Reply to When did GDS become so well regarded?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]In the 80s and early 90s GDS was the school where [b]liberal, Jewish intellectuals sent their kids[/b]. WASPY types never considered it because of that. Slowly I think folks started to realize that the kids were getting a great education there and what had been a mostly Jewish school (albeit very reform/progressive) started to change demographically. Also GDS had a reputation for being integrated early on and DC was a VERY segregated city so that probably held its reputation down in certain circles [/quote]

Totally agree with this. All of the [b]Jewish lawyers I know sent their kids there back then[/b]. Then, once it became known that kids got into Ivies...the more WASPY types thought it was ok.[/quote]

I agree too. I also recall from colleagues in the early 90s that the perception was that GDS was starting to get non-hooked kids into Ivies and SLACs. I may be wrong because I didn't have kids then. I do have a 9th grader who just started in GDS upper school and[b] I don't think this perception continues now.[/b][/quote]

Well, there is the moderately-sized asterisk that families who 1. seek to avoid any Christian theology-based school, no matter how "lite" and 2. want an excellent education will put GDS at the top of the list.   That's still very much the case, based on my anecdata of atheist and observant Jewish good friends with kids at GDS.   For some of these friends, even mandatory Quaker meeting for worship or non-denominational & Christian chapel requirements were too much.  i.e., NCS, Sidwell, St. Andrews.

For this crew, the pool consists of GDS, Sheridan, Lowell, Burke, and a couple of other schools.  
[/quote]

I agree with these thoughts except that for some reason, many people I know seem to exclude Sidwell from category 1. It’s almost as if the “cache” of the school causes them to justify why the Quaker aspects of Sidwell are not religious in nature. I hear many people do this with Norwood, too, which to my understanding still has a weekly chapel requirement. [/quote]

The funny thing is that GDS is more clearly religious (Jewish) than some of those other (culturally Christian) schools.[/quote]

Are you confused? GDS is a secular school. The students are a mixture of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, agnostic, etc. There is no religious service of any kind at the school. The students do, however, learn about and participate in various religious celebrations with the intent of creating religiously literature citizens who are able to appreciate different religious traditions.[/quote]

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