New Parent In GDS 9th: The Lack of Transparency Alarms Me

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Land the helicopter, OP. You kid is in high school - not kindergarten.

+1 I remember the first school meeting at GDS for 9th, a parent complained that it was unrealistic to expect their son to possibly keep track of assignments and that they needed to do it for their child. The teachers patiently explained how teaching the students the skills to manage their work was one of the goals and very gently hinted that too much parent involvement might be counterproductive.

I don't believe for a minute that the teachers at GDS do not provide individualized attention. My DC met with teachers during office hours, between classes, and after school all the time. Getting extra help (and asking for help in the right ways) in order to excel is a part of the self-advocacy curriculum. DC tossed around ideas for papers, primary and secondary sources, and workshopped their analyses. When DC encountered problems, they got an assist on understanding various concepts and their application. DC absorbed it as part of the normal GDS academic culture. We only know DC did this because the teachers told us in the written feedback on report cards and in our parent teacher conferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you square the below with the fact that about 50% of GDS HS students having a tutor in at least one subject?

My knowledge is limited to what I have gleaned from DC and their friends at GDS. My literature/liberal arts focused DC insisted on taking calculus and mechanics because DC's friends felt they had to take the most challenging classes available to get into their target colleges. DC asked for help in math and science so I checked DC's comprehension before getting a tutor. What I discovered was that DC was doing perfectly fine and only wanted a tutor to be assured of getting an A. DC's friends said that was why they got tutors. Not a good enough reason for DC's time or my money in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you square the below with the fact that about 50% of GDS HS students having a tutor in at least one subject? I think the challenge as a student or parent is that if you as a student/your child doesn’t meet the “concern” threshold and you proceed as if everything is fine and then you get shut out of certain classes/tracks and/or college options (that may have otherwise been available) that is going to feel really bad. The other issue is that it can be really hard to turn things around after you meet the concern threshold, depending on the grading of a class. It’s easier as an insider to understand some of the spoken and unspoken norms, so that is likely driving some of this anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:It’s almost as though the professional educators with years of experience actually know what they are doing. In all seriousness, deep gratitude for your perspective.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 2024 GDS grad. What you are describing is exactly how GDS operates...they are there for the kids and the kids to build the relationships with the teachers. GDS does not exist for parents and they don't work to actively engage them.
On the "don't worry about your grades" -- you will hear this ALL THE WAY THROUGH...even with college counselors who don't provide GPAs or class ranks to the kids when they ask. It was frustrating for years. That said, it all works out and the kids learn and thrive. My kid is enjoying first year of college at a T15 and doing great based on what GDS taught.

Or could this be a reflection of kids taking classes at levels that they are not really equipped for on their own? (This happens at Sidwell too). The rat race portion of this is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you square the below with the fact that about 50% of GDS HS students having a tutor in at least one subject? I think the challenge as a student or parent is that if you as a student/your child doesn’t meet the “concern” threshold and you proceed as if everything is fine and then you get shut out of certain classes/tracks and/or college options (that may have otherwise been available) that is going to feel really bad. The other issue is that it can be really hard to turn things around after you meet the concern threshold, depending on the grading of a class. It’s easier as an insider to understand some of the spoken and unspoken norms, so that is likely driving some of this anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:It’s almost as though the professional educators with years of experience actually know what they are doing. In all seriousness, deep gratitude for your perspective.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 2024 GDS grad. What you are describing is exactly how GDS operates...they are there for the kids and the kids to build the relationships with the teachers. GDS does not exist for parents and they don't work to actively engage them.
On the "don't worry about your grades" -- you will hear this ALL THE WAY THROUGH...even with college counselors who don't provide GPAs or class ranks to the kids when they ask. It was frustrating for years. That said, it all works out and the kids learn and thrive. My kid is enjoying first year of college at a T15 and doing great based on what GDS taught.

Wow. Some anonymous parent reports that something that their kid reports about tutors, and all of the sudden it's a fact?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you square the below with the fact that about 50% of GDS HS students having a tutor in at least one subject? I think the challenge as a student or parent is that if you as a student/your child doesn’t meet the “concern” threshold and you proceed as if everything is fine and then you get shut out of certain classes/tracks and/or college options (that may have otherwise been available) that is going to feel really bad. The other issue is that it can be really hard to turn things around after you meet the concern threshold, depending on the grading of a class. It’s easier as an insider to understand some of the spoken and unspoken norms, so that is likely driving some of this anxiety.

Anonymous wrote:It’s almost as though the professional educators with years of experience actually know what they are doing. In all seriousness, deep gratitude for your perspective.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a 2024 GDS grad. What you are describing is exactly how GDS operates...they are there for the kids and the kids to build the relationships with the teachers. GDS does not exist for parents and they don't work to actively engage them.
On the "don't worry about your grades" -- you will hear this ALL THE WAY THROUGH...even with college counselors who don't provide GPAs or class ranks to the kids when they ask. It was frustrating for years. That said, it all works out and the kids learn and thrive. My kid is enjoying first year of college at a T15 and doing great based on what GDS taught.

Or could this be a reflection of kids taking classes at levels that they are not really equipped for on their own? (This happens at Sidwell too). The rat race portion of this is nuts.

If a large number of students at a school need tutors it would seem to reflect some sort of issue. Is the issue that kids are taking classes they are ill equipped to take or is the issue that teachers don’t teach in a way that makes the material accessible, or both?

[Anonymous]

GDS parent here -my kids have never had tutors for ANY classes, and are in the top UL/honors classes, getting As - you do not need a tutor for high school....

That said, I have never gotten tutors for my kids in lower school or onward, and I think kids were assorted into appropriate levels for their interests/etc...

A tutor is not necessary and I have not lifted a finger for homework in lower or upper school... GDS does a great job of allowing the kids to self-advocate and have executive functioning skills to do things on their own...

Now, in college app process, it shows...with kids doing the whole thing on their own too... I think these are some real positive life skills.

[Anonymous]

Many get tutors to save the parent/child relationship for other things

One of my kids, with adhd/asd, masks well for her tutors but pushes back with us parents when we tutor or review her work. Would rather pay the weekly rate.

Other kid can do reviews with us parents, if needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is newly enrolled in GDS, and while we generally like the school so far, I am alarmed by the lack of transparency from the administration and teachers. I'm trying to keep up with his grades, and they give me the runaround. They don't have an online portal such as "PowerSchool" to let parents see their kids grade in real-time. They also keep telling me "Grades aren't important. Worry about your child's learning and growth as a person."

When he asked for advice on his writing, the instructor told him "we aren't gong to copyedit your work for you." When he asked for help in his history class, the teacher told him "I'm not going to walk you through this."

Teachers seem to place a heavy emphasis on self-teaching, which is frustrating to me.

There are meaningful things to worry about re: GDS -- including "lack of transparency" (euphemism) from the school's leadership -- but I agree with the folks here that this wouldn't necessarily be one of them. One thing the school does well, is help push students to self-advocate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here -my kids have never had tutors for ANY classes, and are in the top UL/honors classes, getting As - you do not need a tutor for high school....

That said, I have never gotten tutors for my kids in lower school or onward, and I think kids were assorted into appropriate levels for their interests/etc...

A tutor is not necessary and I have not lifted a finger for homework in lower or upper school... GDS does a great job of allowing the kids to self-advocate and have executive functioning skills to do things on their own...

Now, in college app process, it shows...with kids doing the whole thing on their own too... I think these are some real positive life skills.

Yes - of course - everyone knows that students like yours exist (this describes our child at a different Big 3 school). The point that was being made is that there are also lots of kids who ARE supported by tutors....either to gun for the A's, get inside knowledge (if you find a tutor that happens to be experienced with "how a specific teacher's class is run"), or - often - to support being in a class that the kid probably shouldn't be taking in the first place. It was NOT saying everyone needs a tutor to be in a top class and it is not directed at kids who are taking regular level classes that need tutors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here -my kids have never had tutors for ANY classes, and are in the top UL/honors classes, getting As - you do not need a tutor for high school....

That said, I have never gotten tutors for my kids in lower school or onward, and I think kids were assorted into appropriate levels for their interests/etc...

A tutor is not necessary and I have not lifted a finger for homework in lower or upper school... GDS does a great job of allowing the kids to self-advocate and have executive functioning skills to do things on their own...

Now, in college app process, it shows...with kids doing the whole thing on their own too... I think these are some real positive life skills.

That's great and I admire it. We have had 3 kids at GDS and 1 used no tutors. The other two have used outside tutors for math/science - esp in 10th/11th grades and it's been a godsend for those two kids. To each their own.

While i was not the PP, my kids tell me that a third to a half of their friends have outside tutors - 2024 data.

Dont ask me what % of GDS kids in HS get accommodations! It's not low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GDS parent here -my kids have never had tutors for ANY classes, and are in the top UL/honors classes, getting As - you do not need a tutor for high school....

That said, I have never gotten tutors for my kids in lower school or onward, and I think kids were assorted into appropriate levels for their interests/etc...

A tutor is not necessary and I have not lifted a finger for homework in lower or upper school... GDS does a great job of allowing the kids to self-advocate and have executive functioning skills to do things on their own...

Now, in college app process, it shows...with kids doing the whole thing on their own too... I think these are some real positive life skills.

Yes - of course - everyone knows that students like yours exist (this describes our child at a different Big 3 school). The point that was being made is that there are also lots of kids who ARE supported by tutors....either to gun for the A's, get inside knowledge (if you find a tutor that happens to be experienced with "how a specific teacher's class is run"), or - often - to support being in a class that the kid probably shouldn't be taking in the first place. It was NOT saying everyone needs a tutor to be in a top class and it is not directed at kids who are taking regular level classes that need tutors.

Exactly right. Totally agree w/ you. It makes the kid feel supported in my experience. Also several of the upper NW tutoring firms know GDS curriculum well so they are very read into what the teachers expect

(ps. I'm a GDS parent and I think there is zero wrong with having outside tutors if the kid wants/needs or is more confident with - yes, life is not fair that some can afford and others can't - and yes GDS costs $50k a year)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is newly enrolled in GDS, and while we generally like the school so far, I am alarmed by the lack of transparency from the administration and teachers. I'm trying to keep up with his grades, and they give me the runaround. They don't have an online portal such as "PowerSchool" to let parents see their kids grade in real-time. They also keep telling me "Grades aren't important. Worry about your child's learning and growth as a person."

When he asked for advice on his writing, the instructor told him "we aren't gong to copyedit your work for you." When he asked for help in his history class, the teacher told him "I'm not going to walk you through this."

Teachers seem to place a heavy emphasis on self-teaching, which is frustrating to me.

Teachers should help your kid if they are asking for help. I would not be happy with that either. That is not teaching.