Sidwell College Counseling - what it going on?

[Anonymous]

So a recap. They had three people in 2018-2019. Two of them left last summer. The lone holdout left this Winter. They hired three new people. One of them left with no notice yesterday. Can you say bad timing? Not finishing the school year. What is going on with that office?

[Anonymous]

The world has bigger problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So a recap. They had three people in 2018-2019. Two of them left last summer. The lone holdout left this Winter. They hired three new people. One of them left with no notice yesterday. Can you say bad timing? Not finishing the school year. What is going on with that office?

This was written in The Atlantic last year.


EDUCATION
Parents Gone Wild: High Drama Inside D.C.’s Most Elite Private School
At Sidwell Friends, the high school of Chelsea Clinton and the Obama children, college counselors find themselves besieged by Ivy-obsessed families.

ADAM HARRIS
JUNE 5, 2019

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So a recap. They had three people in 2018-2019. Two of them left last summer. The lone holdout left this Winter. They hired three new people. One of them left with no notice yesterday. Can you say bad timing? Not finishing the school year. What is going on with that office?

SFS parent here

1- Are you sure there was no notice given? I'm guessing this person applied out and found another opportunity. That decision was made a long time ago.
2- Is there really that much more to do this year? (I don't know, I haven't had a senior yet - but when I was a senior - their job for me was long over by now - but that was in a different era!)
3 - The office is expanding to four - they have three already. Hoping new hires bond as a team and set the right tone for future.

However, SFS needs to reign in the parents....PERIOD. And to support this new team from the start.

[Anonymous]

What a mess!

And yes. Seniors need help figuring out what to do work offers abd waitlists right now, especially with not being able to visit colleges. And juniors should be gearing up for their search.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The world has bigger problems.

Then why do you come on a chat board specifically about Private/Independent Schools? Douche nozzle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So a recap. They had three people in 2018-2019. Two of them left last summer. The lone holdout left this Winter. They hired three new people. One of them left with no notice yesterday. Can you say bad timing? Not finishing the school year. What is going on with that office?

SFS parent here

1- Are you sure there was no notice given? I'm guessing this person applied out and found another opportunity. That decision was made a long time ago.
2- Is there really that much more to do this year? (I don't know, I haven't had a senior yet - but when I was a senior - their job for me was long over by now - but that was in a different era!)
3 - The office is expanding to four - they have three already. Hoping new hires bond as a team and set the right tone for future.

However, SFS needs to reign in the parents....PERIOD. And to support this new team from the start.

1. There was no notice to students/parents.
2. Are you braindead? People arent permitted to visit schools. Waitlists. This is among the most needed times for a counselor. VERY unprofessional to leave at this time. At least the others finished off the year.
3. They dont have three. They now have two.

Agreed, the parents need to be reigned in. But clearly, they arent hiring the correct people.

[Anonymous]

You don't need a counselor at this point to help pick out your school. That's the student/family's job.

It's a positive step that the office has expanded from 3 to 4 counselors. Lauren is capable and organized. As long as the others are competent, it doesn't really matter. The whole process is a crapshoot anyway.

[Anonymous]

You do need a counselor to help with wait lists and exploring options if, god forbid, a student is completely shut out (as happened before).

[Anonymous]

To the person who said they're not hiring the right people, who in the world that has any other options do you think wants to take this job now?

They have to take what they can get because the good people are going to stay the hell away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So a recap. They had three people in 2018-2019. Two of them left last summer. The lone holdout left this Winter. They hired three new people. One of them left with no notice yesterday. Can you say bad timing? Not finishing the school year. What is going on with that office?

They had 3 people, the staff turned over with a new director, who now has 3 people in the office, for a total of 4. All of the people in the office now are more qualified and experienced than the ones who were there at this time last year. Overall, a significant upgrade. Though that is not a slight to the former director, who everyone liked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So a recap. They had three people in 2018-2019. Two of them left last summer. The lone holdout left this Winter. They hired three new people. One of them left with no notice yesterday. Can you say bad timing? Not finishing the school year. What is going on with that office?

SFS parent here

1- Are you sure there was no notice given? I'm guessing this person applied out and found another opportunity. That decision was made a long time ago.
2- Is there really that much more to do this year? (I don't know, I haven't had a senior yet - but when I was a senior - their job for me was long over by now - but that was in a different era!)
3 - The office is expanding to four - they have three already. Hoping new hires bond as a team and set the right tone for future.

However, SFS needs to reign in the parents....PERIOD. And to support this new team from the start.

1. There was no notice to students/parents.
2. Are you braindead? People arent permitted to visit schools. Waitlists. This is among the most needed times for a counselor. VERY unprofessional to leave at this time. At least the others finished off the year.
3. They dont have three. They now have two.

Agreed, the parents need to be reigned in. But clearly, they arent hiring the correct people.

They have 4. The person who left has already been replaced, plus they added a staff position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the person who said they're not hiring the right people, who in the world that has any other options do you think wants to take this job now?

They have to take what they can get because the good people are going to stay the hell away.

Correct. You would have to be desperate to work there in that capacity. The abuse these people endured as outlined in The Atlantic article was frightening. The parents have gone off the deep end.

[Anonymous]

GDS doesn’t have this problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the person who said they're not hiring the right people, who in the world that has any other options do you think wants to take this job now?

They have to take what they can get because the good people are going to stay the hell away.

+1