Will Landon make any changes?

[Anonymous]

I am interested in how the school will make changes in their culture after these recent events. I grew up in Bethesda and went to Whitman, and for as long as I can remember, and I am old, that school has had a reputation of producing somewhat bratty "boys" (not men), who are not the brightest (not dumb, but not bright). We had many transfer to Whitman, and they had their stories about the school, mostly off-putting. The funny thing is that Holton always had a reputation of being academically sound and challenging.

In these economic times, the school could see a shrinking applicant pool and worse problems. Most people attending the school are not there because they want their sons to be poorly educated brats. So Landon should take a close look at their image, and the reality of what is going on.

BTW, if they have to throw in the towel, the land is very valuable.

[Anonymous]

Why is it the school's fault the boys are "bratty" and not the parents?

[Anonymous]

It's the school's fault if it's the school's reputation. I wonder if people are start pulling those Landon bumper stickers off their SUVs.

[Anonymous]

If you go to Notre Dame's Website, the school where Yeardley Love attended, three phrases flash on the screen. ``Social Justice'' ``Academic excellence'' and ``spiritual growth.''

None of these values are associated with Landon and maybe that's the problem.

[Anonymous]

There are a few problems with Landon remaking themselves, including that the donor base likes lax-powerhouse Landon as the dominant brand. I do wonder what will happen, as lacrosse becomes popular enough so it is not a private school preserve ( and this is beginning to happen) whether it will cut into Landon's appeal. Unlike DC parents and STA, the MD parents have good public school options.

[Anonymous]

I don't think they are going to change. Yes, 9:04, the parents are very bratty. The boys are bratty and the administration does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the behavioral problems that happen daily on the Landon campus. Landon is going to continue on course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a few problems with Landon remaking themselves, including that the donor base likes lax-powerhouse Landon as the dominant brand. I do wonder what will happen, as lacrosse becomes popular enough so it is not a private school preserve ( and this is beginning to happen) whether it will cut into Landon's appeal. Unlike DC parents and STA, the MD parents have good public school options.

Many MD and VA parents have sons at STA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you go to Notre Dame's Website, the school where Yeardley Love attended, three phrases flash on the screen. ``Social Justice'' ``Academic excellence'' and ``spiritual growth.''

None of these values are associated with Landon and maybe that's the problem.

Isn't Notre Dame a religious school? Landon IS NOT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they are going to change. Yes, 9:04, the parents are very bratty. The boys are bratty and the administration does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the behavioral problems that happen daily on the Landon campus. Landon is going to continue on course.

People paying $28,000 a year for school probably feel entitled to be bratty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they are going to change. Yes, 9:04, the parents are very bratty. The boys are bratty and the administration does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the behavioral problems that happen daily on the Landon campus. Landon is going to continue on course.

People paying $28,000 a year for school probably feel entitled to be bratty.

I couldn't disagree more. I pay that for tuition and I expect and want the school to be my co-teacher on issues such as character development. The publics are so afraid to talk about moral issues for fear of offense that I send my children to private in the hopes that there are more opportunities for this kind of teaching/education, as well. As a supplement to what we do at home, modeling, etc. Having said that, I am concerned with some of the attitudes I see among the parents (my kids are young) and what life will look like for middle school and highschool type issues. I grew up in the Midwest and am somewhat shocked by how some people interact with their children around here. Or don't interact. I take parenting very seriously and I want my kids to be moral first and foremost (meaning good people, kind and considerate), well-educated, travel, and be healthy. Character matters a ton to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the school's fault if it's the school's reputation. I wonder if people are start pulling those Landon bumper stickers off their SUVs.

Actually, as a Holton alum who knows many, many wonderful, kind, ethical men who went to Landon, I've been sporting as much Landon paraphernalia lately as possible. You're stereotyping thousands of men and boys over one person and your obviously limited experience with the school. Has it occurred to you that you got negative stories out of the kids who transferred to Whitman b/c those were the kids that either didn't like it or couldn't cut it? (Not exactly a representative sample, btw.)

[Anonymous]

Oh,boy...Whitman has excellent academics. That would be a move up on the academic side. What about boys who got out of Landon and went to a Big 3? Both examples of a move up the academic ladder. Boys are moving for academic reasons and there has been a large migration for the last 2 or 3 years. Landon's athletics are great and are the reason to stay at Landon.

[Anonymous]

They will have a clause in the admission contract that specifically states: "No future criminals will be admitted under any circumstances."

[Anonymous]

Nobody is stereotyping Landon over one person. People are looking at a series of events involving Landon. Some of us have personal experience in dealing with Landon's students and parents. Some are just looking at Landon's BIG THREE media incidents. SAT Cheating, Duke mess (yes, yes, I know.) and now GH. Landon has tons of great kids and nice parents but it also has more, much more, than it's share of bratty parents and bully-athletes. Brought this up at a sideline this morning and consensus of parents around me was that Landon is a school for preppy thugs.

[Anonymous]

Curious why you spend so much time and energy bashing Landon, "brining it up at a sideline" this morning. Really? No grudge anywhere? I've seen "preppy thugs" from Whitman, from STA, from virtually every school in this area. Get real.