i think it's a class issue and a DCPS issue and that it would be mighty interesting if more white folks starting applying to Banneker and Ellington - including seeing how the current black parents respond.

If DC parents are going to start honestly confronting the race/class issue, that would be a good place to start.

It would be good to study the history of Walls, as one person suggested, and the history of some of the ethnically mixed grade schools on the Hill. THey weren't always that way.

Anonymous wrote:New schools won't help Ward 5. New parents might. THe reason why schools succeed isn't due to the new shiny buildings it's due to parental involvement (See: Eastern High). As long as the current demographics exist Ward 5 schools will remain at the bottom. Sad but true.

You do know that it has only been a few years that Deal has been majority IB. For years, the majority of the students who attended Deal were OOB. Unfortunately it was the best the city had to offer and it wasn't that great. Parents IB sent their children to private or moved to Bethesda. The changing of Deal's commitment to academics, beautiful new facility, state of the art equipment and crash of the stock market caused IB parents to take a look at Deal.

If DCPS had a commitment to education in Ward 5, provided a new state of the aRt facility with all the bells and whistles, languages, science, and advance math to Ward 5, the children would attend. PP who posted about the demographics is ignorant as to the demographics of Ward 5. Therefore, there is no need to comment further on the ignorance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New schools won't help Ward 5. New parents might. THe reason why schools succeed isn't due to the new shiny buildings it's due to parental involvement (See: Eastern High). As long as the current demographics exist Ward 5 schools will remain at the bottom. Sad but true.

Yeah, according to you, we are all worthless in Ward 5. You people amaze me. DC is so full of hypocrites like you PP. What kind of parents do you think we need over here in Ward 5. And, exactly what demographics should we begin to import.

Problem is that Ward 5 parents that have any option do not use Ward 5 schools. White and Black parents opt out. It is more of a class issue.

I really don't believe it's a class issue. I think it is a DCPS issue. I tried the local DCPS for about one month and then I opted DC out. There is one Montessori school (Langdon) in the ward. I cannot think of any language schools. The PS -8 are lacking in science and advance math instructors. So tell me why would I send my DC to the local when I have choices. Before the charters existed, those who could, send their DC to parochial, private or OOB. Or, they simply moved to the burbs.

Believe me, I wanted to support the local school. I am a firm believer that lower income children should integrate with students with higher HHi. It helps them to raise their levels and see that their are options available outside their low income communities.

Anonymous wrote:Why is it a surprise that Ellington and Banneker doesn't have white kids applying? There has to be a threshold % of white students already at the school for white students to apply. 10%?, 20%?, 30%? Who knows but nobody wants to be the "only." This is what is meant by "diversity" in DC.

You guys do know that at one time SWW was all Black and then white kids started applying. So at one point SWW was 1% 3% 15 % and now about 35 -40 %. You guys make excuses for anything. BTW to the poster who said that Blacks would start screaming discrimination if whites began attending Banneker, would you please direct me to your sources since you seem to know everything about Blacks. Moreover, where was this outcry as SWW began to shift in demographics.

What if the new school (and all other DC schools) was required to offer a number of OOB seats, based on the number of in-bounds students? Like, if there are 80 in-bound 6th graders registered for your new Palisades school, you have to have 20 OOB seats. If there are 40 in-boundary kindergarteners at Key, you have to offer 10 OOB seats. Then Cheh and her committees could include those OOB kids when projecting demand, redrawing boundaries, and increasing capacity. I think increased capacity in Ward 3 would be less obnoxious to other parts of the city if they knew that it wouldn't be exclusively for the benefit of Ward 3 residents.

Anonymous wrote:Why is it a surprise that Ellington and Banneker doesn't have white kids applying? There has to be a threshold % of white students already at the school for white students to apply. 10%?, 20%?, 30%? Who knows but nobody wants to be the "only." This is what is meant by "diversity" in DC.

Now you're talking. The white kids already have to be there - thus another school in ward 3, where the coveted white kids are in-boundary and bound to attend -- no work needed -- except getting the city to build a school just for the convenience of white families who feel good about living around black people, but don't want them in their schools. Pretty special

Easy solution. Build the new middle in ward 5 and get rid of OOB. If the demographics have indeed changed then the kids will flourish with their new school. You can't force ward 3 demographics I.e. Educated parents, higher income, involved parents on ward 5.

Why is it a surprise that Ellington and Banneker doesn't have white kids applying? There has to be a threshold % of white students already at the school for white students to apply. 10%?, 20%?, 30%? Who knows but nobody wants to be the "only." This is what is meant by "diversity" in DC.

Anonymous wrote:re: Ellington, I'm going to go out on a stereotyping limb here and guess that the missing white parents in the District of Columbia stay away because they don't want to limit their children to a school devoted to the performing arts.

Extracurricular classes in dance, theater? you bet. But not an entire school.

The other possibility is that the white kids aren't talented enough to be admitted.

The school has a full compliment of academic classes, with arts classes in the afternoon - longer school day.

Hard to imagine that white kids aren't talented enough to get in - some stereotype there.

What about Banneker?

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, but then the under capacity middle schools are not in ward 3. Would the OOO kids who now attend Ward 3 schools be willing to attend that under capacity school?

If not, they'll have to find another option -- or try to browbeat the city into spending revenues on a nice ward 3 school where they are willing to send their kids (but where they don't want to live)

There's a nice application only public high school in upper NW now -Ellington - An excellent arts school that makes AYP regularly. (Wilson does not). Maybe more OOB white families could apply there. But they don't. why? Not too many white kids, is my guess.

Then there's Banneker - great central location, all kids go on to college. School always makes AYP. No white kids. Why not?