GDS high school

[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?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Two entirely different things. The school paper is a gem and is run by an outstanding faculty member and great student editors. Why can't both things be true? Why can't they have suffocating DEI and a good school paper?

Sounds like you can't imagine anything but reductive thinking.

Agree, as someone in the lower school for 5+ years now and following this, I would wish my US kid was learning something in STEM or globalization instead of the long Seminar and instead of 9 weeks of health class in 9th and 10th grades. Opportunity cost and it's a two-way swing (not helpful, not handled well).

[Anonymous]

The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

The health class could be done in 2 weeks per year. It's staggering how much time they allocate to this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

The health class could be done in 2 weeks per year. It's staggering how much time they allocate to this

That’s true for all the schools though, not just GDS.

[Anonymous]

Do you always make life decisions in a complete vacuum without considering context?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

The health class could be done in 2 weeks per year. It's staggering how much time they allocate to this

what do they spend so much time on?

[Anonymous]

WOW. My kid graduated in 2020.. and it was bad 2016-2020 when he was there. I wouldnt let my younger kids apply to GDS. Admin is allover horrible and this stuff is just nuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

The health class could be done in 2 weeks per year. It's staggering how much time they allocate to this

That’s true for all the schools though, not just GDS.

What other schools devote 9 weeks freshmen year plus another 9 weeks sophomore year to learn all the different types of sex and meds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

The health class could be done in 2 weeks per year. It's staggering how much time they allocate to this

That’s true for all the schools though, not just GDS.

Do parents get a briefing on what will be taught?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WOW. My kid graduated in 2020.. and it was bad 2016-2020 when he was there. I wouldnt let my younger kids apply to GDS. Admin is allover horrible and this stuff is just nuts

My kid also graduated in 2020. What was so bad when our kids were there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

The health class could be done in 2 weeks per year. It's staggering how much time they allocate to this

That’s true for all the schools though, not just GDS.

Not true - our DC at Sidwell didn't spend 18 weeks on health class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health classes in high school are a hoot and a half. And way too many weeks and years.

The health class could be done in 2 weeks per year. It's staggering how much time they allocate to this

That’s true for all the schools though, not just GDS.

What other schools devote 9 weeks freshmen year plus another 9 weeks sophomore year to learn all the different types of sex and meds?

None.

[Anonymous]

My suggestion: GDS should have Bari Weiss from The Free Press come to one of the Friday assemblies. GDS had a Fox News reporter come. The school more recently seems to be shifting course in a positive way to invite more viewpoints, as I think headmaster Russell Shaw is making positive initial steps to direct course to invite free speech. I hope he reads through this thread to get some helpful 360 feedback from parents. This is an amazing school and should retain amazing teachers that make the place so magical. Avoid chilling environment to free speech while maintaining the social justice mission. Let’s avoid MccArthyism at the school. Keep the magic of GDS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

But this is EXACTLY what the school said they do at the admissions open house. Did you not believe them? This is what you signed up for. This is what you said you wanted to buy.

Not exactly. I had no idea HOW intense and intrusive the DEI department would be. I did not anticipate how frustrated my DC would be due to the continual DEI focus during assemblies, aspects of History class in HS and much of MS, field trips, 9th grade Seminar, weird reporting practices, biased disciplinary approaches, etc.

Yes! All of this is true

Would not be the first time GDS doesnt paint full picture at Open Houses. For instance, they dont tell parents that kids are limited to applying to 10 (now 12 reluctantly after a parent revolt in 2023) colleges max. That's it.

They most certainly dont talk about that upfront.

They dont talk about how discipline process in HS works - opaque, inconsistent, and crappy dressed up in DEI / restorative justice, student-driven hoo-ha.

There are now 29 pages of comments about the poorly run administration

If many of us could do it again, we would have done a cathedral school. And our family is not religious, we are URMs, and we are liberal. the goal posts have moved.

GDS limits kids to 12 college applications? Wow.

Mine at other Big 3s applied to 15-20 each. Some kids just need to explore more options, particularly in this tough admissions environment.

What business is it of the school if kids want to spend additional time submitting applications and parents are fine with excessive applications fees?

I have kids at two different Big3 schools (not GDS) and college counseling advised STRONGLY against applying to more than a dozen schools. They pointed out that kids applying to 15-20 have no better outcomes than those applying intelligently to less. They have found that kids applying to more just get more rejections. This is data driven.
They will allow kids to apply to more but parents like you are clearly outliers and viewed as off base and frankly a PITA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

But this is EXACTLY what the school said they do at the admissions open house. Did you not believe them? This is what you signed up for. This is what you said you wanted to buy.

Not exactly. I had no idea HOW intense and intrusive the DEI department would be. I did not anticipate how frustrated my DC would be due to the continual DEI focus during assemblies, aspects of History class in HS and much of MS, field trips, 9th grade Seminar, weird reporting practices, biased disciplinary approaches, etc.

Yes! All of this is true

Would not be the first time GDS doesnt paint full picture at Open Houses. For instance, they dont tell parents that kids are limited to applying to 10 (now 12 reluctantly after a parent revolt in 2023) colleges max. That's it.

They most certainly dont talk about that upfront.

They dont talk about how discipline process in HS works - opaque, inconsistent, and crappy dressed up in DEI / restorative justice, student-driven hoo-ha.

There are now 29 pages of comments about the poorly run administration

If many of us could do it again, we would have done a cathedral school. And our family is not religious, we are URMs, and we are liberal. the goal posts have moved.

GDS limits kids to 12 college applications? Wow.

Mine at other Big 3s applied to 15-20 each. Some kids just need to explore more options, particularly in this tough admissions environment.

What business is it of the school if kids want to spend additional time submitting applications and parents are fine with excessive applications fees?

I have kids at two different Big3 schools (not GDS) and college counseling advised STRONGLY against applying to more than a dozen schools. They pointed out that kids applying to 15-20 have no better outcomes than those applying intelligently to less. They have found that kids applying to more just get more rejections. This is data driven.
They will allow kids to apply to more but parents like you are clearly outliers and viewed as off base and frankly a PITA.

Strongly advised against is very different than GDS’ “we won’t allow it” approach. GDS has way too many restrictions in place (hello, no AP test administration) for a school that charges $50k+ per year. They act like students and parents can’t be trusted.