Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 17:15     Subject: Revolving Door at Holton
Gone are the days of long standing beloved HOS's. Despite their handsome salary and benefits, it's simply not worth it because you constantly have to deal with things like this forum.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 17:00     Subject: Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:I like Penny but her convocation speech(es) were WAY too long.


Fire the HOS! Her speeches are too long! The horror!
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 16:52     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.




This is false. Some of the best teachers and administrators have left. I’m tired of this false narrative. It’s absolutely untrue.

Also if you’re a prospective parent who listens to a Penny speech and thinks, “wow that the kind of academic powerhouse that I want to inspire my daughter,” then I think you are getting what you are need/want.


Can you please just leave and go to another school? You're exhausting.


No, the teacher doesn’t have someone to listen to her, so she prefers to vent her personal frustrations anonymously in a forum that very few people cares about. I think it’s ok. She can fabricate a parallel world where she is trying to protect the school from a monster, where in fact she is the monster doing cyber bullying to others. Thats the irony of anonymous postings I guess.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 14:51     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.




This is false. Some of the best teachers and administrators have left. I’m tired of this false narrative. It’s absolutely untrue.

Also if you’re a prospective parent who listens to a Penny speech and thinks, “wow that the kind of academic powerhouse that I want to inspire my daughter,” then I think you are getting what you are need/want.


Can you please just leave and go to another school? You're exhausting.
Anonymous
Post 09/10/2025 11:36     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
A school's success doesn't solely revolve around a specific set of teachers or administrators.

As a current parent in the school community, I was personally happy to see one of the administrative officers move on to her next endeavor, as I felt she was not fully engaged in her role. So, take what you read on an anonymous site with a grain of salt.


Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.




This is false. Some of the best teachers and administrators have left. I’m tired of this false narrative. It’s absolutely untrue.

Also if you’re a prospective parent who listens to a Penny speech and thinks, “wow that the kind of academic powerhouse that I want to inspire my daughter,” then I think you are getting what you are need/want.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 18:51     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.




This is false. Some of the best teachers and administrators have left. I’m tired of this false narrative. It’s absolutely untrue.

Also if you’re a prospective parent who listens to a Penny speech and thinks, “wow that the kind of academic powerhouse that I want to inspire my daughter,” then I think you are getting what you are need/want.
Anonymous
Post 09/09/2025 14:20     Subject: Revolving Door at Holton
I am not sure why an accent in English is a problem if they are not teaching English itself. At Upper school level I would expect the teacher to speak the language they are teaching majority of the time with the students. Otherwise how will they actually learn to speak and speak correctly?


💯 my girls think it’s really weird. Luckily they already have a good accent
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2025 19:08     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:

Um - native speakers of global languages will naturally have accents when speaking English. Your desire to have unaccented global language teachers is not remotely best practice. Wow.


I am not sure why an accent in English is a problem if they are not teaching English itself. At Upper school level I would expect the teacher to speak the language they are teaching majority of the time with the students. Otherwise how will they actually learn to speak and speak correctly?
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2025 19:03     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:

Another parent here. The Latin teacher was part of the exodus. One of the best Spanish teachers is gone as well, replaced by a non-native speaker.

The middle school math teacher who left was terrific, in my DD’s view. The head of the performing arts program was very well regarded too. Certainly not “checked out or not good to begin with”.



I didn’t realize the Latin teacher left. Sorry to hear that he did. My DD also loved that middle school math teacher, but she left because of personal life changes, not due to any school changes. That is part of any normal school turnover. Sounds like we agree on Spanish teachers. The performing arts departure was not as admired by my girls, but totally get he may have been liked more by others.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2025 19:00     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.

The only subject where it seems the school could focus more is foreign language. Some of the folks teaching are not native speakers, have accents and grammar problems. French has good lower school, middle school and 9th grade teachers. Upper school French teacher is new, so we will see how effective she is. Spanish is more spotty. Latin teacher is good.


Um - native speakers of global languages will naturally have accents when speaking English. Your desire to have unaccented global language teachers is not remotely best practice. Wow.

DP, but I read the accent thing as being a problem because they spoke, say French, with an American accent because they aren’t native speakers, not that there’s a problem with accented English.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2025 18:33     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.

The only subject where it seems the school could focus more is foreign language. Some of the folks teaching are not native speakers, have accents and grammar problems. French has good lower school, middle school and 9th grade teachers. Upper school French teacher is new, so we will see how effective she is. Spanish is more spotty. Latin teacher is good.


Um - native speakers of global languages will naturally have accents when speaking English. Your desire to have unaccented global language teachers is not remotely best practice. Wow.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2025 18:32     Subject: Revolving Door at Holton
My daughter just joined the school and I am super happy with the teachers and the quality of education so far. Far better than the previous private schools.
Anonymous
Post 09/08/2025 16:19     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.

The only subject where it seems the school could focus more is foreign language. Some of the folks teaching are not native speakers, have accents and grammar problems. French has good lower school, middle school and 9th grade teachers. Upper school French teacher is new, so we will see how effective she is. Spanish is more spotty. Latin teacher is good.


Another parent here. The Latin teacher was part of the exodus. One of the best Spanish teachers is gone as well, replaced by a non-native speaker.

The middle school math teacher who left was terrific, in my DD’s view. The head of the performing arts program was very well regarded too. Certainly not “checked out or not good to begin with”.

Anonymous
Post 09/08/2025 12:00     Subject: Re:Revolving Door at Holton
Our two daughters are in their 5th year at Holton. Our girls love the school. Over the last 5 years some teachers and administrators left, but vast majority of them were either checked out or not good to begin with. Very few are actually going to be missed and those have moved on for personal reasons. Some of the highly ineffective teachers that were hired under the old administration are gone. From that perspective the exodus is a positive thing.

The only subject where it seems the school could focus more is foreign language. Some of the folks teaching are not native speakers, have accents and grammar problems. French has good lower school, middle school and 9th grade teachers. Upper school French teacher is new, so we will see how effective she is. Spanish is more spotty. Latin teacher is good.
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2025 15:17     Subject: Revolving Door at Holton
Anonymous wrote:Current parent here who was in a meeting with outside consultants last year with about 20 parents (across grades and diverse) that would’ve been appropriate for people to air grievances. However, more than half the room said they were happy with the direction of the school and Penny‘s leadership in particular.
And they did air grievances about a few specific things (wanting to build more community is an example). I was actually very surprised given what I’ve read on this board and it was a good reminder that this is an anonymous forum that does not always have th total story.


I was also in these meetings and, while they were definitely areas for the school/leadership to improve upon, I would say the comments were 80%? positive/enthusiastic, and I left feeling very proud to have a daughter at HAS.