A Family Affair

March 13, 2010 • Andres Grimm, Staff Writer  
Filed under Life/Style

The number of teachers with students at St. Andrew’s has increased by 1050% in the past five years–from two children to twenty-one. This major increase is connected to tuition remission, an opportunity for a better education, and the simple convenience working where their child attends school.

The “pioneer” of this group is Mr. Gary Wyatt, father of Kevin Wyatt, (grade 12). He states that becoming friends with some of Kevin’s friends has been “hard for him.” Wyatt, also a track and softball,  “even closer with some of [Kevin's] friends because of [his] coaching.”

Ms. Tracey Goodrich, one of the earlier teachers with children here, says that she enjoys having son Hunter (grade 10) and daughter Taylor (grade 9) because she is able to have a deeper relationship with her her own children and their friends. She says that her relationships expand from her classrooms to “the halls, at break and lunch, and before and after school. I have established strong relationships with these kids.”

Mr. Chuck James, a science teacher,  had his son, Clinton (grade 12), here before he he was a full-time teacher. Once he started working full time at St. Andrew’s, he found its to be more convenient because it because they get to drive together to school from their home in Virginia.

One of the pros of having a child attend the school where one teaches,  according to Mrs. Stacy Kincaid, is that her daughter, Claudia, gets to have a stronger relationship with the other teachers.  Mrs. Liz Kiingi believes also that her children, Baraka, (grade 4) and Mukisa (grade 2)   will be able to have “a range of experiences and find a niche that is uniquely theirs” because they get to learn under the “amazing teachers” that St. Andrew’s has.

One benefits that most teachers enjoy is the tuition remission, a program that gives teachers a 60% discount on the tuition fee.  Goodrich explains, “we can send our children to St. Andrew’s, paying only 40% of the tuition.” Wyatt says that, “a lot of teachers could not afford to send their children here without it.  I would not have sent Kevin here.” Tuition Remission is not only a benefit, but also a driving force that increases the student population.

Being a student and having a parent as a teacher can be difficult.  One of the few downsides is that Kincaid feels that her daughter has extra pressure to act “extra appropriately.” Kincaid stated that she feels her daughter is like  a representative of her mother, and any mistakes she makes, could affect the reputation of her mother.

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