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I think your view of the school is a bit distorted. WES is not in "serious trouble" at all -- enrollment is growing and parents are happy. I am very pleased with the direction of the school.
I'm not on the Board but I like that parents of current students are, as they have a finger on the pulse of the school. You clearly have a different opinion, but not one that is especially convincing.
I'm not on the Board but I like that parents of current students are, as they have a finger on the pulse of the school. You clearly have a different opinion, but not one that is especially convincing.
This is probably the stupidest allegation I have ever had to deal with in any forum anywhere. Just to be clear, however, there was NO favoritism in the choice of ANY of the Kings -- the child of the Board Member was chosen on talent alone, as were the other two.
And what's with the St. Alban's angle? Does St. Alban's automatically admit kids who play a King in their school's Christmas Pageant? My kid was not chosen to be Tacky the Penguin in the kindergarten play this year. Does that mean he has no hope of getting into Sidwell?
And what's with the St. Alban's angle? Does St. Alban's automatically admit kids who play a King in their school's Christmas Pageant? My kid was not chosen to be Tacky the Penguin in the kindergarten play this year. Does that mean he has no hope of getting into Sidwell?
I decided to actually sign in to add to this thread because the anonymous negative comments are a bit frustrating, especially since they appear to come from former parents (or from just one person pretending to be lots of people) with an axe to grind, as opposed to current parents who actually have an informed opinion about the current state of the school.
As a parent of three children who currently attend WES I have a fair amount of experience with the teachers and the overall environment at WES. Is WES perfect? Of course not. But overall WES has been wonderful for all three of my kids. In addition, I have been very pleased with the quality of the new teachers brought in under Kirk and I think he did a very good job at WES. I understand why he is leaving, but I'm sad to see him go.
WES is a close-knit and loving environment as well as a top notch school. (Though the prior posts about WES parents focusing on getting their kids into the "big 3" high schools doesn't mesh with my experience at all -- I have never heard that brought up once by another parent).
And the prior comments about favoritism for the children of WES Board Members in choosing the Three Kings for the Christmas Pageant are so ridiculous that I feel silly stooping to address them, but just in case someone out there takes them seriously I feel I should. Two of the Three Kings were not the children of Board Members this year, despite the fact that multiple Board Members have children in the 3rd grade. The one King who was the child of a Board Member was not only talented but was probably the only boy in 3rd grade who actually wanted to sing in front of the whole school (and no, he's not my kid). The two girls who were the other Kings were clearly chosen on talent alone -- one in particular was transcendent. Someone posting on this board just likes stirring the pot for fun.
Every school, public or private, has its own politics, and no school is perfect for every child. WES has been a great school for my kids however, and I would recommend it highly for people looking for a school that is more nurturing and less high stress than most top DC area grade schools.
As a parent of three children who currently attend WES I have a fair amount of experience with the teachers and the overall environment at WES. Is WES perfect? Of course not. But overall WES has been wonderful for all three of my kids. In addition, I have been very pleased with the quality of the new teachers brought in under Kirk and I think he did a very good job at WES. I understand why he is leaving, but I'm sad to see him go.
WES is a close-knit and loving environment as well as a top notch school. (Though the prior posts about WES parents focusing on getting their kids into the "big 3" high schools doesn't mesh with my experience at all -- I have never heard that brought up once by another parent).
And the prior comments about favoritism for the children of WES Board Members in choosing the Three Kings for the Christmas Pageant are so ridiculous that I feel silly stooping to address them, but just in case someone out there takes them seriously I feel I should. Two of the Three Kings were not the children of Board Members this year, despite the fact that multiple Board Members have children in the 3rd grade. The one King who was the child of a Board Member was not only talented but was probably the only boy in 3rd grade who actually wanted to sing in front of the whole school (and no, he's not my kid). The two girls who were the other Kings were clearly chosen on talent alone -- one in particular was transcendent. Someone posting on this board just likes stirring the pot for fun.
Every school, public or private, has its own politics, and no school is perfect for every child. WES has been a great school for my kids however, and I would recommend it highly for people looking for a school that is more nurturing and less high stress than most top DC area grade schools.