What do the white parents (some of them) want?

Anonymous wrote:what's funny to me in discussing this (disclosures: white male with elementary kids) is that this discussion would spring up around Cleveland, which is in so many ways different from its peers: consistently a positive outlier on test scoring despite having a not-so-unusual DC demographic mix - 60% African-American, 33% Hispanic, 4% white; community option for free or reduced cost meals; a bilingual program driven neither by an overwhelming ELL need nor high-socioeconomic status parents looking for extra programming for their kids in order to justify entering DCPS.

Of all schools in DCPS to have an argument over white saviors and white savior syndrome, Cleveland really isn't the one.

If you think so, you really have no idea. All of the different groups of parents in their own way are demanding. There were always kids there who were advanced and parents who had high expectations in terms of academics. Black lower to middle income parents care about academics, too! Some of the parents (white) now want things that have nothing to do with academics and are not for the good of the majority of the school. There are meetings that take place with the principal about making changes to the school for example, that not all parents are made aware of. If you come to the school, you will see the different race of parents usually sitting separately. Also, the schools academics were of great quality before. So, anyone saying the white parents are trying to improve the school. No, they came into an already well functioning school. This is different from a lot of the bad title 1 schools. I have visited those. Cleveland was different.

What I meant by noting that we are discussing Cleveland is how little its situation resembles the segregated unsuccessful FCPS white upper class parents agitate to improve. Not sure if any DCPS needs a white savior, but Cleveland definitely doesn't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what's funny to me in discussing this (disclosures: white male with elementary kids) is that this discussion would spring up around Cleveland, which is in so many ways different from its peers: consistently a positive outlier on test scoring despite having a not-so-unusual DC demographic mix - 60% African-American, 33% Hispanic, 4% white; community option for free or reduced cost meals; a bilingual program driven neither by an overwhelming ELL need nor high-socioeconomic status parents looking for extra programming for their kids in order to justify entering DCPS.

Of all schools in DCPS to have an argument over white saviors and white savior syndrome, Cleveland really isn't the one.

Are you saying the 4% white parents, who are probably concentrated in ECE, aren't agitating for changes to the school? They really want a Brent or Janney experience which isn't really about test scores.

What is a "Brent or Janney experience"?

Anonymous wrote:what's funny to me in discussing this (disclosures: white male with elementary kids) is that this discussion would spring up around Cleveland, which is in so many ways different from its peers: consistently a positive outlier on test scoring despite having a not-so-unusual DC demographic mix - 60% African-American, 33% Hispanic, 4% white; community option for free or reduced cost meals; a bilingual program driven neither by an overwhelming ELL need nor high-socioeconomic status parents looking for extra programming for their kids in order to justify entering DCPS.

Of all schools in DCPS to have an argument over white saviors and white savior syndrome, Cleveland really isn't the one.

Are you saying the 4% white parents, who are probably concentrated in ECE, aren't agitating for changes to the school? They really want a Brent or Janney experience which isn't really about test scores.

what's funny to me in discussing this (disclosures: white male with elementary kids) is that this discussion would spring up around Cleveland, which is in so many ways different from its peers: consistently a positive outlier on test scoring despite having a not-so-unusual DC demographic mix - 60% African-American, 33% Hispanic, 4% white; community option for free or reduced cost meals; a bilingual program driven neither by an overwhelming ELL need nor high-socioeconomic status parents looking for extra programming for their kids in order to justify entering DCPS.

Of all schools in DCPS to have an argument over white saviors and white savior syndrome, Cleveland really isn't the one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing about gentrification is that you can't have it both ways.

You can't say that you don't want schools with concentrated poverty out of one side of your mouth, and then get resentful of the social and political power that gentrifiers bring to the school out of the other side.

Their economic, social and political power - their know-how and willingness to make changes and get things done is why these women are the driving force behind good schools. If you want them to be a force for improvement, then you get the whole package. Otherwise, stop resenting them for feeling unwelcome in the poor deprived enclaves that they won't venture into.

WHITE TEARS!!! I am a "white woman" and I think DCPS can do just find without all these other self-appointed saviors who believe that they are the shit then take all their marbles and go home when the school community does not fall on its knees before them. I mean, really. Do you even hear yourself?

+1

Anonymous wrote:Not a Cleveland parent. But what that usually means is that the school is experiencing some tensions between the population it always served, and gentrifying families who want to see changes.

It surfaces often over things like recess time, after care fees or programming, what the PTA/PTO should do.

This is exactly what is happening. I am a parent there. The school is great. There is some Spanish versus English track drama a race issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you 18:29. The gentrifier attitude is too often our way is the best (or only) way. They probably don't even realize how they come off. Tone deaf and condescending.

Perhaps that is true, but why shouldn't the principal or Central Office listen to ALL parents. It doesn't have to be a all or nothing proposition. This is why middle schools are not improving because the DC school system does not want to hear that advanced academic offerings or test-in schools/classes are what "white" parents want in order for families to keep enrolling their kids past elementary school. Like it or not, more white families are enrolling their kids in DCPS and if DCPS wants to retain them, they should listen to their needs. They should also listen to the needs of black, Latino, Asian, whatever else families too. They just need to do so without pitting one group against the other.

It's pretty rich to claim it's the DCPS central office pitting groups against each other. I see the very entitled white parents doing the pitting; not really anyone else.