New Parent In GDS 9th: The Lack of Transparency Alarms Me

[Anonymous]

My kid is newly enrolled in GDS, and while we generally like the school so far, I am alarmed by the lack of transparency from the administration and teachers. I'm trying to keep up with his grades, and they give me the runaround. They don't have an online portal such as "PowerSchool" to let parents see their kids grade in real-time. They also keep telling me "Grades aren't important. Worry about your child's learning and growth as a person."

When he asked for advice on his writing, the instructor told him "we aren't gong to copyedit your work for you." When he asked for help in his history class, the teacher told him "I'm not going to walk you through this."

Teachers seem to place a heavy emphasis on self-teaching, which is frustrating to me.

[Anonymous]

That all sounds pretty good actually.

[Anonymous]

Not sure what you expect? Your kid is in high school. You don’t need to see his grades in real time. DC is at another big 3 and there is no way for the parents to see grades in real time. It’s the norm at a lot of schools. As for the copy editing comment, what exactly did your kid ask? If he wants somebody to go through line by line, that is not the norm either. Kids at these schools are not spoonfed information where all they have to do is regurgitate what they memorized. Is this your first year at a private school in general?

[Anonymous]

I partially understand this parent's perspective. But, also, with GDS (and really most top schools) putting a heavy emphasis on self-advocacy and independence, I would not expect anything else.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in 9th grade at another Big3 and I have no idea how she's doing. As in, I don't know if she has As or Fs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in 9th grade at another Big3 and I have no idea how she's doing. As in, I don't know if she has As or Fs.

Would you specify which school? Also, how often are report cards/grades released?

[Anonymous]

Do you have reason to think that your child isn't doing well? There's no reason you need to see grades in real time.

My GDS student has found teachers accessible and helpful. Do you know what your child asked the teachers?

[Anonymous]

The grades thing is as it should be. Students not getting help when going to the teacher is not good, however.

[Anonymous]

They would send you a school update if he got a C or lower. My DD has found her English teacher to be accessible but the biology one not as reachable.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to GDS--we love the school, but agree there will be an adjustment for your child and you if you have a new 9th grader. GDS, like many high schools, report the grades to the students, not the parents, so students can take primary responsibility for their academic performance. It takes a bit of getting used to having to ask your child how they are doing, but in the long run it's great as your child gets older that they take on the role of managing their academics without you (college comes up way faster than you think). They do of course give parents mid-semester updates, semesterly and annual report cards, and have parent teacher conferences coming up.

At the beginning of 9th, the teachers are trying to encourage students to focus on the learning, not just the grades, which is an adjustment for kids who just applied in from 8th who have focused on grades throughout MS. The work is going to be harder than what they are used too--a kid who got straight A's in Middle probably won't do that in 9th.

Reading between the lines, I suspect your kid's teachers might be trying to get them to take more responsibility for their work versus actually requiring "self-teaching". For reading/writing classes like English and History, teachers are going to push them to take a bigger role in considering their argument/thesis/content, editing their work, evolving their writing style (maybe more concise, more direct, more opinionated, etc). They are totally willing to meet and speak with students, but do expect that students also make an effort to improve on their end too.

At parent teacher conferences, I would suggest you discuss the feedback your child has reported to you to better understand what's going on.

And if your child is really distressed over this now, definitely reach out to the advisor and/or teacher for advice. They want students to take more responsibility, but also feel supported so if your child is having a really hard time, it's fine for you to speak with the advisor or teacher now. The transition to HS is an adjustment for everyone. Hang in there. I promise it will get better!

[Anonymous]

PP here--forgot to add i have a current GDS HS student and one in college so been there done that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The grades thing is as it should be. Students not getting help when going to the teacher is not good, however.

I agree. It's literally their job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The grades thing is as it should be. Students not getting help when going to the teacher is not good, however.

I agree. It's literally their job.

How many times have I heard that private is better because students get personal attention and support and don’t fall through the cracks? We get teacher writing feedback and help in history for free over here in public. They also communicate the grades in real time to parents and students.

[Anonymous]

GDS isn't that great a school, to be honest.

[Anonymous]

Parent teacher conferences are in Nov and you can also always talk to your child’s advisor or grade dean. My child also started in ninth and it was an adjustment not to have an online grade book anymore. Now I think it’s a better system because kids don’t get obsessed with checking their online grades all the time and they also learn to manage their work without constant parental oversight, which makes them more independent, capable, and confident. I can’t speak to the experiences with specific teachers, but my child has always been able to get input and help from teachers outside of class.