When did GDS become so well regarded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too easy to get in, especially lower years.

You have absolutely no proof.

Just the track record at DC's private.

Yeah, that's not evidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I’ve seen, GDS invokes a love/hate reaction. Either it’s a perfect fit for your child and family or you think it’s an artificially created utopian environment with little basis in reality. The only way to find out which camp you’re in is to spend some time there - both though the traditional paths of admissions as well as through attending their events - adult education talks, performances, games, community meetings etc. I have to admit for our family, having looked now for three kids and crossing it off for each, while the school looks diverse, it invokes too much a sense of diversity for appearance sake and has undercurrents of elitism and privilege that I didn’t expect from a school that started as a model of open inclusion. Friends who attended GDS in the 80s seem to think the downward spiral came with in influx of significant interest and wealth over the last 15 years. A risk of its own success, I guess...there’s a fit for everyone in this area...

You are wrong about this characterization, esp. the elitism and privilege assertion. The essence of GDS remains the same as before, academic excellence, social justice and leading change. Look no further than parents who have chosen GDS to educate their children: federal judges, law professors, progressive lawmakers, influential writers, public intellectuals, high level policy experts, nonprofit leaders, ethicists. They care deeply about equity and justice and the unique community of learning and service that is GDS.

[Anonymous]

Look no further than parents who have chosen GDS to educate their children: federal judges, law professors, progressive lawmakers, influential writers, public intellectuals, high level policy experts, nonprofit leaders, ethicists.

federal judges - every single private school
Law professors - every single private school
progressive lawmakers - several private schools
Influential writers - every single private school
public intellectuals - every single private school ( I assume you are talking think tankers and op-ed writers)
high level policy experts - every single private school
non-profit leaders - every single private school
ethicists - I don't know what this is.
Aside for Jamie, this is a list without any distinction from other schools.

[Anonymous]

1) I thought the motto was "great ass and grass." Did they change it?

2) You shouldn't assess a school by the parents who pay for it, you should assess it by the kids who graduate. From my time in the 90's-early aughts I can think of successful playwrights, a MacArthur fellow, a bunch of Hollywood people, a bunch of successful lawyers, and assorted Foers. And me, writing on this lame-ass DCUM thread. So maybe it's just an okay school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too easy to get in, especially lower years.

You have absolutely no proof.

Just the track record at DC's private.

Yeah, that's not evidence.

No, nor is this a court. The response dealt with whether the school was a Big 3. I said no because in my view it is an outlier in that DCs school treated it as a safety compared to Sidwell/NCS/STA. Also Maret and Potomac. This is not for high school but still that was and is the view. Sorry if you take umbridge at that but it is my experience. Not my a comment on academics just desirability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too easy to get in, especially lower years.

You have absolutely no proof.

Just the track record at DC's private.

Yeah, that's not evidence.

No, nor is this a court. The response dealt with whether the school was a Big 3. I said no because in my view it is an outlier in that DCs school treated it as a safety compared to Sidwell/NCS/STA. Also Maret and Potomac. This is not for high school but still that was and is the view. Sorry if you take [/b]umbridge[b] at that but it is my experience. Not my a comment on academics just desirability.

Umbrage. Not the name of the sadistic Ministry of Magic minion. GDS grads, along with the others know the difference.

GDS isn't everyone's cup of tea. But it's hardly a "safety" for the Cathedrals, and definitely not for Maret or Potomac. Maret is small and insular, seeking families that can safely contribute above the tuition. Potomac is legitimately a safety for Cathedrals and Sidwell. Even for GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look no further than parents who have chosen GDS to educate their children: federal judges, law professors, progressive lawmakers, influential writers, public intellectuals, high level policy experts, nonprofit leaders, ethicists.

federal judges - every single private school
Law professors - every single private school
progressive lawmakers - several private schools
Influential writers - every single private school
public intellectuals - every single private school ( I assume you are talking think tankers and op-ed writers)
high level policy experts - every single private school
non-profit leaders - every single private school
ethicists - I don't know what this is.
Aside for Jamie, this is a list without any distinction from other schools.

Agreed that several DC privates have parents in the above categories but there seems to be a higher concentration of them at GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look no further than parents who have chosen GDS to educate their children: federal judges, law professors, progressive lawmakers, influential writers, public intellectuals, high level policy experts, nonprofit leaders, ethicists.

federal judges - every single private school
Law professors - every single private school
progressive lawmakers - several private schools
Influential writers - every single private school
public intellectuals - every single private school ( I assume you are talking think tankers and op-ed writers)
high level policy experts - every single private school
non-profit leaders - every single private school
ethicists - I don't know what this is.
Aside for Jamie, this is a list without any distinction from other schools.

Agreed that several DC privates have parents in the above categories but there seems to be a higher concentration of them at GDS.

This is getting to be a ridiculous back-and-forth. I will say as a GDS high-school parent, I sensed that more families had WOH parents than at either NCS or Maret. Not the hugest factor, but one that mattered to some degree.

[Anonymous]

The references to college placement on this and other threads is redicylous. More students place at the elite colleges from these schools because, as referenced above, the parents who choose these schools are graduates of the elite colleges themselves. Yes, efforts to diversify the colleges and universities are real, but the numbers are still relatively small. When you eliminate the legacies you find the college placements from the often referenced top placing local private schools to be much less compelling.

[Anonymous]

This thread is predictable - GDS has historically been and all signs point to it continuing to be a school chosen for social advancement over excellence in education. To the GDS communities credit, they are honest about who they are. Fortunately for the rest, there are some remarkable public and private schools in our community, chosen equally by the elite - both traditional and progressive - where parents check their ego and reputation at the door so that their child’s education remains core to mission for both parents and educators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:well-regarded by whom?

By GDS parents and by Jamie, you silly

+1. not to hold that against them. all the private-school parents on DCUM seem to hold their schools (and by implication, of course, themselves) in *extremely* high regard.

Especially because the main criteria to get into any private school in DC is being rich. Being smart? That really doesn't matter so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is predictable - GDS has historically been and all signs point to it continuing to be a school chosen for social advancement over excellence in education. To the GDS communities credit, they are honest about who they are. Fortunately for the rest, there are some remarkable public and private schools in our community, chosen equally by the elite - both traditional and progressive - where parents check their ego and reputation at the door so that their child’s education remains core to mission for both parents and educators.

OMFG who wrote this??? Show yourself, kween. I’m dying. At least tell us what you do or something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is predictable - GDS has historically been and all signs point to it continuing to be a school chosen for social advancement over excellence in education. To the GDS communities credit, they are honest about who they are. Fortunately for the rest, there are some remarkable public and private schools in our community, chosen equally by the elite - both traditional and progressive - where parents check their ego and reputation at the door so that their child’s education remains core to mission for both parents and educators.

OMFG who wrote this??? Show yourself, kween. I’m dying. At least tell us what you do or something else.

The Pope wrote that.

His kids go to GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is predictable - GDS has historically been and all signs point to it continuing to be a school chosen for social advancement over excellence in education. To the GDS communities credit, they are honest about who they are. Fortunately for the rest, there are some remarkable public and private schools in our community, chosen equally by the elite - both traditional and progressive - where parents check their ego and reputation at the door so that their child’s education remains core to mission for both parents and educators.

OMFG who wrote this??? Show yourself, kween. I’m dying. At least tell us what you do or something else.

The Pope wrote that.

His kids go to GDS.

That's redycoulous.

[Anonymous]

This issue isn't accessibility, it's the ability to easily secure the campus. GDS LS/MS has apartments about a 100 feet from the school building, with a direct line of sight. St. Andrews is a huge campus that's isolated from nearby private residences.

In addition, it's convenient given that Melania lives right around the corner.