Anonymous
02/25/2026 21:04
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Make every seat in every school in the city a lottery seat. Issue solved.
No, this is the dumbest idea. Neighborhood schools create communities and foster friendships between neighbors.
It's how rich white people keep undesirables out of their schools.
Someone's never met any rich black people
You think you're school is diverse if there's a black surgeon? In a city where 20 percent live under the poverty line? We'll put you down as not actually caring about integration.
Everyone wants a good safe community building neighborhood school.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 20:49
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
The only schools with a lower at risk percentage than BASIS are Lafayette, Key, Janney, Stokes Brookland, and Mann.
I think it’s great that non Ward 3 families have at least a few middle school options without large at-risk populations.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 19:46
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
That's because these integrationist don't actually want integration -- they want white kids to go to majority-minority schools. That's what they explicitly say on the "Integrated Schools" website, for example.
Then the coopt the word integration, which has an actual meaning, because they know it's a value our society is aiming for.
Then when you point out schools that actually are racially integrated, they said "I don't think that's what anybody is talking about when they say integration."
Say what you really mean. Words matter.
Neighborhood schools should better match the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the students who live in the neighborhood. Citywide schools should better match the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the students in the city.
I think it's weird that I said "at risk" and you countered with "white".
That's what the word "integration" means. It's a racial term, it counters "segregration," which was the system of two separate school systems based on ones RACE.
Add to this that "integration" has only ever had a racial definition. You are adding "socioeconomic," because that's the only way you can ignore the properly integrated schools. but just because you use it that way doesn't change the meaning of integration.
I made the point that I think a lot of people who say integration actually mean racial and socioeconomic diversity. PP said people should say what they really mean. So I said what I personally think meaningful diversity goals could be.
You can keep harping on about the precise definition of integration, but it's sort of pointless if that's not what anyone is actually trying to have a conversation about.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 18:35
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
That's because these integrationist don't actually want integration -- they want white kids to go to majority-minority schools. That's what they explicitly say on the "Integrated Schools" website, for example.
Then the coopt the word integration, which has an actual meaning, because they know it's a value our society is aiming for.
Then when you point out schools that actually are racially integrated, they said "I don't think that's what anybody is talking about when they say integration."
Say what you really mean. Words matter.
Neighborhood schools should better match the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the students who live in the neighborhood. Citywide schools should better match the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the students in the city.
I think it's weird that I said "at risk" and you countered with "white".
That's what the word "integration" means. It's a racial term, it counters "segregration," which was the system of two separate school systems based on ones RACE.
Add to this that "integration" has only ever had a racial definition. You are adding "socioeconomic," because that's the only way you can ignore the properly integrated schools. but just because you use it that way doesn't change the meaning of integration.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 18:32
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
That's because these integrationist don't actually want integration -- they want white kids to go to majority-minority schools. That's what they explicitly say on the "Integrated Schools" website, for example.
Then the coopt the word integration, which has an actual meaning, because they know it's a value our society is aiming for.
Then when you point out schools that actually are racially integrated, they said "I don't think that's what anybody is talking about when they say integration."
Say what you really mean. Words matter.
Neighborhood schools should better match the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the students who live in the neighborhood. Citywide schools should better match the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the students in the city.
I think it's weird that I said "at risk" and you countered with "white".
That's what the word "integration" means. It's a racial term, it counters "segregration," which was the system of two separate school systems based on ones RACE.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 18:07
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Make every seat in every school in the city a lottery seat. Issue solved.
No, this is the dumbest idea. Neighborhood schools create communities and foster friendships between neighbors.
It's how rich white people keep undesirables out of their schools.
Someone's never met any rich black people
You think you're school is diverse if there's a black surgeon? In a city where 20 percent live under the poverty line? We'll put you down as not actually caring about integration.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 17:40
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Ward 3 i sexpensive, but it has public housing and many subsidized apartments. You don't have to buy a house.
It also has condos and regular apartment buildings. The condos and apartments along Connecticut Avenue Northwest of the Van Ness Metro are full of families sending their kids to Murch/Deal/JR, precisely because houses are so expensive.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 17:36
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Make every seat in every school in the city a lottery seat. Issue solved.
No, this is the dumbest idea. Neighborhood schools create communities and foster friendships between neighbors.
It's how rich white people keep undesirables out of their schools.
Someone's never met any rich black people
Anonymous
02/25/2026 17:34
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Make every seat in every school in the city a lottery seat. Issue solved.
No, this is the dumbest idea. Neighborhood schools create communities and foster friendships between neighbors.
It's how rich white people keep undesirables out of their schools.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 17:32
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Make every seat in every school in the city a lottery seat. Issue solved.
No, this is the dumbest idea. Neighborhood schools create communities and foster friendships between neighbors.
... which happens to be what one wants if the goal is integration.
They also happen to be the most diverse schools in the city.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 17:28
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Having been around DCPS and this forum and sending my (white) kids to schools where they are rare (now MS and HS), this discussion is the most favorable toward integration at least at the 'match the neighborhood' level or better I have ever seen on DCUM. I wonder if over the past 20 years the real sentiment has changed. I can certainly hope so. It's a little lonely sending your kid to be a low-percentage demographic, but this discussion makes it seem like many parents are willing to do quite a bit. Not all of us, but in the past it used to be so uniformly 'DCPS with less white kids than bethesda are not an option' that any change seems amazing.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 17:19
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
The only schools with a lower at risk percentage than BASIS are Lafayette, Key, Janney, Stokes Brookland, and Mann.
You are literally advocating for ignoring race in discussions of integration. Tell me you're white without telling me.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 17:00
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Make every seat in every school in the city a lottery seat. Issue solved.
No, this is the dumbest idea. Neighborhood schools create communities and foster friendships between neighbors.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 16:53
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
Make every seat in every school in the city a lottery seat. Issue solved.
Anonymous
02/25/2026 16:34
Subject: Integration and DC Schools -- A high priority? Yay or nay?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many Charters are super integrated. Even the fancy ones -- BASIS, DCI and Latin fit the actual definition of integrated (no one race more than 70 percent of the population).
Other charters are not integrated but at serving their low-income populations better than the DCPS schools (like DC Prep getting everyone into college).
DCPS schools in gentrifying neighborhoods are sometimes integrated and there is an opportunity here to be a model. Like I feel Garrison actually serves all demographics well.
Other DCPS schools are not integrated because the housing is segregated. Do people really want to run busses between Ward 3 and EOTR or something? This sounds like a mess.
BASIS might meet the letter of the law definition of integration, but I don't think a school with 6% of students at risk in a city with a public student population that's 45% at risk is actually what anybody is talking about when they say integration.
Pffft.
At least it's possible for very poor children to attend BASIS.
Jackson-Reid, Janney, Murch, Deal, etc. all impose de facto wealth tests on their students. If your parents can't afford a house in Ward 3, sorry you have to go somewhere else!
The only schools with a lower at risk percentage than BASIS are Lafayette, Key, Janney, Stokes Brookland, and Mann.
Are those numbers correct, esp for BASIS?
Publicly available here: https://edscape.dc.gov/page/schools-special-populations-risk
Lafayette 3%
Key 3%
Janney 4%
Stokes Brookland 6%
Mann 6%
BASIS 6%
Closest middle or high school is SWW at 10% and Deal at 11%.
It’s just stunning to me how bad Stokes’s scores are for a school with that low an at risk number.
Seriously. I don't feel that anyone, of any demographic, should be encouraged to attend!