WES Head of School resigns

[Anonymous]

I laughed when I saw the word "nurturing" in the brochure -- DC's teacher was about as nurturing as Joan Crawford ("Mommie Dearest")...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:13:31 I agree with many of your observations. On the other hand, I would ignore majority of the "gossips" in this tread including on hiring of the new Chaplin and on enrollment until a formal announcement is made by the school. Also I agree with the school administration on not making public firing decisions for privacy reasons. Ex post, as argued in the community forums, the communication on these decisions with the concerned students/parents could have been better. On hiring decisions: contrary to the previous posters, I liked the resume of the teachers (in the weekly news letters) recently hired.

I am very optimistic that the Interim HOS, Nancy Wright, as well as the Board will address many issues you also raise based on the inputs received from the recent surveys, HOS search sessions and the recent WES community forums. Additionally, making available the outline on how governance works at WES (in the NeWES on April 24) and the opportunities that exist for the WES community to provide input on issues, are all steps in the right direction.

This is 13:31.

You sound much more optimistic than I am. Based on your knowledge, I am guessing you are an employee. You make some good points, but the school's recent track record does not give me reason to believe things are going to significantly and quickly change around WES in the near future. Also I do not think it reasonable to ask parents to pay more than $30 K a year while they wait for the change.

Hello 13:31, this is 17:22

Let me be clear: I am a current WES parent and not a WES employee. All the information/observations I shared in my posts (also 18:51) are from attending the recent community forum and reading weekly newsletters (and not simply showing up at the carpools and parent-teacher conferences). I find WES very nurturing for my DC with excellent teachers. We stay at WES not because we cannot transfer to another excellent private school in the area but because we choose to do so. Like every other excellent school in the area, even with small class sizes, WES may not be a best fit for every kid. Luckily for those I believe there are other excellent private (and perhaps public) alternatives. Of course this does not explain the incessantly negative posts emanating from a parent with DC currently attending a different school.

Cheers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never, in all my years on DCUM, seen a debate on any one particular school go on for this long and result in 23 pages of replies!!!

I wonder if WES admin is watching. If not they should be!

I have no skin in the game, just fascinated by the amount of passionate responses.

Agreed. There are only 220 families with over 275 kids at WES . In this WES tread, currently there are over 360 posts and over 19,000 views. DCUM treats this as a soap opera. There is one or two posters who feel bad if the level of acidity falls below a certain threshold and some others who cannot resist and respond to defamation. Majority are just rubberneckers.

[Anonymous]

But, there are so many who left WES as fast as they could...
with very bad experiences.
Do you really think 19,000 views are due to 1 or 2 disgruntled posters? Or rubberneckers? Work on the many problems at WES instead of telling others to stop posting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But, there are so many who left WES as fast as they could...
with very bad experiences.
Do you really think 19,000 views are due to 1 or 2 disgruntled posters? Or rubberneckers? Work on the many problems at WES instead of telling others to stop posting.

I agree. We had a bad experience, and it sounds like more than just a few have. I'm not sure WES is willing to listen or change -- no matter how many nice students and families leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But, there are so many who left WES as fast as they could...
with very bad experiences.
Do you really think 19,000 views are due to 1 or 2 disgruntled posters? Or rubberneckers? Work on the many problems at WES instead of telling others to stop posting.

I agree. We had a bad experience, and it sounds like more than just a few have. I'm not sure WES is willing to listen or change -- no matter how many nice students and families leave.

I disagree. The numbers and our experience at WES do not confirm that many have left or the nice ones left. On the enrollment: What was the enrollment at the time you were at WES? What is the enrollment today?

[Anonymous]

The Headmaster left after 3 years -- I did not think he was interested in WES. I hope WES does a better job hiring a headmaster this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never, in all my years on DCUM, seen a debate on any one particular school go on for this long and result in 23 pages of replies!!!

I wonder if WES admin is watching. If not they should be!

I have no skin in the game, just fascinated by the amount of passionate responses.

Agreed. There are only 220 families with over 275 kids at WES . In this WES tread, currently there are over 360 posts and over 19,000 views. DCUM treats this as a soap opera. There is one or two posters who feel bad if the level of acidity falls below a certain threshold and some others who cannot resist and respond to defamation. Majority are just rubberneckers.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But, there are so many who left WES as fast as they could...
with very bad experiences.
Do you really think 19,000 views are due to 1 or 2 disgruntled posters? Or rubberneckers? Work on the many problems at WES instead of telling others to stop posting.

You have no real facts or numbers to substantiate your claim. Lots of families leave a lot of schools for many reasons. They could be moving out of the area, finding their commute too much, and yes some leave because it is not the right fit to name a few. This happens at all the other schools in the DC area as well. If you feel that WES is having more than their share leave you need to compare that to the school size. Other schools may have the same fluctuations. Also how many of these people leaving are relatively new families...which should support the "as fast as they could" claim. How do you know it was due to bad experiences, other than you own personal situation? I have no stake in WES, but as an outside observer, I see someone with a vendetta. If the school was not right for your family so be it, but what about the other families who continue to go there. You narrow view does not hold water for them, but you are attacking something they believe in. YES I feel this is 1 or 2 disgruntled posters. You tell families who defend WES to work on the problems at WES, but they are not as concerned as you and they are staying. You are basically telling them to stop posting, but why should they if you continue to attack their children's' school. Shame on you, you are quite the brave anonymous gossip, who is intent on insulting those families.

[Anonymous]

YAWN!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YAWN!

That was insightful.

[Anonymous]

Shame on you 15:01 for attacking someone that went through the pain of having to leave WES. You clearly state you are not part of the WES community. How dare you criticize when you do not know first hand that the ES head does not do anything but take notes when a parent raises a concern and the departing head of school practically yawns in your face in his dark office. The pair make it very clear they do not care about your child and take no steps to improve the classroom environment. If you get repeated complaints about a teacher screaming, belittling kids, and not teaching, then I expect at a minimum that the administration needs to visit those classrooms everyday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shame on you 15:01 for attacking someone that went through the pain of having to leave WES. You clearly state you are not part of the WES community. How dare you criticize when you do not know first hand that the ES head does not do anything but take notes when a parent raises a concern and the departing head of school practically yawns in your face in his dark office. The pair make it very clear they do not care about your child and take no steps to improve the classroom environment. If you get repeated complaints about a teacher screaming, belittling kids, and not teaching, then I expect at a minimum that the administration needs to visit those classrooms everyday.

Exactly! The fact is student enrollment for the fall is dropping from the 270's to below 240. If that doesn't demonstrate there is a problem, I don't know what else will. I am sure it is easier to pretend like all is well at WES and dismiss people who raise concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shame on you 15:01 for attacking someone that went through the pain of having to leave WES. You clearly state you are not part of the WES community. How dare you criticize when you do not know first hand that the ES head does not do anything but take notes when a parent raises a concern and the departing head of school practically yawns in your face in his dark office. The pair make it very clear they do not care about your child and take no steps to improve the classroom environment. If you get repeated complaints about a teacher screaming, belittling kids, and not teaching, then I expect at a minimum that the administration needs to visit those classrooms everyday.

So how many kids left this class with the teacher that screams and belittles? The 30 that the next poster claims? I find it hard to believe that if a whole class complained nothing was done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shame on you 15:01 for attacking someone that went through the pain of having to leave WES. You clearly state you are not part of the WES community. How dare you criticize when you do not know first hand that the ES head does not do anything but take notes when a parent raises a concern and the departing head of school practically yawns in your face in his dark office. The pair make it very clear they do not care about your child and take no steps to improve the classroom environment. If you get repeated complaints about a teacher screaming, belittling kids, and not teaching, then I expect at a minimum that the administration needs to visit those classrooms everyday.

I don't see that poster as attacking, just stating that you are attacking the school and the families that remain with your comments. His/her comments don't seem unfounded. This forum has a lot of potential for biases and is probably not the best place for anyone to get their information. I guess with the yawning head of school leaving, that should be a good thing in your mind.