SSFS Closing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you saw the facebook post yesterday, it is clear there is no intention of even considering to keep the school open. The coalition is a waste of time.

Why is the coalition messing with ppl like this? Let ppl move on!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Real help would be to tell teachers find jobs and students help to apply elsewhere. The coalition makes a mockery of us. I came to this forum to try ti understand what the real financial problems were and how we got there not to hear about the fantastic as of people with Monopoly money.

It is pie in the sky type thinking. The school clearly isn't planning to reopen (they posted about it on facebook yesterday). Even if they were able to raise the money, students and teachers are applying elsewhere, trying to move on. No one really even knows (and can you trust?) what the true debt is. That's just the debt, not what is needed to fix current issues (like the Performing Arts Center) ceiling that's still caved-in.

Mismanagement was so poor that they hired a new HoS and new HoMS in the past month. THE PAST MONTH. These debt issues were staring them in the face for over a year. Why ANYONE would "pledge" money and actually give it to SSFS is insane.

Come on, people. It isn't happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Real help would be to tell teachers find jobs and students help to apply elsewhere. The coalition makes a mockery of us. I came to this forum to try ti understand what the real financial problems were and how we got there not to hear about the fantastic as of people with Monopoly money.

It is pie in the sky type thinking. The school clearly isn't planning to reopen (they posted about it on facebook yesterday). Even if they were able to raise the money, students and teachers are applying elsewhere, trying to move on. No one really even knows (and can you trust?) what the true debt is. That's just the debt, not what is needed to fix current issues (like the Performing Arts Center) ceiling that's still caved-in.

Mismanagement was so poor that they hired a new HoS and new HoMS in the past month. THE PAST MONTH. These debt issues were staring them in the face for over a year. Why ANYONE would "pledge" money and actually give it to SSFS is insane.

Come on, people. It isn't happening.

+1 wake-up people. I get that we're all upset and grieving but do not give your money to this school. It is madness!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Real help would be to tell teachers find jobs and students help to apply elsewhere. The coalition makes a mockery of us. I came to this forum to try ti understand what the real financial problems were and how we got there not to hear about the fantastic as of people with Monopoly money.

It is pie in the sky type thinking. The school clearly isn't planning to reopen (they posted about it on facebook yesterday). Even if they were able to raise the money, students and teachers are applying elsewhere, trying to move on. No one really even knows (and can you trust?) what the true debt is. That's just the debt, not what is needed to fix current issues (like the Performing Arts Center) ceiling that's still caved-in.

Mismanagement was so poor that they hired a new HoS and new HoMS in the past month. THE PAST MONTH. These debt issues were staring them in the face for over a year. Why ANYONE would "pledge" money and actually give it to SSFS is insane.

Come on, people. It isn't happening.

Nowhere does the Facebook post say anything about reopening or not reopening the school. It's a very general thank you to the community. And as far as I know, was posted before the BoT met with the coalition. We don't know where things stand in this moment. Yes, people should not get false hopes up, but there's no need to scold and dismay people either. It's pretty amazing what the coalition has done in just a few days.

[Anonymous]

All of my children were SSFS "lifers' (K-12) and we were fortunate to have been a part of the warm and charming quaker community that once was. Even then as a parent, it was curious how their business model could be sustainable. As just one example, to attract good teachers, faculty kids could attend for free and there were lots of them not adding to school's income.

This horrific closure is a culmination of years of mismanagement and poor judgement. A slow burn. Many of the reasons are tied to the attempt to transform the school into a prep school to complete with elite DC schools -- to be another Sidwell Friends School. A gross miscalculation without the competency to create and nurture such a school, much less the stable student base in the remote suburbs, nearly the exurbs.

There's been much negative ado about a recent Head of School and I'm sure that where there's smoke there's fire (and potentially a major law suit) but this debacle falls in the lap of the former Head (make that former Board member, Head for the better part of a decade, and now again a current Board member) who oversaw the campus investments, debt accumulation, hiring decisions, culture change, etc. that brought SSFS to this unfortunate end.

[Anonymous]

The money that people are pledging is with the understanding it will be given only with transparency, governance change, and a sustainable plan.

I hoping that can be accomplished while also understanding that of course people need to be moving ahead with plans as this is far from a done deal. I have more trouble understanding why some people are discouraging others and concern trolling. Completely understandable to not pledge and be skeptical yourself but other (smart and capable people) are willing to see if something can be salvalged-why attack them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Real help would be to tell teachers find jobs and students help to apply elsewhere. The coalition makes a mockery of us. I came to this forum to try ti understand what the real financial problems were and how we got there not to hear about the fantastic as of people with Monopoly money.

It is pie in the sky type thinking. The school clearly isn't planning to reopen (they posted about it on facebook yesterday). Even if they were able to raise the money, students and teachers are applying elsewhere, trying to move on. No one really even knows (and can you trust?) what the true debt is. That's just the debt, not what is needed to fix current issues (like the Performing Arts Center) ceiling that's still caved-in.

Mismanagement was so poor that they hired a new HoS and new HoMS in the past month. THE PAST MONTH. These debt issues were staring them in the face for over a year. Why ANYONE would "pledge" money and actually give it to SSFS is insane.

Come on, people. It isn't happening.

Nowhere does the Facebook post say anything about reopening or not reopening the school. It's a very general thank you to the community. And as far as I know, was posted before the BoT met with the coalition. We don't know where things stand in this moment. Yes, people should not get false hopes up, but there's no need to scold and dismay people either. It's pretty amazing what the coalition has done in just a few days.

What amazing thing have they done? Got a lot of ppl to express outrage and then say ppl promised money? Couldn’t we all get that much done?

[Anonymous]

Delusional misunderstanding of who it’s peer schools were

[Anonymous]

Its

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Delusional misunderstanding of who it’s peer schools were

Exactly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What amazing thing have they done? Got a lot of ppl to express outrage and then say ppl promised money? Couldn’t we all get that much done?

Gotten the attention of the BOT enough for two meetings. Make of that what you will. For some it's a glimmer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What amazing thing have they done? Got a lot of ppl to express outrage and then say ppl promised money? Couldn’t we all get that much done?

Gotten the attention of the BOT enough for two meetings. Make of that what you will. For some it's a glimmer.

With the school about to close sitting with a few families is the least the board can do? For some it’s a glimmer, I’m sorry you feel like this school is worth going back to after it screwed everyone over so badly. I feel like the families deserve better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is everyone so eager for the kids to go to public school—not as a suggestion, but almost as a form of lore, like a way for them to be humbled? I’ve noticed this on a few threads.

Well definitely during the pandemic when everyone was grousing about virtual learning there would always be some smug private school families bragging about how private school is superior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Why is the coalition messing with ppl like this? Let ppl move on!

Time to move on! Don't ask any pesky questions! Absolutely nothing to see here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Why is the coalition messing with ppl like this? Let ppl move on!

It’s hard to sort out what is ineptitude, what is coincidence, and what is deliberate. I will say, though, that if I was trying to do something shady, I’d follow the exact same playbook.

Time the announcement to cause as much chaos as possible. In this case, on Monday afternoon rush hour. (Doing it on a Friday would give people time to organize and process over the weekend and show up bright and early Monday with questions)

Make sure the community is distracted and competing for scarce resources (remaining slots at other schools)

Smear any community members pushing back as conspirators in some “secret club”who are not to be trusted.

Urge the community to move on quickly and not ask any questions.