WES or St. Andrews
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
"PP, what you've quoted above is about the EPISCOPAL CHURCH - which can be very different from Episcopal schools."
No, that statement is incorrect. The school is supposed to support the work of the parish and vice versa. That's why Mrs. Schessler broke off from St. Patrick's: the mission of the clergy and the school were no longer compatible. WES has no Parish affiliated with it. So why is it called "Episcopal"? Also, your own quotation demonstrates that to be an Episcopal school, you must have an ordained priest. The unordained clergy are allowed - as you yourself quoted - only in very large schools where ordained clergy already exist, so they can perform the Eucharist. And WES's chapel is nothing like that described in what you pulled off the internet. Finally, there is no religious instruction in class. |
Anonymous
IF you don't like WES, don't send your kids there. That is the beauty of private schools: you choose whether or not to enroll your kids. There are many, many private schools in this area. Why get upset if you don't approve of one of them? Just go somewhere else. |
Anonymous
You are correct - people shouldn't send their kids to WES if they don't like the school. The larger issue, though, for those of us who are members of the Episcopal Church and care deeply about the Episcopal Church, is our concern that the school carries the Episcopal name but does not truly embrace Episcopal teachings or practices. That would be no different than a business using another business' name and trademark when it has not connection to other said business. WES is indeed an independent school, and they may do whatever they please. In fact, I encourage the school do what is best for the school. However, if you are going to use the name of our Church, that implies you will function in accordance with the teachings and practices of the Church. I have to agree with the previous poster that at the very least, I would expect there to be a priest on staff at the school. Having an ordained priest as chaplain is not the end all and be all of Episcopal identity. The decision not to have one, however, further reveals a dynamic that is already in place, namely that being Episcopal is not a priority for the school. This is in no way an attempt to be disrespectful to the lay chaplain that was just hired. I am sure he is absolutely fantastic, but the fact of the matter remains, he is not a priest. My criticism is not directed in any ways toward him but toward the school leadership for choosing to replaced a priest with a lay person. As you yourself noted from the NAES website, lay chaplains are generally used at larger schools when an ordained chaplain is also on staff. Lay chaplains are not substitutes for ordained. I would also expect to see at least one member of the administration - at the very least one - who is an active Episcopalian. It is my understanding that this is not the case, and I am open to correction if I am incorrect. If WES does not choose to have those things, that is within its right, but the school should not continue to carry the name of the Church if it chooses not to adhere to Church teachings. The reputation of the Church is impacted by the actions of institutions who use its name. And as I noted in my previous post, WES's reputation is beginning to speak for itself any way. I think it is ironic that NAES literature was quoted given that even the NAES leadership is frustrated with what is going on at WES, and our own priest refuses to recommend WES to parishioners seeking an Episcopal school for their children. Is there any wonder that enrollment is currently down more than 30 students from last year to this coming fall - second grade is down from two sections to one, and the three sections of fifth-grade are now being squeezed into two sections in sixth. Before anyone accuse me of making those statistics up, they came directly from the spouse of a board member. |
Anonymous
| St Andrews, Episcopal (boarding), St Stephens, Grace Episcopal and a few other Episcopal schools are all better choices. For all kinds of reasons. |
Anonymous
| Well put 10:29. I would like to also add that Episcopal Church membership, attendance or even any kind of Christian affiliation has never been a requirement for a board position or even Chair of the Board - which is why the school has devolved from an "Episcopal" School to what it is today. Currently, there is no new headmaster in place. The Acting headmistress is making jokes about "Wash. Methodist School", the new chaplain is not a chaplain, and the last two heads were in no way outwardly religious men. So who is running the school? |
Anonymous
|
This is 22:35 again.
We look to WES for an excellent education for our DC in the Episcopal spirit, knowing that it is not a substitute for regular attendance at our local Episcopal church. Ironically, there are other members of our church who have stopped attending church regularly precisely because their DC have the benefit of chapel service at WES. In reading through the Episcopal Schools website, I saw that there was a period of time when many Episcopal schools chose not to hire chaplains at all. They were still part of the community of Episcopal schools. Now the pendulum is swinging back. See: There is no position in a school that can be more misunderstood, raise more flags, provoke stronger reactions—both positive and negative—than that of the school chaplain. It is a position that carries with it intense symbolic significance: all one need do is sit in on the initial discussions of the committee charged with searching for a new chaplain at a school to know what intensity, variety and ambiguity this role, in the abstract, can evoke from a group of people charged with crafting a new job description and finding someone to fill that position. To some, the chaplaincy is absolutely crucial for the identity of the school; to others, the wish is that, somehow, this position (and all that it implies) would simply fade away, like other relics of the past. It is not unusual for search committees to be looking for someone who is open, accepting of others who are different from him or her (indeed, accepting of those in the community that question the need for a chaplain in the first place!) and at the same time expect that person to be firmly grounded in a particular tradition. The chaplain should be approachable, down to earth, accessible and at the same time be someone who reminds people of and can lead them to a deeper sense of the holy. - See more at: http://www.episcopalschools.org/library/articles/2012/03/23/so-what-does-a-chaplain-do-anyway-#sthash.VVlg3OTQ.dpuf I can see that 1:19 and some others are upset. With all due respect, I think we have different interpretations of the NAES website. Perhaps you can become more involved with the new headmaster search? They are advertising on the Episcopal sites, so perhaps we will have a new Episcopal headmaster. I hope all these pages have answered the original poster's question. And for the others, this is why we call the Episcopal faith a "big tent." There is room for lots of differing viewpoints, and of course in this spirit, Episcopal schools welcome students, faculty and administration of all faith backgrounds (including atheist/agnostic). Peace. |
Anonymous
| The most logical solution to all of this controversy would have been to include parents in the hiring of the new chaplain. When we hired Father Tim, Mr. Duncan set up a faculty committee and a parent committee to assist with the process. Father Tim interviewed with both committees and both made recommendations to Mr. Duncan, which was unanimous in Father Tim's case. I don't understand why that process wasn't followed again this time. Parental concerns about hiring a non-ordained person could have been addressed at that time. Instead, Father Tim announced in April that he was not returning, and the current head and administrators just hired someone and announced it at the end of the school year with no parent input. Friends who are are connected with St. Andrews and NCS have told me that parent committees were involved in both schools when they hired their new chaplains this year, but that was not the case at WES. Unfortunately, this new head and the current administrators, though very nice, are making assumptions about what parents want without actually asking them. If all of the current administrators and head are indeed not Episcopalian as has been suggested, then it would have mad even more sense to include parents. I certainly hope the board conducted an exit interview Father Tim left. |
Anonymous
| The temp HOS is a teacher. She can't be expected to know much about administrative processes and governance. |
Anonymous
She was a part of the process last year, and it doesn't seem unreasonable to set up a parent and teacher committee. It is actually common practice. If she is not experienced enough to know those things, then someone on the board should be helping. During interim periods, schools need even stronger leadership, not less. |
Anonymous
| All of the WES Debbie Downers need to get off of this web site and focus on their kids and what is important in your lives which is hopefully your children (and not posting negative things about WES, a truly great school). I am a current WES parent and love it. I love the interim HOS, I love the new chaplain and my kid is happy to be going back to school and blossoming into an amazing young person thanks to WES. There is no place in this world for the negativity that is on this string of posts. Go spend time with your kids rather than spending half the day posting on this site. Seriously, ask yourself what is more important. The current WES families get it and we just found out today that a current family actually just gave an anonymous gift of $100,000 to WES to show their appreciation for the faculty, staff and board. |
Anonymous
| WES does have some parents who are drinking the Kool Aid and writing generous checks. They love being a big fish in a tiny pond! Sorry, but it's time to get some decent teachers! |
Anonymous
|
The $100,000 gift will cover 3 tuitions and a bit more. Nice gift with enrollment down.
Where's the rest coming from?? |
Anonymous
can't find happiness in life? Not happy with your kids? DC counseled out? You can always spread your negativity at WES threads. Not much to say except "may you find happiness and fulfillment in life and share these" |
Anonymous
Happy parents then at any school should be then described as "drinking the Kool Aid", and the tiny pond is not a negative in my eyes, but part of the charm. The teachers at WES are more than decent, they are superb. Everyone has their own opinion, but not everyone has to be as bitter as you sound. You would not do well at WES with that attitude. The faculty and families are kind and respectful from what we have experienced. |
Anonymous
| Please, please. Tonight we were made aware that one of our WES teachers is in a hospital and in bad condition. Can we please set DCUM nonsense aside and pray for a great teacher? |