GDS high school

[Anonymous]

Social justice should encourage open communication not shut it down. I worry that GDS has turned my kid into a quasi republican because he is completely sick of the DEI focus.
He has no interest in applying to SLACs next year as he worries they may have a similar environment. At the moment, he wants to go to a large public university like Michigan or UVA or UCLA.

[Anonymous]

I hope that all the families with outgoing seniors show this to Russell and the board. It’s truly in the best interest of the school to get this type of feedback. I know GDS loves to give surveys regarding wellness, mental health, etc. Do they ever survey about DEI? Perhaps that’s an actionable start - ask the students for true, anonymous feedback and share results with board and parents.

[Anonymous]

What does someone who's "sick of DEI" stand for affirmatively? What are their values exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does someone who's "sick of DEI" stand for affirmatively? What are their values exactly?

I didn’t write that myself but my 8th grader wants to write an essay without that focus. Or have a history lesson without that focus. He just wants a more traditional education where everything isn’t boiled down to identity or ethnicity or race. It’s tiresome to have it seep into their daily eduction.

[Anonymous]

Nicely written editorial from a new 9th grader.
Why is a GDS seminar class being delivered lecture style? That is ridiculous. The whole point of a seminar is discussion which is clearly lacking in the 9th grade seminar. Perhaps seminar style is not age appropriate for 9th graders?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does someone who's "sick of DEI" stand for affirmatively? What are their values exactly?

Dp here. I can tell you that I am sick of DEI and my values are just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Social justice should encourage open communication not shut it down. I worry that GDS has turned my kid into a quasi republican because he is completely sick of the DEI focus.
He has no interest in applying to SLACs next year as he worries they may have a similar environment. At the moment, he wants to go to a large public university like Michigan or UVA or UCLA.

Yes. Identical here. Had one graduate in last couple of years and that kid has gone fully anti-woke (if that's a term) and in my case, not quasi republican but fully. Kid to this day blames the idea suffocation at GDS 2021-2022 as the main reason his viewpoints changed. Ended up at a great larger college and refused to apply to any SLACs - which would have been a great fit I think - because kid equated SLACs as being "GDS 13th grade" - their words, not mine.

And have another one a year or two away from college process also at GDS and is saying the same things. And this kid says their friends all mostly feel the same way.

I know some despise the framing of "our kids are backlashing against the DEI you are ramming down their throats" but honestly it seems so true in my little sample.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He just wants a more traditional education where everything isn’t boiled down to identity or ethnicity or race. It’s tiresome to have it seep into their daily eduction.

Based on having seen my GDS kid's homework assignments and reading material, I think that's an overly simplistic and bordering on cynical way to describe the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nicely written editorial from a new 9th grader.
Why is a GDS seminar class being delivered lecture style? That is ridiculous. The whole point of a seminar is discussion which is clearly lacking in the 9th grade seminar. Perhaps seminar style is not age appropriate for 9th graders?

What makes this 9th grader even more brave is that they call out the teacher by name and that teacher is actually the junior grade dean. That actually takes balls for a freshman to write in any instance but especially about a CURRENT teacher of theirs and someone in the HS administration. Props to this student.

Honestly, I've been here as a parent at GDS more than 12 years and I've never ever sensed so much discontent bubbling under the surface from parents, students, and teachers about how the school is being run and how some people seem to go out of their way to stifle actual open discussions of the issues that matter. It's been 3-4 years of bad decisions and bad hires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

Great op-ed. There has been something like this written by a student every 3-4 mos in the school paper. My kid says that 75% of the kids agree with this sentiment. Maybe 90%. It's a few very loud hold out kids who are in favor of the status quo.

Russell keeps writing essays and giving talks about encouraging thought and idea diversity and yet, the admins and some select faculty and maybe 10-25% of the kids think they are running / at a social justice advocacy org instead of a f*'ing school

Russell is very removed from the day to day running of the school.

Sadly this is true.

And also sadly, the head of the high school is also not present. Her deputy actually runs the school day to day though he's afraid of his own shadow (and of her).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He just wants a more traditional education where everything isn’t boiled down to identity or ethnicity or race. It’s tiresome to have it seep into their daily eduction.

Based on having seen my GDS kid's homework assignments and reading material, I think that's an overly simplistic and bordering on cynical way to describe the curriculum.

It depends on the class.

9th grade seminar might as well be a black panther meeting in Oakland in 1968.

Some sections of english in HS (depending very much on teacher) are identical. One teacher in HS english told class last year "I dont care at all about the dead white men we make you read, so I barely even read those essays you write on those." (actual quote) and then proceeded to say how much they care about the readings from Black writers in the syllabus.

That's a good way really mess with a bunch of your students. Way to be a teacher.

I have not seen woke ideology mostly in HS history or STEM courses at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Social justice should encourage open communication not shut it down. I worry that GDS has turned my kid into a quasi republican because he is completely sick of the DEI focus.
He has no interest in applying to SLACs next year as he worries they may have a similar environment. At the moment, he wants to go to a large public university like Michigan or UVA or UCLA.

Yep. Happened to my kid. Except he’s not “quasi” - he’s the chapter president of College Republicans at his school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nicely written editorial from a new 9th grader.
Why is a GDS seminar class being delivered lecture style? That is ridiculous. The whole point of a seminar is discussion which is clearly lacking in the 9th grade seminar. Perhaps seminar style is not age appropriate for 9th graders?

What makes this 9th grader even more brave is that they call out the teacher by name and that teacher is actually the junior grade dean. That actually takes balls for a freshman to write in any instance but especially about a CURRENT teacher of theirs and someone in the HS administration. Props to this student.

Honestly, I've been here as a parent at GDS more than 12 years and I've never ever sensed so much discontent bubbling under the surface from parents, students, and teachers about how the school is being run and how some people seem to go out of their way to stifle actual open discussions of the issues that matter. It's been 3-4 years of bad decisions and bad hires.

So, what are you parents- aka Payers of the Bills - going to do about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:woke ideology

Sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Social justice should encourage open communication not shut it down. I worry that GDS has turned my kid into a quasi republican because he is completely sick of the DEI focus.
He has no interest in applying to SLACs next year as he worries they may have a similar environment. At the moment, he wants to go to a large public university like Michigan or UVA or UCLA.

Yep. Happened to my kid. Except he’s not “quasi” - he’s the chapter president of College Republicans at his school.

That’s pretty funny when you think of how dismissive GDS parents are of more moderate schools.