GDS Head of School Search

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is actually a pretty tough job because GDS is so tangled up in identity politics and I say this as an extra blue with blue on the side liberal.

When it was founded - and even later when I attended - it was full of Jewish kids and black kids from inside the District. We were all aware of social justice issues and they were woven into the daily life of the school. But i don't remember a signal race or religion-based incident of any note.

The school that my kids went to was regularly caught up in one controversy after another. It's like walking on eggshells there. There are committees and rivalries and power blocs and the next HOS should probably figure out a way to reduce the tension.

We havn't experienced anything like this in the four years we've been at the high school.
Can you give any specifics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be crazy if they actually hired people who are teachers or experts in education for these type of jobs.

But these jobs are so far removed from classroom jobs—legal issues, hiring, fundraising, facilities, dealing with parents, long term planning. Etc etc etc. There is a reason these jobs pay so much…they are incredibly complex.

Problems arise when the focus is not on teaching. teachers, and students. The HOS should not be far removed from the classroom and needs to be more than a bureaucrat.

An HOS has to focus on all of it. Teachers, students, parents, curriculum, facilities, fundraising, finances, admissions, legal matters, and more. I don’t know what the perfect amount of classroom experience would be to satisfy all the opinions, but a future HOS has likely made the move to administration by the time they are in their early to mid 30s. So there will always be some lifelong teachers that scoff at and resent the limited classroom experience of some administrators.

It’s not really as complex as people make it out to be.

Wrong. It’s complex and exhausting, far beyond most careers, and that’s why it pays as well as it does.

Sounds like you are on the board and trying to justify the excessive compensation the HOS receives

+1. I’d like to know how much the lowest paid employee at GDS earns, and use that to justify the HOS salary.

What the point of doing that here or any other industry?

The human capital earnings function is a function of your education, experience, years of each, quality of each, etc.

Unless you’re in a communist country the unskilled, uneducated, easily replaceable labor does not get paid as if the opposite. And vice versa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be crazy if they actually hired people who are teachers or experts in education for these type of jobs.

But these jobs are so far removed from classroom jobs—legal issues, hiring, fundraising, facilities, dealing with parents, long term planning. Etc etc etc. There is a reason these jobs pay so much…they are incredibly complex.

Problems arise when the focus is not on teaching. teachers, and students. The HOS should not be far removed from the classroom and needs to be more than a bureaucrat.

An HOS has to focus on all of it. Teachers, students, parents, curriculum, facilities, fundraising, finances, admissions, legal matters, and more. I don’t know what the perfect amount of classroom experience would be to satisfy all the opinions, but a future HOS has likely made the move to administration by the time they are in their early to mid 30s. So there will always be some lifelong teachers that scoff at and resent the limited classroom experience of some administrators.

It’s not really as complex as people make it out to be.

Wrong. It’s complex and exhausting, far beyond most careers, and that’s why it pays as well as it does.

Sounds like you are on the board and trying to justify the excessive compensation the HOS receives

+1. I’d like to know how much the lowest paid employee at GDS earns, and use that to justify the HOS salary.

What the point of doing that here or any other industry?

The human capital earnings function is a function of your education, experience, years of each, quality of each, etc.

Unless you’re in a communist country the unskilled, uneducated, easily replaceable labor does not get paid as if the opposite. And vice versa.

Because GDS is school that purports to be guided by a mission of justice. GDS is not a for-profit institution, FYI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be crazy if they actually hired people who are teachers or experts in education for these type of jobs.

But these jobs are so far removed from classroom jobs—legal issues, hiring, fundraising, facilities, dealing with parents, long term planning. Etc etc etc. There is a reason these jobs pay so much…they are incredibly complex.

Problems arise when the focus is not on teaching. teachers, and students. The HOS should not be far removed from the classroom and needs to be more than a bureaucrat.

An HOS has to focus on all of it. Teachers, students, parents, curriculum, facilities, fundraising, finances, admissions, legal matters, and more. I don’t know what the perfect amount of classroom experience would be to satisfy all the opinions, but a future HOS has likely made the move to administration by the time they are in their early to mid 30s. So there will always be some lifelong teachers that scoff at and resent the limited classroom experience of some administrators.

It’s not really as complex as people make it out to be.

Wrong. It’s complex and exhausting, far beyond most careers, and that’s why it pays as well as it does.

Sounds like you are on the board and trying to justify the excessive compensation the HOS receives

+1. I’d like to know how much the lowest paid employee at GDS earns, and use that to justify the HOS salary.

What the point of doing that here or any other industry?

The human capital earnings function is a function of your education, experience, years of each, quality of each, etc.

Unless you’re in a communist country the unskilled, uneducated, easily replaceable labor does not get paid as if the opposite. And vice versa.

Because GDS is school that purports to be guided by a mission of justice. GDS is not a for-profit institution, FYI.

NP here. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a not-for-profit institution. Plenty of leaders of not for profit institutions earn huge amounts of money. And if you insist, I will explain to you why heads of school are paid so well. We could talk all day long about what justice is, and we will probably not see eye to eye. But the bottom line is you live in America and this is capitalism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is actually a pretty tough job because GDS is so tangled up in identity politics and I say this as an extra blue with blue on the side liberal.

When it was founded - and even later when I attended - it was full of Jewish kids and black kids from inside the District. We were all aware of social justice issues and they were woven into the daily life of the school. But i don't remember a signal race or religion-based incident of any note.

The school that my kids went to was regularly caught up in one controversy after another. It's like walking on eggshells there. There are committees and rivalries and power blocs and the next HOS should probably figure out a way to reduce the tension.

We havn't experienced anything like this in the four years we've been at the high school.
Can you give any specifics?

Diff pp here. You can’t see what you don’t want to see

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is actually a pretty tough job because GDS is so tangled up in identity politics and I say this as an extra blue with blue on the side liberal.

When it was founded - and even later when I attended - it was full of Jewish kids and black kids from inside the District. We were all aware of social justice issues and they were woven into the daily life of the school. But i don't remember a signal race or religion-based incident of any note.

The school that my kids went to was regularly caught up in one controversy after another. It's like walking on eggshells there. There are committees and rivalries and power blocs and the next HOS should probably figure out a way to reduce the tension.

We havn't experienced anything like this in the four years we've been at the high school.
Can you give any specifics?

Diff pp here. You can’t see what you don’t want to see

So that means you can't give any specific examples?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is actually a pretty tough job because GDS is so tangled up in identity politics and I say this as an extra blue with blue on the side liberal.

When it was founded - and even later when I attended - it was full of Jewish kids and black kids from inside the District. We were all aware of social justice issues and they were woven into the daily life of the school. But i don't remember a signal race or religion-based incident of any note.

The school that my kids went to was regularly caught up in one controversy after another. It's like walking on eggshells there. There are committees and rivalries and power blocs and the next HOS should probably figure out a way to reduce the tension.

We havn't experienced anything like this in the four years we've been at the high school.
Can you give any specifics?

Diff pp here. You can’t see what you don’t want to see

So that means you can't give any specific examples?

If you don't know, then you probably don't have any real connection to GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is actually a pretty tough job because GDS is so tangled up in identity politics and I say this as an extra blue with blue on the side liberal.

When it was founded - and even later when I attended - it was full of Jewish kids and black kids from inside the District. We were all aware of social justice issues and they were woven into the daily life of the school. But i don't remember a signal race or religion-based incident of any note.

The school that my kids went to was regularly caught up in one controversy after another. It's like walking on eggshells there. There are committees and rivalries and power blocs and the next HOS should probably figure out a way to reduce the tension.

We havn't experienced anything like this in the four years we've been at the high school.
Can you give any specifics?

Diff pp here. You can’t see what you don’t want to see

So that means you can't give any specific examples?

If you don't know, then you probably don't have any real connection to GDS.

This is exactly right

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is actually a pretty tough job because GDS is so tangled up in identity politics and I say this as an extra blue with blue on the side liberal.

When it was founded - and even later when I attended - it was full of Jewish kids and black kids from inside the District. We were all aware of social justice issues and they were woven into the daily life of the school. But i don't remember a signal race or religion-based incident of any note.

The school that my kids went to was regularly caught up in one controversy after another. It's like walking on eggshells there. There are committees and rivalries and power blocs and the next HOS should probably figure out a way to reduce the tension.

We havn't experienced anything like this in the four years we've been at the high school.
Can you give any specifics?

Diff pp here. You can’t see what you don’t want to see

So that means you can't give any specific examples?

If you don't know, then you probably don't have any real connection to GDS.

This is exactly right

0r you could have joined this year like our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be crazy if they actually hired people who are teachers or experts in education for these type of jobs.

But these jobs are so far removed from classroom jobs—legal issues, hiring, fundraising, facilities, dealing with parents, long term planning. Etc etc etc. There is a reason these jobs pay so much…they are incredibly complex.

Problems arise when the focus is not on teaching. teachers, and students. The HOS should not be far removed from the classroom and needs to be more than a bureaucrat.

An HOS has to focus on all of it. Teachers, students, parents, curriculum, facilities, fundraising, finances, admissions, legal matters, and more. I don’t know what the perfect amount of classroom experience would be to satisfy all the opinions, but a future HOS has likely made the move to administration by the time they are in their early to mid 30s. So there will always be some lifelong teachers that scoff at and resent the limited classroom experience of some administrators.

It’s not really as complex as people make it out to be.

Wrong. It’s complex and exhausting, far beyond most careers, and that’s why it pays as well as it does.

Sounds like you are on the board and trying to justify the excessive compensation the HOS receives

+1. I’d like to know how much the lowest paid employee at GDS earns, and use that to justify the HOS salary.

What the point of doing that here or any other industry?

The human capital earnings function is a function of your education, experience, years of each, quality of each, etc.

Unless you’re in a communist country the unskilled, uneducated, easily replaceable labor does not get paid as if the opposite. And vice versa.

Because GDS is school that purports to be guided by a mission of justice. GDS is not a for-profit institution, FYI.

NP here. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a not-for-profit institution. Plenty of leaders of not for profit institutions earn huge amounts of money. And if you insist, I will explain to you why heads of school are paid so well. We could talk all day long about what justice is, and we will probably not see eye to eye. But the bottom line is you live in America and this is capitalism.

NP. That’s true. At the same it doesn’t hurt to make your speech consistent with your actions. If a school is interested in high income families to get more money, there is nothing wrong in saying so. But it’s a bit puzzling to say that your main focus is social justice and doing something different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be crazy if they actually hired people who are teachers or experts in education for these type of jobs.

But these jobs are so far removed from classroom jobs—legal issues, hiring, fundraising, facilities, dealing with parents, long term planning. Etc etc etc. There is a reason these jobs pay so much…they are incredibly complex.

Problems arise when the focus is not on teaching. teachers, and students. The HOS should not be far removed from the classroom and needs to be more than a bureaucrat.

An HOS has to focus on all of it. Teachers, students, parents, curriculum, facilities, fundraising, finances, admissions, legal matters, and more. I don’t know what the perfect amount of classroom experience would be to satisfy all the opinions, but a future HOS has likely made the move to administration by the time they are in their early to mid 30s. So there will always be some lifelong teachers that scoff at and resent the limited classroom experience of some administrators.

It’s not really as complex as people make it out to be.

Wrong. It’s complex and exhausting, far beyond most careers, and that’s why it pays as well as it does.

Sounds like you are on the board and trying to justify the excessive compensation the HOS receives

+1. I’d like to know how much the lowest paid employee at GDS earns, and use that to justify the HOS salary.

What the point of doing that here or any other industry?

The human capital earnings function is a function of your education, experience, years of each, quality of each, etc.

Unless you’re in a communist country the unskilled, uneducated, easily replaceable labor does not get paid as if the opposite. And vice versa.

Because GDS is school that purports to be guided by a mission of justice. GDS is not a for-profit institution, FYI.

NP here. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a not-for-profit institution. Plenty of leaders of not for profit institutions earn huge amounts of money. And if you insist, I will explain to you why heads of school are paid so well. We could talk all day long about what justice is, and we will probably not see eye to eye. But the bottom line is you live in America and this is capitalism.

NP. That’s true. At the same it doesn’t hurt to make your speech consistent with your actions. If a school is interested in high income families to get more money, there is nothing wrong in saying so. But it’s a bit puzzling to say that your main focus is social justice and doing something different.

Well, I guess social justice can come in many different forms, but I think it’s unrealistic to think that one of the most prestigious schools on the East Coast is going to underpay for a highly competent head of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be crazy if they actually hired people who are teachers or experts in education for these type of jobs.

But these jobs are so far removed from classroom jobs—legal issues, hiring, fundraising, facilities, dealing with parents, long term planning. Etc etc etc. There is a reason these jobs pay so much…they are incredibly complex.

Problems arise when the focus is not on teaching. teachers, and students. The HOS should not be far removed from the classroom and needs to be more than a bureaucrat.

An HOS has to focus on all of it. Teachers, students, parents, curriculum, facilities, fundraising, finances, admissions, legal matters, and more. I don’t know what the perfect amount of classroom experience would be to satisfy all the opinions, but a future HOS has likely made the move to administration by the time they are in their early to mid 30s. So there will always be some lifelong teachers that scoff at and resent the limited classroom experience of some administrators.

It’s not really as complex as people make it out to be.

Wrong. It’s complex and exhausting, far beyond most careers, and that’s why it pays as well as it does.

Sounds like you are on the board and trying to justify the excessive compensation the HOS receives

+1. I’d like to know how much the lowest paid employee at GDS earns, and use that to justify the HOS salary.

What the point of doing that here or any other industry?

The human capital earnings function is a function of your education, experience, years of each, quality of each, etc.

Unless you’re in a communist country the unskilled, uneducated, easily replaceable labor does not get paid as if the opposite. And vice versa.

Because GDS is school that purports to be guided by a mission of justice. GDS is not a for-profit institution, FYI.

NP here. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a not-for-profit institution. Plenty of leaders of not for profit institutions earn huge amounts of money. And if you insist, I will explain to you why heads of school are paid so well. We could talk all day long about what justice is, and we will probably not see eye to eye. But the bottom line is you live in America and this is capitalism.

NP. That’s true. At the same it doesn’t hurt to make your speech consistent with your actions. If a school is interested in high income families to get more money, there is nothing wrong in saying so. But it’s a bit puzzling to say that your main focus is social justice and doing something different.

Well, I guess social justice can come in many different forms, but I think it’s unrealistic to think that one of the most prestigious schools on the East Coast is going to underpay for a highly competent head of school.

I agree with you. I am fine with high salaries as long as it compensates top talent and skills. Thats a free market outcome.

I guess a previous poster suggested that might not be entirely consistent with social justice speech and inclusion in many schools. If the main focus is social justice one option is to cut all salaries and offer more scholarships to poor families. But it seems that the focus on social justice is more selective. In any case this is something common to dc private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wouldn't it be crazy if they actually hired people who are teachers or experts in education for these type of jobs.

But these jobs are so far removed from classroom jobs—legal issues, hiring, fundraising, facilities, dealing with parents, long term planning. Etc etc etc. There is a reason these jobs pay so much…they are incredibly complex.

Problems arise when the focus is not on teaching. teachers, and students. The HOS should not be far removed from the classroom and needs to be more than a bureaucrat.

An HOS has to focus on all of it. Teachers, students, parents, curriculum, facilities, fundraising, finances, admissions, legal matters, and more. I don’t know what the perfect amount of classroom experience would be to satisfy all the opinions, but a future HOS has likely made the move to administration by the time they are in their early to mid 30s. So there will always be some lifelong teachers that scoff at and resent the limited classroom experience of some administrators.

It’s not really as complex as people make it out to be.

Wrong. It’s complex and exhausting, far beyond most careers, and that’s why it pays as well as it does.

Sounds like you are on the board and trying to justify the excessive compensation the HOS receives

+1. I’d like to know how much the lowest paid employee at GDS earns, and use that to justify the HOS salary.

What the point of doing that here or any other industry?

The human capital earnings function is a function of your education, experience, years of each, quality of each, etc.

Unless you’re in a communist country the unskilled, uneducated, easily replaceable labor does not get paid as if the opposite. And vice versa.

Because GDS is school that purports to be guided by a mission of justice. GDS is not a for-profit institution, FYI.

NP here. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a not-for-profit institution. Plenty of leaders of not for profit institutions earn huge amounts of money. And if you insist, I will explain to you why heads of school are paid so well. We could talk all day long about what justice is, and we will probably not see eye to eye. But the bottom line is you live in America and this is capitalism.

NP. That’s true. At the same it doesn’t hurt to make your speech consistent with your actions. If a school is interested in high income families to get more money, there is nothing wrong in saying so. But it’s a bit puzzling to say that your main focus is social justice and doing something different.

Well, I guess social justice can come in many different forms, but I think it’s unrealistic to think that one of the most prestigious schools on the East Coast is going to underpay for a highly competent head of school.

Uh, no.

[Anonymous]

I’d rather send my kid to a school that openly states that they are interested in rich families. At least that’s more honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather send my kid to a school that openly states that they are interested in rich families. At least that’s more honest.

lol. Does anybody’s website actually say that? I think it’d be a little crass. It’s a pretty obvious conclusion that private school schools need well to do families to function. But some well to do people do see a value in being charitable, supporting social justice causes, and attempting to instill those values in their children.