GDS High School Assemblies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You signed up for it by sending your kid to GDS, a school whose reputation is well known.

OP here. Few comments have said this.

Actually no. I did not sign up for this. I signed up for a high school run by Kevin Barr, not this excuse for an administration. The school wasn’t like this even 5 years ago. Those who remember know.

You sign up for every year you pay tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I"d assume with that list of topics that it was an assembly that allowed students to share their thoughts and anxieties of the week.

I can ask our DC when they get home. Was your student texting you? (Um - follow the cell phone policy much?) Because your post was during the school hours.

It was an outside speaker. GDS platforming that view and not the opposite is literally a contributing reason to the mess we are all in. I’m not catasrophizing.

Ask your high schooler at GDS how many of the boys in high school are Trump supporters. It’s well over 50 percent of my kid’s HS friends (the boys). Well done GDS.

[Anonymous]

GDS was founded to combat antisemitism and now seems like its goal is to foster it. No wonder so many Jews are abandoning the left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You signed up for it by sending your kid to GDS, a school whose reputation is well known.

OP here. Few comments have said this.

Actually no. I did not sign up for this. I signed up for a high school run by Kevin Barr, not this excuse for an administration. The school wasn’t like this even 5 years ago. Those who remember know.

Native DC resident. GDS has alwaya had the reputation for its liberal politics. I remember when the school started hosting the white privilege conference and conservatives pitching a fit about it. It sounds like you didn't do your due diligence when researching the school and had a very narrow understanding of is identity. You might want to find another school because I'm sure they'll do something else that will make you mad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"d assume with that list of topics that it was an assembly that allowed students to share their thoughts and anxieties of the week.

I can ask our DC when they get home. Was your student texting you? (Um - follow the cell phone policy much?) Because your post was during the school hours.

Come on now. Very few of the kids follow the texting rules during assembly. Let’s not be holier than thou on this. You can do better.

not being holier than thou - my dc doesn't text during school (it's actually a pain when we need to get in touch about something unexpected because they don't check email either!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how the GDS high school assemblies are programmed? Like literally who picks the speakers? Last I was aware the DEI office did.

Today’s assembly speaker mentioned the following according to my high schooler there

- saying we are about to enter an apocalypse because of trump

- and we need to stand w trans and native americans and gaza

- said gaza is colonization by israel

- demanding reparations for African Americans


To hold this assembly (especially this week) is the most tone def thing I’ve ever heard. To not have a speaker who at least counters that view is really shocking.

This school. 15 years as a parent here and it continues to surprise me how they own goal on things like this constantly.

Academics and teachers are great in high school. The administration is bad.

Sign me up!

This is why I send my child to GDS. If I wanted different programming we would be somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You signed up for it by sending your kid to GDS, a school whose reputation is well known.

OP here. Few comments have said this.

Actually no. I did not sign up for this. I signed up for a high school run by Kevin Barr, not this excuse for an administration. The school wasn’t like this even 5 years ago. Those who remember know.

Native DC resident. GDS has alwaya had the reputation for its liberal politics. I remember when the school started hosting the white privilege conference and conservatives pitching a fit about it. It sounds like you didn't do your due diligence when researching the school and had a very narrow understanding of is identity. You might want to find another school because I'm sure they'll do something else that will make you mad.

Liberal - yes of course.

Batshit crazy antisemitism - that was not in the program 15 years ago when our first kid started there. It all began in 2020.

The white privilige thing was not that long ago if I’m thinking of the same event.

[Anonymous]

What did the speaker say that was antisemitic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What did the speaker say that was antisemitic?

Well the moronic speakers said that Israel is a colonizer. That’s not all of it. There was more.

I get some believe this. Here’s my issue - why the hell do they have this speaker this week? A much smarter strategy would be to have a speaker to discuss sanely why the election went the way it did. Instead they have two shop owners from the East Village discussing their pro-reparations agenda, why Biden is not a trans ally, and why Israel is conducting a genocide.

Nice.

[Anonymous]

Here’s the thing - all GDS assemblies are programmed and run by the DEI office. This was a reaction to Black at GDS in 2020. It remains this way today.

Seems a very narrow way to program assemblies. I mean why not have a mix of programming - some DEI and some other topics.

I’ve spoken to the admiration about it and everyone grin-f*cks me. Oh well my last kid is almost done here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"d assume with that list of topics that it was an assembly that allowed students to share their thoughts and anxieties of the week.

I can ask our DC when they get home. Was your student texting you? (Um - follow the cell phone policy much?) Because your post was during the school hours.

It was an outside speaker. GDS platforming that view and not the opposite is literally a contributing reason to the mess we are all in. I’m not catasrophizing.

Ask your high schooler at GDS how many of the boys in high school are Trump supporters. It’s well over 50 percent of my kid’s HS friends (the boys). Well done GDS.

funny you mention this. My US son at Sidwell said that, if they were old enough to vote, he guarantees that 75-80 percent of the boys would have voted for Trump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I"d assume with that list of topics that it was an assembly that allowed students to share their thoughts and anxieties of the week.

I can ask our DC when they get home. Was your student texting you? (Um - follow the cell phone policy much?) Because your post was during the school hours.

It was an outside speaker. GDS platforming that view and not the opposite is literally a contributing reason to the mess we are all in. I’m not catasrophizing.

Ask your high schooler at GDS how many of the boys in high school are Trump supporters. It’s well over 50 percent of my kid’s HS friends (the boys). Well done GDS.

funny you mention this. My US son at Sidwell said that, if they were old enough to vote, he guarantees that 75-80 percent of the boys would have voted for Trump.

You reap what you sow.

[Anonymous]

Sign me up. Love GDS!
Nothing wrong with what the speaker said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know GDS, but I do know students exaggerate. Take it with a grain of salt.

OP is not exaggerating in the least.

Are you normally this unresponsive to your own children?

[Anonymous]

Huge problem right now at GDS that boils down to antisemitism. Majority of Jewish families there are 100% against the current Israel administration but still hope there is an Israel. There is not space for this view at GDS. You are either a genocider colonizer supportern or for hamas. I know it is admissions season so buyer beware. We are almost done but I am sending this to anyone considering what they are signing up for. It is no wonder the election ended up like it did.