SSFS HOS leaving

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see you're not grasping the concept of stakeholder.

I may be a stakeholder but that doesn't make me dishonest. I can wish the school well, while realizing the school has problems. Nothing is stable right now, I don't see how anyone can dispute that. CL is only a few weeks in, all the new staff are also just a few weeks in. What the long term administration will look like is not known by anyone. The CFO presumably just got fired, why? Because the school is doing great financially? People need to know all of these things to make informed decisions about their kids futures. I am also watching all of these things before making a decision to return next year. This is just the truth. I also also watching to see how the US curriculum evolves. A lot of changes happened between when we came in MS and now (post pandemic) that I do not believe has strengthened the academic program. This is also a concern I have. These are just my honest observations. I would love the school to pull itself around, and I think - in a few years - it will. I am not at all certain the next two years will be stable. And as such while I'm hoping for the best I will most definitely make an informed decision and may not return next year, that jury is still out. This doesn't make me any less of a stake holder or a troll. This makes me a concerned parent. Are you being paid to make it sound like the school has no concerns?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly admitting that - right now - the school is unstable a lot of churn is happening and it is prudent to wait to see how things settle with everything before shelling out $45k is not being a troll. No reason to false advertise that the school is great based on 2 weeks of classes going fine. And even last few years classes went fine for most people. Teachers were largely good as well. But the school has problems and isn’t the place it was 5 years ago. That’s why 100 students and 35 teachers left. These are facts. The school isn’t paying parents to entice families to join by making it sound like the place has no concerns. That’s just dishonest. But then again the board is anything but transparent so maybe that’s just how ppl roll here?

35 TEACHERS left is a fact? There's only about 80 teachers in total at SSFS. Nearly half left?

Sounds like fear mongering to me.

[Anonymous]

35 teachers leaving is a lie. I have kids in all 3 divisions. This simply isn’t true. Yes, the school is struggling and going through a difficult time. But I suggest both current and prospective parents do their research, reach out to the school, and ask questions directly. Then make the best informed decision for you and your family and keep it moving.

[Anonymous]

So, today's forum mood - honest concern and hope that SSFS turns itself around.

While yesterday's forum mood was STAY AWAY and SSFS shouldn't be on the top of anyone's list.

Proving nothing more than forums like this are more about noise than anything else.

As an actual stakeholder let me first echo someone else's previous post to say that choosing a school for your child is a personal decision that requires research and reflection. That said, SSFS is ABSOLUTELY WORTH a look!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly admitting that - right now - the school is unstable a lot of churn is happening and it is prudent to wait to see how things settle with everything before shelling out $45k is not being a troll. No reason to false advertise that the school is great based on 2 weeks of classes going fine. And even last few years classes went fine for most people. Teachers were largely good as well. But the school has problems and isn’t the place it was 5 years ago. That’s why 100 students and 35 teachers left. These are facts. The school isn’t paying parents to entice families to join by making it sound like the place has no concerns. That’s just dishonest. But then again the board is anything but transparent so maybe that’s just how ppl roll here?

35 TEACHERS left is a fact? There's only about 80 teachers in total at SSFS. Nearly half left?

Sounds like fear mongering to me.

The total number of faculty staff is around 165 (I am only saying "around" because I don't memorize the faculty list and some are bus drivers or temp employees that pushed the overall list to more like 175). Last year around 27-28 (not all teachers, some were counselors, oeijb, health center staff etc) left before the end of the year and 7 more were laid off during the last week of the school year. This is not fear mongering as it is fact. Some of these positions did not need to be refilled this year due to the drop in enrollment. It is also fact that somewhere around 90-100 students left, many after contracts were signed. The total number of students last year was ~690, this year around ~610 (since new families also came, it was more families that left and then with the new families there is a net drop of around 70 kids this year). US grade sizes were typically 80-90 kids (for a total around 330-350 in the US division) this year it's more like 70-75 per grade. MS and LS has also seen drops. I am not sure why you are so hung up on people's concerns being fear mongering? Are you following the school at all? RG didnt leave because things were great.

[Anonymous]

It is fear mongering when you play loose with facts. The original post stated that 35 TEACHERS left.

Now you're saying 27-28 and admitting that not all those folks were teachers.

Concerns are valid. Telling people to stay away and using unsubstantiated numbers and attributions of roles (initially claiming that they were all teachers) is fear mongering.

[Anonymous]

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Posting in reply to those who asked how the school year is going. We have 2 kids in US and things are going really well. Their teachers are incredible and the school atmosphere is upbeat. No complaints; this is everything we hoped for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Posting in reply to those who asked how the school year is going. We have 2 kids in US and things are going really well. Their teachers are incredible and the school atmosphere is upbeat. No complaints; this is everything we hoped for.

Same experience here. If anything, the mood is improved from last spring. No one in administration is pretending that things are perfect but there is an optimism that the issues are now resolvable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is fear mongering when you play loose with facts. The original post stated that 35 TEACHERS left.

Now you're saying 27-28 and admitting that not all those folks were teachers.

Concerns are valid. Telling people to stay away and using unsubstantiated numbers and attributions of roles (initially claiming that they were all teachers) is fear mongering.

If the semantics of that makes you feel better, go for it. Of course the head of US, the head of LS, the OEIJB director, the LS counselor the US counselor etc - these are not classified as " subject teachers" in the faculty list, but they are certainly part of the teaching staff. They also all are a part of the story of the school. you seem to like to intimidate people into agreeing with you and you must work for the school to take such offense to someone's comment about attrition numbers. It doesnt seem like you are a parent to take such offense to a statement, specially when you dont even have numbers yourself that you can attest to. But the underlying assertion is still the same. On top of that, the school doesn't even announce when people leave. You have to go around looking at cross divisional newsletters, and then internal faculty listings to figure out the total number because nothing is announced openly. Some departures are not announced at all and all you can do is wait a few months till the email directory is updated and see that the person is no longer listed. So who can ever really know the actual total around here? But the number - of teachers, and of other staff - was above any reasonable and normal number for a single year last year. Across all divisions and all kinds of positions. Or is this fear mongering too?

[Anonymous]

Semantics matter and to suggest otherwise is dismissive.
I do not work for the school. I am an SSFS parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Semantics matter and to suggest otherwise is dismissive.
I do not work for the school. I am an SSFS parent.

Okay, so how many "only teachers" left last year across all 3 divisions? Do you even know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Semantics matter and to suggest otherwise is dismissive.
I do not work for the school. I am an SSFS parent.

Okay, so how many "only teachers" left last year across all 3 divisions? Do you even know?

No. I don't know and neither do you apparently. I just know it wasn't as high as you were claiming. What I also know is that there is an important distinction between coming here to voice your concerns and coming here to tell people they should stay away from the school and then using conflated numbers and alarmist statements to be convincing. One behavior is more representative of a stakeholder than the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Semantics matter and to suggest otherwise is dismissive.
I do not work for the school. I am an SSFS parent.

Okay, so how many "only teachers" left last year across all 3 divisions? Do you even know?

No. I don't know and neither do you apparently. I just know it wasn't as high as you were claiming. What I also know is that there is an important distinction between coming here to voice your concerns and coming here to tell people they should stay away from the school and then using conflated numbers and alarmist statements to be convincing. One behavior is more representative of a stakeholder than the other.

Im not sure what the problem here that you're getting so worked up about. I know it's around 35 - teachers and learning support staff. I dont maintain a running list, nor am I able to track all three divisions to know the final tally by the end of last year since I do not work in HR. So I can't quote numbers in absolute. No one can. So I say around 35, because after 35 I wasn't tracking anymore. You're just upset that all 35 weren't subject teachers, and you don't like that I included the US head, LS head, learning specialists, counselors, Athletic directors and OEIJB in the mix of teachers who left (i believe all those people are teaching something here, even if it's not math and English, they aren't mowing grass). Honestly if a substantial number of the 35 that left have nothing to do with teaching that I'd have bigger problems, why does this school employ so many people who have nothing to do with education? But if i took those out and said 25 "teachers" is the logic that 25 teachers is okay but 35 was where you had a problem? Cause it sure isn't 5 teachers that left. That's hilarious. Why should i keep exact lists of these people to share here to be able to justify that the school had a toxic work environment under RG, which will now hopefully ease, but will probably take 1-2 years to stabilize? everyone knows this. And on top of the large number of departures last year, the 4 US heads in 4 years and 4 LS heads in 5 years, was always a red flag (But I guess you would say since they were not "teachers" why should it matter to anyone).

I get that you love the school, and that's fine, I am not trying to convince you not to. But there is no one that can say the school hasnt faced a turnover problem in the last couple of years.

[Anonymous]

Not sure how you assume from a post on an anonymous message board that someone is worked up or upset. Perhaps that's just projection on your part?

Regardless, I hope that your worries about SSFS will diminish over time. And again, I encourage everyone who is seeking an independent school for their child, to come have a look at SSFS. No school is perfect. So in your quest to find the best fit for your child, check out SSFS!