Upheaval at Holton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people still clueless as to why Holton is tanking?

The new HoS is a puppet hard-right conservative who's friends with
Brett Kavanaugh and Glenn Youngkin.

Last year, she made many cultural changes and got into a big fight with the Black affinity group. She walked away from the forum crying, and one of her assistants wrote in an email that the Black families needed to pay for how they treated her. The same assistant accidentally sent the email to a bunch of Black parents.

Most of the White parents seem okay with it, but a lot of the Black parents are trying to leave. We pulled our application after everything came out.

It was a pretty big deal last year.

You are trying to trash a school that your DD never even attended. You appear to be the author of most of the defaming posts after this one. Please stop your campaign.

DP. I am confused. Why would this constant poster keep posting then about Holton if her daughter is not there and how would she have all of these emails from internal communications? Last question - why would she keep posting about Holton? I am sincerely curious what else you would think their motive would be?

I said I pulled my application/ acceptance once I realized what was happening. I am familiar with all the parties involved in the drama and know more about Holton politics than I want. Nobody has yet proven anything that I posted as false.

Black families have to be careful of the environments that they put their children in. This is my motivation for posting. I want to make sure Black girls are safe. The anti-woke/DEI crowd is dangerous. Many believe that they are fighting White people from getting replaced. I am not going to fight with those folks. I am especially not doing it while paying $50k a year.

If Holton wants to be less diverse, I wish them the best. My DD will not be there.

[Anonymous]

Well you only shared that DEI language was removed from the contract to help with donations. How is that changing the day to day for the girls? What culture changes are you referring to? Other parents have stated that DEI is still a big part of Holton and it’s outlined on the website. They also have a head of DEI, who is also black.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that the DEI language was removed from the contract but is still included in the handbook. (Quite frankly, I don't know the difference and if contract violations are handled differently than handbook ones.)

I have spoken to multiple parents of color at Holton and asked them specifically about this and none have voiced concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not one to be easily ruffled but that is a Very Bad Email for an administrator to send, even if they didn’t accidentally copy anyone. That’s pretty bad. Even if your rabidly MAGA and out for woke blood, you don’t want to send stupid warriors.

Yes, it would even be worse if that person was charged with a communications position. Oh wait, she was. And was removed from that position after this in response to uproar over this. Nothing happened to Penny, of course, and there is extreme distrust of her and the board by parents and the administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My understanding is that the DEI language was removed from the contract but is still included in the handbook. (Quite frankly, I don't know the difference and if contract violations are handled differently than handbook ones.)

The contract referenced the DEI language already in the handbook, that's why it was redundant to have the same language in the contract. It seems like a lot of drama over nothing.

Oh, and there's an event next month for Black alumnae and members of the Black affinity group. It was mentioned in this week's weekly newsletter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My understanding is that the DEI language was removed from the contract but is still included in the handbook. (Quite frankly, I don't know the difference and if contract violations are handled differently than handbook ones.)

The contract referenced the DEI language already in the handbook, that's why it was redundant to have the same language in the contract. It seems like a lot of drama over nothing.

Oh, and there's an event next month for Black alumnae and members of the Black affinity group. It was mentioned in this week's weekly newsletter.

Oh shiz well I guess there can’t be a problem lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My understanding is that the DEI language was removed from the contract but is still included in the handbook. (Quite frankly, I don't know the difference and if contract violations are handled differently than handbook ones.)

The contract referenced the DEI language already in the handbook, that's why it was redundant to have the same language in the contract. It seems like a lot of drama over nothing.

Oh, and there's an event next month for Black alumnae and members of the Black affinity group. It was mentioned in this week's weekly newsletter.

Oh shiz well I guess there can’t be a problem lol.

Lol—that’s right! Nothing to see here, folks so please leave Holton alone. 🙄

[Anonymous]

Can’t wait for the final nail in the coffin of DEI. What a racist bunch of crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not one to be easily ruffled but that is a Very Bad Email for an administrator to send, even if they didn’t accidentally copy anyone. That’s pretty bad. Even if your rabidly MAGA and out for woke blood, you don’t want to send stupid warriors.

Yes, it would even be worse if that person was charged with a communications position. Oh wait, she was. And was removed from that position after this in response to uproar over this. Nothing happened to Penny, of course, and there is extreme distrust of her and the board by parents and the administration.

This IS the issue. My child is happy and learning so much at Holton, but how many of the things that make Holton wonderful will be threatened by Penny's values and leadership style?

It's pretty clear that people get thrown under the bus to save her from her own mistakes.

[Anonymous]

There are alumnae members of the board who were very unhappy with the liberal turn Holton was taking, even going so far as to not send their own daughters to Holton. Other alumnae in the same circle were choosing Stone Ridge for their own children. These board members intentionally shifted the dynamic with the new choice for head of school. I offer no opinion, but I do know there is a struggle of ideals within the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are alumnae members of the board who were very unhappy with the liberal turn Holton was taking, even going so far as to not send their own daughters to Holton. Other alumnae in the same circle were choosing Stone Ridge for their own children. These board members intentionally shifted the dynamic with the new choice for head of school. I offer no opinion, but I do know there is a struggle of ideals within the community.

Right, and what's clear is that those board members sacrificed quality leadership and academic strengths just for the sake of conservative politics. Find us a head of school who shares your values but can actually be an intellectual leader worthy of the school and its history. Instead we've got a HOS who can barely write, screams at staff, behaves like a narcissist with loyalty tests, and makes everything about HER and not about the school. We want a HOS who is proud to lead Holton. That's not who we've got.

[Anonymous]

What language was deleted from the contract? Can anyone post it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well you only shared that DEI language was removed from the contract to help with donations. How is that changing the day to day for the girls? What culture changes are you referring to? Other parents have stated that DEI is still a big part of Holton and it’s outlined on the website. They also have a head of DEI, who is also black.

Do you know the difference between a contract and a handbook?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My understanding is that the DEI language was removed from the contract but is still included in the handbook. (Quite frankly, I don't know the difference and if contract violations are handled differently than handbook ones.)

The contract referenced the DEI language already in the handbook, that's why it was redundant to have the same language in the contract. It seems like a lot of drama over nothing.

Oh, and there's an event next month for Black alumnae and members of the Black affinity group. It was mentioned in this week's weekly newsletter.

What's crazy is that you think that it being redundant is an acceptable excuse. That makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people still clueless as to why Holton is tanking?

The new HoS is a puppet hard-right conservative who's friends with
Brett Kavanaugh and Glenn Youngkin.

Last year, she made many cultural changes and got into a big fight with the Black affinity group. She walked away from the forum crying, and one of her assistants wrote in an email that the Black families needed to pay for how they treated her. The same assistant accidentally sent the email to a bunch of Black parents.

Most of the White parents seem okay with it, but a lot of the Black parents are trying to leave. We pulled our application after everything came out.

It was a pretty big deal last year.

You are trying to trash a school that your DD never even attended. You appear to be the author of most of the defaming posts after this one. Please stop your campaign.

DP. I am confused. Why would this constant poster keep posting then about Holton if her daughter is not there and how would she have all of these emails from internal communications? Last question - why would she keep posting about Holton? I am sincerely curious what else you would think their motive would be?

I said I pulled my application/ acceptance once I realized what was happening. I am familiar with all the parties involved in the drama and know more about Holton politics than I want. Nobody has yet proven anything that I posted as false.

Black families have to be careful of the environments that they put their children in. This is my motivation for posting. I want to make sure Black girls are safe. The anti-woke/DEI crowd is dangerous. Many believe that they are fighting White people from getting replaced. I am not going to fight with those folks. I am especially not doing it while paying $50k a year.

If Holton wants to be less diverse, I wish them the best. My DD will not be there.

I am a liberal that is supportive of DEI but I must be honest your posts and campaign against this woman online makes me completely turned off from all DEI. You are harming the cause.