Sheridan School- Tell me your experiences!

[Anonymous]

Sheridan is going through tougher times. In all of our years there, the past one has been the most tumultuous including teacher turnover and parent dissatisfaction and a much looser mission being carried out into the actual teaching. The focus is raising funds instead of raising the education levels. I know three families not returning.

[Anonymous]

Agree. School's focus is fundraising. Makes sense though since there's been so much attrition among parents who can pay. Seems like this is destined to continue because so much dissatisfaction with new administration (really, the head of school and her middle school head pick, which she fired before the year was up).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sheridan is going through tougher times. In all of our years there, the past one has been the most tumultuous including teacher turnover and parent dissatisfaction and a much looser mission being carried out into the actual teaching. The focus is raising funds instead of raising the education levels. I know three families not returning.

Of the families that are not returning, is this at a surprising grade? I know a few that are leaving but at times that make sense for entering a K-12, for example, or at the middle school age. People leave every year, are you sure it's due to dissatisfaction?

Regarding the fundraising, this is par for the course at all privates. Fundraising is necessary to keep the schools afloat and attracting talented teachers. It is my understanding that Sheridan has not done enough of this in past years and that may be why the push seems so much more pronounced at this time.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like there is a bit of old guard vs. new guard going on. Those who came in under previous head seem more concerned amid the changes. Those I know who came in during the past two years seem pretty happy. And there are plenty of full pay types in that crowd.

Have outplacements been affected, or are they consistent or better than previous years?

[Anonymous]

So frustrated with Sheridan right now. The current 2nd grade class has been a nightmare and two families are leaving. A board member pulled her kid out of the 7th grade class last year, mid-year. Another board member pulled her kid at the end of the year and did not return. The current 4th grade class is falling apart and I know 5 (FIVE) families in that class who plan to not to return after 5th grade. There has been a lot of faculty turnover, lots of bullying school-wide, very poor communication from the administration, a very homogeneous faculty, awful hire for MS Head and he's leaving after one year, inconsistencies in delivery of curriculum -- but they beat us over the head with fundraising requests 24/7. We got no less than 10 emails in the span of a week about the auction/silent auction, but the school is radio silent around issues that matter (i.e. race relations, N-word being used at school by kids pervasively, kids getting beat up, girls getting kicked by boys). Its not the same school it was 5, 6, 7 years ago. New HOS seems like she is asleep at the wheel and she barely know the children. Its a shame. It used to be such a special school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So frustrated with Sheridan right now. The current 2nd grade class has been a nightmare and two families are leaving. A board member pulled her kid out of the 7th grade class last year, mid-year. Another board member pulled her kid at the end of the year and did not return. The current 4th grade class is falling apart and I know 5 (FIVE) families in that class who plan to not to return after 5th grade. There has been a lot of faculty turnover, lots of bullying school-wide, very poor communication from the administration, a very homogeneous faculty, awful hire for MS Head and he's leaving after one year, inconsistencies in delivery of curriculum -- but they beat us over the head with fundraising requests 24/7. We got no less than 10 emails in the span of a week about the auction/silent auction, but the school is radio silent around issues that matter (i.e. race relations, N-word being used at school by kids pervasively, kids getting beat up, girls getting kicked by boys). Its not the same school it was 5, 6, 7 years ago. New HOS seems like she is asleep at the wheel and she barely know the children. Its a shame. It used to be such a special school.

There is so much inaccuracy in this post, readers really should wonder about her agenda. The "board member pulled" has already been debunked in this very thread. One person cannot possibly know that there is bullying going on in 9 different grades, yet this alarmist confidently asserts this as fact. There is no faculty turnover in the upper grades.

The N-word assertion is patently ridiculous and frankly, a mean-spirited lie. Really now? At a school like Sheridan, of all places, all the kids run around using that word during class and on the playground? That's your claim?

[Anonymous]

The only thing that's bizarre is the hermetic seal surrounding the previous head's departure. That's a little weird.

I seem to recall Jeff doesn't allow speculation on this topic, but I think if I were a parent there, this kind of secrecy would really bother me, and would not give me confidence in the board's oversight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like there is a bit of old guard vs. new guard going on. Those who came in under previous head seem more concerned amid the changes. Those I know who came in during the past two years seem pretty happy. And there are plenty of full pay types in that crowd.

Have outplacements been affected, or are they consistent or better than previous years?

This. Those who came in under the new head are pretty happy. Outplacement was good again this year.

[Anonymous]

Sonehwat of a lurker here but a parent at the school and in a class that used to be amazing and is now not so amazing. The new Head is just meh. I know a lot of unhappy families. The n-word was definitely used by a kid in our class this year but you would never hear that from the school. We learned about it from other parents. With one class per grade, if you don't like the teachers or the changes that they make in classrooms to teaching partnerships (which have been constant in grades 1-5) for the last 5 years, you're really stuck. And sadly where changes are needed (teachers in 6th and 7th) there haven't been changes and they never force those teachers to do or be different. 7th grade is particularly awful. Find some parents in the current 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 8th grade classes if you want deep insights about the school. People in K or 1st are blissfully happy, as they should be.

[Anonymous]

Or 5th, 6th and 7th grades...

[Anonymous]

Sheridan families- If you are not happy with things - please talk to the school administrators. Publishing your complaints here does not improve things and venting here is counterproductive. That is my $35,000 dollar advice to you.

[Anonymous]

Why can't they do both? I agree that going to the administration is important, but so is informing the DCUM community at-large given that there are prospective parents who may want to know (assuming that the allegations are generally true).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sonehwat of a lurker here but a parent at the school and in a class that used to be amazing and is now not so amazing. The new Head is just meh. I know a lot of unhappy families. The n-word was definitely used by a kid in our class this year but you would never hear that from the school. We learned about it from other parents. With one class per grade, if you don't like the teachers or the changes that they make in classrooms to teaching partnerships (which have been constant in grades 1-5) for the last 5 years, you're really stuck. And sadly where changes are needed (teachers in 6th and 7th) there haven't been changes and they never force those teachers to do or be different. 7th grade is particularly awful. Find some parents in the current 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 8th grade classes if you want deep insights about the school. People in K or 1st are blissfully happy, as they should be.

This speaks to the old head/ new head issue. Folks who came in under the old head had a certain set of expectations of the school. Those who came in under the new head have another set of expectations. Given the old head's almost cult-like following, I can see how this makes for a challenging environment for change for any new head.

We have experienced both heads, and honestly, like the new head better (and are excited about the new directions she is taking the school).

[Anonymous]

Can you say more about the 7th grade experience? What makes it awful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sonehwat of a lurker here but a parent at the school and in a class that used to be amazing and is now not so amazing. The new Head is just meh. I know a lot of unhappy families. The n-word was definitely used by a kid in our class this year but you would never hear that from the school. We learned about it from other parents. With one class per grade, if you don't like the teachers or the changes that they make in classrooms to teaching partnerships (which have been constant in grades 1-5) for the last 5 years, you're really stuck. And sadly where changes are needed (teachers in 6th and 7th) there haven't been changes and they never force those teachers to do or be different. 7th grade is particularly awful. Find some parents in the current 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 8th grade classes if you want deep insights about the school. People in K or 1st are blissfully happy, as they should be.

Do not want to get into a debate about the N word. It is a vile, despicable word and in my experience white parents often think if they do not ever say it their child will never say it. They are wrong. I will share one experience that I am aware of with how Sheridan handled a child in one of the young grades using the N word. I was not a parent of a child in the class but heard about how the situation was handled. The teachers and the head of the school talked to the children about the power of words and how their were different words. Some words were positive words of empowerment and encouragement and I believe they asked the kids to suggest some words and they hung them up in the classroom. Worlds like beautiful, good friend, strong. kind, etc. Then they talked about unkind "garbage" words like hate, mean, jerk, sh**, and they wrote them down and threw them in the trashcan. Then they talked about the N word and where it came from. Why it was so hurtful and awful and that it should never be used. That word (and maybe some other racial or ethnic slurs or epithets) were written down and thrown in the trashcan and the head of the school explained that those words were so bad that you couldn't just leave them in the trashh can but that you had to take them out and dispose of them right away. She then took the trashcan containing the words out of the classroom. Now I amy be off on some of the details but that is the general idea of how they tried to teach and impress upon some of the younger children why they should never use hurtful and vile words like the N word. I know that in other years when the word was used the school addressed it immediately and their were consequences attached to its use and from what I was aware of they didn't simply punish the child but tried to educate the child and the rest of the children on why that word should never be used. As my children grew they became a bit confused that the word was in songs they heard because they learned it should never be uttered and that spurred a whole other discussion.

I have heard of the N word being used at other public and independent schools in this area. I have heard of white kids saying it to children of color during basketball games, soccer games, and other athletic events in the area. What I can tell you is that my children call people out who say it and address it. That confidence to stand up for whats right is due in large part to their Sheridan education. My kids are acutely aware of how blessed they are, how who you are born to and where you live can give you a huge head start in life or put more obstacles in their path.

Finally, there are a lot of parents and children who think 6th grade is one of the best years at the school so I was particularly surprised to see the prior poster say that changes are needed there. My child and my child's friends would vehemently disagree with you.