Sidwell Paid a family $50K and agree to change grades??????????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the girl’s GPA and SAT scores were within the top 15% of her class, There was a problem with the application process considering her URM status. If not, they should not blame on the school. Any vague descriptions like national Achievement scholarship can’t convince people.

Nothing vague. See below. National semifinalist...

https://patch.com/district-columbia/georgetown/national-achievement-scholarship-semifinalists-include-14-dc-students

Do you know how many National Merit Semifinalists from Sidwell never get to HPYS? And they don’t run to the courts about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent, who has never had a conversation with the current head of school, I am super curious about the Tom Farquhar story. Shocking to hear about a head of school threatening a family. I have heard the current head speak once; I don’t even now his name. Having had kids at other schools, I have never seen a more absent head of school than at Sidwell.

Wait a second. First, the remarks attribute to the former head of school come from the petition, which is prepared by the family’s lawyer to present everything in a light most favorable to them. We haven’t seen the schhol’s Response but we do know that the family is 0-2 so far in the courts. But even if the attributed remark is true, where do you go from the HoS venting frustration to “threatening” the family?! That’s an irresponsible statement.

The whole law suit is an abuse of the process. Too bad for them that “under-represented entitled whiny jerk” is not a special hook in the college application process.

"Non-Retaliation if off the table": TF. If this is not a threat, what is?

It's not even a word. Do you really think those words came out of his mouth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a student from a public school has a C in the transcript

This would never happen to any half-decent student in public due to the rampant grade inflation and ability to retake exams.

You keep telling yourself that, but most kids in most districts don't have that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent, who has never had a conversation with the current head of school, I am super curious about the Tom Farquhar story. Shocking to hear about a head of school threatening a family. I have heard the current head speak once; I don’t even now his name. Having had kids at other schools, I have never seen a more absent head of school than at Sidwell.

Wait a second. First, the remarks attribute to the former head of school come from the petition, which is prepared by the family’s lawyer to present everything in a light most favorable to them. We haven’t seen the schhol’s Response but we do know that the family is 0-2 so far in the courts. But even if the attributed remark is true, where do you go from the HoS venting frustration to “threatening” the family?! That’s an irresponsible statement.

The whole law suit is an abuse of the process. Too bad for them that “under-represented entitled whiny jerk” is not a special hook in the college application process.

"Non-Retaliation if off the table": TF. If this is not a threat, what is?

It's not even a word. Do you really think those words came out of his mouth?

Obviously he didn't study at SFS. He can be excused for poor language skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a student from a public school has a C in the transcript

This would never happen to any half-decent student in public due to the rampant grade inflation and ability to retake exams.

Speaking from personal experience or from the experience with your child in a public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a student from a public school has a C in the transcript

This would never happen to any half-decent student in public due to the rampant grade inflation and ability to retake exams.

Speaking from personal experience or from the experience with your child in a public school?

So you're denying that retakes are possible in MCPS, or claiming that the Washington Post articles reporting on grade inflation are lies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parent here. I think most people on this thread are missing something very basic; The school systematically miscalculated her grades and the principal openly threatened the family with retaliation when they complained.Both unacceptable.

How can a bunch of math teachers mis-calculate grades? Anyone at the school knows how the student teacher power dynamic works. Teachers have a LOT of power over who gets into advanced track classes. Grading is not always transparent.

No wonder the family is pissed offf. If Sidwell wasn’t guilty why did they agree to change the grades?

I confess that sometimes I wonder about the qualifications of people who have so much control over the end game, especially now when it seems there is so much sloppiness in work ethic.

DS is stealth about checking answers on graded exams and coursework. Recently, he informed a science teacher that he scored an exam out of 100 rather than 26. He's also been honest when he's received credit for an incorrect answer. Teacher sent an email to all parents/students:

For Assignment #13 I accidentally scored it out of 100 questions instead of the 26 questions which it truly was. I have corrected the assignment so please refer to this progress report and disregard the average listed in my progress report from earlier today. Thanks for finding that (name) - a free dropped assignment for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a student from a public school has a C in the transcript

This would never happen to any half-decent student in public due to the rampant grade inflation and ability to retake exams.

Speaking from personal experience or from the experience with your child in a public school?

So you're denying that retakes are possible in MCPS, or claiming that the Washington Post articles reporting on grade inflation are lies?

So you read Washington Post article. Would you say the colleges and universities in the US, at least the ones that visit MCPS schools to give admissions presentations also know of this retakes and grade inflation? Why are these colleges and universities, some of them highly selective, and to which SFS parents would die for their children go to, offering admission to MCPS students? Are the area representatives and admissions committees dumb a$$es? They could as easily offer those slots to illustrious, innately smart, well rounded, poised SFS graduating seniors. It isn't like those universities are hurting to recruit students and so many slots in the Freshmen class are going unfilled or that SFS students will not be interested in studying at those universities and that having found no other alternative to fill the entering class to capacity these universities are reluctantly offering admission to under-qualified, exam retake habituated, grade inflated MCPS students.

Give me an f'ing break! As for you, don't settle for anything less than Harvard College admission for your children at SFS. If they don't get that admission offer, it will be the fault of SFS and you are smart enough to know what you should do then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parent here. I think most people on this thread are missing something very basic; The school systematically miscalculated her grades and the principal openly threatened the family with retaliation when they complained.Both unacceptable.

How can a bunch of math teachers mis-calculate grades? Anyone at the school knows how the student teacher power dynamic works. Teachers have a LOT of power over who gets into advanced track classes. Grading is not always transparent.

No wonder the family is pissed offf. If Sidwell wasn’t guilty why did they agree to change the grades?

I confess that sometimes I wonder about the qualifications of people who have so much control over the end game, especially now when it seems there is so much sloppiness in work ethic.

DS is stealth about checking answers on graded exams and coursework. Recently, he informed a science teacher that he scored an exam out of 100 rather than 26. He's also been honest when he's received credit for an incorrect answer. Teacher sent an email to all parents/students:

For Assignment #13 I accidentally scored it out of 100 questions instead of the 26 questions which it truly was. I have corrected the assignment so please refer to this progress report and disregard the average listed in my progress report from earlier today. Thanks for finding that (name) - a free dropped assignment for you!

It's pretty clear the school did not like the family. It had nothing to do with the family's race but that they were a pain in the ass. The girl got dinged at many colleges surely because she was given lacluckster recs from Sidwell faculty, who did not like her. Because she was probably obnoxious and pushy and demanding. It wasn't the grades. She clearly still received very good grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parent here. I think most people on this thread are missing something very basic; The school systematically miscalculated her grades and the principal openly threatened the family with retaliation when they complained.Both unacceptable.

How can a bunch of math teachers mis-calculate grades? Anyone at the school knows how the student teacher power dynamic works. Teachers have a LOT of power over who gets into advanced track classes. Grading is not always transparent.

No wonder the family is pissed offf. If Sidwell wasn’t guilty why did they agree to change the grades?

I confess that sometimes I wonder about the qualifications of people who have so much control over the end game, especially now when it seems there is so much sloppiness in work ethic.

DS is stealth about checking answers on graded exams and coursework. Recently, he informed a science teacher that he scored an exam out of 100 rather than 26. He's also been honest when he's received credit for an incorrect answer. Teacher sent an email to all parents/students:

For Assignment #13 I accidentally scored it out of 100 questions instead of the 26 questions which it truly was. I have corrected the assignment so please refer to this progress report and disregard the average listed in my progress report from earlier today. Thanks for finding that (name) - a free dropped assignment for you!

It's pretty clear the school did not like the family. It had nothing to do with the family's race but that they were a pain in the ass. The girl got dinged at many colleges surely because she was given lacluckster recs from Sidwell faculty, who did not like her. Because she was probably obnoxious and pushy and demanding. It wasn't the grades. She clearly still received very good grades.

Aren't recs voluntary for the teachers to give? Just because the girl asked a teacher for a rec, that teacher doesn't have to give one, especially if the teacher has nothing good to say about the girl and knows her rec will sink the girl's chances at any university that rec is sent to. Why back stab the girl and ruin her chances (assuming recs sunk all chances for admission)? Is it not the humane thing to deny giving the rec? The girl then would have approached some other teacher for rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell parent here. I think most people on this thread are missing something very basic; The school systematically miscalculated her grades and the principal openly threatened the family with retaliation when they complained.Both unacceptable.

How can a bunch of math teachers mis-calculate grades? Anyone at the school knows how the student teacher power dynamic works. Teachers have a LOT of power over who gets into advanced track classes. Grading is not always transparent.

No wonder the family is pissed offf. If Sidwell wasn’t guilty why did they agree to change the grades?

I confess that sometimes I wonder about the qualifications of people who have so much control over the end game, especially now when it seems there is so much sloppiness in work ethic.

DS is stealth about checking answers on graded exams and coursework. Recently, he informed a science teacher that he scored an exam out of 100 rather than 26. He's also been honest when he's received credit for an incorrect answer. Teacher sent an email to all parents/students:

For Assignment #13 I accidentally scored it out of 100 questions instead of the 26 questions which it truly was. I have corrected the assignment so please refer to this progress report and disregard the average listed in my progress report from earlier today. Thanks for finding that (name) - a free dropped assignment for you!

It's pretty clear the school did not like the family. It had nothing to do with the family's race but that they were a pain in the ass. The girl got dinged at many colleges surely because she was given lacluckster recs from Sidwell faculty, who did not like her. Because she was probably obnoxious and pushy and demanding. It wasn't the grades. She clearly still received very good grades.

I'm not sure we should demean the girl herself like this in a public forum, since we're all speculating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you say the colleges and universities in the US, at least the ones that visit MCPS schools to give admissions presentations also know of this retakes and grade inflation? Why are these colleges and universities, some of them highly selective, and to which SFS parents would die for their children go to, offering admission to MCPS students? Are the area representatives and admissions committees dumb a$$es?

Even though you're straying far from the point at hand, I'll play along.

Who on DCUM is claiming that the mere existence of retakes and grade inflation is reason to eliminate all MCPS students from consideration for admissions, full stop?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would you say the colleges and universities in the US, at least the ones that visit MCPS schools to give admissions presentations also know of this retakes and grade inflation? Why are these colleges and universities, some of them highly selective, and to which SFS parents would die for their children go to, offering admission to MCPS students? Are the area representatives and admissions committees dumb a$$es?

Even though you're straying far from the point at hand, I'll play along.

[b]Who on DCUM is claiming[/b] that the mere existence of retakes and grade inflation is reason to eliminate all MCPS students from consideration for admissions, full stop?

I guess you have not been reading private school parents bad mouthing MCPS students on this board (DCUM), especially accusing the reason their little ones didn't get into the school of their choice is because of retakes and rampant grade inflation at MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Sure, some private school parents on DCUM are resentful of MCPS students, but who is specifically calling for their outright ineligibility for admission to selective colleges?

I think the point here is that some MCPS students benefit from the system and perhaps admissions offices need to adjust accordingly when looking at their transcripts. But I don't think any reasonably private school parent on DCUM would deny that there remain plenty of MCPS students whose credentials are so stellar that any discounting or adjustment by colleges of their transcripts should be enough to deny admission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the girl’s GPA and SAT scores were within the top 15% of her class, There was a problem with the application process considering her URM status. If not, they should not blame on the school. Any vague descriptions like national Achievement scholarship can’t convince people.

Nothing vague. See below. National semifinalist...

https://patch.com/district-columbia/georgetown/national-achievement-scholarship-semifinalists-include-14-dc-students

Do you know how many National Merit Semifinalists from Sidwell never get to HPYS? And they don’t run to the courts about it.

True. And to be clear, she was not a National Merit Semifinalist but National Achievement Semifinalist - different things. Does not take as high a score to be National Achievement.