Hardy Middle School -- 5th grade in feeder school -- who's considering Hardy for 6th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is my question on testing. Deal does it in the feeder schools but then also does a shuffle the first month based on a retest, how long does Hardy wait? It can't really be done the first two weeks of school without some significant disruption.

What I would like to see is some standardized test that could be offered across the city for the advanced classes, or maybe on a Saturday for those using the lottery.

One can only expect so much out of one school, people can only do so many things at one time. If this is really an issue, then DCPS should be figuring out how to manage this better.

The problem with testing at Hardy was not the testing itself, but the lack of communication with 6th grade families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What teacher did not impress you?

The WTU shop boss?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You forgot to mention a third type of parents: those who genuinely think that Hardy is the best educational option for their kid. No need to reassure themselves. No interest or intention to contribute to the change.
Kids are different, parents are different. The school is a great match for some, and is a bad match for others. It definetly works great for kids who are socially mature and academically advanced. Those kids will thrive at Hardy.

And who have thick skins and can adjust ok from more nurturing and civil WOTP elementary school environments to the "tough love" disciplinary culture still practiced at Hardy

It does not take a thick skin to understand that you do not want to say to a kid from a diverse neighborhood in your same line at the cafeteria that "I do not understand what you are saying, first learn proper English pronunciation, then get back to me". That's a sentence that generated a bad reaction last year.

You do not need a thick skin to understand that this was an inappropriate statement. And a statement leading to trouble. Mature, intelligent and considerate 6th graders, grown in a cultural environment open to acceptance and diversity, would never say that.

If your kid is not socially considerate, still naive about social issues, and in need of a few additional years of nurturing , with all the due respect, consider going to a small private school (Holy Trinity is an excellent one). No Hardy, no Basis, no Latin. Maybe not even National Cathedral or St Albans. And turn to Hardy for your youngest child, when and if the school will be populated by 90% feeder school kids.

Not everyone thinks that it is a good thing when a school embraces Ebonycs. It just perpetuates rather than addresses a handicap that will hold back certain kids once they get into the job market.

Ok, agree, let me re-phrase: You do not need a thick skin to understand that this was an inappropriate statement. And a statement leading to trouble. Mature, intelligent and considerate Caucasian-American 6th graders, grown in a cultural environment open to acceptance and diversity, would never say that.

This is a bit off-track. A PP also had expressed concern about the school's overly regimented discipline culture, in particular a lot of yelling by staff at the students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You forgot to mention a third type of parents: those who genuinely think that Hardy is the best educational option for their kid. No need to reassure themselves. No interest or intention to contribute to the change.
Kids are different, parents are different. The school is a great match for some, and is a bad match for others. It definetly works great for kids who are socially mature and academically advanced. Those kids will thrive at Hardy.

And who have thick skins and can adjust ok from more nurturing and civil WOTP elementary school environments to the "tough love" disciplinary culture still practiced at Hardy

It does not take a thick skin to understand that you do not want to say to a kid from a diverse neighborhood in your same line at the cafeteria that "I do not understand what you are saying, first learn proper English pronunciation, then get back to me". That's a sentence that generated a bad reaction last year.

You do not need a thick skin to understand that this was an inappropriate statement. And a statement leading to trouble. Mature, intelligent and considerate 6th graders, grown in a cultural environment open to acceptance and diversity, would never say that.

If your kid is not socially considerate, still naive about social issues, and in need of a few additional years of nurturing , with all the due respect, consider going to a small private school (Holy Trinity is an excellent one). No Hardy, no Basis, no Latin. Maybe not even National Cathedral or St Albans. And turn to Hardy for your youngest child, when and if the school will be populated by 90% feeder school kids.

Not everyone thinks that it is a good thing when a school embraces Ebonycs. It just perpetuates rather than addresses a handicap that will hold back certain kids once they get into the job market.

Ok, agree, let me re-phrase: You do not need a thick skin to understand that this was an inappropriate statement. And a statement leading to trouble. Mature, intelligent and considerate Caucasian-American 6th graders, grown in a cultural environment open to acceptance and diversity, would never say that.

Not familiar with the incident you write about, and perhaps the students involved could have handled it more sensitively. But good God, I've been on Metro trains where the driver's voice on the PA system is so slurred and words so poorly enunciated that it sounds like the late Mayor Barry after a particularly bad cognac-and crack-bender. Is it insensitive to point that out to Metro?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my question on testing. Deal does it in the feeder schools but then also does a shuffle the first month based on a retest, how long does Hardy wait? It can't really be done the first two weeks of school without some significant disruption.

What I would like to see is some standardized test that could be offered across the city for the advanced classes, or maybe on a Saturday for those using the lottery.

One can only expect so much out of one school, people can only do so many things at one time. If this is really an issue, then DCPS should be figuring out how to manage this better.

The Hardy testing process was never explained to 6th grade parents.

I get it: testing needs to be done during the first couple of weeks of the school year. If you test at the end of 5th grade or during the summer, you do not catch the student's potential and ability, you catch a noisy indicator that represents his/her abilities developed by the previous school. So at 50% you test how good his/her previous school was. As the Hardy Math Department has made clear in several public open meeting (I attended one last year in the school library open to parents from feeder schools) , the honors classes are meant not only for kids who have a stronger math background, but also for those who show a predisposition and a drive to do well. The latter two are variables that can be hardly tested, but can be detected in the classroom by teachers' expert eyes...

I get it. This has brought disruption and delayed start of the academics. However the disruptions would have had a lesser impact had we received advanced notice of the School's plans for testing. Disruptions had not been anticipated and explained to us. We were left wondering.... Kids were confused....I did not even know that the final schedules would have been distributed by the beginning of the third week of school... No notice on the website, no paper communication, no robocalls... This has been a big communication failure by the school.

All is ok now. But the initial 2 weeks of school, in the absence of clear communications by the School administration, have been hard on many of us and on some of the kids.

This is my point of view. Sorry for iphone typos.

This happens at Deal and it has been the case at Wilson. Frankly, there is a lot less explained to parents at the middle school and upper levels. Smaller helicopter pads if you will. I just remember sitting through 2 hour orientation at Deal being told, let go, it will work out, you don't need to control everything. There is a lot of tension for parents at the start of middle school, but maybe we are sometimes the problem, not the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is my question on testing. Deal does it in the feeder schools but then also does a shuffle the first month based on a retest, how long does Hardy wait? It can't really be done the first two weeks of school without some significant disruption.

What I would like to see is some standardized test that could be offered across the city for the advanced classes, or maybe on a Saturday for those using the lottery.

One can only expect so much out of one school, people can only do so many things at one time. If this is really an issue, then DCPS should be figuring out how to manage this better.

The Hardy testing process was never explained to 6th grade parents.

I get it: testing needs to be done during the first couple of weeks of the school year. If you test at the end of 5th grade or during the summer, you do not catch the student's potential and ability, you catch a noisy indicator that represents his/her abilities developed by the previous school. So at 50% you test how good his/her previous school was. As the Hardy Math Department has made clear in several public open meeting (I attended one last year in the school library open to parents from feeder schools) , the honors classes are meant not only for kids who have a stronger math background, but also for those who show a predisposition and a drive to do well. The latter two are variables that can be hardly tested, but can be detected in the classroom by teachers' expert eyes...

I get it. This has brought disruption and delayed start of the academics. However the disruptions would have had a lesser impact had we received advanced notice of the School's plans for testing. Disruptions had not been anticipated and explained to us. We were left wondering.... Kids were confused....I did not even know that the final schedules would have been distributed by the beginning of the third week of school... No notice on the website, no paper communication, no robocalls... This has been a big communication failure by the school.

All is ok now. But the initial 2 weeks of school, in the absence of clear communications by the School administration, have been hard on many of us and on some of the kids.

This is my point of view. Sorry for iphone typos.

This happens at Deal and it has been the case at Wilson. Frankly, there is a lot less explained to parents at the middle school and upper levels. Smaller helicopter pads if you will. I just remember sitting through 2 hour orientation at Deal being told, let go, it will work out, you don't need to control everything. There is a lot of tension for parents at the start of middle school, but maybe we are sometimes the problem, not the school.

In regards to the post about the foul language at Hardy....

From a current Deal 6th grader posted on Great Schools
"When I came to Deal in 6th grade I was very excited. I had heard amazing things about Deal, but I am glad I have been able to have my own experience. Deal is a very big school but it's not a problem since we are split up into "teams" (named after a country throughout the globe) and each "team" could almost be their own grades. The kids only circulate teachers within their "team." The teachers are very good and encouraging throughout your education at Deal. Deal is an IB school since it's suppose to be international. But there are perks about being an IB school, such as, the grading. The grading is extremely harsh and hard. Their grading system goes 1-8. Eight is 100%, but a seven is already a 92%! (Which is an -A!) Plus, one Thursday each month we have IB lessons and activities. They are very boring and pointless. Another bad thing at Deal is the language. Almost all the kids at Deal cuss. More of the boys seem to be into that kind of thing though, but to me it's annoying and pointless. Many boys are also very inappropriate as well. They make inappropriate gestures and noises. Usually teachers take care of them. Plus the dress code is annoying, especially for girls, but whatever."

There is s point that you have to let go. You can not control your kids and everything they hear and see. They are growing maturing and entering the "real world". This is especially hard during the transition from a very close knit Elementary school where parents interact everyday with Administration and Staff. Not pointing fingers but don't assume it is always greener on the other side. Middle School is tough, despite minor issues I think both Hardy and Deal are excellent choices.

[Anonymous]

Sigh. I'm pessimistic that Hardy will ever reach Deal's level unless it becomes a very different school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sigh. I'm pessimistic that Hardy will ever reach Deal's level unless it becomes a very different school.

I have two kids at Hardy. Both are IB kids and we love the school. We have means to do private but I would not change our decision of attending Hardy. IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL! We love it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be helpful if we knew how many IB kids really are at Hardy this year.








Sorry, I couldn't help it. Continue.

Fewer IB students than Principal Pride and the school boosters will claim. It won't be until the end of the year that the accurate numbers will be reported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sigh. I'm pessimistic that Hardy will ever reach Deal's level unless it becomes a very different school.

I have two kids at Hardy. Both are IB kids and we love the school. We have means to do private but I would not change our decision of attending Hardy. IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL! We love it!

Sorry, but Hardy is a "good enough" school. But great? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sigh. I'm pessimistic that Hardy will ever reach Deal's level unless it becomes a very different school.

I have two kids at Hardy. Both are IB kids and we love the school. We have means to do private but I would not change our decision of attending Hardy. IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL! We love it!

Sorry, but Hardy is a "good enough" school. But great? No.

Do you have kids at Hardy? Have you been to the school, met the staff?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be helpful if we knew how many IB kids really are at Hardy this year.








Sorry, I couldn't help it. Continue.

Fewer IB students than Principal Pride and the school boosters will claim. It won't be until the end of the year that the accurate numbers will be reported.

How exactly do you know this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sigh. I'm pessimistic that Hardy will ever reach Deal's level unless it becomes a very different school.

I have two kids at Hardy. Both are IB kids and we love the school. We have means to do private but I would not change our decision of attending Hardy. IT IS A GREAT SCHOOL! We love it!

Sorry, but Hardy is a "good enough" school. But great? No.

Do you have kids at Hardy? Have you been to the school, met the staff?

I just spent 3 years at Deal. They are competent, solid education but I honestly think that people overestimate what Deal is relative to other options. It is just willful in its own way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be helpful if we knew how many IB kids really are at Hardy this year.








Sorry, I couldn't help it. Continue.

Fewer IB students than Principal Pride and the school boosters will claim. It won't be until the end of the year that the accurate numbers will be reported.

How exactly do you know this?

It's the same spin every year. They project optimistically, then try to fudge between real IB and "feeder" enrollment. When the final IB numbers come out, there is an upward trend, just slower and lower than the overly rosy projections. At least the line is pointing up and to the right.

[Anonymous]

People should go into the school selection process with information, not hearsay (and by this I mean, PLEASE do not rely on DCUM gossip, including my own opinion). Go see for yourself, ask questions, and keep an open mind. There are upcoming open houses at the school.

Hardy is an urban school in an ethnically diverse city - this is both a blessing and a challenge. If you don't feel comfortable with people from different backgrounds and perspectives, it may not be the school for you. It has an obligation to be a school for everybody, not just your child. If you want special attention given to your child, it might not be for you. It is undergoing a lot of transformation, and if you are uncomfortable leading change, rather than benefiting from it, go elsewhere. It has strong and emerging academics, but it is certainly not a magnate school, and if you have a child who is exceptionally gifted, they will likely do better in a more consistently challenging environment.

As the previous poster noted, language about school enrollment is focused on feeder school enrollment, not in boundary. And this is good, because what we want for a public school is an emphasis on academics, and adequate preparation for rigor during the transition from elementary to middle school, right? Because given the demographics, if you care more about in boundary rather than feeder school patterns, the focus shifts to class and race, rather than education. If you want a school with rich, white kids, this is not the school for you.

I choose to live in DC because the diversity is so dynamic and interesting, and with this come some obvious challenges. Why would I want to deprive my children of being able to benefit from all the richness (culturally) that surrounds them? They need to learn to handle themselves around others that are richer, poorer, Blacker, whiter, more or less American, smarter, and less smart than they are. I think they will benefit from developing their own academic interests and challenges, rather than having it fed to them from the school, so having the time and independence to explore an interest on their own will develop a passion more readily than having 4 hours of homework a night.

I posit this: is it really the best for your child to go to the "best school"? What is the outcome we seek for our children?