SSFS Will Stay Open

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:" ... the DCUM forum leans heavily towards those who already left yet are still disgruntled along with those who are undecided and rightly angry about all that has happened. Slack leans heavily towards those who are staying and those who are undecided but looking for reasons to stay. The shame in all this is that the two camps can't seem to find a way to converse without gaslighting each other. A sign of the times I guess but very very sad."

Well said!

In actual news, BOT says that the Friends of SSFS will get to nominate three members, and that the new HOS will start in a few weeks.

IMO, the BOT openings should also consider the wider community, not just the Friends of SSFS members. Like it or not, they haven't been as forthcoming with information either, and there are parents who don't trust their motives either.

Just my opinion.

The Friends of SSFS get a free pass from me for a little while longer. They did mobilize and save the school. And, I am of the opinion that they are not permitted to divulge some of the information that you may be seeking. But since you did put put a statement out there speaking on behalf of parents who you allege don't trust their motives, I am seriously asking for you to follow up by sharing with us what you suspect their motives might be?

[Anonymous]

There are currently 4 kids enrolled in 4th grade for next year …. IF SSFS survives it will be a very different SSFS. It’ll be next to
impossible to attract new families and current families will continue to leave bc the experience will be so far removed from what it was previously. Im all about being positive but toxic positivity cannot right this ship at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are currently 4 kids enrolled in 4th grade for next year …. IF SSFS survives it will be a very different SSFS. It’ll be next to
impossible to attract new families and current families will continue to leave bc the experience will be so far removed from what it was previously. Im all about being positive but toxic positivity cannot right this ship at this point.

Source please. How do you know there's only 4 kids enrolled in 4th grade.

[Anonymous]

Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

Good grief. Just because my kid isn't in lower school doesn't mean I'm not on the inside. And unless you're going to cough up some sort of evidence than yeah, you picked the number out of the air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

Yep. Unfortunately I do not think they have anywhere near what they were hoping for for upper school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

Are you saying contracts mean they can’t lay people off? They laid people off in June last year. They all had contracts. Maryland law allows employment to terminate from either side at will. So contracts don’t mean they have a full lower school. Just pointing that out. I don’t know how many ppl are enrolled but to think the contracts mean something concrete is wrong that’s all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

Yep. Unfortunately I do not think they have anywhere near what they were hoping for for upper school.

And contracts aren't due back yet, so there are likely still families on the fence, or waiting to hear from other schools. It seems MUCH easier to switch schools in lower and middle than in upper school if families are looking at other private schools - we thought about it when the closure first happened and the list of schools that were even potentially viable was very, very small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

Yep. Unfortunately I do not think they have anywhere near what they were hoping for for upper school.

And contracts aren't due back yet, so there are likely still families on the fence, or waiting to hear from other schools. It seems MUCH easier to switch schools in lower and middle than in upper school if families are looking at other private schools - we thought about it when the closure first happened and the list of schools that were even potentially viable was very, very small.

There are lots of kids in upper school that aren't returning since the closure. We aren't and there were plenty of viable schools that were close in size to SSFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

Giving contracts doesn’t mean accepted contracts. They probably were under pressure from teachers (rightfully) who were stuck in limbo. But that doesn’t mean all will return so school is just hedging their bets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

Yep. Unfortunately I do not think they have anywhere near what they were hoping for for upper school.

And contracts aren't due back yet, so there are likely still families on the fence, or waiting to hear from other schools. It seems MUCH easier to switch schools in lower and middle than in upper school if families are looking at other private schools - we thought about it when the closure first happened and the list of schools that were even potentially viable was very, very small.

There are lots of kids in upper school that aren't returning since the closure. We aren't and there were plenty of viable schools that were close in size to SSFS.

Close in size is one thing, but close in proximity to where we are, and close in "vibe" was another. I'm sure a lot of families aren't returning, I was just saying my experience is that I don't think it's as easy for upper schoolers as for younger kids to find another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s just say it’s not a number I picked out of the air and it’s not a secret if you’re on the inside.

It seems unlikely to me - and we are a family that is not returning but still hopes the school survives - that SSFS could have lost so many kids in a lower school grade. They just gave contracts to the whole lower school faculty which to me implies they have their lower school enrollments and don't have what they hope for when it comes to middle and upper school.

Yep. Unfortunately I do not think they have anywhere near what they were hoping for for upper school.

And contracts aren't due back yet, so there are likely still families on the fence, or waiting to hear from other schools. It seems MUCH easier to switch schools in lower and middle than in upper school if families are looking at other private schools - we thought about it when the closure first happened and the list of schools that were even potentially viable was very, very small.

There are lots of kids in upper school that aren't returning since the closure. We aren't and there were plenty of viable schools that were close in size to SSFS.

Close in size is one thing, but close in proximity to where we are, and close in "vibe" was another. I'm sure a lot of families aren't returning, I was just saying my experience is that I don't think it's as easy for upper schoolers as for younger kids to find another school.

Agree it has not been easy to find a similar upper school. We will probably leave but for different size school and different vibe in DC because it’s too hard to stay for upper school without guarantees. College is 2 years away and DC needs to be ready and I can’t wait around to see if SSFS will turn itself around. DC really doesn’t want to leave, but school still has too many unanswered questions and not sure I trust the administration anymore. Not to mention, if everything were going so well, there wouldn’t be teachers writing us emails to stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And both can be false. And we’ll never know since no transparency exists

THIS IS THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE. And how anyone can send their child back there because of this, I don't get.

Leadership and the BOT will have to give the best speech ever with real answers presented on Monday. I'm about to sign a contract for another school, but they are allowing me to wait until Tuesday morning.

I for one, don’t plan to be swayed by any speech even if it’s the best in history. Besides I knew a guy who gave amazing speeches, about possums, Dorothy and Beyoncé. So I’ve got no time for speeches.

But cold hard facts and numbers, presented with provable documentation. I’ll listen to that.

Not the opossum! Lololol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And both can be false. And we’ll never know since no transparency exists

THIS IS THE CRUX OF THE ISSUE. And how anyone can send their child back there because of this, I don't get.

Leadership and the BOT will have to give the best speech ever with real answers presented on Monday. I'm about to sign a contract for another school, but they are allowing me to wait until Tuesday morning.

I for one, don’t plan to be swayed by any speech even if it’s the best in history. Besides I knew a guy who gave amazing speeches, about possums, Dorothy and Beyoncé. So I’ve got no time for speeches.

But cold hard facts and numbers, presented with provable documentation. I’ll listen to that.

Not the opossum! Lololol

+1