Next chapter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but 2nd poster (don’t want to be accused of sock puppeting)- while we don’t find the parent community great, I want to be clear that our most significant issue has been teacher quality. It is very uneven- each grade has amazing teachers, but each grade has incredibly poor teachers. The variability is too wide to ensure a consistent minimal bar that’s acceptable. Even parents who love the school share stories about their one (or two) bad years. There are only 5 years- one or two bad years means a large minority of your experience is bad. The administration appetite for concerns about teachers is nil. I work in the education space and believe that administration should support teachers…however the Beauvoir admin seems to believe that teachers can do no wrong and if there’s a problem it’s because of the parents and kids. Sometimes it is! But the assumption that your staff is infallible is very odd, and damaging to children and families who have legitimate concerns.

Anyway- best of luck OP. NCS parent, there are some lovely kids and families joining your community. Unfortunately there are many families and children harmed by their Beauvoir experience (some of whom may be joining you at NCS too). We are truly counting the days (three more including today!) and will be celebrating hard after Thursday chapel.

How do you define a “bad” teacher? I am curious. I have had 3 kids growing through BVR and most teachers were fine. I cannot think of any “bad” teacher. I can think of 2 outstanding teachers my kids had that got them… they were the perfect teachers for my kids because they formed a special bond with them. I bet other parents do not feel the same way I feel about those 2 teachers.

Maybe we have been very lucky at BVR but with 13+ different classes, I think I can say the teachers have all been good.

Your kids clearly didn’t have the teachers my kids did this year. Absolutely awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not OP but 2nd poster (don’t want to be accused of sock puppeting)- while we don’t find the parent community great, I want to be clear that our most significant issue has been teacher quality. It is very uneven- each grade has amazing teachers, but each grade has incredibly poor teachers. The variability is too wide to ensure a consistent minimal bar that’s acceptable. Even parents who love the school share stories about their one (or two) bad years. There are only 5 years- one or two bad years means a large minority of your experience is bad. The administration appetite for concerns about teachers is nil. I work in the education space and believe that administration should support teachers…however the Beauvoir admin seems to believe that teachers can do no wrong and if there’s a problem it’s because of the parents and kids. Sometimes it is! But the assumption that your staff is infallible is very odd, and damaging to children and families who have legitimate concerns.

Anyway- best of luck OP. NCS parent, there are some lovely kids and families joining your community. Unfortunately there are many families and children harmed by their Beauvoir experience (some of whom may be joining you at NCS too). We are truly counting the days (three more including today!) and will be celebrating hard after Thursday chapel.

How do you define a “bad” teacher? I am curious. I have had 3 kids growing through BVR and most teachers were fine. I cannot think of any “bad” teacher. I can think of 2 outstanding teachers my kids had that got them… they were the perfect teachers for my kids because they formed a special bond with them. I bet other parents do not feel the same way I feel about those 2 teachers.

Maybe we have been very lucky at BVR but with 13+ different classes, I think I can say the teachers have all been good.

Your kids clearly didn’t have the teachers my kids did this year. Absolutely awful.

What grades were your kids in? I’m have one kid in 1st and have not heard of bad teachers in our grade. Of course I do not talk to everyone…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to let you know. This is not specific to BVR. I had similar experience in Maret. The demand for private schools is so high that many schools have that the attitude that they don’t have any problems, the problem is the parent that complains.

Same at Primary Day. The teachers and staff are wonderful and the program is great, but there is zero interest in hearing from parents about pretty much anything, whether it be a complaint or simply a new idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thursday was rough. Had to take a couple of days to process. I'm still processing. I see some comments that say we are to blame. Probably that's true. We're outsiders and didn't know the rules of the game until it was nearly over. I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for putting my child through that system. For not wising up sooner. This year has taken a toll on DC no matter what we say or do. I just hope that others can learn from others and spare their own children.

OP what specifically about the last day on Thursday was rough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thursday was rough. Had to take a couple of days to process. I'm still processing. I see some comments that say we are to blame. Probably that's true. We're outsiders and didn't know the rules of the game until it was nearly over. I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for putting my child through that system. For not wising up sooner. This year has taken a toll on DC no matter what we say or do. I just hope that others can learn from others and spare their own children.

OP what specifically about the last day on Thursday was rough?

I’m curious too about what could be so challenging about a morning chapel service and listening to some hymns from children that it requires days to recover from.

We’re very happy at Beauvoir, but I agree that there could be more space for constructive criticism at most schools. However, it’s hard to take complaints like the OP seriously when it comes with statements like “I had to take a couple of days to process (a chapel service)”. OP sounds like someone who has never had a real challenge in their life. It also makes me wonder how much OP’s behavior impacted “the toll on DC”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent, my reflections on our experience at Beauvoir has left me deeply disappointed as we end the year.

What has frustrated me most is the apparent inability of the school community to engage constructively with criticism. Concerns raised by parents are often dismissed rather than addressed, creating an environment where honest discussion feels unwelcome. Indeed, any critical post of the school has been locked or erased from this site. I fully expect the same to happen with this thread.

One of the biggest problems is the quality of teaching is highly uneven. Our experience over the years has shown that quality varies dramatically from classroom to classroom, and that inconsistency can have a significant impact on young children during formative years.

The culture can also feel surprisingly insular and status-conscious. Rather than the warm and supportive community I expected, I have often found the parent community to be competitive, cliquish, and lacking (ironically) in empathy.

For families with boys, the transition process to the next schools can be especially stressful. Decisions regarding placement and admissions often feel opaque, and when children are not accepted to expected destinations, families are left searching for explanations. Whether or not those explanations exist, the lack of transparency can be painful for both parents and children with profound and lasting impacts.

I was also disappointed by the limited support available to families considering options outside the traditional Cathedral school pathway for our kids. At times, it felt as though families pursuing alternative routes were largely on their own. It seems that trend is starting to change, and for the better.

What saddens me most is that these dynamics affect very young children. This is an age when schools should be building confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. Instead, the pressure, competition, and uncertainty can feel disproportionate to the age of the students involved.

I know many families have had positive experiences, and I respect that. Mine has been different. For us, leaving Beauvoir this week will be a relief rather than a regret.

Did your child not get accepted to their first choice school for the next school? That would be upsetting to me as well. What are the numbers for STA and NCS coming from BVR for the incoming 4th grade class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent, my reflections on our experience at Beauvoir has left me deeply disappointed as we end the year.

What has frustrated me most is the apparent inability of the school community to engage constructively with criticism. Concerns raised by parents are often dismissed rather than addressed, creating an environment where honest discussion feels unwelcome. Indeed, any critical post of the school has been locked or erased from this site. I fully expect the same to happen with this thread.

One of the biggest problems is the quality of teaching is highly uneven. Our experience over the years has shown that quality varies dramatically from classroom to classroom, and that inconsistency can have a significant impact on young children during formative years.

The culture can also feel surprisingly insular and status-conscious. Rather than the warm and supportive community I expected, I have often found the parent community to be competitive, cliquish, and lacking (ironically) in empathy.

For families with boys, the transition process to the next schools can be especially stressful. Decisions regarding placement and admissions often feel opaque, and when children are not accepted to expected destinations, families are left searching for explanations. Whether or not those explanations exist, the lack of transparency can be painful for both parents and children with profound and lasting impacts.

I was also disappointed by the limited support available to families considering options outside the traditional Cathedral school pathway for our kids. At times, it felt as though families pursuing alternative routes were largely on their own. It seems that trend is starting to change, and for the better.

What saddens me most is that these dynamics affect very young children. This is an age when schools should be building confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. Instead, the pressure, competition, and uncertainty can feel disproportionate to the age of the students involved.

I know many families have had positive experiences, and I respect that. Mine has been different. For us, leaving Beauvoir this week will be a relief rather than a regret.

Did your child not get accepted to their first choice school for the next school? That would be upsetting to me as well. What are the numbers for STA and NCS coming from BVR for the incoming 4th grade class?

About 25 boys to STA (out of 39 I think) and 31 girls to NCS out of 37 (only 34 applied)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thursday was rough. Had to take a couple of days to process. I'm still processing. I see some comments that say we are to blame. Probably that's true. We're outsiders and didn't know the rules of the game until it was nearly over. I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for putting my child through that system. For not wising up sooner. This year has taken a toll on DC no matter what we say or do. I just hope that others can learn from others and spare their own children.

OP what specifically about the last day on Thursday was rough?

I’m curious too about what could be so challenging about a morning chapel service and listening to some hymns from children that it requires days to recover from.

We’re very happy at Beauvoir, but I agree that there could be more space for constructive criticism at most schools. However, it’s hard to take complaints like the OP seriously when it comes with statements like “I had to take a couple of days to process (a chapel service)”. OP sounds like someone who has never had a real challenge in their life. It also makes me wonder how much OP’s behavior impacted “the toll on DC”.

Not OP, but my guess is the social aspect was hard and not the cathedral service. All the parents asking where you enrolled your kids possibly knowing that you had applied to STA/NCS, classmates talking about their next year at the Cathedral schools, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to let you know. This is not specific to BVR. I had similar experience in Maret. The demand for private schools is so high that many schools have that the attitude that they don’t have any problems, the problem is the parent that complains.

This happens at many other school and very often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to let you know. This is not specific to BVR. I had similar experience in Maret. The demand for private schools is so high that many schools have that the attitude that they don’t have any problems, the problem is the parent that complains.

Same at Primary Day. The teachers and staff are wonderful and the program is great, but there is zero interest in hearing from parents about pretty much anything, whether it be a complaint or simply a new idea.

Huh? We completed a parent survey this past year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent, my reflections on our experience at Beauvoir has left me deeply disappointed as we end the year.

What has frustrated me most is the apparent inability of the school community to engage constructively with criticism. Concerns raised by parents are often dismissed rather than addressed, creating an environment where honest discussion feels unwelcome. Indeed, any critical post of the school has been locked or erased from this site. I fully expect the same to happen with this thread.

One of the biggest problems is the quality of teaching is highly uneven. Our experience over the years has shown that quality varies dramatically from classroom to classroom, and that inconsistency can have a significant impact on young children during formative years.

The culture can also feel surprisingly insular and status-conscious. Rather than the warm and supportive community I expected, I have often found the parent community to be competitive, cliquish, and lacking (ironically) in empathy.

For families with boys, the transition process to the next schools can be especially stressful. Decisions regarding placement and admissions often feel opaque, and when children are not accepted to expected destinations, families are left searching for explanations. Whether or not those explanations exist, the lack of transparency can be painful for both parents and children with profound and lasting impacts.

I was also disappointed by the limited support available to families considering options outside the traditional Cathedral school pathway for our kids. At times, it felt as though families pursuing alternative routes were largely on their own. It seems that trend is starting to change, and for the better.

What saddens me most is that these dynamics affect very young children. This is an age when schools should be building confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. Instead, the pressure, competition, and uncertainty can feel disproportionate to the age of the students involved.

I know many families have had positive experiences, and I respect that. Mine has been different. For us, leaving Beauvoir this week will be a relief rather than a regret.

Did your child not get accepted to their first choice school for the next school? That would be upsetting to me as well. What are the numbers for STA and NCS coming from BVR for the incoming 4th grade class?

About 25 boys to STA (out of 39 I think) and 31 girls to NCS out of 37 (only 34 applied)

only 30 boys applied to STA so only 5 did not get in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a current parent, my reflections on our experience at Beauvoir has left me deeply disappointed as we end the year.

What has frustrated me most is the apparent inability of the school community to engage constructively with criticism. Concerns raised by parents are often dismissed rather than addressed, creating an environment where honest discussion feels unwelcome. Indeed, any critical post of the school has been locked or erased from this site. I fully expect the same to happen with this thread.

One of the biggest problems is the quality of teaching is highly uneven. Our experience over the years has shown that quality varies dramatically from classroom to classroom, and that inconsistency can have a significant impact on young children during formative years.

The culture can also feel surprisingly insular and status-conscious. Rather than the warm and supportive community I expected, I have often found the parent community to be competitive, cliquish, and lacking (ironically) in empathy.

For families with boys, the transition process to the next schools can be especially stressful. Decisions regarding placement and admissions often feel opaque, and when children are not accepted to expected destinations, families are left searching for explanations. Whether or not those explanations exist, the lack of transparency can be painful for both parents and children with profound and lasting impacts.

I was also disappointed by the limited support available to families considering options outside the traditional Cathedral school pathway for our kids. At times, it felt as though families pursuing alternative routes were largely on their own. It seems that trend is starting to change, and for the better.

What saddens me most is that these dynamics affect very young children. This is an age when schools should be building confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging. Instead, the pressure, competition, and uncertainty can feel disproportionate to the age of the students involved.

I know many families have had positive experiences, and I respect that. Mine has been different. For us, leaving Beauvoir this week will be a relief rather than a regret.

Did your child not get accepted to their first choice school for the next school? That would be upsetting to me as well. What are the numbers for STA and NCS coming from BVR for the incoming 4th grade class?

About 25 boys to STA (out of 39 I think) and 31 girls to NCS out of 37 (only 34 applied)

only 30 boys applied to STA so only 5 did not get in

Still, that's more than 15% of those boys who applied that did not get in. Is that typical? I can see how that could cause some rough feelings if most send their kids to BVR with the expectation that STA will follow.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that STA and NCS do a pretty good job determining which BVR students are likely to succeed at those schools. It can be difficult news to receive but they are doing you a favor early on, rather than being counseled out later when your child is already settled in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that STA and NCS do a pretty good job determining which BVR students are likely to succeed at those schools. It can be difficult news to receive but they are doing you a favor early on, rather than being counseled out later when your child is already settled in.

Unfortunately Beauvoir isn’t strong at outplacement to other schools so if your child isn’t a fit for NCS and STA then you don’t get good outplacement support. This is true if you choose not to apply to NCS and STA as well (not just kids who are rejected by NCS and STA).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Still, that's more than 15% of those boys who applied that did not get in. Is that typical? I can see how that could cause some rough feelings if most send their kids to BVR with the expectation that STA will follow.

Except they tell you during the admissions process not to expect that NCS/STA is guaranteed. If STA is your 1st choice school, BVR is your best chance of getting in. We all just assume that our kid won’t be in the 15%, but we probably shouldn’t.