Parent body at Beauvoir and GDS?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone please give their personal opinions on the general "feel"/approach of the parent bodies at Beauvoir and GDS (LS)?

To clarify, I would not make a choice based on the parent body versus how happy/nurtured/educated DC would be in the school.

However I am interested in hearing opinions on this particular issue, understanding that it is not scientific question.

TIA

[Anonymous]

Oh, boy. This feels like it could go wrong, but I'll try anyway. These are different parent bodies, OP, and if you're choosing between the two I have a hard imagining how.

Regardless. We are new Beauvoir parents. Our only hesitation about the school was the parents - would they be elitist, pretentious, etc. I'm posting mainly because we didn't feel like we would fit in, and have been very pleasantly surprised by how normal people are once you start talking to them. Yes, there is a lot of money and some VERY nice lifestyles, but I'd imagine that is also true at GDS. I was worried everyone would be expensively dressed, etc., and what I've come to realize is that folks are simply fastidious in the way they dress - everything is neat and pressed, etc., and not necessarily in pricey clothes. This is an on-time, meticulous crowd, but still very welcoming and warm. Devotion to their children's education. Sociable, in a good way.

[Anonymous]

I never applied to a Big 3/5/6 (but still in a very good school)so no dog here but I am curious as to why the PP implies the GDS parent body is so different from Beauvoir? My assumption would be NW DC privates have the same sorts of parents, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never applied to a Big 3/5/6 (but still in a very good school)so no dog here but I am curious as to why the PP implies the GDS parent body is so different from Beauvoir? My assumption would be NW DC privates have the same sorts of parents, no?

15:59 here. I think they are similar in many ways. But within the group of families applying to NW DC top-tier and very expensive private schools, the types of families that are drawn to the two schools are about as different as you can get. GDS is known for being very socially and politically progressive, parochial, and allowing the kids a lot of room for creativity and independence. Kids call teachers by their first names. Beauvoir, on the other hand, is very structured (still educationally progressive), has a religious component, teachers are DEFINITELY Mr. and Mrs. Even as a liberal sending my kids to school at Beauvoir, I would vote it most likely to vote Republican of any of the schools in this category, for sure.

Hope that is helpful. We are politically liberal but socially very traditional, so we knew the informality at GDS wouldn't work for us. We have several friends who are very happy there; I have nothing bad to say about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never applied to a Big 3/5/6 (but still in a very good school)so no dog here but I am curious as to why the PP implies the GDS parent body is so different from Beauvoir? My assumption would be NW DC privates have the same sorts of parents, no?

15:59 here. I think they are similar in many ways. But within the group of families applying to NW DC top-tier and very expensive private schools, the types of families that are drawn to the two schools are about as different as you can get. GDS is known for being very socially and politically progressive, parochial, and allowing the kids a lot of room for creativity and independence. Kids call teachers by their first names. Beauvoir, on the other hand, is very structured (still educationally progressive), has a religious component, teachers are DEFINITELY Mr. and Mrs. Even as a liberal sending my kids to school at Beauvoir, I would vote it most likely to vote Republican of any of the schools in this category, for sure.

Hope that is helpful. We are politically liberal but socially very traditional, so we knew the informality at GDS wouldn't work for us. We have several friends who are very happy there; I have nothing bad to say about it.

Current Beauvoir parent (and political liberal) here. Just FYI, in the mock schoolwide presidential election last year, Obama won hands down. There are some politically conservative families at Beauvoir (probably quite a few more than at GDS), but I would not call it a conservative school. Just traditional. PP is absolutely right that it's highly structured while taking a very progressive approach. Don't worry about the parents - pick the right school for your child.

[Anonymous]

Probably more similar than different (ie on average wealthy, live in DC or close in suburbs, well-educated, involved in school and kids education). Given that the prior head of GDS and the head of Beauvior are married to each other, the philosophies of the schools are more similar than they used to be. We had kids at both GDS and then one at NCS (not Beauvior however, but can extrapolate from the kids that came to NCS from B)
That said, politically Republicans are going to feel in a very definite minority at GDS. Mock elections there tend to swing about 90-95% for the Democratic candidate. Same-sex parents or single parents would likely have more company at GDS. A lot more Jewish students at GDS compared to all the Cathedral schools not surprisingly. In the LS at least GDS seems more diverse ethnically/racially.

[Anonymous]

So there is no stereotypical Beauvoir or GDS parent crowd beyond the latter being (or expressing) more social/political/progressive consciousness?

[Anonymous]

Former Beauvoir parent here. OP, did you know that the current Beauvoir Head ( retrning after 20 years this year) and the former GDS Head( retired a few years ago after 30 years at GDS) are married and have been for 15 or 20 years. Also, did you know that every year about 3 or 4 kids from B 3rd garde go on to GDS and that soem B faculty kids attend there.

Are there major differences, yes. To name a few: GDS is in your face liberal and lacks diversity in that regard ( same could be said of Sidwell or Maret) Beauvoir on the other hand has about a 70/30 blend in favor of more liberal views, but just enough balance to look like teh real world. People tend to try to make firends and keep personal views to themselves, valuing the friendships above all else. That kind of civility is really nice, and increasingly rare in this town.

Second the physical plants are very different: Beauvoir is set on 70 acres and includes a woods, a green house, a new play ground and GDS is well, surrounded by a cement parking lot and sits behind an apartment complex.

Beauvoir has a moral curriculum empahsising being part of a community. GDS seems to teach kids to stand up and fight injustice , which seems to be found under every rock and blade of grass. I suppose ther are worse options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Former Beauvoir parent here. OP, did you know that the current Beauvoir Head ( retrning after 20 years this year) and the former GDS Head( retired a few years ago after 30 years at GDS) are married and have been for 15 or 20 years. Also, did you know that every year about 3 or 4 kids from B 3rd garde go on to GDS and that soem B faculty kids attend there.

Are there major differences, yes. To name a few: GDS is in your face liberal and lacks diversity in that regard ( same could be said of Sidwell or Maret) Beauvoir on the other hand has about a 70/30 blend in favor of more liberal views, but just enough balance to look like teh real world. People tend to try to make firends and keep personal views to themselves, valuing the friendships above all else. That kind of civility is really nice, and incr easingly rare in this town.

Second the physical plants are very different: Beauvoir is set on 70 acres and includes a woods, a green house, a new play ground and GDS is well, surrounded by a cement parking lot and sits behind an apartment complex.

Beauvoir has a moral curriculum empahsising being part of a community. GDS seems to teach kids to stand up and fight injustice , which seems to be found under every rock and blade of grass. I suppose ther are worse options.

Your last comment has be rolling :D and I do like GDS. So funny! Ha ha.

[Anonymous]

^ had me rolling"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Former Beauvoir parent here. OP, did you know that the current Beauvoir Head ( retrning after 20 years this year) and the former GDS Head( retired a few years ago after 30 years at GDS) are married and have been for 15 or 20 years. Also, did you know that every year about 3 or 4 kids from B 3rd garde go on to GDS and that soem B faculty kids attend there.

Are there major differences, yes. To name a few: GDS is in your face liberal and lacks diversity in that regard ( same could be said of Sidwell or Maret) Beauvoir on the other hand has about a 70/30 blend in favor of more liberal views, but just enough balance to look like teh real world. People tend to try to make firends and keep personal views to themselves, valuing the friendships above all else. That kind of civility is really nice, and increasingly rare in this town.

Second the physical plants are very different: Beauvoir is set on 70 acres and includes a woods, a green house, a new play ground and GDS is well, surrounded by a cement parking lot and sits behind an apartment complex.

Beauvoir has a moral curriculum empahsising being part of a community. GDS seems to teach kids to stand up and fight injustice , which seems to be found under every rock and blade of grass. I suppose ther are worse options.

Would you say the parents mirror the school, then?

[Anonymous]

I'll say this: I grew up in an upper middle class suburb and went to Public School . Beauvoir is far more diverse in terms of ethnic, religious, country of origin, and racial diversity than any community of which I was ever a part growing up. My HS and most of the HS in towns neighboring mine looked just like GDS. Beauvoir on the otehr hand has a bit of everything, but not too much of anything.

The Beauvoir AD does a remarkable job at building a class, but you better be capable of some real tolerance and be willing to build commonality. The new head comes from the Philadelphia school , which if you look at its board is very progressive. Almost like, well GDS. Hmmmm how did that happen?

Financially, GDS may have more of a dumbell FA pattern ( some very rich/some poor) whereas Beuvoir has more in middle and gives less aid to all.

I think most of the stereoptypes about Beauvoir are out dated and come from a group who sees a Cathedral looming and fears that their religious/ethnic group is not welcome. That feeling is self-imposed. Nobody cares anymore, really. And honestly, look around, the Episcopal church is advocating for gay marriage. Our kids truly live in a world different that the one I was born into.

[Anonymous]

Easy - Beauvoir is nominally Episcopalian. GDS is nominally Jewish. Both are the more liberal sectors of each religious contingent and their school administration's actions and policies reflect the influence of each "tribe".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy - Beauvoir is nominally Episcopalian. GDS is nominally Jewish. Both are the more liberal sectors of each religious contingent and their school administration's actions and policies reflect the influence of each "tribe".

Disagree. Beauvoir really does not have a bulk of its parent body being of any one religion or ethnicity, certainly not Protestant. I'd say maybe 6 religions are represented with equal proprotions of each, including some athiests. Its really well balanced and unlike just about every private in this town it also has some real political diversity. Imagine that, Rep and Dems, getting along and planning the book fair or Annual Auction together....Its actually pretty refreshing.

[Anonymous]

Beauvoir - tuxes, boob jobs & martinis. GDS - green tea infusions, tie dye, and natural gray. Does that help?