Feedback from uptown all girls for K?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, a Brearley board member did tell me that they are super yield sensitive and will significantly discount families that didn’t send them a first choice letter.

They have given very specific direction to not send first choice letters. It is weird that a board member is saying otherwise. Like they couldn’t be clearer about not wanting first choice letters to the extent that I understand that sending one would hurt us…

Assuming this poster (or the purported board member) just has old info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, a Brearley board member did tell me that they are super yield sensitive and will significantly discount families that didn’t send them a first choice letter.

They have given very specific direction to not send first choice letters. It is weird that a board member is saying otherwise. Like they couldn’t be clearer about not wanting first choice letters to the extent that I understand that sending one would hurt us…

Assuming this poster (or the purported board member) just has old info.

Correct. This board member and person sharing that info has old info. Brearley clearly stated they didn’t want FCL this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course, Their Eyes Were Watching God (written in the 1930s) is by a black woman, which I assume is antithetical to your racist bias.

See, as a prospective applicant, I am eager to read concrete refutations of what that poster (or are there multiple?) is saying. But then you go ahead immediately impute some sort of bias/moral failing to your fellow Brearley parent and imply that b/c of their critique they don't belong there. Which is pretty much exactly the attitude that the poster is railing about. We are a pretty progressive family, but I don't want my daughter to be educated in an environment where this sort of attitude is normalized. But if you think that person is saying false things about the administration changes, could you (or anyone else) comment specifically as to what happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course, Their Eyes Were Watching God (written in the 1930s) is by a black woman, which I assume is antithetical to your racist bias.

See, as a prospective applicant, I am eager to read concrete refutations of what that poster (or are there multiple?) is saying. But then you go ahead immediately impute some sort of bias/moral failing to your fellow Brearley parent and imply that b/c of their critique they don't belong there. Which is pretty much exactly the attitude that the poster is railing about. We are a pretty progressive family, but I don't want my daughter to be educated in an environment where this sort of attitude is normalized. But if you think that person is saying false things about the administration changes, could you (or anyone else) comment specifically as to what happened?

Sorry, you're right. I assumed ulterior motive because of the flat out lying about the curriculum. That is my bad (though not entirely without basis when further upthread the poster was saying respected authors have been replaced by "slam poets" -- there seemed to be some racial undertones to comments like that). In any event, my post was more directed to the false info related to what books the kids read in upper school. Also, the poster said the Brearley upper schoolers don't have text books, but again I know for a fact that that claim is false as I have seen the Worlds Together, Worlds Apart textbook with my own eyes.

[Anonymous]

I don't think PP was saying Romeo and Juliet was that impressive for 9th grade but rather that it refuted the idea that all they're reading is new and "woke."

In general I would say that the choice of Shakespeare plays for English class should have more to do with the larger curriculum than which play is right for which age - you read Julius Caesar in whichever year you're reading other works that touch on the same themes or studying Rome or rhetoric or other stuff that overlaps with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think PP was saying Romeo and Juliet was that impressive for 9th grade but rather that it refuted the idea that all they're reading is new and "woke."

In general I would say that the choice of Shakespeare plays for English class should have more to do with the larger curriculum than which play is right for which age - you read Julius Caesar in whichever year you're reading other works that touch on the same themes or studying Rome or rhetoric or other stuff that overlaps with it.

Yes where did I say any of what they were reading was impressive or brag-worthy? I just refuted the flat out lies of the prior poster (both on the English curriculum and on the lie that they don’t have a history textbook). And now caught in that lie, s/he retreats to a red herring. Typical.

[Anonymous]

I used Richard Wright on purpose because I knew there would be some idiot who had never heard of him calling me racist.The people they have taken out of the curriculum include people like Mildred Taylor, the greatest writer about the Black Southern diaspora at the turn of the century, who wrote her families stories into a wonderful series of books for young adults and Elie Wiesel. There are text books on occasion but chrome books start in 5th and until those two you mentioned my daughter had never had a humanities or science textbook. A larger portion of time than I would like has been spent drawing pictures for presentations rather than chowing down on material. My very bright daughter is spending too much time talking about her feelings with her teacher and complains about it daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used Richard Wright on purpose because I knew there would be some idiot who had never heard of him calling me racist.The people they have taken out of the curriculum include people like Mildred Taylor, the greatest writer about the Black Southern diaspora at the turn of the century, who wrote her families stories into a wonderful series of books for young adults and Elie Wiesel. There are text books on occasion but chrome books start in 5th and until those two you mentioned my daughter had never had a humanities or science textbook. A larger portion of time than I would like has been spent drawing pictures for presentations rather than chowing down on material. My very bright daughter is spending too much time talking about her feelings with her teacher and complains about it daily.

Well one thing we can all agree on is it seems the school is not right for you, which is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we heard back from Spence that our daughter is a very strong candidate, they loved meeting her and our family. She’s in a small list of girls from our preschool that Spence is interested in. We also sent a FCL. Can I assume we are good? Our preschool director has said she has not heard anything definitive from them. Will something definitive come early this week? I have not sent a FCL anywhere else. Would love any input!!

We were advised not to bring up Hunter Round 2 to the TT schools we have apps at because they care a lot about their yield. We can share how smart she is and the things she does (and the schools that let you send a video its helpful) but they can figure out Hunter themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used Richard Wright on purpose because I knew there would be some idiot who had never heard of him calling me racist.The people they have taken out of the curriculum include people like Mildred Taylor, the greatest writer about the Black Southern diaspora at the turn of the century, who wrote her families stories into a wonderful series of books for young adults and Elie Wiesel. There are text books on occasion but chrome books start in 5th and until those two you mentioned my daughter had never had a humanities or science textbook. A larger portion of time than I would like has been spent drawing pictures for presentations rather than chowing down on material. My very bright daughter is spending too much time talking about her feelings with her teacher and complains about it daily.

If you are leaving for high school, what would be a better option in NYC? I remember asking my Brearley-parent friends about that dad letter when it first surfaced, and their response was basically, yeah, a lot of it is true, but same thing goes on at all TT privates. (They stayed, and interestingly, now complain more about the natural sciences academics than anything in the humanities).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we heard back from Spence that our daughter is a very strong candidate, they loved meeting her and our family. She’s in a small list of girls from our preschool that Spence is interested in. We also sent a FCL. Can I assume we are good? Our preschool director has said she has not heard anything definitive from them. Will something definitive come early this week? I have not sent a FCL anywhere else. Would love any input!!

We were advised not to bring up Hunter Round 2 to the TT schools we have apps at because they care a lot about their yield. We can share how smart she is and the things she does (and the schools that let you send a video its helpful) but they can figure out Hunter themselves.

Which will you choose between Hunter and TT girls? There’s a chance I’ll have to make that choice. What are you thinking?

[Anonymous]

Yup, it is not for me
— leaving, but just wanted to give people a chance to make their own informed decisions, because the school is not upfront or honest. They are very high handed, secretive and dismissive, and it has gotten so much worse over the years. It’s indicative of how it operates that someone would be dismissed for pointing out observable changes, indicative of how it operates that it would change directions in this way against most people in the community’s wishes, indicative of how they operate to to push out a beloved important member of the community and expect her to pretend it was amicable.
It is pay to play, and the only people who they listen to are the ones who give ungodly sum of money. not ideal situation for little kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup, it is not for me
— leaving, but just wanted to give people a chance to make their own informed decisions, because the school is not upfront or honest. They are very high handed, secretive and dismissive, and it has gotten so much worse over the years. It’s indicative of how it operates that someone would be dismissed for pointing out observable changes, indicative of how it operates that it would change directions in this way against most people in the community’s wishes, indicative of how they operate to to push out a beloved important member of the community and expect her to pretend it was amicable.
It is pay to play, and the only people who they listen to are the ones who give ungodly sum of money. not ideal situation for little kids.

I am sure that the bolded is true, but are you saying that the richest parents in the school want a "woke" curriculum? In general. that seems at odds with most of the wealthiest people I interact with, though obviously it's not universal.

On your other post, I am not sure boarding school is right for my kids, but we'll see when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if these sorts of things bother you you'll probably find a school environment more to your liking at boarding school; if your kid is Brearley-caliber then they should also have no trouble getting into a TT one of those.

Oh no!!! No way we are parting with our little baby before college! (and who knows, there are some decent unis in nyc as well...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if these sorts of things bother you you'll probably find a school environment more to your liking at boarding school; if your kid is Brearley-caliber then they should also have no trouble getting into a TT one of those.

Oh no!!! No way we are parting with our little baby before college! (and who knows, there are some decent unis in nyc as well...)

If you're including Columbia and NYU, those are too woke! (j/k)