Comparing all boys schools in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The two kids who were removed from Landon during the SAT crisis played sports. One ran cross country and the other played football and tennis. The two boys, never came forward unlike the original 8 who did. If your only source is that Washingtonian article that appeared a year after the SAT episode, its pretty slanted, just like this most recent article in the Washington Post.

The lax boys didn't get expelled, though. And The word was that the 8 who "confessed" (once Holton had blown the whistle) were tipped off to do so--VERY Beltway.

[Anonymous]

Oh, please. Everyone at Landon technically plays a sport. But the star athletes in the SAT cheating incident--including the lax coaches son--got a slap on the wrist.

[Anonymous]

Landon is changing now, whether the opponents want that or not. (too bad for those naysayers who prefer to focus on the negative). And Holton still rocks.

[Anonymous]

Those of you who seem obsessed with taking Landon down and revisiting the same old stories need to move on. It's the beginning of a new era there, whether you want to admit it or not.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP, time to move on. I was a Landon parent during that era at Landon and yes the original 8 came forward unlike the other 2 who repeatedly lied about their involvement. Whether they were tipped off or not, the original 8 came forward and were honest. The other two boys, never came forward and lied multiple times. I believe the original 8 were suspended for 40 days.

Anyways, let move on. Landon is going to change its image. The administration has worked very hard this summer and there will be some significant changes starting this Fall.

[Anonymous]

I also agree that it is time for move on, and I am hopeful if not confident that Landon will rebound in the coming years. But, scandals notwithstanding, Landon is not and has never been superior to St. Albans or Georgetown Prep. The statistical hard facts cited in this thread prove an inverse relationship if you are talking about some prep school pecking order. All three are among the finest schools in the country. The key is which, if any of them, will be the best fit for your DS and your family.

[Anonymous]

I know the mother of one of the boys expelled. He was not treated fairly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also agree that it is time for move on, and I am hopeful if not confident that Landon will rebound in the coming years. But, scandals notwithstanding, Landon is not and has never been superior to St. Albans or Georgetown Prep. The statistical hard facts cited in this thread prove an inverse relationship if you are talking about some prep school pecking order. All three are among the finest schools in the country. The key is which, if any of them, will be the best fit for your DS and your family.

The concept of a best "fit" is a complete lie. Institutions can never change and improve themselves until the stop deluding themselves and the public by saying that certain individuals "don't fit". It's just cheap way of blaming the victims of abuse. "He doesn't fit" "She doesn’t fit" "they don't fit". Don't any of you remember the Nuremburg Laws? They said an entire ethnic group "didn't fit". When institutions say that certain people who are quirky or different "don't fit", they are excusing themselves for their own transgressions against the innocent. They are sick institutions and they will eventually self-destruct.

WAKE UP

[Anonymous]

wow, someone forgot to take their medication this morning.


of course fit is important. and it doesn't mean that one doesn't fit in a school because they are "quirky" or diferrent. there are plenty of students who leave one school for another and become much happier and more successful. this happens between public and private schools as well. it's rarely the instituions that say someone doesn't fit, it is an often painful conclusion reached by the parent and student that ultimately ends up being the best decision. just because your son/daughter isn't happy at one school doesn't mean that place is "sick".

i have 2 friends who are sisters who started out at maret. on loved it and the other didn't feel as comfortable and ended up leaving for sidwell. as similar as those schools may be, she felt much more comfortable at sidwell. is maret "sick" and destined to fail?

[Anonymous]

12:36

Totally Insane.
that is what people do all the time when they look for colleges or a place of worship. Does that mean all those institutions are sick? It is where people feel comfortable and that is totally dependent on the individual or family that is considering where they want to be.

[Anonymous]

It's not insanity, it's passion. I'm compelled to speak up. It seems that for those of us with whom you don't agree, you believe we are either insane or in need of medication. Perhaps Jeff could just make you both DCUMs resident censors with a special focus on the mentally impaired

This may be a transitional moment for certain institutions. Use this moment as an opportunity to stop applying overly used self-serving non-descript language, phrases, and clichés. Examine your language and motives, and then assess your ultimate goals.

Is the sum of the parts something that occurred naturally or have you manipulated the components in a way that will lead to your desired results.

Sometimes that happens and because the pieces don't fit perfectly and non-descript generic terms like it's a "poor fit" are applied.

[Anonymous]

Well, let's just say the athletic are a 'fit' at Landon.

[Anonymous]

There is nothing wrong be being super athletic and being an academic scholar. . Landon's valedictorian this past June was an All Met Croos Country runner and a starter on the lacrosse team. He is heading to Princeton in the Fall to play lacrosse. Great kid too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The concept of a best "fit" is a complete lie. Institutions can never change and improve themselves until the stop deluding themselves and the public by saying that certain individuals "don't fit". It's just cheap way of blaming the victims of abuse. "He doesn't fit" "She doesn’t fit" "they don't fit". Don't any of you remember the Nuremburg Laws? They said an entire ethnic group "didn't fit". When institutions say that certain people who are quirky or different "don't fit", they are excusing themselves for their own transgressions against the innocent. They are sick institutions and they will eventually self-destruct.

I think you misunderstand what people here mean when they talk about "fit." It refers to a family's decision about whether the child will fit well into whatever attitude a school might have. It doesn't refer to any decision by the school.

Or maybe you're just trying to stir up some conflict?

[Anonymous]

Well, let's just say the athletic are a 'fit' at Landon.

Anonymous wrote:There was a new letter posted by the Headmaster of Landon speculating some changes for the upcoming school year. OP might find this interesting, as well as the rest of the community.

Letter to the Community
Posted 08/19/2010 10:02AM
August 2010

To the Community,

This has been a very busy summer at Landon, a summer that has involved serious introspection. We have committed to ourselves, first, to take the time to study and learn from the past (and some mistakes that were made); second, to initiate some adjustments and realignments, refocusing our priorities with regard to programs, systems and procedures; and, third, to execute and implement key initiatives to improve and enhance the Landon experience.

We began by inviting parents, faculty and alumni to join conversations about the future of Landon. You shared your thoughts with candor and made clear your expectations. I want you to know that we have heard you. We know there is work to be done to be sure we are living up to our School’s stated values and goals, and we are taking steps to address those issues.

While we are taking this opportunity to implement change, one thing remains clear. Our School’s fundamental values of respect and honesty, our Code of Character with its Civility and Honor Codes, already provide the framework we need to help our boys become young men of character. The principles on which this School was founded almost 85 years ago do engender the qualities of integrity and excellence that characterize thousands of Landon alumni as well as our students themselves. I am confident that these values serve us well and that Landon remains an outstanding educational institution. But we must be vigilant in holding our boys, our faculty and all members of our community to the highest standards, and that’s what we intend to do.

To accomplish this, I have made some personnel changes for fall that will put individual talents to work in areas where they can serve best. You will see changes in the leadership of our Upper School (Ehren Federowicz, Acting Head of Upper School, and Hans Farnstrom, Assistant Head of Upper School) and our Athletics Department (Michael Derwinski, Acting Athletic Director, and Paul Padalino, Acting Associate Athletic Director) as well as the arrival of our new Lower School Head, Chris Robertson. Neil Phillips will serve as Assistant Headmaster.

In addition, we have identified six areas where change is indicated: the disciplinary system, faculty/staff accountability, athletics, communications, gender equity and the school-parent partnership. While we want to address each of these initiatives effectively, some have received more urgent attention while others will play out more once the school year begins on September 7. (See the summary below.)

I ask for your continued support as we take these steps to strengthen our School. I believe Landon will emerge stronger when we work in partnership to educate the 688 talented and deserving boys who enter our doors this fall. We owe it to them to get it right going forward.

Sincerely,

David Armstrong
Headmaster
[e-mail]



Strengthening Our School – Six Initiatives

1. Disciplinary System Initiative – To ensure we live up to the principles of our Code of Character, we have restructured the Upper School disciplinary process. Our goal is help boys clearly understand what is expected of them and to hold them accountable. We want to be fair and consistent in the administration of our policies and to develop a positive school culture founded on responsibility and trust. The process for addressing Honor Code violations has been in place; a new system is now in place to deal with infractions against the Civility Code and other School Rules. The Upper School Dean of Student Discipline (Harry Murphy) and a Disciplinary Committee will be supported by the Dean of Student Life (David Smith) and two Form Advisors (James Foreman and Andy Katz).

2. Faculty/Staff Accountability Initiative – To clarify expectations for the behavior of Landon personnel and to hold faculty and staff accountable, a three-step plan is now in place. Division Heads have met with any faculty members whose past performance has not met School standards. Second, during Orientation, teachers will meet to review standards, establish clear guidelines and discuss the consequences of non-compliance. Third, a committee of faculty and administrators will fully implement evaluation programs already in place and monitor progress. The Assistant Head of Upper School (Hans Farnstrom) will focus on faculty accountability and improvement. Division Heads (Chris Robertson and Doug Norry) will do so in Lower and Middle School. CFO/COO Tim Harrison and Registrar Lisa Goenner lead the staff process.

3. Athletics Initiative – To be certain Landon’s athletics program is supporting the broader mission of the School and adhering to our Code of Character, Neil Phillips and Ed Sundt will oversee a comprehensive Athletic Department external review. They will also head a national search for a new Athletic Director. An outside consultant will assess policies and delivery of the athletics program in all divisions. He/she will also look at the place of athletics in school life. Among our goals are a recommitment to the teacher-coach-mentor model and strict adherence to the principles of positive coaching. Michael Derwinski has been named Acting Athletic Director; Paul Padalino is Acting Associate Athletic Director.

4. Communications Initiative – To improve communications, we are looking at three key areas: sharing news within and across divisions; communicating more effectively with boys and parents; and telling the Landon story to the broader community. Weekly parent e-newsletters sent each Thursday from the Division Heads, and available in the Parent Portal, will share important news. So that you learn news of the School from Landon, not the media or other sources, the Headmaster will provide additional updates. We are stepping up our efforts, both on our website and also via social media and other traditional outlets, to share Landon’s good news. A task force of parents and alumni with expertise in PR/communications will be advising this effort.

5. Gender Equity Initiative – To identify and address areas of weakness across school culture, program, policy and practice regarding respectful treatment of girls and women, Carole Kerns, our Director of Lower School Admissions, and Jamie Kirkpatrick, our Director of College Counseling, are chairing a task force of representatives from the broader Landon community, including students and parents. The committee will draw on resources outside the school (e.g. women’s advocacy groups, NAIS and others) to facilitate positive change where needed in culture, curriculum, extra-curricular activities, cross-registration and community service. We also want to expand our cooperative partnership with Holton-Arms and other schools at all three division levels. It will be a priority to identify senior administrative and leadership opportunities for women.

6. Parent Partnership Initiative - To ensure a healthy, constructive and mutually supportive alliance with parents, we will focus on three key areas: partnership opportunities; parental support for Landon’s mission; and School support for parent needs. With assistance from the Landon Fathers Club, the Landon Mothers Association and informal parent groups, we will cultivate and support student service activities, improve communications and expand involvement, and reaffirm expectations of both the school and the parents. Parents will be asked for increased diligence regarding off-campus/outside-of-school-hours activities and for constructive responses to disciplinary issues. We will also work together to address drug and alcohol awareness, technology and social networking issues, and improved understanding of school policies and procedures.