Andover is Broken

Prep School Admissions
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I am creating this post to provide a window into the dynamics that have unfolded at Andover over the past 9 months. It is important for prospective families to have an understanding of what the experience is for students/families. As backdrop, this is from a family that has LOVED PA in all prior times/years.

Andover students are not currently back on campus, yet students are at other peer schools.

Here is what has happened:

In the Fall term, Andover was gradually able to bring portions of the student body back to campus in stages (though later and less than peer schools). The on-campus experience from a health perspective was HIGHLY successful. Everything seemed to be progressing well in a safe way. The students had a lot of protocols and followed them diligently. Then, in late November the school abruptly shifted gears and communicated that only 12th graders would be allowed on campus at the start of Feb 2021 and HOPEFULLY other grade students could come back at the end of March. Families were startled by this and the vague explanation was that it was based on considerations for the health of the community.

However, in the last several days (i.e. NOW late Jan 2021), it has leaked out that the real reason for this abrupt shift and students not being welcomed back on campus is the following:

During the Summer 2020, the Andover Board of Trustees granted the faculty/staff a CHANGED contract (or agreement) that gave faculty/staff the choice to not be on campus for the entire 2020/2021 school year if they do not want to.

And what has now unfolded is that more and more faculty/staff are choosing to say they don’t want to be on campus with students. So now there are not enough faculty/staff to enable more than 25% of students to be on campus.

FAMILIES WERE NEVER TOLD OF THIS. This was unfolding last 2020 Summer when parents were having to commit to $ tuition contracts, but families weren’t told.

Everything previously from late Summer through start of Winter had been communicated to families in a fake way that leadership was constantly reassessing health risks and would be making thoughtful decisions along the way based on science. THIS WAS NOT HONEST COMMUNICATION.

And as of today, the school cannot confirm if they will be able to invite all students back to campus for the Spring term. And the decision has ZERO to do with science. It is 100% dependent on whether enough faculty/staff are willing to be on campus in some form.

Right now, administration leadership is regularly pleading with faculty/staff to enable students to be on campus, but so far not working. Does this sound like a high functioning school that CARES about kids or chaotic dysfunction?

Further, there are some senior administration/faculty that have been strongly communicating to families in moralistic tones that it is too dangerous to the adult community to allow students on campus … however these same exact senior administration/faculty have been sending their children to local elementary/day schools fully in-person all through the year. How hypocritical is that??

So to be clear, right now NONE of Andover’s decisions to be on campus are being driven by science. ALL are being driven by the collective emotions of faculty/staff. If enough were willing to be on campus, all students could be back right now.

And all of these dynamics were hidden from student families until just recently. Actually most PA families still don’t have this insight. But in the last number of days it has begun leaking out like a fire hose. I have had discussions with the highest levels of PA leadership and it is confirmed.

Andover is now trying to give messaging that hopefully things will be different in Fall 2021. When probed as to why, the reason is that the old contract will have expired and now the board wants to have a new contract with faculty/staff to ensure an on-campus experience for students. However, that is a desire and who knows what will be agreed to.

Prospective PA parents :

  • beware, you might not be communicated with in an honest way by PA leadership

  • the leadership has shown that the school exists for the faculty, not the children

  • also school leadership will avoid having to speak with you at all costs. Don’t expect the possibility speak with leadership ever. I have, but it was like climbing mt Everest to do so.

  • Non Sibi went out the window as soon as the interests of students and faculty were not perfectly aligned. Now it has shifted to “All for self” for the faculty.

  • there are too many thousands of applicants each year and too much endowment $ that the school leadership (board included) feels completely unaccountable to students/families. They don’t worry about replacing students and there will never be a bank run. But they won’t be there for you in hard times.

I am happy to happy to answer question here in this post string or via PM if anybody prefers that.

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Wow this is huge. I was wondering why other schools have resumed in person classes and Andover hasn’t.

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Thank you for sharing- my kids are not applying there but some other competitive schools. I’m sorry you are going through this! It sounds like our public schools system in the DC area but with a much larger investment.

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Thank you v much for sharing this!

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I really feel for you as a parent. I hope that they will eventually communicate in an honest and meaningful way. Covid has been so hard on so many families and their children.
We have seen similar things happen at multiple local public schools. But when you are sending your child to a BS, it’s different. Many BS’s have done a great job and switched gears multiple times.
Thank you for communicating this message. I would like to know that if my child were applying.

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Thanks for sharing. Very frustrating.

Any teacher over 65yo or with a verifiable medical condition that places them at increased risk of a poor outcome from COVID should be permitted to take temporary leave. EVERY SINGLE other teacher should be back in the classroom. Remote learning is an oxymoron for all but adult learners earning advanced degrees and balancing busy lives. The data overwhelmingly demonstrate an extremely negative academic, developmental and emotional impact on kids and young adults.

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I so understand the frustration!

I will add to the conversation that I’ve known about the fact that faculty were given the option to be in person or remote since I asked about in the late summer. It didn’t seem like it was a big secret, but to your point, I don’t recall them ever advertising that.

And not that it matters, but I was actually glad to know that faculty weren’t forced to choose between losing their jobs or exposing themselves to a risky situation. I’ve lost several friends under 50 to covid, but I’ve also seen both my in-laws and my husband’s 98 year old grandfather survive it. So I suppose I don’t dare presume to understand who dies and who doesn’t. (And in full disclosure, I asked about the faculty policy because I wanted to make sure that me sending my kid in person wouldn’t force faculty to be on campus if they weren’t comfortable. It’s one thing for me to send a 14 year old kiddo, and another to ask a 50 year old to go.)

But also: my kids are NOT thriving not being in person, so I totally get the frustration. I keep telling myself: we are nearing the end. (I hope this proves to be true.)

And, I would also agree with your point: Andover has a LOT of people who want to go there and a LOT of money.
You know how sometimes you meet someone at a friend’s house who is so warm and friendly, and dressed in casual sneakers and jeans and you connect and talk half the evening. And then later you find out that they are the CEO of some major company and they must be a gazillionaire and you suddenly realize you actually already follow them on twitter and you cannot believe how “normal” and down to earth they are because they never once led on to how powerful they were?
That is not Andover (as an institution).

Lots of other good stuff there, but corporate humility isn’t the strong suit.

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Aww… I really wished that boarding school (Andover) was a place where people wouldn’t be “classist” especially cause I’m a person who needs close to (or) full aid =/

Definitely coming back to this thread when I inevitably get rejected :rofl:

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@pearlescentrose just to clarify that I’m not speaking to the culture of the students, or even the general campus and community, but rather the general corporate sense where the power and big budget are evident. In a way, that is great! We all love to see tons of curricular offerings and cool programs, right? There is no way you can navigate Andover and be unaware of the deep pockets. Lots of good with that though. It’s the very reason so many students CAN go there on FA. But it has its downside, like everything in life.

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A post was split to a new topic: Andover Head of School

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As a current Senior I know that this year has been incredibly frustrating and disheartening for students. The administration is doing their best with what is the worst nightmare for a residential high school, a global pandemic, and they also have to deal with entitled parents who will inevitably criticize them no matter the decisions that they make.

As far as “non sibi” goes, I don’t recall anyone every telling me that that means risking one’s life just to teach high school students, and I for one am glad that faculty are not being forced into an uncomfortable and dangerous position at the risk of losing their jobs. I, along with many other students, don’t learn as well online but if the options are between that and forcing teachers into classrooms that are uncomfortable and unsafe I would rather take online class any day.

This fall was very successful from a physical health standpoint but I know that among students I have never seen moral so low. While I am biased as a senior who is returning, I am sure that part of that decision to shift the return plan was partially due to the general unhappiness of students on campus this fall.

Andover has its faults, I’m not one to deny that, but especially in this situation I truly believe the administration is doing there best to make the best of a bad situation without risking the lives of anyone. Slanderous posts like this aren’t half the nightmare that a faculty or student covid-related death would be. No matter how hard it has been to go through this year, seeing every aspect of my life at school changed, I would rather keep every Andover community member safe. That feels a lot more like Non Sibi to me.

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This is monstrously insensitive. There are young and healthy teachers who are married to/live with, or have children who are immuno-compromised. You’re going to insist that teachers risk their kids or spouses health by demanding they go back to the classroom? Every other employment sector is finding workarounds so that employees don’t need to divulge potentially sensitive PRIVATE medical information to their employer- Andover is so special that a teacher’s right to privacy has to be violated so that an administrator can decide “Oh, you have Lupus- you can stay home. Oh, you’re getting fertility treatments-- well, that’s not on my checklist so back to class you go”. Do you really want YOUR boss knowing about every single medicine you take, or do you want YOUR boss knowing every time you have a necessary, invasive, potentially embarrassing procedure done? I bet you don’t.

I have no horse in this race, but it amazes me that people can be so insensitive and entitled during a once in 100 year medical crisis.

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Our HS teachers can only teach remotely if they have an at risk condition. If their kids, spouses, extended family living with them have an at risk condition they don’t qualify to teach remotely, their only option is to take an unpaid leave, quit, or retire.

Staff/teachers and students all take weekly COVID saliva tests, in addition to required masks, distancing, and reduced capacity. Schools can be safe, we have had no documented cases transmitted in the school (which is large).

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I’m glad Andover hasn’t made that mandate because they have the resources not too and to allow teachers to stay remote. As a student I would feel awful knowing that teachers were being forced into a situation that puts them at risk against their will. I’m glad your school has had no transmitted cases, but that doesn’t me that Andover wouldn’t and again its absurd to ask people to choose between their jobs and their health.

Andover’s teachers are extremely qualified and forcing them to take unpaid leave or quit because of a pandemic is insane.

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Like the tens of millions of people who have had to make the same decision? Teachers are no different, except they have an out that allows them to stay home and get paid. Many are taking it, many are applying union or other pressure on teachers who do want to work in-person, and many are leveraging their position to force school districts and independent schools into impossible decisions.

I prefer to be guided by data. Perhaps more “sensitive” individuals prefer to be guided by anecdote and bias. The data clearly shows:

  • the rate of transmission in school is no higher than the surrounding community
  • as many as 40-50% of students were failing at least one class in the first term of this academic year
  • as many as 20% of students are actually unaccounted for (registered, but not showing up online at all)
  • 45-60% increase in suicide ideation

The teachers are using data like a drunk uses a lampost…for support, not illumination.

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The grossly overstated argument. In their lifetime, teachers are more likely to die in a car crash driving to/from school, than to die of COVID. Look up actuarial data and see where COVID deaths and death rates fall compared to other causes.

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Is this a zero sum game?

I think some PA parents have some questions when comparing with other schools. If they can do it, why not PA?

I m not related to PA.

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I’m sorry, and I’m not sure what employment sector you are in, but nothing you said is accurate for some sectors. My husband has Lyme, and is immunocompromised. He is a foreman in a chemical manufacturing facility. There is no “workaround” for him or any of the production staff. They are essential, and have to be there to work. Because he is a supervisor, he is responsible for doing temp checks on the next shift that comes in. It doesn’t matter that he is compromised, it’s his job. He wears all required PPE, washes his hands often, and socially distances from others when he can. His employer is aware of his medical condition, which meds he takes, when he has appointments, etc. That goes with working there, and everyone has to deal with the same thing.

So, while some employment sectors can work around Covid, not all of them can. Especially not essential sectors. And most people consider teachers to be essential.

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I don’t think companies should be able to require that employees turn over their PRIVATE medical records. Andover doesn’t seem to be asking that anyway. You can certainly tell them how you feel, but if you haven’t been consulted by now it would appear that you don’t get a vote.

Andover is a business. They have every right to operate remotely if that’s what they want. Families who don’t like it can take their business elsewhere. I don’t believe they’ll have a problem filling the seats.

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“verifiable” via physician documentation that the individual has a medical condition that would place them at risk. That sort of documentation is common. I’m not suggesting anyone gets access to PHI.

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