Will Whittle be around next year?

[Anonymous]

Chris is shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. And for the parent still undecided about whether to stay or go, it might be informative to read about what happened to the passengers who didn't get on a lifeboat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, there is news about Friendship Charter occupying the school building, but I don't understand why MR emphasized not forwarding this particular email. He touted this plan as some breakthrough. There are still no billing or other operational plans for the upcoming year. I wonder what next year will look like after Friendship comes in.

It IS a breakthrough! As soon as the school building is filled with FCS students, CW will immediately resume investor campus tours and show them how amazingly full WSS is, practically bursting at the seams with enrollment!

Friendship was already there with limited STEM/Arts programming as part of a gifted/talented program and meeting space for online students. It’s not the site of a new Friendship campus. Though honestly charter/public what school could really fill the Inteslstat building? The space is too large and too costly.

And too many windows! Do we really want the whole world to be able to see what kids are doing in there and when? What’s the update on Whittle security? Last I read several pages ago they weren’t paying the bill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, there is news about Friendship Charter occupying the school building, but I don't understand why MR emphasized not forwarding this particular email. He touted this plan as some breakthrough. There are still no billing or other operational plans for the upcoming year. I wonder what next year will look like after Friendship comes in.

It IS a breakthrough! As soon as the school building is filled with FCS students, CW will immediately resume investor campus tours and show them how amazingly full WSS is, practically bursting at the seams with enrollment!

Friendship was already there with limited STEM/Arts programming as part of a gifted/talented program and meeting space for online students. It’s not the site of a new Friendship campus. Though honestly charter/public what school could really fill the Inteslstat building? The space is too large and too costly.

And too many windows! Do we really want the whole world to be able to see what kids are doing in there and when? What’s the update on Whittle security? Last I read several pages ago they weren’t paying the bill.

This is a strange comment. Those windows are impossible to see through with the way they are designed. I had no hope for the school when it was announced but I thought one positive result for the neighborhood would be that they would wash those windows and clean up the outside of the building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, there is news about Friendship Charter occupying the school building, but I don't understand why MR emphasized not forwarding this particular email. He touted this plan as some breakthrough. There are still no billing or other operational plans for the upcoming year. I wonder what next year will look like after Friendship comes in.

It IS a breakthrough! As soon as the school building is filled with FCS students, CW will immediately resume investor campus tours and show them how amazingly full WSS is, practically bursting at the seams with enrollment!

Friendship was already there with limited STEM/Arts programming as part of a gifted/talented program and meeting space for online students. It’s not the site of a new Friendship campus. Though honestly charter/public what school could really fill the Inteslstat building? The space is too large and too costly.

And too many windows! Do we really want the whole world to be able to see what kids are doing in there and when? What’s the update on Whittle security? Last I read several pages ago they weren’t paying the bill.

The school has a new security manager, and he was commended in an email about how he handled the situation when the shooting took place last week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the parents or students of Upper School, are you thinking about returning to WSS for fall 2022? I am deliberating on whether I need to pull out my child. There is no transparency about the school's upcoming plans.

155 pages in, you're still on the fence about staying or going?? 🤦‍♂️

When I just consider my own opinion, I would definitely leave, but then my kid is reluctant to transfer. I am in the process of persuading my kid to leave and that they will adjust fine elsewhere.

Your question makes it sound like everyone is leaving.

Aren't they? With fewer than 150(?) total in the HS, and the numbers who've said they're leaving on this site alone (FWIW), it seems like there's a pretty steady stream out the door.

I thought 150 was more for like the entire school, not just US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chris is shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. And for the parent still undecided about whether to stay or go, it might be informative to read about what happened to the passengers who didn't get on a lifeboat

There is no point of reading about this. It is common sense that those people all died.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the parents or students of Upper School, are you thinking about returning to WSS for fall 2022? I am deliberating on whether I need to pull out my child. There is no transparency about the school's upcoming plans.

155 pages in, you're still on the fence about staying or going?? 🤦‍♂️

When I just consider my own opinion, I would definitely leave, but then my kid is reluctant to transfer. I am in the process of persuading my kid to leave and that they will adjust fine elsewhere.

Your question makes it sound like everyone is leaving.

Aren't they? With fewer than 150(?) total in the HS, and the numbers who've said they're leaving on this site alone (FWIW), it seems like there's a pretty steady stream out the door.

I thought 150 was more for like the entire school, not just US.

With all the departures this year, it has to be less than 150 for the entire school. But fear not - 60 international students whose parents were unable to diligence CW are on their way!

[Anonymous]

While not legally required, there is no precedent for any private venture, much less a school, keeping the names of the funders, investors or partners secret from their customers, their vendors , their lawyers or the press. Anyone considering renewing a contract with them, or enrolling should insist on knowing the name of the mysterious funders that are " just about to wire big money"...or "just signed to move in"...Furthermore the parents would be naive at this point if they don't insist on a signed letter from the imaginary funders, confirming the amount of money that has been transferred and confirming the commitment to the school.  A signed deal memo is nowhere near a closed and funded deal. Due diligence can kill any deal and one can imagine that income statements, balance sheets and sources and uses of funds docs --if accurate--are full of footnotes and bad news. So...if they claim money is coming again, have them disclose from whom, and require a signed letter confirming a whole lot more than intent to fund. If they can't produce this basic information, then walk away and assume fraudulent misrepresentation------again. 

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While not legally required, there is no precedent for any private venture, much less a school, keeping the names of the funders, investors or partners secret from their customers, their vendors , their lawyers or the press. Anyone considering renewing a contract with them, or enrolling should insist on knowing the name of the mysterious funders that are " just about to wire big money"...or "just signed to move in"...Furthermore the parents would be naive at this point if they don't insist on a signed letter from the imaginary funders, confirming the amount of money that has been transferred and confirming the commitment to the school.  A signed deal memo is nowhere near a closed and funded deal. Due diligence can kill any deal and one can imagine that income statements, balance sheets and sources and uses of funds docs --if accurate--are full of footnotes and bad news. So...if they claim money is coming again, have them disclose from whom, and require a signed letter confirming a whole lot more than intent to fund. If they can't produce this basic information, then walk away and assume fraudulent misrepresentation------again. 

Direct words from the school (copied only part of it). I don't understand what is so private about this:

YOUR EYES ONLY/DO NOT FORWARD/HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL



Dear Whittle Families:



As Chris noted in our Parent Forum last week, we expected a major part of the larger capital transaction (the refinancing of the building’s debt) to close at any moment. Chris just called me to let me know the closing has just been completed! Though frustratingly long in the making, this is WONDERFUL NEWS that we should all celebrate.

[Anonymous]

I suspect the reason for the secrecy is that this actually has nothing to do with Whittle.. The debt refi impacts the building - which Whittle doesn't own. But smart of him to try and make it seem like it is connected to someone financing his money hemorrhaging operation...!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While not legally required, there is no precedent for any private venture, much less a school, keeping the names of the funders, investors or partners secret from their customers, their vendors , their lawyers or the press. Anyone considering renewing a contract with them, or enrolling should insist on knowing the name of the mysterious funders that are " just about to wire big money"...or "just signed to move in"...Furthermore the parents would be naive at this point if they don't insist on a signed letter from the imaginary funders, confirming the amount of money that has been transferred and confirming the commitment to the school.  A signed deal memo is nowhere near a closed and funded deal. Due diligence can kill any deal and one can imagine that income statements, balance sheets and sources and uses of funds docs --if accurate--are full of footnotes and bad news. So...if they claim money is coming again, have them disclose from whom, and require a signed letter confirming a whole lot more than intent to fund. If they can't produce this basic information, then walk away and assume fraudulent misrepresentation------again. 

Direct words from the school (copied only part of it). I don't understand what is so private about this:

YOUR EYES ONLY/DO NOT FORWARD/HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL



Dear Whittle Families:



As Chris noted in our Parent Forum last week, we expected a major part of the larger capital transaction (the refinancing of the building’s debt) to close at any moment. Chris just called me to let me know the closing has just been completed! Though frustratingly long in the making, this is WONDERFUL NEWS that we should all celebrate.

Unless they give you specifics -- how much is "major" and who the other party is -- I don't believe any of it. And refinancing the building is a good start, but barely gets at the ongoing issues.

[Anonymous]

They are literally popping out the champagne to celebrate one part of multiple transactions. Read through the bullshit. All families and employees know that these emails are sent regularly. Why not focus on the status of the main capital transaction that has been stalled since whittle opened?

Oh, and the library debacle. They actually did have a librarian this year who fought very hard to get and design a space for a library, or the learning commons. They also taught and took on other roles as needed. A few of us know that they had actually fully designed a library space and had book orders ready to go because Manny Rivera had given them a budget number that they were told would be available just after Christmas. So, they took the blueprints, found spaces, made book orders, etc. Only for it all to become very clear this wasn't actually going to happen. According to them, when whittle started no one designing it saw the use for a library. But, IB requires one. It's a mystery how they got IB status without a library, librarian, or any other resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect the reason for the secrecy is that this actually has nothing to do with Whittle.. The debt refi impacts the building - which Whittle doesn't own. But smart of him to try and make it seem like it is connected to someone financing his money hemorrhaging operation...!

Exactly!

[Anonymous]

There was never 150 kids in the whole school this year. Around half of all students, which started at 148 this year, have left. We are now operating with less than 100 students total.

[Anonymous]

Cheering the building debt refinancing, indeed.

The building's debt was also financed back when Whittle first became the tenant.....Then in short order CW destroyed that financing deal by not paying the damn rent. (among many other things he didn't pay...) Is everybody supposed to have forgotten this already?