Episcopal HS 2023. Are things getting better?

[Anonymous]

So I read through the thread posted back in 2021 and well, it was a little horrifying. Rampant sex, drugs, racism, misogyny, mean girls, and more. Plus an administration that isn't quite up to the task of making real change.

But that was 2021 and here we are, a couple years later and hopefully wiser. So what say you recent Episcopal students and parents, how was the experience for you this past year?

FWIW, I think it's one of the most amazing campuses in the DMV and one of the few schools that truly balances academics and extracurriculars in a supportive environment for independent growth. We're a boarding school family so this is a plus in our book too.

And now hoping for some good news from those that have recently btdt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I read through the thread posted back in 2021 and well, it was a little horrifying. Rampant sex, drugs, racism, misogyny, mean girls, and more. Plus an administration that isn't quite up to the task of making real change.

But that was 2021 and here we are, a couple years later and hopefully wiser. So what say you recent Episcopal students and parents, how was the experience for you this past year?

FWIW, I think it's one of the most amazing campuses in the DMV and one of the few schools that truly balances academics and extracurriculars in a supportive environment for independent growth. We're a boarding school family so this is a plus in our book too.

And now hoping for some good news from those that have recently btdt.

New England boarding school grad here. Sex and drugs have always been part of the boarding school scene regardless of where they are. A mixture of missing parents, access to wealth, and a perverse sense of entitlement create the conditions for this mishegash to occur. Frankly, the only hope we have that it will stop is the fear of taking drugs laced with fentanyl. But, you know how adolescents are: they think they're invincible.

[Anonymous]

Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

Boarding schools- especially let's say the top 50 or so boarding schools in the nation- offer unparalleled education and opportunity. More than the best day schools here in the DC area where the presidents send their kids. Look up some of the top schools and what they offer before making these kind of statements. If you had an academically minded child that was independent enough and was interested in attending, and you would deny them the opportunity of a lifetime if it were in your prevue to give it to them, I in turn genuinely question the kind of parent you are.

[Anonymous]

Boarding school grad here - don't send your child to any boarding school if you believe they're likely to fold to peer pressure and do drugs or engage in risky sexual behavior. It happens at even the most prestigious boarding schools and when you don't have to answer to your parents every night - its likely more pervasive than your average day school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

Boarding schools- especially let's say the top 50 or so boarding schools in the nation- offer unparalleled education and opportunity. More than the best day schools here in the DC area where the presidents send their kids. Look up some of the top schools and what they offer before making these kind of statements. If you had an academically minded child that was independent enough and was interested in attending, and you would deny them the opportunity of a lifetime if it were in your prevue to give it to them, I in turn genuinely question the kind of parent you are.

It’s not like other kids don’t have the chance to study and live independently in college. You’re just OK at leaving teens in someone else’s care during an especially vulnerable period in their lives. Don’t sugarcoat it with nonsense about how it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, when so many boarding school kids pick up bad habits or get abused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

Boarding schools- especially let's say the top 50 or so boarding schools in the nation- offer unparalleled education and opportunity. More than the best day schools here in the DC area where the presidents send their kids. Look up some of the top schools and what they offer before making these kind of statements. If you had an academically minded child that was independent enough and was interested in attending, and you would deny them the opportunity of a lifetime if it were in your prevue to give it to them, I in turn genuinely question the kind of parent you are.

No, sorry. You’re kidding yourself if you want to believe that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

Boarding schools- especially let's say the top 50 or so boarding schools in the nation- offer unparalleled education and opportunity. More than the best day schools here in the DC area where the presidents send their kids. Look up some of the top schools and what they offer before making these kind of statements. If you had an academically minded child that was independent enough and was interested in attending, and you would deny them the opportunity of a lifetime if it were in your prevue to give it to them, I in turn genuinely question the kind of parent you are.

It’s not like other kids don’t have the chance to study and live independently in college. You’re just OK at leaving teens in someone else’s care during an especially vulnerable period in their lives. Don’t sugarcoat it with nonsense about how it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, when so many boarding school kids pick up bad habits or get abused.

When my child does programs at home with even the top students from local (top rated) schools, the story of the norm is fights, drugs, sex, etc. Even when I when to private school here in the area, there were plenty of such issues- with some kids struggling with mental heath, alcoholism, etc, long after. Plenty such issues exist to this day.
I get that it makes you feel better, but don't kid yourself that it just has to do with boarding school.
These schools don't just offer the chance to live independently, but if you're not interested in taking the time to determine the difference, it's really not my issue. Send your kids wherever you like.

[Anonymous]

Most teens are not developmentally ready to be separated from their parents. Their prefrontal cortex is far from developed. In fact, in adolescence the brain becomes more sensitive to dopamine, diminishing their ability to assess risks accurately.

A bunch of immature adolescents dealing with hormones and high levels of stress and competition with limited engagement from adult, and you’ve got just the right ingredients for bullying, drug abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.

Britain has hundreds of years of experience documenting how good boarding schools are at screwing kids up. Talk to Prince Charles about Gordonstoun or Prince Harry about Eton.

You can dress it up as providing unparalleled opportunities, and it is true that the elite boarding schools provide entree to the Ivies at a much higher rate than DC privates. The unparalleled opportunities come at a high cost. No, thank you.

[Anonymous]

That's fine, you can choose whatever school works best for your child. There are different boarding school styles and day school options.

Though given the pp's phrasing starting off with privates in general, I would wonder if their chip extends to them all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most teens are not developmentally ready to be separated from their parents. Their prefrontal cortex is far from developed. In fact, in adolescence the brain becomes more sensitive to dopamine, diminishing their ability to assess risks accurately.

A bunch of immature adolescents dealing with hormones and high levels of stress and competition with limited engagement from adult, and you’ve got just the right ingredients for bullying, drug abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.

Britain has hundreds of years of experience documenting how good boarding schools are at screwing kids up. Talk to Prince Charles about Gordonstoun or Prince Harry about Eton.

You can dress it up as providing unparalleled opportunities, and it is true that the elite boarding schools provide entree to the Ivies at a much higher rate than DC privates. The unparalleled opportunities come at a high cost. No, thank you.

Do you know what 16 year olds were doing during the entire course of human history until about 100ish years ago?? I think they can handle 3 months at a time away from parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

Boarding schools- especially let's say the top 50 or so boarding schools in the nation- offer unparalleled education and opportunity. More than the best day schools here in the DC area where the presidents send their kids. Look up some of the top schools and what they offer before making these kind of statements. If you had an academically minded child that was independent enough and was interested in attending, and you would deny them the opportunity of a lifetime if it were in your prevue to give it to them, I in turn genuinely question the kind of parent you are.

The top 50 being better than any day school in DC is ludicrous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

Boarding schools- especially let's say the top 50 or so boarding schools in the nation- offer unparalleled education and opportunity. More than the best day schools here in the DC area where the presidents send their kids. Look up some of the top schools and what they offer before making these kind of statements. If you had an academically minded child that was independent enough and was interested in attending, and you would deny them the opportunity of a lifetime if it were in your prevue to give it to them, I in turn genuinely question the kind of parent you are.

I agree with this. Boarding schools are on another level. There may be select day schools that have more rigor in some cases, but on the whole there is just so, so much that boarding schools have to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most teens are not developmentally ready to be separated from their parents. Their prefrontal cortex is far from developed. In fact, in adolescence the brain becomes more sensitive to dopamine, diminishing their ability to assess risks accurately.

A bunch of immature adolescents dealing with hormones and high levels of stress and competition with limited engagement from adult, and you’ve got just the right ingredients for bullying, drug abuse, depression, suicidal ideation, and self-harm.

Britain has hundreds of years of experience documenting how good boarding schools are at screwing kids up. Talk to Prince Charles about Gordonstoun or Prince Harry about Eton.

You can dress it up as providing unparalleled opportunities, and it is true that the elite boarding schools provide entree to the Ivies at a much higher rate than DC privates. The unparalleled opportunities come at a high cost. No, thank you.

Do you know what 16 year olds were doing during the entire course of human history until about 100ish years ago?? I think they can handle 3 months at a time away from parents.

Your prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed until you're 25 so maybe going away to college isn't advisable either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Y’all send your kids to private school and fear sex and drugs and then speculate that “missing parents” might be the reason?! Ummmm thanks Captain Obvious. If you’re the kind of parent that is ok with boarding school, you should be ok with those problems too.

Boarding schools- especially let's say the top 50 or so boarding schools in the nation- offer unparalleled education and opportunity. More than the best day schools here in the DC area where the presidents send their kids. Look up some of the top schools and what they offer before making these kind of statements. If you had an academically minded child that was independent enough and was interested in attending, and you would deny them the opportunity of a lifetime if it were in your prevue to give it to them, I in turn genuinely question the kind of parent you are.

The top 50 being better than any day school in DC is ludicrous.

Two of the top 25 are local and offer a day option.