Do all schools play favorites with big donor kids?

Anonymous
No.

The only issue is that Development will never leave you alone.

Gave $20K got a magnetic sticker.
Anonymous
In our experience it doesn't matter in high school at all. Donor or board member kids do not preferentially get better/popular teachers, better grades, better college placement, etc.

Anonymous
From a teacher's POV, our goal is effective classroom management so that the largest number of kids can learn effectively. Giving someone a pass to misbehave or disrupt directly undermines that.

It's possible that an administrator might push a teacher not to discipline an unruly rich kid too much, but that ultimately lands on the administrator's desk when the kid is sent there repeatedly. Fur will fly with the teacher if they are ordered to allow a kid to run amok. The 20 other kids in that room represent $600k - $1 million in annual revenue.

I've never heard of it happening. Quite the opposite - more like "The extra money is great but this just isn't working...."
Anonymous
My friend gave $50k one year and her kid was counseled out for behavioral problems the next year. To her school it was a drop in the bucket and not worth pissing off the rest of the class and the revenues/extra donations they represented.
Anonymous
Our school had a big donor kid caught cheating. They were punished, but it did not go on their academic record reported to colleges. Other kids who cheated had it on their academic records.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My friend gave $50k one year and her kid was counseled out for behavioral problems the next year. To her school it was a drop in the bucket and not worth pissing off the rest of the class and the revenues/extra donations they represented.


Think bigger donations.

Anonymous
Potomac definitely does.

At recent graduation, Board member handed out diplomas and hugged her kid's friends. While it might have been because she had a connection to them, she should definitely have been the adult and told them that it would not be appropriate to hug some kids and not others. A very bad look for Potomac.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:In our experience it doesn't matter in high school at all. Donor or board member kids do not preferentially get better/popular teachers, better grades, better college placement, etc.



Yes they do! Percentage wise - board members kids get into their first choice school at a much higher rate. In fact the ones I know was a list 100 percent.
Anonymous
It’s not so much about favoritism around discipline although that exists too. Poor kid cheats, gets kicked out. Rich kid cheats, a warning but no significant consequence.

Awards are given to kids of board members and big donors. Thr valedictorian is not the kid with the highest gpa but the kid selected by administrators and faculty.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Potomac definitely does.

At recent graduation, Board member handed out diplomas and hugged her kid's friends. While it might have been because she had a connection to them, she should definitely have been the adult and told them that it would not be appropriate to hug some kids and not others. A very bad look for Potomac.


This is so inappropriate. STA also allows board members to present their children with diplomas. Bad look that says that some grads and their parents are more special than others.
Anonymous
A big donor, board member's kid was counseled out at our private. So, no, I don't think our school plays favorites.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:A big donor, board member's kid was counseled out at our private. So, no, I don't think our school plays favorites.


What school, PP?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In our experience it doesn't matter in high school at all. Donor or board member kids do not preferentially get better/popular teachers, better grades, better college placement, etc.



Yes they do! Percentage wise - board members kids get into their first choice school at a much higher rate. In fact the ones I know was a list 100 percent.


Not at our school. The college admits follow the GPAs. I know this doesn't follow your drama narrative but it's the case at my kids' Big3--I have seen it play out several times with several kids. The kids getting into the top colleges are the kids at the top of the class or academically strong kids with legacy at the colleges or minorities--not random big donor kids at the high school. Some of the biggest donors in my kids' classes had kids matriculate to the least competitive schools in the class.

Big3 school does not have specific pull at top10 University A: "hey, please take this mediocre, big donor kid. We owe it to this family." They just don't.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In our experience it doesn't matter in high school at all. Donor or board member kids do not preferentially get better/popular teachers, better grades, better college placement, etc.



Yes they do! Percentage wise - board members kids get into their first choice school at a much higher rate. In fact the ones I know was a list 100 percent.


Not at our school. The college admits follow the GPAs. I know this doesn't follow your drama narrative but it's the case at my kids' Big3--I have seen it play out several times with several kids. The kids getting into the top colleges are the kids at the top of the class or academically strong kids with legacy at the colleges or minorities--not random big donor kids at the high school. Some of the biggest donors in my kids' classes had kids matriculate to the least competitive schools in the class.

Big3 school does not have specific pull at top10 University A: "hey, please take this mediocre, big donor kid. We owe it to this family." They just don't.


Noone said they were mediocre. What was said that two equally great applicants apply and the board members kid gets into the top 10 school and the other gets into top 25. that is the different time and time again.
Anonymous
This was a while ago, but NCS sure did in college admissions back when NM was in charge. She was extra attentive to the big donors' kids.
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