Troubles at GDS high school?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long this thread will last. GDS seems to enjoy special status here. People speculate about much worse stuff they have heard about DC public schools, and those threads are rarely deleted or locked.

This time, nobody reported this thread to me. But, given the recent trend in how GDS threads have gone, I thought that I would take a peek. Sure enough, the very first response (which I removed) was essentially a troll post. One of the major issues with which I've been dealing where GDS is concerned in an incident that happened over the summer. Nobody seems to agree on the details of this incident and the rumors that are posted always result in one party or the other not being fairly represented (as far as I can tell given that I also don't know the facts). Let's not forget that we are discussing children. There is no need to engage in rumor-mongering.

Has GDS sent the site a cease and desist or are you just being extra careful? Just curious

I have heard no official word from GDS and certainly nothing as formal as a cease and desist notice. Some of the "reports" I get could, in theory, be from GDS staff, but there is no indication of that. I have no special interest in GDS or any private school for that matter. I have seen though that certain schools, cough, Landon, cough, get beat up an awful lot and will tend to give threads about them more attention.

[Anonymous]

As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly.

[Anonymous]

I wonder how many really have a some sort of "trouble", and how many sort of jump on the bandwagon? Isolated problems are always possible, but is there really a systemic issue?

[Anonymous]

But can you give some specifics?

Anonymous wrote:It's not just a revolt of African American students. Parents and students of all races are questioning both the efficacy of GDS's current diversity curriculum and the fairness of the school's approach to discipline. Many HS students have lost all respect for the Head of School and parents increasingly understand why.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly. [/quote]


You are not a real parent. The kids are not happy and the minority kids in the high school are miserable. Hundreds of parents recently expressed this to the Head of school.

[Anonymous]

This is as unhelpful as the posts that allude to troubles without giving specifics. Some facts would be helpful. A back and forth between those who say the situation is bad and those who say it's as good as can be expected is not that helpful. Not that that should justify deleting the thread.

Anonymous wrote:As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly. [/quote]


You are not a real parent. The kids are not happy and the minority kids in the high school are miserable. Hundreds of parents recently expressed this to the Head of school. [/quote]

Have they been taught to be too sensitive? There are a lot of rude and insensitive people in the world. You can't go looking for a slight in everything that happens.

[Anonymous]

Could anyone give an example of the issue(s) with respect to discipline? The posts are so vague, it's hard to understand what's being talked about.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly. [/quote]


You are not a real parent. The kids are not happy and the minority kids in the high school are miserable. Hundreds of parents recently expressed this to the Head of school. [/quote]

What are they unhappy about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly.

I posted the above and I am a minority parent of a minority student. And the many minority (race, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, economic, nationality, immigration status) students my child is friends and acquaintances with are enjoying their high school years at GDS very much, benefitting from a rigorous education, excellent teachers, strong extracurricular opportunities, and above all from a scholarly, diverse, talented, committed, vibrant, and supportive student community.

There are, and always will be, issues, differences, and conflicts at any high school in America, but GDS is as open and accepting a community as our family has ever encountered. In how many high schools do students feel totally and completely comfortable openly expressing their sexuality, no matter how different they feel or are? How many high schools have a critical mass of diverse or underrepresented students, and a sufficiently supportive community, such that its students can openly and honestly articulate and express their offense, anger, or fear without worry about repercussions? How many high schools are such safe and supportive spaces that its students can openly discuss, debate, and argue issues of consent, sex, force, hazing, violence, discrimination, language, racial offenses, or rape, when in other places those issues are only shamefully discussed in private, or often completely ignored? Both GDS students, and the School, are quite honest, direct, and forward-thinking in their approach to openly broaching these and other uncomfortable issues, and attempting to bridge the inherent divides in any school community. In the end we are defined and brought together by our commonalities and, if not complete love, then at least general admiration for those things GDS has taught and given us, more so than we are divided by our differences.

[Anonymous]

Lordy, Everything is Great at GDS, Nothing to See Here. We get it. Meanwhile, there is clearly tension there, and nobody is willing to give specifics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly.

I posted the above and I am a minority parent of a minority student. And the many minority (race, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, economic, nationality, immigration status) students my child is friends and acquaintances with are enjoying their high school years at GDS very much, benefitting from a rigorous education, excellent teachers, strong extracurricular opportunities, and above all from a scholarly, diverse, talented, committed, vibrant, and supportive student community.

There are, and always will be, issues, differences, and conflicts at any high school in America, but GDS is as open and accepting a community as our family has ever encountered. In how many high schools do students feel totally and completely comfortable openly expressing their sexuality, no matter how different they feel or are? How many high schools have a critical mass of diverse or underrepresented students, and a sufficiently supportive community, such that its students can openly and honestly articulate and express their offense, anger, or fear without worry about repercussions? How many high schools are such safe and supportive spaces that its students can openly discuss, debate, and argue issues of consent, sex, force, hazing, violence, discrimination, language, racial offenses, or rape, when in other places those issues are only shamefully discussed in private, or often completely ignored? Both GDS students, and the School, are quite honest, direct, and forward-thinking in their approach to openly broaching these and other uncomfortable issues, and attempting to bridge the inherent divides in any school community. In the end we are defined and brought together by our commonalities and, if not complete love, then at least general admiration for those things GDS has taught and given us, more so than we are divided by our differences.

[Anonymous]

If people are so unhappy at GDS, they could leave and go to public school. Honestly, to pay 40,000 for this is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

They need to build a wall between themselves and the Safeway. And have Safeway pay for the wall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As I reflect on many of the social and economic debates in America today, I realize that we are so much more alike, than we are different. And yet it is that 15% difference, and not the 85% of commonalities, that gets 95% of our attention. Whether those difference be attributable to race, sexuality, economics, nationality, or immigration status.

Honestly, GDS is the most diverse, varied, and socially engaged institution that any of my children have ever attended (and they have now been at several private schools and universities). Each and every time I walk into the Forum in the High School, I am inspired by seeing so many different students playing, working, studying, and socializing together. There is a real synergy and spirit to the school, and it is generally a happy place.

These kids and students - as well as the adults who teach, help, and guide them - are scholars, athletes, friends, best friends, allies, teammates, colleagues, and partners first and foremost. Together they aspire to learn, to educate, to contribute to their community, to promote and support their school activities, to engage their talents and minds, to volunteer, to play, and to make a difference. Those are the important things that bind us together.

Yes, there are conflicts, and GDS is not perfect, as in fact no school is. But at least you see a commitment at GDS to put those conflicts out in the open, and attempt to work through them.

So you ask, are there "troubles at GDS high school"? Yes there are, as there are everywhere, but the GDS community works through its problems -- together and resolvedly.

I posted the above and I am a minority parent of a minority student. And the many minority (race, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, economic, nationality, immigration status) students my child is friends and acquaintances with are enjoying their high school years at GDS very much, benefitting from a rigorous education, excellent teachers, strong extracurricular opportunities, and above all from a scholarly, diverse, talented, committed, vibrant, and supportive student community.

There are, and always will be, issues, differences, and conflicts at any high school in America, but GDS is as open and accepting a community as our family has ever encountered. In how many high schools do students feel totally and completely comfortable openly expressing their sexuality, no matter how different they feel or are? How many high schools have a critical mass of diverse or underrepresented students, and a sufficiently supportive community, such that its students can openly and honestly articulate and express their offense, anger, or fear without worry about repercussions? How many high schools are such safe and supportive spaces that its students can openly discuss, debate, and argue issues of consent, sex, force, hazing, violence, discrimination, language, racial offenses, or rape, when in other places those issues are only shamefully discussed in private, or often completely ignored? Both GDS students, and the School, are quite honest, direct, and forward-thinking in their approach to openly broaching these and other uncomfortable issues, and attempting to bridge the inherent divides in any school community. In the end we are defined and brought together by our commonalities and, if not complete love, then at least general admiration for those things GDS has taught and given us, more so than we are divided by our differences.

I am not saying there is nothing to see. I am simply saying that GDS is no different from any school, private or public, in having conflicts and differences among its students. The difference is that GDS students, and the School, do address those conflicts and differences, and they do so openly.

[Anonymous]

It seems this is a case of GDS to the City: "Watch what we say, not what we do." The hypocrisy of the whole thing is of a piece with the school's high-handed treatment of the community and the city in its rezoning disaster. Character matters---personally and institutionally.