Bullis school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not clear that a higher profile does bring in more money (either in the form of tuition or giving), and, even if it does, the question is where those resources will be allocated. Boarman doesn't seem terribly interested in academics, so it's not clear that this aspect of the school will benefit. Right now Bullis has a solid cohort of students who are academic high-achievers -- not as large as Sidwell/STA/NCS/GDS -- but not incosiderable either (and remember that at those schools not every child is above average either). Whether that cohort expands, stays steady or declines in the Bullis of the future is not clear.

I think you're also the person who posted at 20:34. You're one of the sanest and most coherent posters on DCUM I've come across.

Boarman is trying to up the profile of the school and satisfy alums/donors with the sports stuff but if you look at his track record at Eleanor Roosevelt and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics you'll discover that he is interested in academics. Tom Farquhar, now at Sidwell, did great things for the Bullis humanities curriculum, teacher development and capital improvements. Boarman was hired to beef up science, technology and mathematics and improve the faltering sports program. Whether or not his sports tactic works or not and what effect it may have on the academic program overall does remain to be seen. He's a bit bombastic and uncouth - the antithesis of Tom Farquhar - but he may just drive the school forward. Time will tell.

https://lists.dulug.duke.edu/pipermail/alumni/2006-April/003619.html
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/bullseye/ncssms-boarman-has-a-new-job
https://lists.dulug.duke.edu/pipermail/alumni/2002-May/001497.html


Just did a quick search about articles about Boarman. The articles reflect a mixed bag of someone who made big changes at a school and increased enrollment but also did things that students and others felt were not right.

May be too soon to say this but it does sound similar to what he is doing at Bullis.

[Anonymous]

http://www.thedurhamnews.com/2010/01/27/200728/science-and-math-head-to-retire.html

One more article

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not clear that a higher profile does bring in more money (either in the form of tuition or giving), and, even if it does, the question is where those resources will be allocated. Boarman doesn't seem terribly interested in academics, so it's not clear that this aspect of the school will benefit. Right now Bullis has a solid cohort of students who are academic high-achievers -- not as large as Sidwell/STA/NCS/GDS -- but not incosiderable either (and remember that at those schools not every child is above average either). Whether that cohort expands, stays steady or declines in the Bullis of the future is not clear.

I think you're also the person who posted at 20:34. You're one of the sanest and most coherent posters on DCUM I've come across.

Boarman is trying to up the profile of the school and satisfy alums/donors with the sports stuff but if you look at his track record at Eleanor Roosevelt and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics you'll discover that he is interested in academics. Tom Farquhar, now at Sidwell, did great things for the Bullis humanities curriculum, teacher development and capital improvements. Boarman was hired to beef up science, technology and mathematics and improve the faltering sports program. Whether or not his sports tactic works or not and what effect it may have on the academic program overall does remain to be seen. He's a bit bombastic and uncouth - the antithesis of Tom Farquhar - but he may just drive the school forward. Time will tell.

I'm the poster you quoted, and, no, I'm not 20:34 (though I would agree with the general point of her post). ITA that Farquhar and Boarman are pretty different stylistically, but, more important, there's substance to TF -- even if you don't always agree with him, you have to admit there's a vision there. I don't see that with Boarman. What exactly is he doing to improve STEM curriculum and instruction?

[Anonymous]

I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Boarman a couple of years ago at a sporting event early in his tenure (he was very friendly and engaging, by the way). He said that people like awards and prizes and winning, so he would build up high profile sports, in large part by using his ontacts to get many athletes from PG County. He said Bullis would also use money as, effectively, merit scholarships for academics and they'd get a bunch of National Merit Semi-Finalists at the top end who would be the equivalent of the star athletes and give Bullis more publicity in the academic realm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Boarman a couple of years ago at a sporting event early in his tenure (he was very friendly and engaging, by the way). He said that people like awards and prizes and winning, so he would build up high profile sports, in large part by using his ontacts to get many athletes from PG County. He said Bullis would also use money as, effectively, merit scholarships for academics and they'd get a bunch of National Merit Semi-Finalists at the top end who would be the equivalent of the star athletes and give Bullis more publicity in the academic realm.

National Merit Scholars have been bought not created for years. Testing identify them in middle school and they go to the highest bidder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Boarman a couple of years ago at a sporting event early in his tenure (he was very friendly and engaging, by the way). He said that people like awards and prizes and winning, so he would build up high profile sports, in large part by using his ontacts to get many athletes from PG County. He said Bullis would also use money as, effectively, merit scholarships for academics and they'd get a bunch of National Merit Semi-Finalists at the top end who would be the equivalent of the star athletes and give Bullis more publicity in the academic realm.

Gad -- that sounds completely idiotic. Parents of kids with that kind of academic potential can get financial aid at other schools with greater resources. Regardless of financial aid, parents of those kids are looking for a robust curriculum, strong faculty and a critical mass of other kids with the same academic fire-power.

[Anonymous]

People like winners. It's that simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Boarman a couple of years ago at a sporting event early in his tenure (he was very friendly and engaging, by the way). He said that people like awards and prizes and winning, so he would build up high profile sports, in large part by using his ontacts to get many athletes from PG County. He said Bullis would also use money as, effectively, merit scholarships for academics and they'd get a bunch of National Merit Semi-Finalists at the top end who would be the equivalent of the star athletes and give Bullis more publicity in the academic realm.

Gad -- that sounds completely idiotic. Parents of kids with that kind of academic potential can get financial aid at other schools with greater resources. Regardless of financial aid, parents of those kids are looking for a robust curriculum, strong faculty and a critical mass of other kids with the same academic fire-power.

Baby boomers want "robust curriculum". Gen Xers want balance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People like winners. It's that simple.

At what cost? look at all these scandals of schools trying to be winners in college (with regard to sports) Have we not seen that sooner or later it catches up with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People like winners. It's that simple.

How did their sports teams do last year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had an interesting conversation with Dr. Boarman a couple of years ago at a sporting event early in his tenure (he was very friendly and engaging, by the way). He said that people like awards and prizes and winning, so he would build up high profile sports, in large part by using his ontacts to get many athletes from PG County. He said Bullis would also use money as, effectively, merit scholarships for academics and they'd get a bunch of National Merit Semi-Finalists at the top end who would be the equivalent of the star athletes and give Bullis more publicity in the academic realm.

Gad -- that sounds completely idiotic. Parents of kids with that kind of academic potential can get financial aid at other schools with greater resources. Regardless of financial aid, parents of those kids are looking for a robust curriculum, strong faculty and a critical mass of other kids with the same academic fire-power.

Baby boomers want "robust curriculum". Gen Xers want balance.

Actually, some of us boomers like balance too -- remember, back in the dark ages when we applied to college the ticket to a top school was to be well-rounded. Bullis was very big on balance under Farquhar . . . the problem is now it's losing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People like winners. It's that simple.

Uhm . . . there are lots of ways to be a winner in addition to sports. If Bullis is only known for its sports, it becomes a non-religious Good Counsel. That's OK, but not what everyone wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People like winners. It's that simple.

Now, that's an eductional philosophy!

[Anonymous]

How was college placement in 2012?

Did it improve over years' past?

[Anonymous]

It appears to me, Bullis has more recruited athletes / transfer students (mainly for Basketball and football and lacrosse) coming in its doors than it did during the old administration. Its only a matter of time before a few of the wealthy full paying families start knocking on the headmasters door about why their son is not getting any playing time.

Bullis is a school that costs over $30K but the headmaster wants to take it in the direction of Good Counsel which is only $17K a year.

It will be interesting to see how long Bullis will sustain it self with the amount of scholarship athletes they continue to bring in.