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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I work in international relations (like a lot of us in DC) and I have two kids (though both are too young for school). I study international education issues for a living, and these are my concerns about Whittle:

First, the Chinese model of education is drastically different than the US's. Chinese schools (even elite ones) often focus more on rote memorization, discipline, and strict adherence to a curriculum. In the US, even more "classical education" schools like St. A's or NCS have started rethinking prescribed curricula like AP, giving teachers and students more flexibility. That's not to say that one model is "right" or "wrong," but they are different. And Whittle's unwillingness to give details about their curriculum worries me. Vague terms like "individualized" and "modern" are marketing words, not education philosophies.

Second, the school picked a location that is less than a block from the Chinese embassy. I'm guessing that the goal is to draw in wealthy diplomatic families from the embassy. But let's say several of those parents, especially those paying full price, are unhappy with Whittle for this reason or that. Since the school is for-profit, and therefore has a fiduciary duty to its investors and NOT its families, will the school be willing to bend to the will of wealthy, unhappy parents?

Some of the board could argue this "bending to the will" issue could happen at any DC private. But if so many of these parents are in the US to represent a foreign government, could that foreign government's philosophies trickle down into the classroom? For example, could the school begin to place emphasis on memorization and test prep, limiting experiential learning and other progressive philosophies? Could tests become preferred evaluations instead of PBL? Could whole topics be banned (like teaching about Tiananmen Square) if too many parents threatened to pull out their kids?

I'm not saying anything of this IS the case or WOULD happen, but I do have concerns about relying on the checkbooks of diplomats of an adversarial foreign government in order for a for-profit school to pay back $700M in investments.

If someone connected to Whittle has responses to my concerns, I'm honestly open to hearing them. Perhaps I'm way off base. Just my own opinions/concerns as I look for a school for my own kids.[/quote]

They are DIW, in my humble opinion, now that we seem to have entered a cold -war with China and all this Covid fallout[/quote]

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