GDS...is it as good as its reputation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having observed GDS as a step parent…

Save your money. Seriously. The public schools around here are great and would be even better if highly motivated academically focused kids like those at Maret, Sidwell, GDS etc attended them. Parents, instead of throwing wads and wads of cash at private schools, send your kid to a public school, volunteer there and put the money you'd save on tuition towards college or, gasp, give it to charity.

Not a single kid in my family went to private school and we all did fine (Princeton, Harvard, Penn, VPI and various law and med schools). WHY would you start paying $30K per year in grade school? Think if you saved that money for a down payment on a house for your kid or set up a fund or donated it to charity!

I guarantee if my step kid went to Wilson she would be doing exactly as well as she is doing now in college.

Well, your values are not everyone's, thankfully. If you think I would "give" my child money for a house, you're out of your mind. I am giving my child an opportunity to make his life what he can. That is why I am spending now, on his education. If you're planning to buy you children houses (at the age of what, 30?), will that be to get them out of your basement?

+1. My responsibility is providing them with a good education, not a fancy wedding, a house or a trust fund for that matter...and donate it to charity? Well that's noble, but providing for my child certainly takes priority over donating money to a charity.

Sure you have every right to prioritize your children over charity. But if you can send your child to a good public school why would you spend 30k+ per year on a private school? Almost half a million dollars? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. One of my step sons went to GDS and my other step kids went to Wilson - all of them are doing equally well in school (two in college one still in HS).

Unfortunately, I don't live in an area with good public schools. Moving to an area with good schools is not an option at the moment. Also, I only have my own experiences to compare it to and my public school education sucked in comparison to IS. If I lived in an area that had excellent public schools I might consider public. However, when comparing those who went to IS and those who went to public school at my undergrad typically those from IS where much better prepared to do well. They weren't plagued with the learning curve that many of us who went to public school had to deal because of a lack of resources and exposure. I don't live in upper NW, Montgomery County or NoVa. Many of us are left with no choice but to pursue IS if we want our kids to get a good education...I fall in that category.

[Anonymous]

know that people are very happy with the school. However, hearing about the head of the school badmouth rival schools at a dinner party left a sour taste in my mouth.

What was his criticism of the other schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: know that people are very happy with the school. However, hearing about the head of the school badmouth rival schools at a dinner party left a sour taste in my mouth.

What was his criticism of the other schools?

They suck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: know that people are very happy with the school. However, hearing about the head of the school badmouth rival schools at a dinner party left a sour taste in my mouth.

What was his criticism of the other schools?

They suck.

If that was the extent of his criticism then I think we are fairly disregarding it . . .

[Anonymous]

They suck? That's all. I thought GDS' insecurities about others schools were more detailed and specific.

[Anonymous]

Most of the teachers are fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: know that people are very happy with the school. However, hearing about the head of the school badmouth rival schools at a dinner party left a sour taste in my mouth.

What was his criticism of the other schools?

They suck.

I'm pretty sure that's not a direct quote. I find it incredibly hard to believe that this story is even true. PP has not come back to answer questions.

[Anonymous]

Gds parent here. We too found the open house very unimpressive. Couple years later we applied
Mostly got excited by talking to parents.
Now as a parent we are very pleased. There is cool stuff going on in the classroom.
Far more interesting and thoughtful than in our v good public school
So talk to parents - ask them what they actually lik-don't like

[Anonymous]

I just spoke with a longtime parent at GDS who was pretty ambivalent about the education. She complained that school breaks are too long and that there is too much "cool stuff" going on at the expense of real education. She plans to take her younger child out before high school. I emphasize that she does not have a real problem with anything at the school -- just feels it is not worth the $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just spoke with a longtime parent at GDS who was pretty ambivalent about the education. She complained that school breaks are too long and that there is too much "cool stuff" going on at the expense of real education. She plans to take her younger child out before high school. I emphasize that she does not have a real problem with anything at the school -- just feels it is not worth the $$.

I got this vibe too. Plus kids (at least ours) could ask for extensions on projects and she really took advantage of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just spoke with a longtime parent at GDS who was pretty ambivalent about the education. She complained that school breaks are too long and that there is too much "cool stuff" going on at the expense of real education. She plans to take her younger child out before high school. I emphasize that she does not have a real problem with anything at the school -- just feels it is not worth the $$.

I got this vibe too. Plus kids (at least ours) could ask for extensions on projects and she really took advantage of that.

What type of "cool stuff?" Also, very you mention extensions...that is one of the things a 5th grader said in response to a question about what she liked about GDS. That being said, I recall my top undergrad was the exact same way --at least for
Those who knew they could ask for an extension and get it! Those of us coming from public school where clueless about that little trick to the detriment of our GPA. So Im not sure it's a bad skill to learn...isn't that part of the whole learning to be self-advocate thing? Granted I also see the downside in that it doesn't develop proper time management skills or how to meet expectations without excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just spoke with a longtime parent at GDS who was pretty ambivalent about the education. She complained that school breaks are too long and that there is too much "cool stuff" going on at the expense of real education. She plans to take her younger child out before high school. I emphasize that she does not have a real problem with anything at the school -- just feels it is not worth the $$.

I got this vibe too. Plus kids (at least ours) could ask for extensions on projects and she really took advantage of that.

What type of "cool stuff?" Also, very you mention extensions...that is one of the things a 5th grader said in response to a question about what she liked about GDS. That being said, I recall my top undergrad was the exact same way --at least for
Those who knew they could ask for an extension and get it! Those of us coming from public school where clueless about that little trick to the detriment of our GPA. So Im not sure it's a bad skill to learn...isn't that part of the whole learning to be self-advocate thing? Granted I also see the downside in that it doesn't develop proper time management skills or how to meet expectations without excuses.

I have to admit that GDS takes "self advocacy" to a whole new level. Their secret sauce is to instill in their students a sense supreme self-confidence. This can be a good thing, except when it is unaccompanied by self-awareness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know that people are very happy with the school. However, hearing about the head of the school badmouth rival schools at a dinner party left a sour taste in my mouth.

You were @ the dinner party? I know the HoS and can't envision unless he was mocking himself or all the crazies like you on here who believe on some pecking order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just spoke with a longtime parent at GDS who was pretty ambivalent about the education. She complained that school breaks are too long and that there is too much "cool stuff" going on at the expense of real education. She plans to take her younger child out before high school. I emphasize that she does not have a real problem with anything at the school -- just feels it is not worth the $$.

I got this vibe too. Plus kids (at least ours) could ask for extensions on projects and she really took advantage of that.

What type of "cool stuff?" Also, very you mention extensions...that is one of the things a 5th grader said in response to a question about what she liked about GDS. That being said, I recall my top undergrad was the exact same way --at least for
Those who knew they could ask for an extension and get it! Those of us coming from public school where clueless about that little trick to the detriment of our GPA. So Im not sure it's a bad skill to learn...isn't that part of the whole learning to be self-advocate thing? Granted I also see the downside in that it doesn't develop proper time management skills or how to meet expectations without excuses.

I have to admit that GDS takes "self advocacy" to a whole new level. Their secret sauce is to instill in their students a sense supreme self-confidence. This can be a good thing, except when it is unaccompanied by self-awareness.

Good point...

[Anonymous]

Totally agree that the PP hit it on the head with the self-confidence/self-awareness point. GDS kids exude self-confidence and seem to believe that every word they utter is profound, every talent show performer a superstar. Maybe that is great for self-confidence, but I believe it benefits kids more in the long-term to be more realistic and self-aware.