NCS Parents - "I wish I had known x" type advice.

[Anonymous]

As a recent parent who became very disillusioned, I have another take. I think a lot of us are quite angry at our DDs' NCS experience and regret sending our daughter there. I know I'm one and so I know I'm not the only one. Its really hard to have what you consider a balanced discussion when we feel so strongly that the negative outweighs the positive. And we are speaking from experience.

BUT whenever I rad someone refer to mean girls I know they aren't NCS parents because thats the stereotype but for those of us who have been there, thats is never what we would lead with when posting our concerns. In fact, I've never heard any NCS parent, including the many I know who have negative feelings toward the school, use the phrase mean girls in any way to describe the problems. Similarly, I'm skeptical of the bullying posts, not because bullying doesn't take place, but because thats just not how NCS parents describe the problems.

In terms of what needs to change, its very simple and it isn't structural at all. New head of school, and new head of upper school. Everything flows from those two women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a recent parent who became very disillusioned, I have another take. I think a lot of us are quite angry at our DDs' NCS experience and regret sending our daughter there. I know I'm one and so I know I'm not the only one. Its really hard to have what you consider a balanced discussion when we feel so strongly that the negative outweighs the positive. And we are speaking from experience.

BUT whenever I rad someone refer to mean girls I know they aren't NCS parents because thats the stereotype but for those of us who have been there, thats is never what we would lead with when posting our concerns. In fact, I've never heard any NCS parent, including the many I know who have negative feelings toward the school, use the phrase mean girls in any way to describe the problems. Similarly, I'm skeptical of the bullying posts, not because bullying doesn't take place, but because thats just not how NCS parents describe the problems.

In terms of what needs to change, its very simple and it isn't structural at all. New head of school, and new head of upper school. Everything flows from those two women.

But people have criticized NCS on the sorts of grounds you raise under prior admin as well (before your time, but I heard such complaints in the 1990s). Does this not possibly suggest that there are certain things that flow from all-girls, academically competitive, high powered parents? I've heard similar critiques (high pressure, etc.) about schools like Winsor in Boston.

[Anonymous]

I don't know anything about the purported issues with NCS. But all I do know is that if you read this message board you would think that the worst schools in the city are Sidwell, NCS, St. Albans, etc. The better the school, the worse the hits against it on here it seems to me. I shudder to imagine somebody basing their school preferences on this web site. Luckily it's hard to imagine anyone doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a recent parent who became very disillusioned, I have another take. I think a lot of us are quite angry at our DDs' NCS experience and regret sending our daughter there. I know I'm one and so I know I'm not the only one. Its really hard to have what you consider a balanced discussion when we feel so strongly that the negative outweighs the positive. And we are speaking from experience.

BUT whenever I rad someone refer to mean girls I know they aren't NCS parents because thats the stereotype but for those of us who have been there, thats is never what we would lead with when posting our concerns. In fact, I've never heard any NCS parent, including the many I know who have negative feelings toward the school, use the phrase mean girls in any way to describe the problems. Similarly, I'm skeptical of the bullying posts, not because bullying doesn't take place, but because thats just not how NCS parents describe the problems.

In terms of what needs to change, its very simple and it isn't structural at all. New head of school, and new head of upper school. Everything flows from those two women.

But people have criticized NCS on the sorts of grounds you raise under prior admin as well (before your time, but I heard such complaints in the 1990s). Does this not possibly suggest that there are certain things that flow from all-girls, academically competitive, high powered parents? I've heard similar critiques (high pressure, etc.) about schools like Winsor in Boston.

Windsor, Brearley, ncs, etc. Do you want your daughter in a high pressure stressful environment where she works all the time? If not, don't send her to one of those schools. Don't put your kid in a high stress environment and then complain about the stress.

[jsteele]

This thread has been basically taken over by someone how has a personal grudge against the school. Given that the thread has gone on long enough to serve its initial purpose. I'm going to lock it.