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Private & Independent Schools
Will Whittle be around next year?
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Anonymous
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The main investor pulled out. There are two other investors that they hope to cover the 1 million necessary for immediate operations and then once the deal is finalized to ensure the rest of the year and next year. We have been told over and over that these “mergers” and “deals” would be finalized since last October.
At this point the power and water are kept on by the landlord. Whittle has no funds and relies of donations on a week by week basis to pay teachers, cleaning, and security. The security company left weeks ago and this private school that parents pay 50k/year asks that all kids bring packed lunch each day “until funding is secured” Next payday is next Tuesday and they have not secured these funds. There is a group of nine parents that are working to get the money together to pay staff. According to this morning’s meeting, that hasn’t happened yet. Last meeting when a teacher asked whether or not insurance and contracted summer pay would be secured if the school were to go under, Whittle overtly ducked the question. Another admin had to circle back to address it. The answer? They hope so. I’m so worried about the future. Whether or not I will be paid next week. Whether or not the school I work for will be open next month, let alone next school year. Whether I will be paid my owed wages over the summer months, during which it’s very hard to get a job last minute. F*** Whittle the man. I saw through him at the beginning of the school year. Absolutely nothing he says during meetings is genuine or reliable. It’s all fluff. However I love the school, my colleagues, my students, and my work. |
Anonymous
Now is hiring season for most schools for teachers for next year. Get your resume out there pronto unless you have another safety net. I'm so sorry for all you all are going through. Get yourself something else lined up for next year now. |
Anonymous
Gotta ask why that is… |
Anonymous
| Washington post should be on this… |
Anonymous
What school has spots this late in the school year? Might want to look into it too. |
Anonymous
| The parents should be pulling kids now and putting them in public schools or home schooling. How can you all go on like this day after day, month after month, aren’t the kids all stressed about the instability? As teachers, aren’t you exhausted trying to figure out if you’ll have income for food and rent? Do you have health insurance that tbe school is paying for? Just feel for all of you that are going through this. Wonder what is going to be the final straw…. |
Anonymous
Disclaimer, since Whittle is censoring and bad press about the school, this most likely will be removed in a matter of hours, so get your screenshots in while you can. But do not worry, I have this copy-pasted in a document ready to be reposted. Addressing the cult claim, some parents are cult-like, but most parents are trying to be optimistic to finish the year. But you better believe, but when June comes, everyone will be the f*** up out of that school. Addressing Valmir. Valmir Gomes, head of Upper and Middle school, is a manipulating, deceptive, liar. Suddenly, after the winter break, Valmir started acting like a new person, interacting with students he would never talk to, convincing them to stay. Valmir clearly has his favorites, always hanging around a specific body of students and never engaging with others. He gives them special privileges that most students do not have. Valmir and admin in general keep so much from other staff and students. The Whittle community had no idea that they had lost the Shen Zhen campus until recently. The Whittle community was not made aware of the severity of the monetary crisis until CW himself revealed it in a “heartfelt” email sent out on December 23rd, 2021, leaving teachers and parents scrambling to find new jobs and schools. Then, while trying to apply to schools, parents had to DEMAND the school to release transcripts. While many students were able to escape the shackles of Whittle Schools and Studios, many are still trapped, some with nowhere to go, and some still brainwashed by the twisted lies that Whittle has fed them. Addressing the school itself. Due to the lack of funding, the school has failed. The school building is still incomplete after promising to be finished in 2019. The school intended to serve school-provided lunches for students and staff, MADE IN THE SCHOOL’S KITCHEN, yet to this day, that kitchen remains empty. And now, the school cannot even afford to pay for a food company, so now students must bring in their own lunches, even though school lunch is covered in the $50,000+ tuition. Here are a few points: The school censors its students and community members online by having accounts and posts removed. The school’s Wi-Fi is terrible, barely allowing students to get work done. The school invests their money in the wrong places instead of focusing on the important things. Several students have complained about the water tasting like lead. When a violent incident occurred nearby, Whittle remained open, while neighboring schools we closed. The school withholds information regarding COVID cases in order to keep the school open. In the end, if you strip back the fancy building designed by Renzo Piano (currently suing the school) and the “personalized learning,” it is a whole lot of bull**** When all of this is over, Whittle Schools and Studios will definitely be a household name, but not in the was CW intended it to be. |
Anonymous
| There is something very not right here. Does the school really have such generous friends as to raise $1 million every month to make payroll? These folks certainly aren't making an investment since their claims would fall behind the existing creditors in any insolvency and I cannot imagine that Whittle is preparing private placements documents for the equity so regularly. So there are structured as what? Donations? To a for-profit school owned by a greedy grifter? And if he is actually handing out equity in exchange for these all too frequent raises, at what valuation and with what investor diligence conducted? In addition to the many other issues this school is facing and will face, a securities fraud case seems quite likely as well. And unless the Parent Investment Committee is comprised of licensed broker dealers, they really have no business soliciting or inviting investment on behalf of the school |
Anonymous
They have been saying funding will be secured for a good while now... it never actually was. |
Anonymous
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This is the update we received tonight from Chris!
On Sunday morning, many of us met for a progress report on the status of the capital transaction. We advised that one of the three parties, Cottonwood, had chosen not to go forward and that we had to replace them. We also shared, however, that we did receive very positive news and reaffirmation of support and capital commitment from the other two investors as well. Together, their proposed capital represents 70% of the transaction. So, while again we are presented with a financing challenge, we have terrific partners who believe as we do in the school’s future and would like to be part of our vision and organization moving forward. Since our Zoom meetings on Sunday morning, there has been a tremendous response from parents, positive reactions from our already committed investors, and a great deal of activity and progress toward two primary objectives: Raise immediate bridge capital to assist us during the delay of closing. Identify and secure the replacement Investor that will ensure the long-term financial viability of our DC campus. Our status as of 5:00 PM today: Since our calls with you on Sunday morning, we have on multiple occasions reconfirmed the support of our other investors. They have not been impacted by the Cottonwood withdrawal. In fact, it seems the reverse is true, and Cottonwood’s exit has brought the other parties closer together. We are hopeful one of the two may step up and “fill the gap.” A group of families very skilled in capital matters have spontaneously formed to assist in the prompt replacement of Cottonwood. They have met several times already and have communicated their tremendous support of the school to our two key investors. Proposals for bridge funds have been made to two investors for bridge finance which will provide for our needs until the larger deal closes. We expect their responses within the next 24 hours and perhaps as early as this evening. Also note that we have been able to provide collateral for the bridge, so this is very helpful. As you know, one of the debt holders of our landlord has filed a foreclosure action calling for a sale of the building on March 24. This action is not against us/about us but has the very positive impact of accelerating and simplifying the larger transaction. Again, I will provide another report in 24 hours. |
Anonymous
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The problem with this "investment" proposal is that there is nothing to invest in. There is no there there anymore. All there is is debt. The "brand name" (goodwill) is a liability at this point. The "customer base" is small, departing, and alienated. The senior administration looks corrupt and in the pocket of CW and would need to be replaced. No institutional knowledge. No plan. If you had a bunch of money to put to work in for-profit education, zero reason to go here. You would be better off building something new from scratch. You certainly wouldn't give it to CW to manage.
If applications were up, if there was some sign of increasing demand, then the school could be a growth story. But it's not that. The only scenario I can see would be to pitch that international students (who might not know better) would come to DC, especially now that covid restrictions look to be relaxed. Just get like 20 students from each major country in Europe and Asia and charge a bunch of money. Boarding in DC, it's a good and kind of unique angle. |
Anonymous
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This is ridiculous! Cannot imagine sending my kids to a school like this.
You can sense the sheer desperation in that last email. How can families continue to sink money into this losing venture and gamble with their kids’ education? |
Anonymous
| Stunning how CW can with a straight face say that the foreclosure has nothing to do with the school.. It is his direct failure to pay rent that has caused the landlord to face foreclosure proceedings! And to spin that as a positive and say it is accelerating his transaction. Wow. This man is truly a spectacular liar and cheat. The families "skilled in capital matters" seem to be equally unskilled in sniffing out a charlatan |
Anonymous
| Who provides meals for the students who are boarding if there is no food contract? |
Anonymous
They have meals provided and paid for by boarding staff |