discriminating against kids.

A few weeks ago a colleague of mine who teaches at Digital Harbor sent me an interesting article that was written in the Baltimore Sun on February 19th about the school climate. We all know that Baltimore city is going through a restructuring progress especially in the downtown area. It seems to me that the people who live in the area of Digital Harbor do not want the school there, especially while it serves to bring poor Black students from across the city into the affluent neighborhood with its white residents. Even though the school has great things going on inside the building, i see a great potential of those wealthy tax payers finding a way to get rid of the school, so that these children are no longer in the neighborhood. I find it really aggravating when children are being discriminated against. Now of course, if there are trouble makers who are disturbing innocent people, they need to be punished accordingly, but do not blaspheme the name of the who school with slander for the crimes of a few. Digital Harbor is one of the better funded and academically challenging schools in Baltimore City, and the children of this city who desire to learn at that institution should have to privilege of doing so, without the neighborhood looking down on them. It is the same division of class that we are used to seeing. These kids are being labeled and stereotyped and it is disgusting. Just because you see a kid in Khaki pants... how do they know these kids are not from another school. Place the blame where it belongs, but what kind of message is being sent to these kids? those rich, white people do not want those poor Black children in their neighborhood. I think any situation that arises around that school will get blown out of proportion to make the school look bad. For example, in the article one of the neighborhood residents said that the kids approach neighbors in "a threatening way." Just because some clueless white man is scared of a child, does not necessarily make the child a threat. i say if a teen is bothering you, call the police or handle it, but to place the blame on the school is absurd, and it is a tactic to keep the outsiders out of the neighborhood. These children are not stupid, they know when they are being discriminated against. Of course the children need to be taught some maturity and discipline, but shouldn't the neighbors try to help instead of just pointing fingers. Mark my words, i do believe that after enough incidents and complaints, digital harbor will get moved to another cite or completely shut down.

Here is a link to the article from the Sun:
Tensions simmer over school in Federal Hill: Incidents put residents, Digital Harbor students at odds, dredging up suspicions of disrespect, racism