Will Whittle be around next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

So fewer than 50 students total in HS, maybe 10-12 students per grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

So fewer than 50 students total in HS, maybe 10-12 students per grade.

Sounds just about right. There are 14 graduating seniors, and quite a number of juniors left in the second semester. It's the families of the juniors that are most hesitant to leave.

[Anonymous]

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.

New parent on here. My child and most of not all of their classmates will not be returning next this year. Enough is enough. If you are in HS there is no time to play educational games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Someone should contact the company who accredited them and launch and investigation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Someone should contact the company who accredited them and launch and investigation

That company is Cognia according to the school website. Seriously, there needs to be an investigation.

[Anonymous]

As for the IB program, WSS never intended to have one in the beginning. The school made it sound like it was going to have its own unique curriculum based on experiential learning, projects, portfolio, etc. There was supposed to be a Whittle diploma offered instead. However, this seems to have changed in the process that Whittle tried to merge with Varkey GEMS. And now, it comes to light that IB requires library and librarian staff. The school never had a library and as stated said that because there was a public library a mile away, there was no need for one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Someone should contact the company who accredited them and launch and investigation

I don't mean to single out your post, but I think one of the reasons people like CW get away with things for so long is that many of us think "someone" should contact the authorities and alert them to the crime but few of us ever get around to it ourselves..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Someone should contact the company who accredited them and launch and investigation

I don't mean to single out your post, but I think one of the reasons people like CW get away with things for so long is that many of us think "someone" should contact the authorities and alert them to the crime but few of us ever get around to it ourselves..

Since the other person thought someone should maybe you should if your very adamant about them contacting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Someone should contact the company who accredited them and launch and investigation

I don't mean to single out your post, but I think one of the reasons people like CW get away with things for so long is that many of us think "someone" should contact the authorities and alert them to the crime but few of us ever get around to it ourselves..

Since the other person thought someone should maybe you should if your very adamant about them contacting.

That too, but there should be an investigative journalistic piece on CW on a major newspaper like the Washington Post. There was a reporter from the Washington Biz Journal a few pages ago who seemed to be interested in covering more stories on CW and WSS. CW needs to be exposed to the general public for the dishonest grifter he is.

[Anonymous]

I don't think there's a way in hell that WSS actually completed the authorization process for offering any IB programs at all and came out the other end authorized.

Nevertheless, their website claimed at the beginning of this school year (maybe even at the end of the last school year) that they were now an IB school......And implied that it was not just for some IB programs, but all of them -- primary grades through the diploma.

Now, though, they seem to me have changed the website to say that they're just still just CANDIDATES for offering IB programs, which makes much more sense (although I still wonder whether they'd ever get through it, given the faculty and administration turnover they keep having). .... Previously, they flat out said they were were already an IB school. But looks to me like somebody called them out on it and now they've removed the flat-out lie from the webiste (although it's hard to know for sure because I don't know whether I'm on the newest iteration of their website or one of the several?? old ones that are lingering out there.)

Among other things, I'm skeptical that they actually went through a substantial portion of the authorization process and managed to be unaware until this past December that they needed to have a library. The authorization is a very paperwork-heavy process.

It seems they hired a librarian. (whom they then stiffed, as usual). But when they hired this year's faculty, did they seek out people who already had taught in an IB school or taken some of the workshops? That seems to be standard practice for a lot of schools who are launching IB programs...(although I guess CW doesn't ever feel the need to go with standard practices on anything, so ...)

And I don't know if I'm right about Cognia or not....But it's my understanding that they would have had nothing to do with getting Whittle an IB authorization. Cognia operates an accrediting system of its own, which they probably also want. But I've never seen anything that suggests the IB authorization can go through Cognia. Any school I've ever seen listing both lists them as two completely separate authorization processes carried out by two separate organizations.

So I think we probably can't blame Cognia for their having IB authorization (if they do....)

[Anonymous]

Re IB, whittle is listed on the IB website

https://www.ibo.org/school/062074/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re IB, whittle is listed on the IB website

https://www.ibo.org/school/062074/

Strange how WSS became an IB school. I remember reading many pages back that his (just on paper) ex-wife wife sits on some board that does some IB accreditation. I don't know if that is true, but if it is, it explains why WSS quickly became an IB official school. I don't think any of the teachers have experience teaching the IB curriculum even though they seem to be trying at least.

[Anonymous]

For IB, there is no way that Whittle is offering the full IB, especially PYP. I heard from my child that when they look at the Lower School, the kids are only playing, not learning. But hey, Whittle might call that experiential learning and say that the kids are learning through playing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re IB, whittle is listed on the IB website

https://www.ibo.org/school/062074/

I like this part: "Students are currently registered for the following subjects: (Large blank space) "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a secondary school student at WSS (won't say MS or US). My child will also not be returning for the next school year. Way too many lies told by CW and his minions. CW has no interest in education or in the well-being of the students and teachers. He is a serial liar and grifter. Back in Spring 2019, I was told that the DC campus was 90% complete, which was a lie. The students had to go to school in an unfinished building, and still to this day, maybe only one pod is occupied. There was a lie about lunches. Just like the MS student said, we were promised chef-made meals for the students. In the school's early Instagram posts, there was even a post about the importance of healthy school lunches. After the start of school did we find out that there was no cafeteria kitchen. Oh another thing, I found it strange that there was no library for an expensive private school. The school's lame statement was that because there is a public library nearby, there was no need for a school library. Excuse me, in DC, public libraries are basically day-time recreational centers for dangerous mentally deranged homeless people.

Just can't deal with CW anymore! Literally the only way to save the school is to kick CW out, rename the school, and being in a new executive team. I feel bad for the students, but I feel worse for the teachers. I hope both the students and teachers have arrangements after June.

The Cleveland Park library is full of a range of books and helpful librarians. It is safe and the homeless people who may spend time there are overwhelmingly harmless. While they may suffer from mental illness, they are not "deranged."

You can complain about Whittle without insulting other people.

Do you think it makes sense for an expensive private school to not have a library, even a small one? Is there another private school that asks parents to pack lunches? Have you been to the West End library? I don't know what it is like there nowadays, but I did not feel safe there even though it is in a safe neighborhood due to the people who use the facility. I have to admit that I don't know what Cleveland Park Library is like. It might be much safer than West End or many public libraries I have been to in other big cities.

The smaller religious schools I am familiar with have kids pack lunches. Ours does offer a deal where you can sign up for weekly pizza or Chick-fil-a delivery to the campus, but this is only one or two days a week, and not for the whole year.