I have two kids there now, and based on what they're telling me, of course there's some directional accuracy to the criticisms of the HS administration, but the categorical claims about the school being a suffocating atmosphere or otherwise unenjoyable if you don't 100% embrace DEI are way overstated in their view.

Anonymous wrote:Two kids in the GDS high school and I hear a constant drum beat from them and their friends on how great most of the faculty is and how truly awful the high school administration is. Especially the high school principal who seems universally disliked by the kids

She’s described as being out of touch, not a presence in the high school, and viewed as being distant from the day to day of the school.

Can other GDS HS parents confirm if they hear or see the same?

Are Jewish students being targeted or feeling uncomfortable as they are at other schools that have a lot of very liberal students like Harvard, Brown, Cornell, etc? I know there are a large percentage of Jewish students at GDS but there are as well at the schools above mentioned but still kids are feeling unsafe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Two entirely different things. The school paper is a gem and is run by an outstanding faculty member and great student editors. Why can't both things be true? Why can't they have suffocating DEI and a good school paper?

Sounds like you can't imagine anything but reductive thinking.

It's more that you're mischaracterizing the overall GDS ecosystem, where the DEI program and school paper manage to co-exist, in spite of potentially competing priorities and incentives.

False - I've been a parent to 3 GDS lifer or near lifers - 2 of which have graduated and a third who is there now. I've seen the kids from the Kevin Barr days to now. It's changed. You dont need to agree but I'm just telling you that you are simply off base.

But please believe what you want. the DEI program has nothing to do w/ the school paper. Would it be even worse if the HS admin banned these op-eds from the paper, sure. But how does that prove anything? Again, please be a more systematic thinker. 30 pages of comments here aren't from one or two parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Two entirely different things. The school paper is a gem and is run by an outstanding faculty member and great student editors. Why can't both things be true? Why can't they have suffocating DEI and a good school paper?

Sounds like you can't imagine anything but reductive thinking.

It's more that you're mischaracterizing the overall GDS ecosystem, where the DEI program and school paper manage to co-exist, in spite of potentially competing priorities and incentives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does someone who's "sick of DEI" stand for affirmatively? What are their values exactly?

I didn’t write that myself but my 8th grader wants to write an essay without that focus. Or have a history lesson without that focus. He just wants a more traditional education where everything isn’t boiled down to identity or ethnicity or race. It’s tiresome to have it seep into their daily eduction.

But this is EXACTLY what the school said they do at the admissions open house. Did you not believe them? This is what you signed up for. This is what you said you wanted to buy.

Not exactly. I had no idea HOW intense and intrusive the DEI department would be. I did not anticipate how frustrated my DC would be due to the continual DEI focus during assemblies, aspects of History class in HS and much of MS, field trips, 9th grade Seminar, weird reporting practices, biased disciplinary approaches, etc.

Yes! All of this is true

Would not be the first time GDS doesnt paint full picture at Open Houses. For instance, they dont tell parents that kids are limited to applying to 10 (now 12 reluctantly after a parent revolt in 2023) colleges max. That's it.

They most certainly dont talk about that upfront.

They dont talk about how discipline process in HS works - opaque, inconsistent, and crappy dressed up in DEI / restorative justice, student-driven hoo-ha.

There are now 29 pages of comments about the poorly run administration

If many of us could do it again, we would have done a cathedral school. And our family is not religious, we are URMs, and we are liberal. the goal posts have moved.

Anonymous wrote:Why does GDS continue to offer the "A View From the Other Side" course year after year? That would not be allowed to exist somewhere that's supposedly dedicated to indoctrination.

That isn't a course but part of the 3-day minimester offering and a student last year wrote about the experience well. My high schooler wanted to take this minimester but opted not to because other students gave them a hard time.

And agreed the GDS school paper is wonderful and thankfully kids can write freely but at the same time nothing is ever really addressed.

https://theaugurbit.com/2023/04/16/we-need-to-pop-the-gds-bubble/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Good point. So, what is the disconnect between this and the classroom?

The disconnect is with the GDS HS administration. HOS is so removed from day-to-day and HS administration does everything under the guise of DEI. Students or parents that bring up concerns are always met with with a smile but the administration does not address any issues at-hand. They have no reason to.

Good on the student who wrote the article and I hope they will be heard. It is a sentiment that many students in the HS feel, unfortunately.

https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Thank you for saying this. It is exactly my thoughts as a GDS HS parent of multiple kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does someone who's "sick of DEI" stand for affirmatively? What are their values exactly?

I didn’t write that myself but my 8th grader wants to write an essay without that focus. Or have a history lesson without that focus. He just wants a more traditional education where everything isn’t boiled down to identity or ethnicity or race. It’s tiresome to have it seep into their daily eduction.

But this is EXACTLY what the school said they do at the admissions open house. Did you not believe them? This is what you signed up for. This is what you said you wanted to buy.

Not exactly. I had no idea HOW intense and intrusive the DEI department would be. I did not anticipate how frustrated my DC would be due to the continual DEI focus during assemblies, aspects of History class in HS and much of MS, field trips, 9th grade Seminar, weird reporting practices, biased disciplinary approaches, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Why does GDS continue to offer the "A View From the Other Side" course year after year? That would not be allowed to exist somewhere that's supposedly dedicated to indoctrination.

Yes they offer one mini-mester course. Optional, 10 kids take it. WHat's your point?

Try sitting in on one of the myriad trans assemblies, the 9th grade seminar/indoctrination class. Those are not optional like minimester. Those are mandatory.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Two entirely different things. The school paper is a gem and is run by an outstanding faculty member and great student editors. Why can't both things be true? Why can't they have suffocating DEI and a good school paper?

Sounds like you can't imagine anything but reductive thinking.

Why does GDS continue to offer the "A View From the Other Side" course year after year? That would not be allowed to exist somewhere that's supposedly dedicated to indoctrination.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Social justice should encourage open communication not shut it down. I worry that GDS has turned my kid into a quasi republican because he is completely sick of the DEI focus.
He has no interest in applying to SLACs next year as he worries they may have a similar environment. At the moment, he wants to go to a large public university like Michigan or UVA or UCLA.

Yep. Happened to my kid. Except he’s not “quasi” - he’s the chapter president of College Republicans at his school.

That’s pretty funny when you think of how dismissive GDS parents are of more moderate schools.

That isn't accurate or fair. I highly respect and value fellow moderate or conservative schools in our area. I'm close with families with kids at more conservative institutions (Mater Dei, etc.) and hear about their wonderful experiences. So please don't put us all in that box.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Good point. So, what is the disconnect between this and the classroom?

The disconnect is with the GDS HS administration. HOS is so removed from day-to-day and HS administration does everything under the guise of DEI. Students or parents that bring up concerns are always met with with a smile but the administration does not address any issues at-hand. They have no reason to.

Good on the student who wrote the article and I hope they will be heard. It is a sentiment that many students in the HS feel, unfortunately.

https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Wow, brave student!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Good point. So, what is the disconnect between this and the classroom?

The disconnect is with the GDS HS administration. HOS is so removed from day-to-day and HS administration does everything under the guise of DEI. Students or parents that bring up concerns are always met with with a smile but the administration does not address any issues at-hand. They have no reason to.

Good on the student who wrote the article and I hope they will be heard. It is a sentiment that many students in the HS feel, unfortunately.

https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://theaugurbit.com/2024/03/10/seminar-limits-our-ability-to-speak-freely/

Just wow on so many levels. But does it change anything?

So GDS supposedly stifles dissent, except that their students are free to publish for the world said dissent?

I can't think of many other schools in this area that would allow its students to express anti-administration views so openly.

Good point. So, what is the disconnect between this and the classroom?