Principle separates students by race at Mary Linn Elementary School (Atlanta: home, neighborhoods)

[David1502]

A parent has filed a federal complaint alleging that her child's school, Mary Linn Elementary, alleging it segregated classes based on race.

The details are as follows:

A black mother discovered this segregation policy when she asked that her child be placed in a classroom of a teacher's she thought that would be a good fit. The assistant principal's response was

“She said that’s not one of the Black classes, and I immediately said, ‘What does that mean?’ I was confused. I asked for more clarification. I was like, ‘We have those in the school?’ And she proceeded to say, ‘Yes. I have decided that I’m going to place all of the Black students in two classes,’

Keep in mind the principal is a black woman and she has decided that it is better for all of the students to be separated by race.

Here is a link to the WSB -TV article:
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/par...CXJTESRXUTMJE/

It is stunning that in 2020 a school official would have the nerve to attempt to do this and it is even more shocking that a black principal would be the one choosing this - what was the point of Brown vs. the Board of Education?

It seems that this may be a consequence of the gentrification of Intown Atlanta neighborhoods where the public schools which had been overwhelmingly majority black are now becoming majority white - the child's grade has six class rooms which are all white and two class rooms which are all white.

When the parent insisted that her child be placed in a classroom with white students, the response was that her child would be "isolated."

The parent recorded her conversation with the administrator where she said the following: "

“I just wish we had more Black kids, and then some of them are in a class because of the services that they need,” the administrator said on the recording.

Imagine the outcry if a white school administrator in a school which was transitioning to majority black had said, "I just wish we had more white kids."

The principal is obviously not happy about the demographic changes which have happened in the East Atlanta neighborhoods and her response seems to be to separate the declining black student population in racially segregated classrooms. How she thought she could away with this is astounding.

[ronricks]

In about 70+ years since Brown v Board Of Education, we have apparently come full circle.
From segregation to integration back to segregation.

Imagine telling yourself that “in 2021, parents are suing a black school administrator for violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964”
Then imagine yourself falling over laughing at the idiocy of that statement. But here we are.


Principal needs to be removed immediately. Several neighbors pulled their kids out already and I don't blame them.

[equinox63]

This is unfortunate. But let’s not rule out the possibility that this “policy” is in place at the behest of the majority parents at this school.

Generally, I have found that in APS schools, particularly those in gentrifying or gentrified communities, the leadership usually does what the parents want. And I have seen and heard many, many, instances of White parents not wanting their children to be in classes with Black students — and almost never the other way around.

I wonder why none of the white parents noticed or complained about this practice until now?

Just some food for thought…

[David1502]

Originally Posted by equinox63

This is unfortunate. But let’s not rule out the possibility that this “policy” is in place at the behest of the majority parents at this school.

Generally, I have found that in APS schools, particularly those in gentrifying or gentrified communities, the leadership usually does what the parents want. And I have seen and heard many, many, instances of White parents not wanting their children to be in classes with Black students — and almost never the other way around.

I wonder why none of the white parents noticed or complained about this practice until now?

Just some food for thought…

I wonder, too, why none of the white parents noticed or complained, too. The district for Mary Linn Elementary is home to the most progressive white voters in the State of Georgia. If a public school in Cherokee or Forsyth Counties had segregated the students in classrooms by race, it would have been a national scandal - CNN would have been breathless in their coverage and the administrators as well as the school board would be called to resign.

It is shocking that you are saying that you have heard many instances of White parents in gentrifying neighborhoods not wanting their children to be in classes with Black students and imply that the leadership of APS is compliant with these parents wishes. Did these parents not realize that Brown vs. Board of Education happened over 65 years ago?

What's the next phase - segregated restrooms and water fountains?

[Smocaine]

I heard that since this school doesn't have a lot of black kids, they weren't "black classes", but just classes that didn't have one or two black kids, they put them all in two classes. But the two "black classes" were actually mixed overall. That is, they made sure there weren't classes that had like only one black kid. I'm not even woke and that doesn't sound unreasonable to me.


Like, I'm a white guy and if I had kids in a school in Japan with a small but sizeable white minority, I would be fine with that sort of setup.

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by David1502

I wonder, too, why none of the white parents noticed or complained, too. The district for Mary Linn Elementary is home to the most progressive white voters in the State of Georgia. If a public school in Cherokee or Forsyth Counties had segregated the students in classrooms by race, it would have been a national scandal - CNN would have been breathless in their coverage and the administrators as well as the school board would be called to resign.

It is shocking that you are saying that you have heard many instances of White parents in gentrifying neighborhoods not wanting their children to be in classes with Black students and imply that the leadership of APS is compliant with these parents wishes. Did these parents not realize that Brown vs. Board of Education happened over 65 years ago?

What's the next phase - segregated restrooms and water fountains?

Some of the things you say may very well happen once more information comes out. It seems like you are trying to turn it into a city vs suburb thing. Ultimately, there are some with thinly veiled racist or prejudiced tendencies both ITP & OTP. Some of the most “socially conservative” posters on this forum live in the heart of the city.

Nevertheless, there may be some truth to the post above this one as well. But we don’t yet know. These are the demographics of the school in question and another neighboring elementary school. Neither are a bastion of racial and socioeconomic diversity.

https://apsinsights.org/school-profi...are=Springdale

[Montezia]

Curious, but what would happen if you had a half black/half white or some other race child there? It would be an issue still because these kids are not always accepted as fully black by their peers depending on their phenotype.

I cannot believe something like this has allowed to happen. And I wonder if it will start happening in neighboring states

[Monello]

MLK would be so proud of how far we've come. /s

[equinox63]

Originally Posted by Montezia

Curious, but what would happen if you had a half black/half white or some other race child there? It would be an issue still because these kids are not always accepted as fully black by their peers depending on their phenotype.

I cannot believe something like this has allowed to happen. And I wonder if it will start happening in neighboring states

Well, I can’t speak for this situation. But generally, a biracial child in a predominantly black and/or white school would likely gravitate towards whoever they feel most comfortable and/or identify with. I have rarely seen instances in real life where a biracial child was ostracized by their peers because they have both black and white parents.

Generally, parents are more cognizant of the racial/socioeconomic status of their children’s peers/classmates than the students themselves. And generally, I believe people having a negative view of another socioeconomic group is more likely to happen when they are never or rarely around people of different backgrounds than themselves.

Nevertheless, I don’t think this is the type of thing that “spreads” from state to state. Unfortunately, in the American South there is a lot of baggage attached to race and class. This is evidenced from the posters on here who refer to “undesirable” elements or people — yet have rarely ever truly interacted with any.

We don’t know the full story about this school, and I believe it is a very specific case; but you may be surprised that some parents go to varying lengths to keep their children from what they perceive as an “undesirable” element.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by Smocaine

I heard that since this school doesn't have a lot of black kids, they weren't "black classes", but just classes that didn't have one or two black kids, they put them all in two classes. But the two "black classes" were actually mixed overall. That is, they made sure there weren't classes that had like only one black kid. I'm not even woke and that doesn't sound unreasonable to me.


Like, I'm a white guy and if I had kids in a school in Japan with a small but sizeable white minority, I would be fine with that sort of setup.

This is actually what I think it is.

The notion of “clustering” in order to prevent isolation of students who are part of a small minority in a school is good placement/class-building practice.


I think someone misheard and is now looking for their moment. And the alarmist/uninformed reactions, in the gen pop and on this thread, are potentially unnecessary.