Sheridan School- Tell me your experiences!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Call me naive, but how in the world is this still tolerated in 2017? In one of the purportedly most socially progressive parts of the country, no less?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Call me naive, but how in the world is this still tolerated in 2017? In one of the purportedly most socially progressive parts of the country, no less?

Hello? Are you living under a rock? Our new administration just refused to even INVESTIGATE whether a police officer shot an unarmed black man in the back. It is very much tolerated in a whole lot of places these days.

There was an excellent episode of the show Blackish that dealt with this exact issue. The main characters son performs a lip synch of on of his favorite performers songs that includes the n-word. It was extremely well done on the many grey areas of acceptable vs unacceptable language these days.

[Anonymous]

Also...who said it was tolerated??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello? Are you living under a rock? Our new administration just refused to even INVESTIGATE whether a police officer shot an unarmed black man in the back. It is very much tolerated in a whole lot of places these days.

I was talking about the DC area specifically, and presumably this was happening at schools around here even before last year's election. So when I asked how this was still happening in 2017, I really meant the 2010s generically rather than a specific reference to the current administration. You're right that some folks feel more emboldened now to be more openly racist than before, though I still assume the N word was being uttered at athletic events in DC area schools well before the election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Call me naive, but how in the world is this still tolerated in 2017? In one of the purportedly most socially progressive parts of the country, no less?

I never said it was tolerated. I said it happens and it does. The same way that my black male friends get pulled over for minor "traffic infractions" (like not signaling a lane change or broken tail light) when my white husband has NEVER been pulled over for such things even though he has driven clunkers. It often seems to me that the only people who are still unaware of how much racism exists or how the N word still gets used are white people who think America has over come its legacy of slavery, racism, and civil rights abuses because Obama was president or their children have friends who have darker skin tones. I am white and a lot of white people I know really think that the world has progressed more on these issue than we have. It is like the number of men who were shocked by the stories women shared about the sexism they have experienced following the video tape of Trump bragging about how he can grab women and Fox firing Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly. Women weren't as shocked because they knew it still happened. A lot of men I know were shocked because they operate in a different world where they don't do those things so they think it doesn't exist.

Also, shout out to the show Blackish which tackles a whole host of issues (not just about race, but class, sexism, etc.) It's funny and thought provoking all at once.

[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.

And here is another lurking parent to say that we really, really like the 7th grade team. We are glad these students are finally digging into a tiny bit of the American cannon with these two, which was a long time coming due to excessive curriculum focus on previously unheard (aka, "repressed") literary voices. For the past 7 years, to the exclusion of too many great writers. One of these two teachers is an excellent writing coach and mentor. I'm sorry you can't see that. Or maybe your student isn't into the craft?

[Anonymous]

Sorry for not being clearer. When saying that it's still "tolerated" in 2017, I don't mean that the general public (or people who are nearby who hear the slur) is okay with it, but rather that the people yelling the slurs don't face any meaningful consequences as a result. Either because it doesn't get reported (because folks don't feel sufficiently outraged to take action), or because those in the position to levy some kind of punishment often choose not to do so.

[Anonymous]

A couple points: the school can't tell you what their consequences are for specific kids, but that doesn't mean there are none. I know because I asked directly and that's what I was told.
Sheridan is far more stable than it was under the old head, and the new ish teachers are really happy. I didn't mind the auction emails because I am hoping they raise money for all the new projects they have planned, and I am excited about the new playground coming soon.
Any time there is a change in leadership there will be turnover. But they brought in some great people this year, including support people--not just teachers. And oh--There's no way there are 30 admin, maybe 6 or so.

[Anonymous]

Current parent here, and I couldn't disagree more with the comments on this never ending thread. My child is known, loved, and comes home from school happy and interested in many different things. Are there times when another student is mean to her? Sure. But the teachers work with the students directly to help them to work out social conflicts together. This thread feels like a rumor mill, where many issues have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion. If you want to learn about the school, come to an open house, or set up a meeting with the admissions director. Do not let the experience of a handful of families taint your opinion of such a wonderful place.

[Anonymous]

Another current parent here of a child in the upper grades. My child is engaged, encouraged, and challenged and loves the school. The content of what is being taught in the classroom and HOW it's taught through simulations and creative homework thrills me to pieces and I feel like what my kid is getting is substantively different from other schools.

And, having children at other schools I can say that the auction emails are simply how it works with an on0line auction. The school was trying to encourage excitement and bidding in the final week which is just good practice.

Sheridan's size and atmosphere won't be right for everyone but I'd suggest that some of the people reading this thread will feel like they've found THE PLACE for their child when they walk through the doors.

[Anonymous]

I didn't mind the auction emails at all. Frankly, it's advertising 101. You have to repeat the message to raise awareness. You don't have to participate if you don't want to do so, but our view was why not buy something that we would use anyway and also help out the school at the same time. Plus, Sheridan's fundraising efforts are quite mild in comparison to some of the other schools in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't mind the auction emails at all. Frankly, it's advertising 101. You have to repeat the message to raise awareness. You don't have to participate if you don't want to do so, but our view was why not buy something that we would use anyway and also help out the school at the same time. Plus, Sheridan's fundraising efforts are quite mild in comparison to some of the other schools in the area.

All of this is well and good if the development office wasn't staffed by current parents. Any school worth it's salt moved away from this model a very long time ago.

[Anonymous]

Oftentimes teachers or staff members send their kids to the same school where they work. What is so unusual about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't mind the auction emails at all. Frankly, it's advertising 101. You have to repeat the message to raise awareness. You don't have to participate if you don't want to do so, but our view was why not buy something that we would use anyway and also help out the school at the same time. Plus, Sheridan's fundraising efforts are quite mild in comparison to some of the other schools in the area.

All of this is well and good if the development office wasn't staffed by current parents. Any school worth it's salt moved away from this model a very long time ago.

They did -- in my opinion -- a great job for what can be (and evidently is) a thankless task. The ultimate goal is to help support our kids and I will do everything I can to support them and appreciate them. IMO, there are much more important things to be bothered about. I applaud their efforts and recognize the massive amount of work that went into the project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn't mind the auction emails at all. Frankly, it's advertising 101. You have to repeat the message to raise awareness. You don't have to participate if you don't want to do so, but our view was why not buy something that we would use anyway and also help out the school at the same time. Plus, Sheridan's fundraising efforts are quite mild in comparison to some of the other schools in the area.

All of this is well and good if the development office wasn't staffed by current parents. Any school worth it's salt moved away from this model a very long time ago.

Current Parent here- don't get me started on the admin positions. Melissa Lee is too busy bullying the staff and "working from home" to have a grasp of what is going on at Sheridan. As a parent, I saw her bullying tactics first hand when I stopped in to discuss a minor issue with my child. She told me to close the door and proceeded to emasculate me. All because I brought up concerns about my child and his/her education at Sheridan. This is not someone who leads by example, nor someone who cares about the children.