Mass exodus from SSSAS Middle School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

This is not true. What?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

This is not true. What?

MAGA families find the school too progressive. Books on trans kids and all that.

[Anonymous]

We have 1 in US and 1 in MS. I think teachers at both are outstanding for most part and the HOS US is terrific. I agree that if your kids are super motivated academically talented, the money at SSSAS is too much to spend. I'm not sure if you work, where more convenient you'd go if you lived in Alexandria or Arlington however unless you were OK with Catholic school or then public. That's Linda a huge problem for older kids. No way can we move but neither willing to commute and maid out kids rise at 5am to go to school daily - that is a torture in itself. We didn't want public HS in Alexandria for our kid with learning disabilities and honestly they will likely head to art school - we were never on the ivy track so it's less the ROI for college and more the culture fit for our kids. That's hard anywhere due to specific classes but on US, our kid and us are happy enough. In MS, I do think it could be a lot better. I agree as well that the admin is more interested in keeping a happy staff v kids but I understand - to me it's the practical approach. The customers are going to line up as long as the teachers are good and stable tenure. I think the dress code change is truly ridiculous this year and can't say I understand why! But if you're in Arl or Alex and need a private school for your kids who are middle of the road - looking for private non Catholic that works - despite price tag, SSSAS fits the bill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

Good riddance to them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

Good riddance to them

Yeah except I think these dress code changes are pissing off progressive families. The girls basically feel like they have to wear a dress to fit in.

[Anonymous]

It's a collar, or sweatshirt, or sweater, or dress....not that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

This is not true. What?

MAGA families find the school too progressive. Books on trans kids and all that.

One of our kids left for US while the others stayed. We aren’t maga and none of the other families we knew who also left for high school were maga (much less conservative). So just stop making stuff up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

Good riddance to them

Yeah except I think these dress code changes are pissing off progressive families. The girls basically feel like they have to wear a dress to fit in.

Good riddance to anyone that doesn’t want to be there and leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

Good riddance to them

Yeah except I think these dress code changes are pissing off progressive families. The girls basically feel like they have to wear a dress to fit in.

Good riddance to anyone that doesn’t want to be there and leaves.

That's the attitude that supports a healthy environment at SSSAS! Don't review the reasons that families are leaving to try to improve SSSAS. It's clearly perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

Good riddance to them

Yeah except I think these dress code changes are pissing off progressive families. The girls basically feel like they have to wear a dress to fit in.

Good riddance to anyone that doesn’t want to be there and leaves.

That's the attitude that supports a healthy environment at SSSAS! Don't review the reasons that families are leaving to try to improve SSSAS. It's clearly perfect.

I think this entire thread is bananas. The school does make changes where it sees fit and decides it is appropriate. Just because they don’t change whenever a parent asks doesn’t mean they are unresponsive. I personally know Trump families, independents and left democrats all happily coexisting because it was the right school for their kid(s). The one thing this thread is doing is making SSSAS look bad. To those of you who don’t think it is worth it, don’t come or leave. For those who hate diversity of view points, I mean ok. Just be prepared for a lonely life cuz you will encounter people who disagree with you and if you always make it an issue, they will leave you, not the other way around. It’s a nice school with tons of opportunities that many schools simply do not offer. Find me another school with wrestling, Latin Competitions, AP classes, almost a dozen international trips per year, and a Cappie nominated theater program. I’m waiting…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

Good riddance to them

Yeah except I think these dress code changes are pissing off progressive families. The girls basically feel like they have to wear a dress to fit in.

Good riddance to anyone that doesn’t want to be there and leaves.

That's the attitude that supports a healthy environment at SSSAS! Don't review the reasons that families are leaving to try to improve SSSAS. It's clearly perfect.

+ 1

I have been happy with the school but it’s widely known they don’t respond to concerns brought by families. It’s kind of a take it or leave it attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people leave SSSAS in a huff are almost always conservative MAGA families because they think it’s a safe space for them and it’s not.

Good riddance to them

Yeah except I think these dress code changes are pissing off progressive families. The girls basically feel like they have to wear a dress to fit in.

Good riddance to anyone that doesn’t want to be there and leaves.

That's the attitude that supports a healthy environment at SSSAS! Don't review the reasons that families are leaving to try to improve SSSAS. It's clearly perfect.

I think this entire thread is bananas. The school does make changes where it sees fit and decides it is appropriate. Just because they don’t change whenever a parent asks doesn’t mean they are unresponsive. I personally know Trump families, independents and left democrats all happily coexisting because it was the right school for their kid(s). The one thing this thread is doing is making SSSAS look bad. To those of you who don’t think it is worth it, don’t come or leave. For those who hate diversity of view points, I mean ok. Just be prepared for a lonely life cuz you will encounter people who disagree with you and if you always make it an issue, they will leave you, not the other way around. It’s a nice school with tons of opportunities that many schools simply do not offer. Find me another school with wrestling, Latin Competitions, AP classes, almost a dozen international trips per year, and a Cappie nominated theater program. I’m waiting…

Waiting for what? Are you waiting for someone to summarize all of the valid but somewhat negative viewpoints from current and former parents? Or perhaps you are waiting for a grammar lesson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 1 in US and 1 in MS. I think teachers at both are outstanding for most part and the HOS US is terrific. I agree that if your kids are super motivated academically talented, the money at SSSAS is too much to spend. I'm not sure if you work, where more convenient you'd go if you lived in Alexandria or Arlington however unless you were OK with Catholic school or then public. That's Linda a huge problem for older kids. No way can we move but neither willing to commute and maid out kids rise at 5am to go to school daily - that is a torture in itself. We didn't want public HS in Alexandria for our kid with learning disabilities and honestly they will likely head to art school - we were never on the ivy track so it's less the ROI for college and more the culture fit for our kids. That's hard anywhere due to specific classes but on US, our kid and us are happy enough. In MS, I do think it could be a lot better. I agree as well that the admin is more interested in keeping a happy staff v kids but I understand - to me it's the practical approach. The customers are going to line up as long as the teachers are good and stable tenure. I think the dress code change is truly ridiculous this year and can't say I understand why! But if you're in Arl or Alex and need a private school for your kids who are middle of the road - looking for private non Catholic that works - despite price tag, SSSAS fits the bill

Thank you for acknowledging that if you have reasonably academic kids SSSAS is not worth it. We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on our kids education there with the hope of solid college outcomes. They did okay but could have done the same at a less expensive privates (thinking Gonzaga, Stone Ridge, Visi, St Johns) or better at equally expensive privates. It’s not a bad education it’s just not 55k. We should have left earlier - by the time we realized this at Upper School it was too complicated to leave. Lesson learned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 1 in US and 1 in MS. I think teachers at both are outstanding for most part and the HOS US is terrific. I agree that if your kids are super motivated academically talented, the money at SSSAS is too much to spend. I'm not sure if you work, where more convenient you'd go if you lived in Alexandria or Arlington however unless you were OK with Catholic school or then public. That's Linda a huge problem for older kids. No way can we move but neither willing to commute and maid out kids rise at 5am to go to school daily - that is a torture in itself. We didn't want public HS in Alexandria for our kid with learning disabilities and honestly they will likely head to art school - we were never on the ivy track so it's less the ROI for college and more the culture fit for our kids. That's hard anywhere due to specific classes but on US, our kid and us are happy enough. In MS, I do think it could be a lot better. I agree as well that the admin is more interested in keeping a happy staff v kids but I understand - to me it's the practical approach. The customers are going to line up as long as the teachers are good and stable tenure. I think the dress code change is truly ridiculous this year and can't say I understand why! But if you're in Arl or Alex and need a private school for your kids who are middle of the road - looking for private non Catholic that works - despite price tag, SSSAS fits the bill

Thank you for acknowledging that if you have reasonably academic kids SSSAS is not worth it. We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on our kids education there with the hope of solid college outcomes. They did okay but could have done the same at a less expensive privates (thinking Gonzaga, Stone Ridge, Visi, St Johns) or better at equally expensive privates. It’s not a bad education it’s just not 55k. We should have left earlier - by the time we realized this at Upper School it was too complicated to leave. Lesson learned.

This is so disappointing to hear. We have kids at the LS and have really found the school to be wonderful and the differentiation sufficient so far for our kids, who scored something like 97-99th percentile on the wisc. What happens at the middle or upper school that makes it not good for academically minded kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have 1 in US and 1 in MS. I think teachers at both are outstanding for most part and the HOS US is terrific. I agree that if your kids are super motivated academically talented, the money at SSSAS is too much to spend. I'm not sure if you work, where more convenient you'd go if you lived in Alexandria or Arlington however unless you were OK with Catholic school or then public. That's Linda a huge problem for older kids. No way can we move but neither willing to commute and maid out kids rise at 5am to go to school daily - that is a torture in itself. We didn't want public HS in Alexandria for our kid with learning disabilities and honestly they will likely head to art school - we were never on the ivy track so it's less the ROI for college and more the culture fit for our kids. That's hard anywhere due to specific classes but on US, our kid and us are happy enough. In MS, I do think it could be a lot better. I agree as well that the admin is more interested in keeping a happy staff v kids but I understand - to me it's the practical approach. The customers are going to line up as long as the teachers are good and stable tenure. I think the dress code change is truly ridiculous this year and can't say I understand why! But if you're in Arl or Alex and need a private school for your kids who are middle of the road - looking for private non Catholic that works - despite price tag, SSSAS fits the bill

Thank you for acknowledging that if you have reasonably academic kids SSSAS is not worth it. We spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on our kids education there with the hope of solid college outcomes. They did okay but could have done the same at a less expensive privates (thinking Gonzaga, Stone Ridge, Visi, St Johns) or better at equally expensive privates. It’s not a bad education it’s just not 55k. We should have left earlier - by the time we realized this at Upper School it was too complicated to leave. Lesson learned.

So what if you had spent less and gotten the same results? Or had spent the same at a supposedly “worth it” school and gotten the same results? I think that there so many factors in college applications and acceptances that to lay the blame (or credit) for each child’s college results solely on the school is really unfair. Each school has a different mix of kids applying to a different mix of schools. I think 9 going to W & M from SSSAS is amazing. But hey, maybe those kids wanted UVA so they feel let down. Or maybe they wanted Harvard. There is a very well regarded school in the area that has many going to UVA but couldn’t get a single one accepted at Florida. Those kids were disappointed! I bet their parents were relieved! Point is that the school your kids attend is only one piece of the pie. Maybe blaming SSSAS for disappointing results help avoid accepting reality. Reality is that even awesome kids sometimes don’t get the best college results. And people cannot endlessly ask for equity and diversity in schools and then squawk when the white kid who plays soccer doesn’t get into the primo schools. Doesn’t work that way.