Why does Sidwell seem so hypocritical?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have been cancelling meets and games for MS but then they send their US girls' bball team out to Minnesota? When did they become Spire Academy? What happened to equity? I hate that they are all Quaker until the NBA or ESPN comes calling. So hypocritical. And yes, I WENT TO SIDWELL.

and the girls team practiced over the holidays even htough other teams could not

i am an alum and a parent, deeply disturbed by how the school is now trying to become an athletics powerhouse. Donors $$s and college admissions seem to be the motivation. Meanwhile there are no full time art teachers and kids have to choose either CS or Art because the schedules conflict and both are both basically afterthoughts. The school has really lost its way, very sad to see. I mean WTF ramping up the football program and hiring a big name coach.

It's not "trying" to become a powerhouse. The boys basketball team is as it has been for years. The girls team has a new coach after decades of the old one. Coaching matters. Talent matters. The AD is fantastic and gets the ability for talented kids who work hard in the classroom and with their sport. He has hired coaches who actually care, and teach their crafts through both Middle and Upper School. As a result, ALL of the sports are doing better.

And to the OP, the issue is MS versus US. It is also likely that other MS doesn't want the kids playing other schools and SFS is a casualty of that.

Totally agree. Except the last part — what kid thinks about admin? Other than the rogue disciplinarian in the US

I agree with the above post for the most part but let's not kid ourselves. Sidwell didn't get to be the #1 girl's team in the US because they got "talanted kids who work hard in the classroom". I have no inside info but can almost guarantee that they're doing what schools in te WCAC(in B-ball, football and lax) and to a lesser extent the IAC (especially in Lax) have been doing for years. The coaching staff likely is deeply connected to the local middle school girls basketball community and is heavily recruiting. This sort of thing has really ramped up in the past decade across the region in boys sports and now appears to be spreading to girls sports as well.

Sidwell, will never be an "athletics powerhouse". They don't have 200+ boys/class. They can however pluck 5 or 6 girls from around the region (which is loaded with basketball talent) and now all of a sudden they are competing on a national level. There's no way that SFS admin looks at a 10 year old boys game the same as it does their HS girls team. It's a commitment the school clearly seems to have made and like anything there are tradeoffs which appear to be ruffling some feathers.

You wouldn't ask Gonzaga to put the same resources into freshman fencing as varsity football. Or Landon to treat their lax program like they do their model UN team.

My kid says the girls on the bball team are really really good kids, they are not just sports recruits who were plucked to perform on the court with not thought of how they would fit in as students. They are active students, great classmates, and good community members. And this is coming from a kid who would agree with earlier poster that said the HS kids find the SFS admin to be highly hypocritical (not in the way the OP is saying and not on the silly prom issue being thrown around, but just in general on a wide range of issues).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SFS is a reflection of power & privilege in DC. Those families with connections will be treated very differently than the non-connected families.

AD only cares about the big sports and his career. He does not attend other sports competitions only winning teams.

Girls BB is doing great. However, of the starters, only Rice has been at SFS since middle school. 3 new players were all brought over by the new coach!

However, the school insist that they don't recruit for sports (admin has stated that)

NP here (only posted on page 1 about MS being second tier to US).

The bold is just false. US parent here and the AD was, by far, the best person in administrative team during COVID. He was creative, flexible, and persistent from the start (Summer of 2020) to find ways to get US kids who wanted to participate in sports in person on campus. (Disclaimer - Whether this was equally true for MS is another question. I don't know. I suspect not. But that's not uncommon for k-12.)

I have found him to be a thoughtful and thorough leader in his position. When parents reach out, he is not dismissive. He responds and is welcoming of useful feedback on families'/students' experiences.

+1 on all of this.

[Anonymous]

Well adjusted community members, beware

[Anonymous]

I also think this is a massively overblown issue. Instead of being proud and supportive, to have such schadenfreude? What explains the OP?

[Anonymous]

❤️❤️❤️ the AD! From a mom of two SFS students, one highly athletic and the other not so much (but thanks largely to the terrific athletics program has found a very happy niche and friend group in a sport he now loves and is excelling in). And, really, the AD set the stss as board in priactvity and caring for our kids through the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SFS is a reflection of power & privilege in DC. Those families with connections will be treated very differently than the non-connected families.

AD only cares about the big sports and his career. He does not attend other sports competitions only winning teams.

False - and brings his kids to those competitions as well, both at home and on the road. There may be things to complain about at Sidwell, but IMO the AD is not one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:❤️❤️❤️ the AD! From a mom of two SFS students, one highly athletic and the other not so much (but thanks largely to the terrific athletics program has found a very happy niche and friend group in a sport he now loves and is excelling in). And, really, the AD set the stss as board in priactvity and caring for our kids through the pandemic.

A** kisser. Sad - so many a**kisser parents at SFS. But please know other parents observe your behaviors

[Anonymous]

Yes, AD is amazing. The culture in the athletics has changed drastically over the past few years and has been his main focus - some students participate in a series of workshops over the school year about how to be leaders athletically through the Jansen Leadership Academy program. Of course some success is due to the recent influx of “recruited” athletes, and it is true that many of the stars on the girls bball team came for high school. However, the extent that Sidwell “recruits” really pales in comparison to IAC/ISL etc. type of schools. The number of recruited athletes makes a small difference but the big different is kids are really buying in. Students are very proud of the girls team - games get a great turnout (like the one today vs. our big rival) and have definitely united student body. Everyone reposted the ESPN and Sportscenter IG posts after the big win vs DeSoto. But yes, a good amount of students are annoyed by their trip to Minnesota while eating inside still isn’t allowed. As to the CS teacher, she announced today she’ll be staying (probably after working out a new deal with administration). Definitely worth it too - she is beloved by virtually every student, even those who don’t take her class. She played a very big role in keeping the cogs running during virtual learning and is a big part of the behind-the-scenes. Students are very frustrated about prom though - the idea of hosting an after party on campus is laughable and makes the administration seem out of touch. The “equity” and “optics” explanation was seen through immediately and was met with a lotttt of laughing. Felt very self absorbed and high-horsey, since there are definitely better ways to promote equity than shaking up prom. Otherwise, all the drama here is expected but nonetheless stupid - kids are happy to be at Sidwell and we’re generally satisfied with how things are going this year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:❤️❤️❤️ the AD! From a mom of two SFS students, one highly athletic and the other not so much (but thanks largely to the terrific athletics program has found a very happy niche and friend group in a sport he now loves and is excelling in). And, really, the AD set the stss as board in priactvity and caring for our kids through the pandemic.

A** kisser. Sad - so many a**kisser parents at SFS. But please know other parents observe your behaviors

Pooperintendent is back to police happy parents, yey!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, AD is amazing. The culture in the athletics has changed drastically over the past few years and has been his main focus - some students participate in a series of workshops over the school year about how to be leaders athletically through the Jansen Leadership Academy program. Of course some success is due to the recent influx of “recruited” athletes, and it is true that many of the stars on the girls bball team came for high school. However, the extent that Sidwell “recruits” really pales in comparison to IAC/ISL etc. type of schools. The number of recruited athletes makes a small difference but the big different is kids are really buying in. Students are very proud of the girls team - games get a great turnout (like the one today vs. our big rival) and have definitely united student body. Everyone reposted the ESPN and Sportscenter IG posts after the big win vs DeSoto. But yes, a good amount of students are annoyed by their trip to Minnesota while eating inside still isn’t allowed. As to the CS teacher, she announced today she’ll be staying (probably after working out a new deal with administration). Definitely worth it too - she is beloved by virtually every student, even those who don’t take her class. She played a very big role in keeping the cogs running during virtual learning and is a big part of the behind-the-scenes. Students are very frustrated about prom though - the idea of hosting an after party on campus is laughable and makes the administration seem out of touch. The “equity” and “optics” explanation was seen through immediately and was met with a lotttt of laughing. Felt very self absorbed and high-horsey, since there are definitely better ways to promote equity than shaking up prom. Otherwise, all the drama here is expected but nonetheless stupid - kids are happy to be at Sidwell and we’re generally satisfied with how things are going this year

Yay CS teacher! Best news of the day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:❤️❤️❤️ the AD! From a mom of two SFS students, one highly athletic and the other not so much (but thanks largely to the terrific athletics program has found a very happy niche and friend group in a sport he now loves and is excelling in). And, really, the AD set the stss as board in priactvity and caring for our kids through the pandemic.

He’s absolutely horrific. Only cares about athletes who can represent the school. Everyone else just sits on the sidelines

[Anonymous]

OP et all — get help. Compulsive hate is so 2016.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:❤️❤️❤️ the AD! From a mom of two SFS students, one highly athletic and the other not so much (but thanks largely to the terrific athletics program has found a very happy niche and friend group in a sport he now loves and is excelling in). And, really, the AD set the stss as board in priactvity and caring for our kids through the pandemic.

He’s absolutely horrific. Only cares about athletes who can represent the school. Everyone else just sits on the sidelines

They are competing and winning so he’s doing his job well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:❤️❤️❤️ the AD! From a mom of two SFS students, one highly athletic and the other not so much (but thanks largely to the terrific athletics program has found a very happy niche and friend group in a sport he now loves and is excelling in). And, really, the AD set the stss as board in priactvity and caring for our kids through the pandemic.

He’s absolutely horrific. Only cares about athletes who can represent the school. Everyone else just sits on the sidelines

That is really not true and unfair to post behind the cloak of anonimity. I have found him to be pro-active, effective and kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:❤️❤️❤️ the AD! From a mom of two SFS students, one highly athletic and the other not so much (but thanks largely to the terrific athletics program has found a very happy niche and friend group in a sport he now loves and is excelling in). And, really, the AD set the stss as board in priactvity and caring for our kids through the pandemic.

He’s absolutely horrific. Only cares about athletes who can represent the school. Everyone else just sits on the sidelines

That is really not true and unfair to post behind the cloak of anonimity. I have found him to be pro-active, effective and kind.

Are we talking about the athletic director or the admissions director?