GDS and limits

[Anonymous]

GDS is pretty far to the left, calling teachers by their first names, is kinda strange if you ask me.

[Anonymous]

Different limits perhaps (e.g. everyone in the school is on a first name basis and kids may have more freedom of movement than on other campuses), but probably more.

In addition to the usual academic, legal, ethical, safety type requirements/limits, GDS kids are encouraged to think for themselves, to respect and learn from each other, and to see themselves and their actions as responsible for helping to build and sustain a diverse and inclusive educational environment.

It's not a place where mere rule-following/working to spec is all that's asked of kids.

[Anonymous]

A serious answer: I've had two kids in a total of 4 different schools, including a "conservative" one. In the latter, there were no consequences for kids' misbehavior, because it was all subject to negotiation between parents and principal. At GDS, my DC was wronged, in a reasonably minor way, but it was something that had to be addressed. I was very impressed with the quick responsiveness of the school, the fact that the quite extensive and transparent rules on discipline were invoked, and a consequence rendered. It is a lefty environment, with lots of freedoms, but the willingness to put forth rules and follow them is the most extensive I've seen.

[Anonymous]

Wow, lucky no Wash Post article on GDS--parents pretty defensive.

[Anonymous]

22:10 seem to confirm the Landon troll hypothesis re the origins of this "are you still beating your wife?" style thread.

[Anonymous]

Um, no, I was 22.10 and not from Landon, lol. I agree that the OP could be fake but, again, the responses went nuclear immediately--including accusing me of being a Landonista. Chill out GDSers.

[Anonymous]

Your "pretty defensive" response came right after two very substantive responses to the OP and it alluded to an article about Landon. Had it been framed as a response to the "who's asking?" type posts earlier (and had it not referenced the Post article), I'd have had a different take on who you were and what you were up to.

I didn't assume you were "from Landon" -- just a right-winger who wanted to see some gratuitous lefty-bashing to even the cosmic score. But, you know, there's a difference between a thread generated by media coverage of specific incidents at a particular school and others that start with an innuendo about a school and then accuse people who question where it's coming from and offer a different perception as "defensive." There have been two such threads re GDS (do most of those kids go to college? are there any limits?) that seem so vague/unoccasioned as to be pretextual.

[Anonymous]

This is the OP. I wish there was a way to signal, "I am not a troll" but there isn't. I asked what I thought was a serious question. I did not get too many thoughtful answers. I am not looking for a particular answer, just what current parents have found regarding how much and how teachers set limits at GDS. My question arises from frequent throwaway comments from colleagues and neighbors since our child was admitted to GDS. These comments often refer to what people perceive as lack of discipline. It could be that there is nothing in it and this is in other words a misperception. Or that there is a grain of truth or that there is a lot of truth in these comments. Either way, it would be interesting to know ahead of time what current parents actually think since they are experiencing the school. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

That helps!! I took you seriously in the first place and posted 15:54 (which is based on 8 years as a GDS parent).

Both here and IRL, GDS can be the stuff of legends. People know a few details (e.g. first name basis, free to be assembly) which freak them out and, from there, they extrapolate wildly.

At GDS, your kid won't be required to always sit quietly at his or her desk, to call adults Mr/Ms/Mrs/Miss, to adhere to a dress code, or to eat in a cafeteria.

But, at a behavioral level, all the usual school rules apply:

Don't yell, run in the halls, throw things, or disrupt class
Don't hurt other kids (or endanger yourself or others)
Don't lie, cheat, or steal
Don't do illegal drugs or drink alcohol
Show up to class on time, with your homework done, and the necessary materials
Clean up after yourself whenever possible
Let a responsible adult know if you see or are involved in a situation that could cause harm to you or to others or if you feel anyone is being mistreated
Probably not a complete list, but the bottom line is that all the basic rules apply.

If you visit GDS, you may see kids working relatively independently in small groups outside of classrooms (e.g. lower school students measuring shadows or collecting plant specimens out of doors, high school students clustered around a couch in a lobby-like area discussing how to present their case in a literary debate). You'll find teachers who use drama, visual arts, games, and simulations as well as lectures and books to teach. You'll see kids teaching (and learning from) each other and feeling free to raise their hands mid-lecture to ask a question or debate a point.

If your interpretation of these things is "this is chaotic; it seem like anything goes here," then, odds are, you won't be comfortable GDS. If your reaction is "this looks like a rich, active, and empowering educational environment," GDS probably is a good fit.

At any event, GDS is about as far a cry from Lord of the Flies as you can get. The school's pretty moralistic -- it has a strong sense of what kind of community it wants to be and it treats kids as equal partners in sustaining that community. The bottom line tends to be respect for differences and responsibility for the effects of your actions on yourself and others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your "pretty defensive" response came right after two very substantive responses to the OP and it alluded to an article about Landon. Had it been framed as a response to the "who's asking?" type posts earlier (and had it not referenced the Post article), I'd have had a different take on who you were and what you were up to.

I didn't assume you were "from Landon" -- just a right-winger who wanted to see some gratuitous lefty-bashing to even the cosmic score. But, you know, there's a difference between a thread generated by media coverage of specific incidents at a particular school and others that start with an innuendo about a school and then accuse people who question where it's coming from and offer a different perception as "defensive." There have been two such threads re GDS (do most of those kids go to college? are there any limits?) that seem so vague/unoccasioned as to be pretextual.

Not Republican either. What's with all the labels? You could make your point better without the ad wominem attacks. For example, I too thought the post re GDS and college was strange. I think defensive, name-calling post's don't help a school's cause.

[Anonymous]

I assume you meant to say "ad hominem" attacks. Next time, use spell check.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your "pretty defensive" response came right after two very substantive responses to the OP and it alluded to an article about Landon. Had it been framed as a response to the "who's asking?" type posts earlier (and had it not referenced the Post article), I'd have had a different take on who you were and what you were up to.

I didn't assume you were "from Landon" -- just a right-winger who wanted to see some gratuitous lefty-bashing to even the cosmic score. But, you know, there's a difference between a thread generated by media coverage of specific incidents at a particular school and others that start with an innuendo about a school and then accuse people who question where it's coming from and offer a different perception as "defensive." There have been two such threads re GDS (do most of those kids go to college? are there any limits?) that seem so vague/unoccasioned as to be pretextual.

Not Republican either. What's with all the labels? You could make your point better without the ad wominem attacks. For example, I too thought the post re GDS and college was strange. I think defensive, name-calling post's don't help a school's cause.

[Anonymous]

Oh my, PP. It was a joke--playing on fact that I am a woman (ad hominem meaning "to the man"). Don't worry, though, you are doing a great job representing GDS with your humorless pedantry!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I wish there was a way to signal, "I am not a troll" but there isn't. I asked what I thought was a serious question. I did not get too many thoughtful answers. I am not looking for a particular answer, just what current parents have found regarding how much and how teachers set limits at GDS. My question arises from frequent throwaway comments from colleagues and neighbors since our child was admitted to GDS. These comments often refer to what people perceive as lack of discipline. It could be that there is nothing in it and this is in other words a misperception. Or that there is a grain of truth or that there is a lot of truth in these comments. Either way, it would be interesting to know ahead of time what current parents actually think since they are experiencing the school. Thank you.

I'm 19:59, and I gave a serious answer. Nobody has given counter-examples of lack of discipline.

[Anonymous]

I haven't got a dog in this fight, OP, but here's my advice -- next time somebody makes an offhand remark about GDS, respond as follows: "That's interesting. Why do you say that?" If the person has first-hand knowledge, give the comment a little more weight and inquire further as to particulars. If it's based on a story the person heard from somebody who heard from somebody, and, BTW, it (alledgely) happened 5 years ago, I'd forget about it. Lots of DCUM posters and folks in real life make comments all the time about schools they've never even stepped foot in. Take 'em with a grain of salt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh my, PP. It was a joke--playing on fact that I am a woman (ad hominem meaning "to the man"). Don't worry, though, you are doing a great job representing GDS with your humorless pedantry!

I'm not the poster to whom you are referring, but why do you assume that GDSers are known for their humourless pedantry?