How would you place top schools on a scale of most liberal to most conservative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ would a conservative but very bright child not fit in well at Maret? I care more about teaching but don't want D.C. Not to feel comfortable.

This was us. Look somewhere else!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoever put Potomac so far up was wrong. It is super conservative in red leaning VA and most of the grads go to fratty UVA

I concur.

The less politically liberal schools seem to be St Agnes/Stephen, NPS, Potomac School, Norwood, Gonzaga/Catholic schools, Beauvoir/NCS/St Albans, Waldorf / Reggio / montessori (all apolitical frankly), Sheridan.

The very politically liberal schools seem to be GDS (as advertised), St Patricks (teacher behavior), Sidwell, Maret. Some of this manifests itself in massive chips on shoulders and zero ability to debate fiscal or social issues intellectually.

Rest lean politically liberal or vocally liberal.

NCS is very liberal in the US. Don't know about LS.

[Anonymous]

First poster was the most accurate. I have kids at Potomac and STA and both lean liberal but have a small, vocal group of conservative voices. I also have many friends whose kids are at all of the other school listed. The first poster nailed it.

I think only the schools that go to 12th can be categorized this way since few kids have strong political opinions until at least middle school. I would leave the K-6 and K-8s out of political categorization. OTOH, certain K-6/8s are more progressive in their teaching methodology (Sheridan, Lowell) and others are more conservative (NPS, Norwood).

[Anonymous]

Another poster. I would say schools that have vocal staff discussing politics in k6 and k8 year’s are a problem. This feels manipulative. In older years political discussions can be helpful for certain classes because students can question and many times force a teacher to back up what they have been saying. I would be much mite open to my child attending a progressive school for hs for this reason. Our family is fairly conservative but we want our child to understand many points of view.

[Anonymous]

STA is as conservative as it gets in terms of traditional teaching. Also fairly conservative politically, despite a significant number of liberal-leaning families (ours included). I'm horrified by the anti-Arab, misogynist, Trump-defending assertions my son repeats that he has heard at school. NCS is a lot more liberal...even though there are many families with kids at both schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:STA is as conservative as it gets in terms of traditional teaching. Also fairly conservative politically, despite a significant number of liberal-leaning families (ours included). I'm horrified by the anti-Arab, misogynist, Trump-defending assertions my son repeats that he has heard at school. NCS is a lot more liberal...even though there are many families with kids at both schools.

That’s troubling...what does the administration do about this? The teachers? It’s one thing to welcome ideological diversity (more places could do a better job on that front). It’s quite another to have what sounds like racist and sexist talk in school. Are you able to give examples, either of what’s being said and/or what’s being done? Does your answer derive from the “conservative” nature of St. Albans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you read the OP carefully, it's not asking about politics at all. It's asking about progressive v. traditional teaching. I assume this is meant to get at things like how much memorization is expected, how much learning is inquiry-based and student-led, etc.. And that's a lot more important the the political leanings of the parents and/or faculty.

I don't think so. OP's title to the thread is "How would you place top schools on a scale of most liberal to most conservative?". There's no way to say that's about the style of teaching.

agree.

If you read the OP's post and not the thread title, they are asking about teaching styles... They should have said, "progressive to traditional" instead of liberal to conservative.

OP is asking about both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STA is as conservative as it gets in terms of traditional teaching. Also fairly conservative politically, despite a significant number of liberal-leaning families (ours included). I'm horrified by the anti-Arab, misogynist, Trump-defending assertions my son repeats that he has heard at school. NCS is a lot more liberal...even though there are many families with kids at both schools.

That’s troubling...what does the administration do about this? The teachers? It’s one thing to welcome ideological diversity (more places could do a better job on that front). It’s quite another to have what sounds like racist and sexist talk in school. Are you able to give examples, either of what’s being said and/or what’s being done? Does your answer derive from the “conservative” nature of St. Albans?

Hmm I often hear people say things that are anti Muslim that are in fact just about having string borders. Too often liberals parse words that are just not true. Greater problem with schools pushing a liberal agenda than a conservative one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STA is as conservative as it gets in terms of traditional teaching. Also fairly conservative politically, despite a significant number of liberal-leaning families (ours included). I'm horrified by the anti-Arab, misogynist, Trump-defending assertions my son repeats that he has heard at school. NCS is a lot more liberal...even though there are many families with kids at both schools.

That’s troubling...what does the administration do about this? The teachers? It’s one thing to welcome ideological diversity (more places could do a better job on that front). It’s quite another to have what sounds like racist and sexist talk in school. Are you able to give examples, either of what’s being said and/or what’s being done? Does your answer derive from the “conservative” nature of St. Albans?

You must be VERY "liberal leaning." We have encountered one conservative teacher, and many, many, many other teachers who make a point to discuss racism, oppression, etc. in a liberal fashion. The curriculum in English, Religion, etc. would definitely challenge any comments like you are describing. Are you talking about comments from boys? Gov Club where one side has to argue the conservative side? Conservatives are in the minority at this school, make no mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:STA is as conservative as it gets in terms of traditional teaching. Also fairly conservative politically, despite a significant number of liberal-leaning families (ours included). I'm horrified by the anti-Arab, misogynist, Trump-defending assertions my son repeats that he has heard at school. NCS is a lot more liberal...even though there are many families with kids at both schools.

This is just not true. STA is not conservative politically or socially, although the teaching style and traditions may be. Most students and most faculty, by a large margin, are socially liberal with perhaps more conservative fiscal views but still far, far more Dems than Republicans. My son is in upper school and has been there since lower school. He is an active member of Gov Club (which is co-ed with NCS) and is very aware and interested in politics. Gov Club has a tough time finding enough kids to fill the conservative positions and argue the conservative viewpoints in debates.

Back during the campaign, there was a small and rather vocal minority of boys who supported Trump. Most were from NoVa, interestingly. However, those most of boys have slowly and quietly ceased their support as Trump's true character and agenda have become painfully, embarrassingly clear in the past several months. STA students and faculty are far too intelligent , aware and well-educated to follow a buffoon like Trump for long. Lastly, the STA community cares too much for its students of color and international students to allow Trumpian-xenphobia a place in its halls.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What a sad and nasty question to even ask! Must every single thing in life be politicized? It is this kind of thinking that has resulted in where the country now is. Sad![/quote]

Yes it is. We moved our dc from a liberal left leaning school because we could t take it anymore. Just teach my dc math and science and keep your political crap to yourselves. [/quote]

[b]What you call politics, some people call just being a decent person. [/b] I recently had someone tell me that discussing food insecurity was political. Like talking about the fact that there are people in the world who don't know where their next meal will come from is political. WTH?[/quote]

Don't you see the problem with your statement? You are so self-righteous in your position that you believe that anyone who disagrees with you is an indecent person. Just to use your example -- a discussion about food insecurity could easily become a political discussion. Politics would likely seep into discussions of why food insecurity exists and what sort of policies should be enacted to address it. Reasonable, DECENT people can differ on both of those issues.

If most of the teachers and/or students at a school shared your belief that there is only one [i]decent[/i] or acceptable position on a myriad of issues, I would have a real problem with the school -- even if I happened to agree with that view on any particular issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STA is as conservative as it gets in terms of traditional teaching. Also fairly conservative politically, despite a significant number of liberal-leaning families (ours included). I'm horrified by the anti-Arab, misogynist, Trump-defending assertions my son repeats that he has heard at school. NCS is a lot more liberal...even though there are many families with kids at both schools.

That’s troubling...what does the administration do about this? The teachers? It’s one thing to welcome ideological diversity (more places could do a better job on that front). It’s quite another to have what sounds like racist and sexist talk in school. Are you able to give examples, either of what’s being said and/or what’s being done? Does your answer derive from the “conservative” nature of St. Albans?

You must be VERY "liberal leaning." We have encountered one conservative teacher, and many, many, many other teachers who make a point to discuss racism, oppression, etc. in a liberal fashion. The curriculum in English, Religion, etc. would definitely challenge any comments like you are describing. Are you talking about comments from boys? Gov Club where one side has to argue the conservative side? Conservatives are in the minority at this school, make no mistake.

I am not talking about the faculty or the curriculum. I am talking about what the boys say to one another in the hallways, on the sports fields. Girls/women are "bitches" and "thots" (that ho over there) and feminazis. Homophobic slurs are common, and it is not an easy place to be an out gay person. "All lives matter" and other negation of BLM...which also speaks to the thread about the environment for AA boys. There is no other place my son could be bringing this stuff home from...and he declines to tell me the things that are even cruder. I'm glad that some teachers are trying to teach empathy and open-mindedness, but I also know that much of it goes on unchecked and unchallenged. The school could do so much more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First poster was the most accurate. I have kids at Potomac and STA and both lean liberal but have a small, vocal group of conservative voices. I also have many friends whose kids are at all of the other school listed. The first poster nailed it.

I think only the schools that go to 12th can be categorized this way since few kids have strong political opinions until at least middle school. I would leave the K-6 and K-8s out of political categorization. OTOH, certain K-6/8s are more progressive in their teaching methodology (Sheridan, Lowell) and others are more conservative (NPS, Norwood).

STA parents are about 50/50. Many republican families newly admitted this and last year in our grade. It is now about half republican. NCS is more liberal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:STA is as conservative as it gets in terms of traditional teaching. Also fairly conservative politically, despite a significant number of liberal-leaning families (ours included). I'm horrified by the anti-Arab, misogynist, Trump-defending assertions my son repeats that he has heard at school. NCS is a lot more liberal...even though there are many families with kids at both schools.

That’s troubling...what does the administration do about this? The teachers? It’s one thing to welcome ideological diversity (more places could do a better job on that front). It’s quite another to have what sounds like racist and sexist talk in school. Are you able to give examples, either of what’s being said and/or what’s being done? Does your answer derive from the “conservative” nature of St. Albans?

You must be VERY "liberal leaning." We have encountered one conservative teacher, and many, many, many other teachers who make a point to discuss racism, oppression, etc. in a liberal fashion. The curriculum in English, Religion, etc. would definitely challenge any comments like you are describing. Are you talking about comments from boys? Gov Club where one side has to argue the conservative side? Conservatives are in the minority at this school, make no mistake.

I am not talking about the faculty or the curriculum. I am talking about what the boys say to one another in the hallways, on the sports fields. Girls/women are "bitches" and "thots" (that ho over there) and feminazis. Homophobic slurs are common, and it is not an easy place to be an out gay person. "All lives matter" and other negation of BLM...which also speaks to the thread about the environment for AA boys. There is no other place my son could be bringing this stuff home from...and he declines to tell me the things that are even cruder. I'm glad that some teachers are trying to teach empathy and open-mindedness, but I also know that much of it goes on unchecked and unchallenged. The school could do so much more.

And your DS tells you all of these things are happening at STA? Yeah right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ would a conservative but very bright child not fit in well at Maret? I care more about teaching but don't want D.C. Not to feel comfortable.

This was us. Look somewhere else!

I disagree. Maybe if OP is extreme right, but I am moderate and love Maret. I went there and students are taught to respect one another opinions. To this day the very vocal Republican and the very vocal Democrat from my class there remain best of friends. They had constant debates and respected one another.