a provincial attitude and a strong level of resistance with some DC residents (especially those from the lower class black communities) against integration and diversity. So, you may encounter some negative attitudes and behaviors from the parents as well.

Everyone who has quoted this left out the most important sentence, which I bolded above. Give it a try OP, but don't be surprised if your experience isn't what you hope for. Hope for the best, and be prepared to make a plan B. I experienced some real harassment at the school where my child attended PreK that led to a very stressful school year for me.

Also, it will be extremely difficult for you to establish friendships with the parents. There is a provincial attitude and a strong level of resistance with some DC residents (especially those from the lower class black communities) against integration and diversity. So, you may encounter some negative attitudes and behaviors from the parents as well.

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't with FARMS families in general - it's specifically with dysfunctional FARMS families. There's a far higher percentage of dysfunctional families in FARMS than there are in other SES groups.