This (paraphrased) is what I overheard at Luca's gym meet today from a mother of one of his peers, "LASA's changing their admission criteria to allow for a certain percentage of kids from each school to get in. Most of the kids from (blank) school where my kiddo goes, go to Kealing Magnet and then to LASA. So my kid who could qualify won't get in, for a kid at another school who is less qualified to get in. Don't know if that's a good idea because you have kids like mine, that have lots of opportunities and experiences with kids that don't. I just feel sorry for the teachers, I hope they have tutors and lots of support for those teachers. It's just not fair for them. And I know lots of passionate parents who are against this new admission change."
As optimistic and altruistic I am about wanting and hoping that our kids will grow up differently than how I grew up and how generations before me grew up with prejudices and judgment that people are 'better' or 'worse' than others based on experiences, money, color of skin, or what side of town one lives in, then perhaps I'm a bit nieve.
I really want to continue to be optimistic and altruistic, but realistic. I have heard from people who have experienced it from previous generations about how REAL this classism and racism is in our city and in our district, but I've also experienced from people that are the supposed 'offenders' that that is not the intention. But sometimes what I see is that what is going on in the "successful" schools "should" be replicated in the "failing" schools. Is that the answer?
Well, and I understand the pushback from minority students not wanting to attend LASA or Kealing, and due to comments like this one made from a mother whom I'm sure with a conversation that would push her thinking, she might see a different perspective. But when one is in a community where this kind of thinking is commonplace, how can change occur or how can any 'minority' family want their child around this type of thinking? We experienced this first hand. Noah had the choice to go to Kealing Magnet, Fulmore Magnet, and his home school Lamar middle school.
When I processed with Noah what middle school to attend, we discussed our values and how this would play out in his decision. Right after shadowing at Kealing magnet, it was VERY apparent to him the racial segregation in the school. He did not like this. But he had friends going there. He thought Lamar & Fulmore were diverse. Lots of kids of all races and cultures and what seemed to be various socioeconomics. The only concern with Lamar was from me that the dual language program was not firmly committed and embraced by the leadership there. There were classist remarks made by the principal. What we talked about, is how dual language ensures diversity of having kids in his class that comes from a background similar to mine. He would be around kids whose parents only speak Spanish, and that in itself brings racial and socioeconomic diversity and a respect for others different from him and a connection to his heritage culture, something I did not have access to when I was growing up.
I am so proud of his decision and how he came to making this decision. I am so proud of the friends he has as well. He has a diverse group of friends, socioeconomically & culturally. 44 refugees have been enrolled at Fulmore this past year, and Noah was chosen to be an ambassador to show around 4 boys. 1 boy from Myanmar, 1 from Venezuela, 1 from Iraq, and 1 from I hope that these experiences in this critical adolescent moment of his life help shape an open mind and to see people for the content of their character and not the color of their skin or the brand of their clothes.
