SSFS HOS leaving

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the new families, welcome. And as someone noted above, the crown jewel of this school is the teachers. We have been there through both heads now and have had a great experience because of the teachers. If you are a new parent with time and relevant acumen, consider joining the board. The school needs and deserves a completely new board to really harness the full potential of SSFS.

I couldn't agree more. We have been there for a few years now and the community will absolutely get each other through this. It's a remarkable place. This is the time when parents should reach out and join the PA, offer to help with HOS search, and volunteer especially in the Lower School.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the new families, welcome. And as someone noted above, the crown jewel of this school is the teachers. We have been there through both heads now and have had a great experience because of the teachers. If you are a new parent with time and relevant acumen, consider joining the board. The school needs and deserves a completely new board to really harness the full potential of SSFS.

I don't think anyone can just join the board, but any parent can volunteer with the PA (all parents are automatically members). Agree that we stay because of the teachers. I had no real interaction with Rodney, he seemed fine to me, but clearly the dip in enrollment was a problem and whatever happened in the lower school. I'm confident that the school will be fine - chaos isn't fun, but having been through something similar at a different school (but within the context of a much more chaotic environment), I think SSFS is in a good position to move forward with minimal disruption to students' education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New family here and we are sticking with it!

Good luck! I think the real issue is how badly off is the school financially? If they can’t afford to hire for the positions left empty by departing staff, as well as recently laid off staff, can’t afford all the pending repairs and US loan - then the place won’t be the educational experience you deserve at $40K+ I think families deserve what they’re paying for now, not what it might become 5 years from now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New family here and we are sticking with it!

Good luck! I think the real issue is how badly off is the school financially? If they can’t afford to hire for the positions left empty by departing staff, as well as recently laid off staff, can’t afford all the pending repairs and US loan - then the place won’t be the educational experience you deserve at $40K+ I think families deserve what they’re paying for now, not what it might become 5 years from now.

I agree! That’s why we don’t plan to stay. No desire to be the schools recovery guinea pigs. My kids deserve better. We live in an area with many school options. Ssfs doesn’t own all the excellent teachers. They definitely have great teachers (though I can list sooo many that left out his year!) the fact is other schools have great teachers too. That’s not unique to Ssfs. But right now the school doesn’t have stable leadership in a single division. I can’t afford to stay in such turmoil when options exist. So we will be leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New family here and we are sticking with it!

Good luck! I think the real issue is how badly off is the school financially? If they can’t afford to hire for the positions left empty by departing staff, as well as recently laid off staff, can’t afford all the pending repairs and US loan - then the place won’t be the educational experience you deserve at $40K+ I think families deserve what they’re paying for now, not what it might become 5 years from now.

I agree! That’s why we don’t plan to stay. No desire to be the schools recovery guinea pigs. My kids deserve better. We live in an area with many school options. Ssfs doesn’t own all the excellent teachers. They definitely have great teachers (though I can list sooo many that left out his year!) the fact is other schools have great teachers too. That’s not unique to Ssfs. But right now the school doesn’t have stable leadership in a single division. I can’t afford to stay in such turmoil when options exist. So we will be leaving.

I don't blame people who leave, but I will say that I think the middle school leadership has been very stable. And despite all the upper head changes, my kids' day to day experience was basically the same for all the years that I've had kids there.

[Anonymous]

We're a newly accepted family and considering leaving (even though we never started!). Any ideas where? This seems like a train wreck we don't want to be on. Son is into theater, some ADHD/organizational challenges. And thrives in smaller classes.

To the families who are leaving - where are you going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're a newly accepted family and considering leaving (even though we never started!). Any ideas where? This seems like a train wreck we don't want to be on. Son is into theater, some ADHD/organizational challenges. And thrives in smaller classes.

To the families who are leaving - where are you going?

I'm sorry this happened. Know that you very well may owe the tuition for the year even if you withdraw. Hard to know if the school will hold you to it given the circumstances. You didn't say what grade and these schools may be full, but give both the St. Andrew's and Bullis Admissions offices a call and see if they will entertain a late application.

[Anonymous]

I’m so sorry you’re in this position. Agree you may not be able to get out of your contract. Also Agree with the above suggestions for schools that might have availability. Maybe McLean School too since ive heard they’ve done good things with kids who have adhd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He has been there four years - and the work he did on this side hustle would have had to been covered in his contract with the school (aka the board would have blessed it). The head before him also kept up engagement with his prior life of fund investments in Africa - but no one cared about that because it wasn't as visible as Rodney's gig which involved working with schools in the area on diversity (i.e. the work that oddly brought him to SSFS in the first place as the board hired him to do the diversity audit). It will be interesting to see how the Board and the Community handles the coming months - several listening sessions will be needed as someone noted above. The school is blessed with countless incredible teachers - they are what makes the place worth the money. They just need a new Board and a strong new head, and to rally behind the team left in place till they get back to a steady-state.

Untrue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so sorry you’re in this position. Agree you may not be able to get out of your contract. Also Agree with the above suggestions for schools that might have availability. Maybe McLean School too since ive heard they’ve done good things with kids who have adhd.

Sorry, but there is no way SSFS lets you out of the contract. They do not have the financial cushion. If they do it for you, they'd have to do it for everyone who asks. Hopefully you have tuition insurance.

Maybe look at Field School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many wonderful staff and faculty who have been holding ssfs together. People who have been afraid of losing their jobs who have managed to weather these years. I for one am looking forward to these voices being part of the majority once again. There have been many many casualties as a result of Rodney's tenure, but the way that country rallies is line morning I've ever seen before. I'm proud this day has finally come and deeply saddened at the same time.

I think you meant this sentence to read:

"There have been many many casualties as a result of Rodney's tenure, but the way that community rallies is like nothing I've ever seen before. I'm proud this day has finally come and deeply saddened at the same time."

And, I totally agree with your post.

[Anonymous]

While a change in the head of school is disruptive, deciding to immediately bail on the school at this stage (summer) doesn’t make a whole lot of sense - unless you were particularly wedded to the previous head of school and cannot imagine your child attending without him there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is also giving Friends Community School vibes as they also had a black head of school who didn’t last. Looking at the board for SSFS, it seems to skew old Quakers- maybe they are also strategic masterminds but this is not a strategic move for the school at all. They could have given him an expiration date a year out to allow for a search and a sane transition. Eek.

What does this mean? What were the vibes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While a change in the head of school is disruptive, deciding to immediately bail on the school at this stage (summer) doesn’t make a whole lot of sense - unless you were particularly wedded to the previous head of school and cannot imagine your child attending without him there.

Honestly it seems like he may have been not a great fit based on the faculty departures, but that also is Covid related I’m sure. If he was not a good fit this may make the school better in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New family here and we are sticking with it!

Good luck! I think the real issue is how badly off is the school financially? If they can’t afford to hire for the positions left empty by departing staff, as well as recently laid off staff, can’t afford all the pending repairs and US loan - then the place won’t be the educational experience you deserve at $40K+ I think families deserve what they’re paying for now, not what it might become 5 years from now.

I agree! That’s why we don’t plan to stay. No desire to be the schools recovery guinea pigs. My kids deserve better. We live in an area with many school options. Ssfs doesn’t own all the excellent teachers. They definitely have great teachers (though I can list sooo many that left out his year!) the fact is other schools have great teachers too. That’s not unique to Ssfs. But right now the school doesn’t have stable leadership in a single division. I can’t afford to stay in such turmoil when options exist. So we will be leaving.

I don't blame people who leave, but I will say that I think the middle school leadership has been very stable. And despite all the upper head changes, my kids' day to day experience was basically the same for all the years that I've had kids there.

David Blake is awesome. When I said no division has stable leadership I am referring to how David was forced to take on two extra grades next year to cover for the LS mess. That raises concerns regarding even MS stability for at least next year.