If I read the phrase "gender imbalance" one more time I might scream.

SSFS closed to due to poor planning, horrible board choices, and the failing of the boarding school.

GAS has none of these problems and is staying open.

Case closed.

guys the gender imbalance thing was really just a thing with what would have been the eighth grade, it's not a school-wide problem

Go on a tour. It should be obvious if there's a gender imbalance if you look into classrooms and do a quick count.

Anonymous wrote:Curious to hear more about the gender imbalance, especially in Lower School. Is this info publicly available? Can I ask about the admissions staff about gender breakdown, or is that a taboo question?

It's not that you can't ask, but it is kind of delicate since they know it's a problem and it goes to special needs.

Also, they can't tell you what it will be in the future because they don't know who's staying and who will be admitted.

Curious to hear more about the gender imbalance, especially in Lower School. Is this info publicly available? Can I ask about the admissions staff about gender breakdown, or is that a taboo question?

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

how is that what you got out of that

I mean, everyone left-- or at least enough people left that the school chose not to operate an 8th grade at all. Why did everyone leave? Oh, it's a secret. But everything is fine and nothing bad happened. Come on! You really think that's going to be convincing?

Some people left because siblings were going to different schools.

Others left when staff members left.

Some left when spots opened in schools that better suited their needs.

There was a gender imbalance too.

Etc.

There wasn’t one straw that broke the camel’s back. Or a deep dark secret.

It was a trickle that turned into a cascade and had never happened before or hasn’t happened since.

+1. it's that simple.

That's not simple, though! These things don't just randomly happen for no reason. They are red flags.

"Left when staff members left"-- why? Does that mean parents weren't happy with the remaining staff? That staff retention is poor? That staff members left and withdrew their own kids? None of that is good.

Similarly a gender imbalance is not simple. Why was it imbalanced? Was there some behavior or classroom atmosphere putting off parents of a certain gender kids? Why was it not remedied by adjusting admissions?

"Schools that better suited their needs"-- what's that a euphemism for? Needed more SN support? Harder academics? Easier academics? Who knows, but the common thread is some significant number of people in that class chose Green Acres, knew it well, and found it not to their liking.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

how is that what you got out of that

I mean, everyone left-- or at least enough people left that the school chose not to operate an 8th grade at all. Why did everyone leave? Oh, it's a secret. But everything is fine and nothing bad happened. Come on! You really think that's going to be convincing?

Some people left because siblings were going to different schools.

Others left when staff members left.

Some left when spots opened in schools that better suited their needs.

There was a gender imbalance too.

Etc.

There wasn’t one straw that broke the camel’s back. Or a deep dark secret.

It was a trickle that turned into a cascade and had never happened before or hasn’t happened since.

\Gender imbalance happens when a school isn't handling behavior well

? All it means is that more applicants were one gender than another.

No, it means more of the students were one gender rather than another, and it got bad enough for people to leave the school. Not just a little imbalance-- bad enough for people to go through the effort of applying out. And this is sometimes code for too many rowdy boys or too many mean girls or something-- not just their gender but some kind of behavior that makes the less numerous gender uncomfortable.

A school with enough applicants can correct this by admitting more of the gender it lacks, but if it doesn't have the right applicants to do that, the problem gets worse.

Anonymous wrote:Hi folks. Maybe I am just paranoid because of Sandy Spring. But is Green Acres in any danger of shutting down? I know they're having financial struggles, but how much? Because I had heard murmurings that SSFS was having some money problems but I never would have guessed just how severely. I know that Green Acres has changed their head of school, which may be a good thing? Not really sure. But my child goes there and I'm worried. Thanks.

If you are in fact a GAS parent you are much more in the loop than most of these responders.

GAS isn't gonna close. Don't worry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

Please don't say that!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

how is that what you got out of that

I mean, everyone left-- or at least enough people left that the school chose not to operate an 8th grade at all. Why did everyone leave? Oh, it's a secret. But everything is fine and nothing bad happened. Come on! You really think that's going to be convincing?

Some people left because siblings were going to different schools.

Others left when staff members left.

Some left when spots opened in schools that better suited their needs.

There was a gender imbalance too.

Etc.

There wasn’t one straw that broke the camel’s back. Or a deep dark secret.

It was a trickle that turned into a cascade and had never happened before or hasn’t happened since.

\Gender imbalance happens when a school isn't handling behavior well

? All it means is that more applicants were one gender than another.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

how is that what you got out of that

I mean, everyone left-- or at least enough people left that the school chose not to operate an 8th grade at all. Why did everyone leave? Oh, it's a secret. But everything is fine and nothing bad happened. Come on! You really think that's going to be convincing?

Some people left because siblings were going to different schools.

Others left when staff members left.

Some left when spots opened in schools that better suited their needs.

There was a gender imbalance too.

Etc.

There wasn’t one straw that broke the camel’s back. Or a deep dark secret.

It was a trickle that turned into a cascade and had never happened before or hasn’t happened since.

+1. it's that simple.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

how is that what you got out of that

I mean, everyone left-- or at least enough people left that the school chose not to operate an 8th grade at all. Why did everyone leave? Oh, it's a secret. But everything is fine and nothing bad happened. Come on! You really think that's going to be convincing?

Some people left because siblings were going to different schools.

Others left when staff members left.

Some left when spots opened in schools that better suited their needs.

There was a gender imbalance too.

Etc.

There wasn’t one straw that broke the camel’s back. Or a deep dark secret.

It was a trickle that turned into a cascade and had never happened before or hasn’t happened since.

Ok but aside from the first one, all those reasons are potentially red flags about the school.

Gender imbalance happens when a school isn't handling behavior well and has too few applicants to make up a gender imbalance. Red flag.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

how is that what you got out of that

I mean, everyone left-- or at least enough people left that the school chose not to operate an 8th grade at all. Why did everyone leave? Oh, it's a secret. But everything is fine and nothing bad happened. Come on! You really think that's going to be convincing?

Some people left because siblings were going to different schools.

Others left when staff members left.

Some left when spots opened in schools that better suited their needs.

There was a gender imbalance too.

Etc.

There wasn’t one straw that broke the camel’s back. Or a deep dark secret.

It was a trickle that turned into a cascade and had never happened before or hasn’t happened since.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d say GAS isn’t far behind. They’ve laid off teachers more than once due to their situation - I was one of them several years ago. They currently do not have an 8th grade class.
They rented the MS out to Diener to stay afloat, but they are now gone - and they’re MS is the smallest it’s been ever. People seem to like the new HoS, moreso than the last 2-3. lol. There’s been a lot of turnover there.

I would have a hard time investing any faith in a future at GAS if I had a young student. They are a mini version of SSFS.

The eighth grade thing is being blown out of proportion, they don't have an eighth grade this year but so what. All schools sometimes have bigger or smaller grades some years. The new HoS has been making things better all the time. The money from Diener is kept. As someone who has had children attending both Green acres and SSFS, Gas is absolutely not a mini version of SSFS, which has been crumbling for years. GAS is staying open.
Please don't speak on these things until you are more qualified.

"Our retention of 7th graders was 0% but so what."

I can tell you it's not a retention issue or the quality of the program. It was specific to that year. But that's a detail no one will tell you because they can't.

Oooookay. So there was a problem, a secret problem, and the school failed to deal with it so everyone left?

how is that what you got out of that

I mean, everyone left-- or at least enough people left that the school chose not to operate an 8th grade at all. Why did everyone leave? Oh, it's a secret. But everything is fine and nothing bad happened. Come on! You really think that's going to be convincing?

Green Acres was a great school in the 90s but has failed to update its curriculum and after school offerings. The numbers are communication. I hope they make changes and turn it around.