California Boarding School Culture/Honor Code/Motto

ThacherParent
Wed, 24 Jul 2019 18:20:04 +0000

It sounds like @CaliMex 's enthusiasm for Thacher has really rubbed you the wrong way. I don’t think the school’s videos are particularly remarkable. There are nine of them right now, and most tend to be shorter, student focused responses. I think of them as basic and professional, which is what I would expect to see on any good Boarding School’s website.

Words matter, as we are told ad nauseam in today’s political climate. Your choice of words, like “marketing machine, strangely defensive, aggressive, calculated, slick, ‘trying too hard,’” make it clear to me that this thread is something other than well meaning, or maybe well-meaning with something else mixed in. The Doug Hodge thing is a good example. It’s been my experience that you can never know 100% of someone else. An individual can do 98% good works and still have a dark 2%. It could be a friend, your spouse, a Trustee – it makes no difference. Mr. Hodge’s behavior was a surprise to all of us, but there is not a larger meaning or some kind of salacious mystery still to be solved. It’s infinitely more pedestrian (although no less disappointing.) Nor do I feel like the School is “tamping” down anything. On a related note, somebody else dinged Thacher for lack of transparency on its website because it only lists the Trustees’ names, not their bios. I think it’s a good suggestion to add bios and I’ll make it.

All in all, I find this thread disappointing. I’ve been on CC for 11 years and this is the first instance of which I’m aware when someone associated with Cate or Thacher took a swing at the other, however well veiled. Cate is a great school. I truly have only positive sentiments. They were wonderful to Thacher during the fires and I am confident that if there were a coastal event, the favor would be immediately returned.