GDS just dropped AP testing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gds parent here. No big deal. I bet most posters vociferating on this thread don’t even have kids at GDS!

No one expects GDS parents, like yourself, to say anything other than “no big deal” in response to this nonsense. Otherwise, you would actually have to do something. At this point, it’s clear that many GDS families are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

I’m not a GDS parent but why do you care about how GDS parents react? How does any GDS policy affect you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that GDS parents should have anticipated that at some point the school would stop offering the AP test. I understand it’s inconvenient but any school that no longer offers AP course at some point will also stop offering the exam. GDS should provide a list of schools in the DMV where students can take the test.

Long time, multiple kid GDS parent here w/ a HS kid interested in UK schools which require APs.

School's email yesterday is typical GDS. Meant to calm but actually stresses. They say nothing about where to test other than the college board link they send. Now parents are left to call dozen pus schools - who the heck do we even ask for? GDS email says to start calling in early september b/c slots can fill up.

I just dont understand how this helps anyone - its purely done for virtue signaling and false de-stress.

The GDS college profile last year stated that GDS kids in 2022 took 150+ AP tests. So what happens now - those 80-100 parents all start calling JR, STA, Sidwell, BCC, etc

The least GDS could have done is to make an arrangement w/ JR or a few schools to guarantee or even fund out if they would take non-students. That college board list has no indication of whether the school takes outside students

Another in a long line of fails by this college office.

I've resisted posting this but here my favorite other fails just from last year
1) the part time essay reader/yoga instructor who was made a college counselor and who was awful and was fired by end of the same school year when parents and kids who had this person as CC were appalled at her lack of basic knowledge and organization

2) the really sad story of the senior last year for whom college office did not send transcripts and recs to ANY colleges RD. The registrar just skipped over this kid b/c everything done on paper and the kid's "blue sheet" (or whatever that stupid system is) was stuck to another kid's sheet and was never seen by the registrar. Kid ended up having incomplete apps at all schools and matriculated at a rolling college past deadlines. Just a few examples of the "world class" office led by Emily. Instead of adding 2-3 more counselors and better essay readers, she spends all summer planning how to eliminate AP testing on campus. B/c standardized tests are bad and racist and all decisions must viirtue signal first and foremost

3) Lack of any way to look at SCOIR or naviance to see stats of prior kids who went to colleges from GDS last few years. EVen schools who close this option for parents leave access for parents when they go to CC office to view. GDS steadfastly refuses to show us a single data point. Zero. They have the data. They just wont show it. Instead, the CC's use coded language to dissuade or encourage and never have DIRECT stats driven dialog w/ parents. Why?

I will be writing the college office, the board chair, and Yom and Russell.

Of course, it will do absolutely nothing for any of us. They will all grin-f*ck me but actually wont do a thing. They wont even pick up the phone to call a few peer schools to make sure if they even let GDS kids register for APs at those schools. they wont even guarantee that teachers will allow kids taking the tests to miss class for a day if taking the tests

the old schools GDS teachers who ran AP test prep sessions after school (i'm talking about the 30-40 year stalwarts who students love) must all be so sad to see the school become this awful tangle of idiotic decision making

[Anonymous]

At an absolute minimum…why wasn’t this policy announced last May right after AP tests. At least that would have given parents 4 months to figure something out.

[Anonymous]

Woke GDS! How can you be surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gds parent here. No big deal. I bet most posters vociferating on this thread don’t even have kids at GDS!

No one expects GDS parents, like yourself, to say anything other than “no big deal” in response to this nonsense. Otherwise, you would actually have to do something. At this point, it’s clear that many GDS families are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

I’m not a GDS parent but why do you care about how GDS parents react? How does any GDS policy affect you?

Thankfully, GDS’ ridiculous policies do NOT affect me. However, I comment on things I don’t really care about all the time. I will continue to do so.

[Anonymous]

Did GDS inform parents that if your child needs accommodations for AP tests it is going to be even harder to find another school that has space?
Friend’s child is homeschooled due to her extensive medical needs and takes online AP classes. It is really, really hard to find schools that will allow students to take AP tests with accommodations at their school. She never had luck at ANY public schools and called so many private schools in order to find one school with space.

[Anonymous]

Another gds parent here who finds this super -par for the course - annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that GDS parents should have anticipated that at some point the school would stop offering the AP test. I understand it’s inconvenient but any school that no longer offers AP course at some point will also stop offering the exam. GDS should provide a list of schools in the DMV where students can take the test.

Long time, multiple kid GDS parent here w/ a HS kid interested in UK schools which require APs.

School's email yesterday is typical GDS. Meant to calm but actually stresses. They say nothing about where to test other than the college board link they send. Now parents are left to call dozen pus schools - who the heck do we even ask for? GDS email says to start calling in early september b/c slots can fill up.

I just dont understand how this helps anyone - its purely done for virtue signaling and false de-stress.

The GDS college profile last year stated that GDS kids in 2022 took 150+ AP tests. So what happens now - those 80-100 parents all start calling JR, STA, Sidwell, BCC, etc

The least GDS could have done is to make an arrangement w/ JR or a few schools to guarantee or even fund out if they would take non-students. That college board list has no indication of whether the school takes outside students

Another in a long line of fails by this college office.

I've resisted posting this but here my favorite other fails just from last year
1) the part time essay reader/yoga instructor who was made a college counselor and who was awful and was fired by end of the same school year when parents and kids who had this person as CC were appalled at her lack of basic knowledge and organization

2) the really sad story of the senior last year for whom college office did not send transcripts and recs to ANY colleges RD. The registrar just skipped over this kid b/c everything done on paper and the kid's "blue sheet" (or whatever that stupid system is) was stuck to another kid's sheet and was never seen by the registrar. Kid ended up having incomplete apps at all schools and matriculated at a rolling college past deadlines. Just a few examples of the "world class" office led by Emily. Instead of adding 2-3 more counselors and better essay readers, she spends all summer planning how to eliminate AP testing on campus. B/c standardized tests are bad and racist and all decisions must viirtue signal first and foremost

3) Lack of any way to look at SCOIR or naviance to see stats of prior kids who went to colleges from GDS last few years. EVen schools who close this option for parents leave access for parents when they go to CC office to view. GDS steadfastly refuses to show us a single data point. Zero. They have the data. They just wont show it. Instead, the CC's use coded language to dissuade or encourage and never have DIRECT stats driven dialog w/ parents. Why?

I will be writing the college office, the board chair, and Yom and Russell.

Of course, it will do absolutely nothing for any of us. They will all grin-f*ck me but actually wont do a thing. They wont even pick up the phone to call a few peer schools to make sure if they even let GDS kids register for APs at those schools. they wont even guarantee that teachers will allow kids taking the tests to miss class for a day if taking the tests

the old schools GDS teachers who ran AP test prep sessions after school (i'm talking about the 30-40 year stalwarts who students love) must all be so sad to see the school become this awful tangle of idiotic decision making.

My child attends a different DC private school, but I really empathize with you, GDS parent. All of the examples you gave would anger and frustrate me to no end! I hope that GDS changes these ill conceived policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At an absolute minimum…why wasn’t this policy announced last May right after AP tests. At least that would have given parents 4 months to figure something out.

Exactly! Or why couldn’t they have announced that this will be the last year tests are offered onsite…so parents were prepared?

[Anonymous]

We attend a different Jesuit HS (not in the DCUM area) and they offer AP tests but don’t teach the curriculum. AP testing is very important to UMC families who are hoping for credit, looking into the UK/Canada. People who can afford a lot but not tip top - that is a big portion of the student body at these jesuit schools. Who don’t they get that?

[Anonymous]

* why don’t they get that

[Anonymous]

Don’t any GDS kids apply to Oxford or Cambridge universities? You need AP scores for those schools for sure. Also, McGill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t any GDS kids apply to Oxford or Cambridge universities? You need AP scores for those schools for sure. Also, McGill.

Yes they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It makes sense that they stopped offering the exams because they did a poor job of communicating that the AP exams were offered at GDS and some parents were furious that they didn’t figure out early enough to get their kid tutored for the exams while other kids and parents had it all figured out. There were many complaints about how GDS had a hypocritical approach towards AP exams. Criticizing them on one hand while also validating them by offering some of the exams at school

Ha ha ha. Pay for gds and pay for ap tutor at 250/hour. I am Not happy.

[Anonymous]

Accommodations impossible to get at local publics. Line up behind their kids.