GDS Incoming 9th Grade to be much smaller

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. GDS is already the most sought-after top independent in DC.

That’s definitely not the case for me. No on-campus lunch for high schoolers, and a 10 college application cap was a deal breaker. It’s a hard pass on GDS for my family. Y’all can fight over those seats if you like…

For most GDS students, the 10-college/univ cap is beside the point. They have their choice of great schools, often multiple Ivies.

That doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

Don't feed that troll...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does the ANC derive the authority to ask for/enforce this cap?

The same cap exists at Potomac. It’s for traffic reasons

And Holton. It’s community agreements and guidelines. Some communities choose not to waive the caps even given Covid, public school shutdown and the carryover.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does the ANC derive the authority to ask for/enforce this cap?

The cap was part of the zoning order with the permit application when the GDS high school, and later the full school, moved into the neighborhood. The cap is the cap and it is there for safety reasons, ie fire marshall/building codes etc - so if GDS was in violation, it isn't necessarily for neighborhood traffic that is an issue, but rather how many people (staff, faculty, students) are in the space physically.

And if I were a member of the GDS community, I would be concerned that the school wasn't managing this properly.

The ANC is not the bad guy here.

It’s not there for fire safety reasons. Carpool lines are not plugging up for hydrants or resi blocks. They are on campus winding around 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does the ANC derive the authority to ask for/enforce this cap?

The cap was part of the zoning order with the permit application when the GDS high school, and later the full school, moved into the neighborhood. The cap is the cap and it is there for safety reasons, ie fire marshall/building codes etc - so if GDS was in violation, it isn't necessarily for neighborhood traffic that is an issue, but rather how many people (staff, faculty, students) are in the space physically.

And if I were a member of the GDS community, I would be concerned that the school wasn't managing this properly.

The ANC is not the bad guy here.

My understanding is that GDS was initially led to believe they would have several years to cure the enrollment issue, but then the ANC told them it had to be cured this year. This is all second and third hand, but that’s my understanding of the situation.

ANC was supposed to allow higher caps this year but instead told GDS they went over their existing low caps for too long, and choose not to take Covid fall out into account.

You should hear how anc mistreats River School also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. GDS is already the most sought-after top independent in DC.

That’s definitely not the case for me. No on-campus lunch for high schoolers, and a 10 college application cap was a deal breaker. It’s a hard pass on GDS for my family. Y’all can fight over those seats if you like…

The kids love being able to go off campus for lunch. And those who don't have 1-2 food trucks nearby. Also you should see the level of doordash orders that kids group up to get. The lunch thing is a non-issue for kids. Yet some parents have this idea that a cafeteria is vital to education.

I have plenty of other issues w/ GDS as a long time parent (declining college office competence, lots of administrator double talk, grade deflation in some core classes, and lack of space for any opinions counter to the GDS bubble - all things that are worse now than even 3 years ago) but lunch aint one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. GDS is already the most sought-after top independent in DC.

That’s definitely not the case for me. No on-campus lunch for high schoolers, and a 10 college application cap was a deal breaker. It’s a hard pass on GDS for my family. Y’all can fight over those seats if you like…

For most GDS students, the 10-college/univ cap is beside the point. They have their choice of great schools, often multiple Ivies.

That doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

This is true - decidedly worse college outcomes '23 vs. '22. Only three unhooked white males admitted T20s this year. Yup it's true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. GDS is already the most sought-after top independent in DC.

That’s definitely not the case for me. No on-campus lunch for high schoolers, and a 10 college application cap was a deal breaker. It’s a hard pass on GDS for my family. Y’all can fight over those seats if you like…

For most GDS students, the 10-college/univ cap is beside the point. They have their choice of great schools, often multiple Ivies.

That doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

This is true - decidedly worse college outcomes '23 vs. '22. Only three unhooked white males admitted T20s this year. Yup it's true

I count 11 people who appear to be white males going to "brand name" schools on the Instagram account, which doesn't appear to include the whole class. White men are doing just fine, even if they now have to share with others who are not white men.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. GDS is already the most sought-after top independent in DC.

That’s definitely not the case for me. No on-campus lunch for high schoolers, and a 10 college application cap was a deal breaker. It’s a hard pass on GDS for my family. Y’all can fight over those seats if you like…

The kids love being able to go off campus for lunch. And those who don't have 1-2 food trucks nearby. Also you should see the level of doordash orders that kids group up to get. The lunch thing is a non-issue for kids. Yet some parents have this idea that a cafeteria is vital to education.

I have plenty of other issues w/ GDS as a long time parent (declining college office competence, lots of administrator double talk, grade deflation in some core classes, and lack of space for any opinions counter to the GDS bubble - all things that are worse now than even 3 years ago) but lunch aint one

It may not be an issue for YOUR child, but it was an issue for MY child. It’s the main reason she decided not to apply to GDS for 9th grade. She said she didn’t want to be forced to bring lunch or go off campus everyday.

On another note, GDS’ tuition is way too high to not include lunch. Plus, capping college applications at 10/per student is even more insane in this test optional, post-quarantine environment. What is the rationale for that stupid policy?!? It clearly didn’t benefit students this year

[Anonymous]

And..I hear the 8th grade class is packed with "issues". Gonna be fun to welcome new folx into this mix!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. GDS is already the most sought-after top independent in DC.

That’s definitely not the case for me. No on-campus lunch for high schoolers, and a 10 college application cap was a deal breaker. It’s a hard pass on GDS for my family. Y’all can fight over those seats if you like…

For most GDS students, the 10-college/univ cap is beside the point. They have their choice of great schools, often multiple Ivies.

That doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

This is true - decidedly worse college outcomes '23 vs. '22. Only three unhooked white males admitted T20s this year. Yup it's true

I count 11 people who appear to be white males going to "brand name" schools on the Instagram account, which doesn't appear to include the whole class. White men are doing just fine, even if they now have to share with others who are not white men.

Right but you dont know their hooks. The seniors do. I stand by my math

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is insane. GDS is already the most sought-after top independent in DC.

That’s definitely not the case for me. No on-campus lunch for high schoolers, and a 10 college application cap was a deal breaker. It’s a hard pass on GDS for my family. Y’all can fight over those seats if you like…

For most GDS students, the 10-college/univ cap is beside the point. They have their choice of great schools, often multiple Ivies.

That doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

This is true - decidedly worse college outcomes '23 vs. '22. Only three unhooked white males admitted T20s this year. Yup it's true

I count 11 people who appear to be white males going to "brand name" schools on the Instagram account, which doesn't appear to include the whole class. White men are doing just fine, even if they now have to share with others who are not white men.

Right but you dont know their hooks. The seniors do. I stand by my math

If most of the white boys have some sort of hook, that proves the point that we shouldn't feel sorry for white men. I mean, it sucks that they all can't be admitted and that non whites and non men are taking their spots, but that's not gds's fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does the ANC derive the authority to ask for/enforce this cap?

The cap was part of the zoning order with the permit application when the GDS high school, and later the full school, moved into the neighborhood. The cap is the cap and it is there for safety reasons, ie fire marshall/building codes etc - so if GDS was in violation, it isn't necessarily for neighborhood traffic that is an issue, but rather how many people (staff, faculty, students) are in the space physically.

And if I were a member of the GDS community, I would be concerned that the school wasn't managing this properly.

The ANC is not the bad guy here.

It’s not there for fire safety reasons. Carpool lines are not plugging up for hydrants or resi blocks. They are on campus winding around 1.

If GDS signed a voluntary agreement with the ANC(which is different vs the zoning agreement) and choose to ignore it. GDS’s leadership is at fault. The HOS admits that many of the GDS parents do not use the agreed to drop offline and he refuses to police those parents. This “dispute” shows the incompetence of the school administration given that the ANC agreement is tied to the Zoning Agreement’s cap size increase. All the school had to do was count cars at the drop offline, report it the ANC and remove the parents who can not comply.

I have never heard of a school giving the finger to the community, ANC, zoning board, DC Department of a Transportation, etc. It is bizarre behavior for a HOS or school administration. No other school has this self caused problem. The HOS needs to step up and show the bad actor parents the door. GDS has a waiting list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where does the ANC derive the authority to ask for/enforce this cap?

The school and ANC have an official agreement in place. Kinda crummy that the school was ignoring it. Will tuition need to increase substantially to compensate for lower enrollment numbers?

The school was NOT ignoring it. It was based on an estimate of annual attrition that turned out to be wrong when fewer families left the school than in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If GDS needs a revenue stream, when will they develop the mixed-use, PUD plan on the Wisconsin Avenue that GDS owns. That area could use more vibrantization.

I don’t know what a PUD plan is, but GDS owns the Wmata chiller plant propery on Ellicott right next to the school and l listened to the ANC meeting when the ANC kept telling GDS they should build deeply affordable housing on it. ANC also wanted GDS to spend their ill- gotten over enrollment extra revenue on a neighborhood “amenity” - never mind that it costs more to educate more kids. GDS screwed up but the ANC is unrealistic and would scare me away from moving a business into my own neighborhood. It sucks

[Anonymous]

PUD = Planned Unit Development