(Un)Happy Labor Day

It wasn’t my intention to start the new school year with a negative post but I spent part of my holiday (Labor Day (aka Labour Day) is the only shared federal holiday between Canada and the U.S.) catching up on some reading, both paper and electronic. In doing so, I came across two short articles that got my attention—and not in a good way. The first from the Wall Street Journal is about a former admissions director who is now making money running a NYC service that helps children prep for the “playdate” common in elementary admissions processes. This article will have to sit with me for a bit although my initial impression is that I’m sad that our industry has driven families to such desperate measures and I’m a bit offended that a former admissions professional has decided to exploit this situation into personal profit, no doubt prostituting her former admissions experience as validity for her expertise and cost. Notice that no sitting admissions directors were quoted in the article.

The second article was sent by a friend asking what I thought as an admissions professional about an Episcopal/Anglican school that reversed its offer of admission upon realizing the applicant’s parents were both women. I had to first decide if I had to get over my embarrassment as a lifelong Anglican or as a 20-year admissions professional. But in the end, to answer my friend’s inquiry, this is the foundation of being an independent school. We are obligated to clearly articulate our programme, whom it best serves, and apply our criteria consistently, transparently, and fairly. This school’s values are obviously such that it can sustain enrolment and remain open not wanting to serve children of same-sex parents. Of course, I think I might feel better about St. Vincent’s if the article noted the school was equally diligent in following Biblical standards by asking prospective employees and donors about their use of contraception, receipt of the sacraments, not doing work on Sunday or expecting others (e.g. store employees, restaurant waiters, etc.) to do so, etc. Picking and choosing what to follow or enforce is neither professionally consistent nor particularly Christian.