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I'm looking at possible schools for my kids, if I move. This would be to Iowa. The Des Moines public school district has very poor ratings. There is one high school in the district that seems to have a decent reputation, and some sources indicate that their tests scores are pretty good - not as high as the suburbs, but better than others in the district. DMPS offers a lot of academic alternatives at a downtown location (shared by the other high schools, as well as offered to some of the suburban ones) - so it's not quite the "poor inner city that doesn't have anything" situation. But I'm interested in buying a house as well, and many people on CD say to buy a house the best school district you can afford. Clearly that is not DMPS.
But...there are very few schools in the metro that have any minorities at all. The inner suburbs have a few, but it drops dramatically. And then outside of that, it's almost entirely white. There was a time when I would have thought this to be fine (because that's what I grew up with) but now I have kids who have attended a diverse school, and I feel it would be best if they continued. (The difference with our current school is that we have less poverty / low income here. The minorities tend to be other nationalities - sometimes not even English speaking - but people who are doing well financially. This is a suburb with minimal crime).
I think I've narrowed this down to two options - the city school that's decent (but sadly does not have good overall ratings) or a nearby suburb that's a little older than the outside ones - again, not top-notch as the outer ones are, but better than DM - so sort of a compromise. I imagine it would be a little safer (physically) too, though I don't know actual statistics. The downsides there: 1) less diversity, 2) I don't think they offer quite as many different classes/activities (smaller class size though, so that's better), and 3) house lots, in general, are smaller. But they're also cheaper than the nice neighborhoods that I'd pick in the city.
For me, I don't like to look at skin color as a determining factor for anything, at all. For me personally, making a decision about anything that isn't, say, makeup choice, and using skin color as a factor in making that choice, feels racist.
So when I choose/evaluate schools for my children, I avoid looking at the racial breakdown of the school, period. I look at things like test scores, classes offered, curriculum, educational outcomes, academic culture of the students at the school (what's more important, homework, sports, or date night?). I pick schools based on those factors, and find out what the racial breakdown is later when I get there. Because really, I don't care what race they are, I only care if they care about their homework and getting into college.
I guess I feel that enrolling my kids in an all-white school puts them at a disadvantage in life. It limits their exposure to different groups of people. How is that racist?
I guess I feel that enrolling my kids in an all-white school puts them at a disadvantage in life. It limits their exposure to different groups of people. How is that racist?
You're moving to a city that is 70% White. There's just no diversity to be had there.
But...there are very few schools in the metro that have any minorities at all. The inner suburbs have a few, but it drops dramatically. And then outside of that, it's almost entirely white. There was a time when I would have thought this to be fine (because that's what I grew up with)
Go with the best school.
You turned out fine, they will too.
With there being practically no minorities anyway, it sounds you would have to move out of the area to find true diversity.
I guess I feel that enrolling my kids in an all-white school puts them at a disadvantage in life. It limits their exposure to different groups of people. How is that racist?
Because inherent in your opinion is the belief that your children NEED to be exposed to different races, because the different races are different enough from your own for that difference to matter significantly in their lives. Like you want them to be exposed to "lesser beings" so that they're "used to it" or something? I don't really understand it.
To me, people are people. Regardless of race. I teach my kids that all people are different, but what they do or think is important has nothing to do with skin color, hair color, eye color, language, etc. So if you're around a bunch of white people or a bunch of black people or a bunch or brown people or a bunch of yellow people, it doesn't matter. It only matters what the people are DOING. Not what they look like.
Heh. Compared to most of the state, 70% white would be diverse. But the school I'm talking about is ~55% white (vs 79% in the suburban one). Most other schools I'd consider in the area would be >90% white. So it's all relative.
As for me turning out fine...well, my interactions with, and discussions about, minorities make me realize that I am somewhat of an ignorant outsider when it comes to what their lives are like, what they go through, how they can be different, etc. I have tended to have that same attitude that "people are people" (...so why should it be...lol), and it just hasn't served me well.
Pkbab, it sounds like you're reading into this - I never said anything about anyone being 'lesser beings'.
Heh. Compared to most of the state, 70% white would be diverse. But the school I'm talking about is ~55% white (vs 79% in the suburban one). Most other schools I'd consider in the area would be >90% white. So it's all relative.
As for me turning out fine...well, my interactions with, and discussions about, minorities make me realize that I am somewhat of an ignorant outsider when it comes to what their lives are like, what they go through, how they can be different, etc. I have tended to have that same attitude that "people are people" (...so why should it be...lol), and it just hasn't served me well.
Pkbab, it sounds like you're reading into this - I never said anything about anyone being 'lesser beings'.
If diversity is your top priority then go with the school with the less amount of Whites.
In a city of majority White you will be hard pressed to find truly diverse schools.
I think diversity is great, but the diversity you have now (ethnic and linguistic, but not economic) and what you would have in your low-rated schools (all the minorities are probably poor) are two totally different kinds of diversity, and the latter is not shown to be beneficial. In fact, I'm not sure in what way it could be. Your children aren't going to want to be friends with low-income, poor-performing students just because they are racial minorities and would provide them with "diversity." They will gravitate toward middle class students like themselves, and will probably end up only being friends with a very small group of kids that will, in all likelihood, not be that diverse. I don't think you should select a school based on racial diversity, while ignoring a lack of economic diversity (sounds like your kids will be the minorities, if they are middle class) and the very real academic problems that the low ratings reveal.
Because inherent in your opinion is the belief that your children NEED to be exposed to different races, because the different races are different enough from your own for that difference to matter significantly in their lives. Like you want them to be exposed to "lesser beings" so that they're "used to it" or something? I don't really understand it.
To me, people are people. Regardless of race. I teach my kids that all people are different, but what they do or think is important has nothing to do with skin color, hair color, eye color, language, etc. So if you're around a bunch of white people or a bunch of black people or a bunch or brown people or a bunch of yellow people, it doesn't matter. It only matters what the people are DOING. Not what they look like.
I get where you are coming from. It does sound like OP wants to take her children to the people zoo so they can gawk at all the minorities. The fact that they will all be low-income (not true diversity) isn't likely to teach her children anything valuable.
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