What is going on at Holton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every single private school in the area that also decided to stop teaching to the APs was in the lawsuit (St. Albans, NCS, Potomac, Sidwell, etc.). It was about the schools forming a monopoly and shutting out the money-making test prep folks and guess what? The schools won, they were not doing anything wrong. The College Board is terrified of losing its revenue with colleges and universities not caring about the standardized tests any more, and they were desperate to stop it, but had no legal standing.

Good for the schools that now they don’t have to be concerned with their students going head-to-head with other kids on the AP exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single private school in the area that also decided to stop teaching to the APs was in the lawsuit (St. Albans, NCS, Potomac, Sidwell, etc.). It was about the schools forming a monopoly and shutting out the money-making test prep folks and guess what? The schools won, they were not doing anything wrong. The College Board is terrified of losing its revenue with colleges and universities not caring about the standardized tests any more, and they were desperate to stop it, but had no legal standing.

Good for the schools that now they don’t have to be concerned with their students going head-to-head with other kids on the AP exams.

Lots of kids still take AP exams. It’s just that the schools don’t teach classes to the exams. You have to study for the exams on their own.

A big benefit of AP exams is that for some, mostly public, colleges and universities, they may award credit for a 5. Even back when I was in HS in the 90s, “elite” private schools were not doing this. So the AP exam was really more about bragging rights than anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every single private school in the area that also decided to stop teaching to the APs was in the lawsuit (St. Albans, NCS, Potomac, Sidwell, etc.). It was about the schools forming a monopoly and shutting out the money-making test prep folks and guess what? The schools won, they were not doing anything wrong. The College Board is terrified of losing its revenue with colleges and universities not caring about the standardized tests any more, and they were desperate to stop it, but had no legal standing.

That’s not really what happened. DOJ investigated the schools as violating the Sherman Act. DOJ was coy about the outcome, but officially said that they used discretion not to prosecute because the schools agreed to disavow the agreement to not offer AP classes and agreed to not enter into similar agreements in the future.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-concludes-its-investigation-dc-area-private-high-schools-decision-stop

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single private school in the area that also decided to stop teaching to the APs was in the lawsuit (St. Albans, NCS, Potomac, Sidwell, etc.). It was about the schools forming a monopoly and shutting out the money-making test prep folks and guess what? The schools won, they were not doing anything wrong. The College Board is terrified of losing its revenue with colleges and universities not caring about the standardized tests any more, and they were desperate to stop it, but had no legal standing.

That’s not really what happened. DOJ investigated the schools as violating the Sherman Act. DOJ was coy about the outcome, but officially said that they used discretion not to prosecute because the schools agreed to disavow the agreement to not offer AP classes and agreed to not enter into similar agreements in the future.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-concludes-its-investigation-dc-area-private-high-schools-decision-stop

DOJ doesn’t walk away from things they think were illegal historically just because someone stops doing them once DOJ starts investigating...

[Anonymous]

That's hilarious that you think they are scared of putting up their grads against other schools AP results. Many many colleges haven't cared about those tests in years since they are literally not a measure of intelligence at all. NE boarding schools and independent schools stopped teaching to these test long before this area even considered it. Any student is welcome to take them if they want though to get credit for entry level classes at big schools. Talk to college admissions officers. They look at school rigor and classes the students take. Big U's who don't have time to read and analyze every application use them because they can throw all of the low scorers in the trash immediately and then only deal with the decent applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Offered spots at NCS and Holton. Very good schools either way. Holton’s campus and stellar Administration sealed the deal. HoS listens at Holton.

This made me laugh! The administration at Holton does not ljavascript:void(0);isten at all. And the HoS is so cold and fake. We once loved this school but don’t anymore. It makes me sad to write that but I have to be honest.

Can you elaborate on what changed for you and how HOS is "cold and fake"? What year did you enter and what did you love about it? Current year? Are you staying or leaving?

It’s a small community so I won’t give details about who we are but we won’t be back next year. HOS barely says hello to us and we have been parents for many years. She is focused on big money donors for sure, they get what they want and if you’re just a regular parent you have little say. We have loved some of the teachers and the staff is very kind (security and kitchen etc). The upper school head is not strong and he is neither a woman nor a parent so he has no perspective on many things that matter. They are all so focused on changing the curriculum to being “anti racist” that it takes over every subject and discussion including all advisory meetings. If your daughter doesn’t have far left political leanings best to be quiet or she will get called all kinds of names just for not following the group think. This happens openly in class with teachers listening and agreeing. Lots of limousine liberals for sure in the student and parent body, not the environment we enjoy.

I was trying to understand what the issue was and then I got to the “anti-racist” part and that gave it away. Thanks for sharing.

Lol yes, they need to find a school more supportive of the system of white supremacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Offered spots at NCS and Holton. Very good schools either way. Holton’s campus and stellar Administration sealed the deal. HoS listens at Holton.

This made me laugh! The administration at Holton does not ljavascript:void(0);isten at all. And the HoS is so cold and fake. We once loved this school but don’t anymore. It makes me sad to write that but I have to be honest.

Can you elaborate on what changed for you and how HOS is "cold and fake"? What year did you enter and what did you love about it? Current year? Are you staying or leaving?

It’s a small community so I won’t give details about who we are but we won’t be back next year. HOS barely says hello to us and we have been parents for many years. She is focused on big money donors for sure, they get what they want and if you’re just a regular parent you have little say. We have loved some of the teachers and the staff is very kind (security and kitchen etc). The upper school head is not strong and he is neither a woman nor a parent so he has no perspective on many things that matter. They are all so focused on changing the curriculum to being “anti racist” that it takes over every subject and discussion including all advisory meetings. If your daughter doesn’t have far left political leanings best to be quiet or she will get called all kinds of names just for not following the group think. This happens openly in class with teachers listening and agreeing. Lots of limousine liberals for sure in the student and parent body, not the environment we enjoy.

I was trying to understand what the issue was and then I got to the “anti-racist” part and that gave it away. Thanks for sharing.

Lol yes, they need to find a school more supportive of the system of white supremacy.

I was the parent who wrote that and my child is not white. LOL yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone who goes to Holton knows it is all about the girls and some of the teachers (not all). The girls are the best and the brightest. There is no stellar Administration or an HoS that listens. The HoS is cold, calculating and does not listen to the community at all. She makes decisions for her own enrichment only. It's time for her to go. She is so out of touch. Look at what is going on with Prom!

We’ve had the opposite experience—I feel like she listens and solicits more feedback from the community than the other heads of school my children have had in the past. The Holton HoS hosts a parent coffee call almost every Friday where she answers parent questions. She seems very in touch with what’s going on, and very willing to answer all parent questions. I have no idea what you think she’s “cold and calculating” about—I think she’s had to make many hard decisions about covid this year and school has successfully kept everyone safe.

Yes PP who mentioned Prom. Are you kidding me about the way they're running prom? All the other schools had prom and now Holton is having a sad little event from 5:30-7:30 with masks and no dates. Only seniors and when students begged for Juniors to at least be included the very caring administration thumbed their noses at them. They are the worst.

[Anonymous]

What schools had a normal prom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What schools had a normal prom?

SR had a prom with dates that was really nice. I saw pictures and it was at night with no masks. Seemed pretty normal to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What schools had a normal prom?

SR had a prom with dates that was really nice. I saw pictures and it was at night with no masks. Seemed pretty normal to me.

I havent heard of a single moco school that did not have prom with dates. Bullis, Prep, Holy Child. Only Holton has this weird day time thing without dates. How is that for soliciting parent feedback over coffee?? Personally I think she is being cheap, under the guise of ssafety. When is the board going to wake up and see that the Head of School is driving Holton into the ground?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single private school in the area that also decided to stop teaching to the APs was in the lawsuit (St. Albans, NCS, Potomac, Sidwell, etc.). It was about the schools forming a monopoly and shutting out the money-making test prep folks and guess what? The schools won, they were not doing anything wrong. The College Board is terrified of losing its revenue with colleges and universities not caring about the standardized tests any more, and they were desperate to stop it, but had no legal standing.

That’s not really what happened. DOJ investigated the schools as violating the Sherman Act. DOJ was coy about the outcome, but officially said that they used discretion not to prosecute because the schools agreed to disavow the agreement to not offer AP classes and agreed to not enter into similar agreements in the future.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-concludes-its-investigation-dc-area-private-high-schools-decision-stop

DOJ doesn’t walk away from things they think were illegal historically just because someone stops doing them once DOJ starts investigating...

The press release says that DOJ stopped because of pandemic and bc the schools agreed not to do it again. But they will keep monitoring. Susanna Jones, Head of School, made a HUGE mistake signing the WaPo Op Ed. That was like an invitation to investigate. Major loss for school to spend $$$ to defend a bad decision. Who is taking the blame for that? No accountability for the elitism and arrogance. She doesn't know it impacts our girls who applying to college in an era of test-optional. Just MORE FUNDRAISING!!! More smiles. More COFFEE? [b]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What schools had a normal prom?

SR had a prom with dates that was really nice. I saw pictures and it was at night with no masks. Seemed pretty normal to me.

I havent heard of a single moco school that did not have prom with dates. Bullis, Prep, Holy Child. Only Holton has this weird day time thing without dates. How is that for soliciting parent feedback over coffee?? Personally I think she is being cheap, under the guise of ssafety. When is the board going to wake up and see that the Head of School is driving Holton into the ground?

Totally agree. My daughter is a senior and is so ready to get out of there! The crazy "prom" they're having is just the icing on the cake. Who has a prom at 5:30 that ends by 7:30 and only allows girls in the class to attend? I guess Holton does. Sounds fun, huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What schools had a normal prom?

Not sure about what a "normal" prom is. But my child went to Georgetown Prep's day prom and had to get covid tested/contact traced. No pre-party. Food, dancing with dates. games, a petting zoo and lots of prizes. They had to wear masks when they weren't eating. Everyone had a blast. over a month ago. Now everyone over 12 can be vaccinated, so why not just make that a condition? I just can't imagine why Holton is not having a more normal prom than what is being offered.

[Anonymous]

Wonder if all these schools don’t want to continue AP classes because then it would show how much they inflate grades. Kid gets A’s in the class and then doesn’t pass the test = school looks bad. Kid studies and takes the AP exam on their own and doesn’t get a high score = no fault on the school’s part.