NCS going downhill?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have been a number of years recently where fewer Beauvoir girls have chosen NCS for 4th grade, which has opened more places at that entry point. Last two years, I think an unwelcoming AD was a factor. She is gone now. The year before that, there was an unusually small number of girls in the 3rd grade class.
That said, there is an impression that the admin at NCS isn't quite as on top of some things as it could be. It is as challenging as ever academically, but there is a fair amount of discontent in the atmosphere.

The same NCS AD is in place, she will leave at the end of this school year or were you talking about Beauvoir's OD?

The admin at NCS particularly in the upper school needs overhauling.

[Anonymous]

No, my mistake. I thought she was gone.

[Anonymous]

The AD left at the very end of last year under weird circumstances. They have an in house interim director but are openly looking for a new one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
That said, there is an impression that the admin at NCS isn't quite as on top of some things as it could be. It is as challenging as ever academically, but there is a fair amount of discontent in the atmosphere.

THIS.

[Anonymous]

I think OP's motivations for posting are suspect. All the info that she is soliciting can be gleaned from talking privately with other parents she no doubt knows. Her OP as well as the follow up that target individual staff members ( the Head, the AD) in a public forum suggest something else is in play here during a period of time that acceptance letters/ rejection letters are going out and letters of intent will / deposits will soon come due. It seems OP is desirous of, not gaining info, but grinding an ax and doing so publicly. The question: is she also from Peoria?

[Anonymous]

Last April or so there was a thread about how nobody from Sidwell's graduating class got into Harvard. As a PP said earlier on this thread, it seems true that schools have stronger and weaker classes. It's also true that more Ivies are offering scholarships to low-income, strong candidates from public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think OP's motivations for posting are suspect. All the info that she is soliciting can be gleaned from talking privately with other parents she no doubt knows. Her OP as well as the follow up that target individual staff members ( the Head, the AD) in a public forum suggest something else is in play here during a period of time that acceptance letters/ rejection letters are going out and letters of intent will / deposits will soon come due. It seems OP is desirous of, not gaining info, but grinding an ax and doing so publicly. The question: is she also from Peoria?

Uh, no. She's probably not trying to dissuade others from applying because the deadlines are past. And it's probably not a case of sour grapes because the decisions haven't gone out yet. Why do you assume she "no doubt knows" other parents? And she probably suspects, with reason, that it's not in the interests of the school to give the straight dirt, that if acceptances were disappointing (and I don't even know they were) the school staff will likely spin these.

[Anonymous]

It is also true that NCS was once filled with ivy legacies and maybe that isn't the case anymore.

[Anonymous]

New head of the upper school at NCS is fantastic and the school is as challenging as ever. Not sure you can draw final conclusions from early admits but last year's stats were very impressive, it does vary. Frankly, choosing a school based on college admits alone is problematic. Remember Sidwell actually asks on their applications where the parents went to school -- perhaps to screen for legacies. The Cathedral schools do not ask this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New head of the upper school at NCS is fantastic and the school is as challenging as ever. Not sure you can draw final conclusions from early admits but last year's stats were very impressive, it does vary. Frankly, choosing a school based on college admits alone is problematic. Remember Sidwell actually asks on their applications where the parents went to school -- perhaps to screen for legacies. The Cathedral schools do not ask this.

Sidwell no longer asks where parents attended school.

[Anonymous]

DD attends NCS and we have been very happy. But, there has been turnover in key spots. For instance, the MS head resigned fall '10, but stayed until the end of the '11 school year. He was in and out of the school and things weren't well attended. AD director is gone without explanation, several staffers have turned over and now we are losing the head of LS. We are unclear as to why so much turnover.
Maybe this is just unusual timing, but it is odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The AD left at the very end of last year under weird circumstances. They have an in house interim director but are openly looking for a new one.

Thanks for clarifying this. I mis-posted that she was leaving at the end of the school year. I thought the lower school head (wearing 2 hats) also was the admissions director.

[Anonymous]

What I find interesting is that I know of at least 6 Beauvoir families who sent their boys to STA and their girls to a school other than NCS.

[Anonymous]

It could be they wanted co-ed.

[Anonymous]

In a business, when you have turnover like this, you usually look toward the CEO or leadership. Does anyone have insight into how well liked the head of school is by faculty and parents?