Call to discuss the state of Hardy 05/15/23

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the interim principal?

—Rising sixth grader Hardy parent.

"After working with DCPS leadership to identify an interim school leader, I am pleased to announce that DCPS Secondary Schools Principal in Residence, Mr. Brandon Eatman, will lead Hardy Middle School for the remainder of School Year 2022-2023.

Mr. Eatman most recently served as Interim Principal of Roosevelt High School at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. He was also an Assistant Principal and Interim Principal at Phelps A.C.E. High School during School Year 2021-2022. He is a 28-year veteran of DC Public Schools, having served as a kindergarten teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal in the Capitol Hill Cluster. He was also the founding principal of Capitol Hill Montessori where he led for seven years. Additionally, Mr. Eatman gained valuable secondary experience while working as an Assistant Principal at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. "

Dude has been in DCPS for 28 years and he's never had a permanent Principal assignment?

He was Principal of the Capitol Hill Cluster (for a while, I think) and founding Principal of CH Montessori.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to know if the THIRD (?!) assistant principal that Johnson hired ( before having enough teachers) is still coming to Hardy. Hardy does NOT need a principal PLUS three APs. Not when we don't have enough teachers plus we're losing 10.

Deal has 3 APs as well. I think all MS do; one for each grade level. I also know elementary schools have 2 APs; one for the lower grades and the other for the upper grades.

I do see you point though; one APs salary may can bring on 2 teachers.

Deal is more than 2X as large.

Some MSs have 2 APs -- eg, Jefferson and Wells, best I can tell from their websites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the interim principal?

—Rising sixth grader Hardy parent.

"After working with DCPS leadership to identify an interim school leader, I am pleased to announce that DCPS Secondary Schools Principal in Residence, Mr. Brandon Eatman, will lead Hardy Middle School for the remainder of School Year 2022-2023.

Mr. Eatman most recently served as Interim Principal of Roosevelt High School at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. He was also an Assistant Principal and Interim Principal at Phelps A.C.E. High School during School Year 2021-2022. He is a 28-year veteran of DC Public Schools, having served as a kindergarten teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal in the Capitol Hill Cluster. He was also the founding principal of Capitol Hill Montessori where he led for seven years. Additionally, Mr. Eatman gained valuable secondary experience while working as an Assistant Principal at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. "

Dude has been in DCPS for 28 years and he's never had a permanent Principal assignment?

LOL they probably just move him around with a mop so he can clean up after everyone else.

This is the fastest thing I've ever seen DCPS do, though I'm sure for the parents and kids who have endured this school year it didn't feel fast at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the interim principal?

—Rising sixth grader Hardy parent.

"After working with DCPS leadership to identify an interim school leader, I am pleased to announce that DCPS Secondary Schools Principal in Residence, Mr. Brandon Eatman, will lead Hardy Middle School for the remainder of School Year 2022-2023.

Mr. Eatman most recently served as Interim Principal of Roosevelt High School at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. He was also an Assistant Principal and Interim Principal at Phelps A.C.E. High School during School Year 2021-2022. He is a 28-year veteran of DC Public Schools, having served as a kindergarten teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal in the Capitol Hill Cluster. He was also the founding principal of Capitol Hill Montessori where he led for seven years. Additionally, Mr. Eatman gained valuable secondary experience while working as an Assistant Principal at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. "

Thanks! That sounds like a good choice of someone to bring in now. I hope they can find someone great for next year.

[Anonymous]

This is absolutely about race, class, and privilege. It’s not about children. I know form many of you, you don’t see race and that is called privilege. The good folks over in the Palisades/ Georgetown decided this man was not doing what they wanted or needed him to do. They then used their privilege and formed a gang and used the rot privilege to jump in other gang members and used their power and privilege to strong arm DCPS leadership. I mean most folks are scared of bullies- especially bullies who have power. If it makes you all feel better to say he is incompetent—okay. An incompetent white man would be given the space to be a first year principal. An incompetent white man ( or woman) would be coached and supported. According to DCPS history they might even be moved to a school that was a better match. Circa— that time when they put an incompetent white man to lead Anacostia HS. He was nicely walked over to Stuart Hobson and supported. I guess he is great now. Folks, cut the crap. This how racism looks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is absolutely about race, class, and privilege. It’s not about children. I know form many of you, you don’t see race and that is called privilege. The good folks over in the Palisades/ Georgetown decided this man was not doing what they wanted or needed him to do. They then used their privilege and formed a gang and used the rot privilege to jump in other gang members and used their power and privilege to strong arm DCPS leadership. I mean most folks are scared of bullies- especially bullies who have power. If it makes you all feel better to say he is incompetent—okay. An incompetent white man would be given the space to be a first year principal. An incompetent white man ( or woman) would be coached and supported. According to DCPS history they might even be moved to a school that was a better match. Circa— that time when they put an incompetent white man to lead Anacostia HS. He was nicely walked over to Stuart Hobson and supported. I guess he is great now. Folks, cut the crap. This how racism looks.

If you honestly believe any of this, I feel very sorry for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is absolutely about race, class, and privilege. It’s not about children. I know form many of you, you don’t see race and that is called privilege. The good folks over in the Palisades/ Georgetown decided this man was not doing what they wanted or needed him to do. They then used their privilege and formed a gang and used the rot privilege to jump in other gang members and used their power and privilege to strong arm DCPS leadership. I mean most folks are scared of bullies- especially bullies who have power. If it makes you all feel better to say he is incompetent—okay. An incompetent white man would be given the space to be a first year principal. An incompetent white man ( or woman) would be coached and supported. According to DCPS history they might even be moved to a school that was a better match. Circa— that time when they put an incompetent white man to lead Anacostia HS. He was nicely walked over to Stuart Hobson and supported. I guess he is great now. Folks, cut the crap. This how racism looks.

Class and privilege are definitely at play. A dedicated group of volunteers was able to rally the time and the resources to put in hundreds of hours to try and remedy the situation, and when they had exhausted all other avenues, mustered nearly 450 caregivers to support bringing in a new principal -- in May. Similarly dedicated parents who lack the time and resources to commit might not have achieved this. This Hardy family is grateful to see all this effort and resources invested in building up our neighborhood public school.

Race is not a factor. Hardy is an incredibly diverse school and all of us there benefit from this level of parent involvement. Please know that the principal *was* offered support throughout the year, but rebuffed these offers.

[Anonymous]

A dedicated group of bullies. A dedicated SMALL group of privileged bullies who clearly have time and resources for a witch hunt. This is about race. Most of Hardy’s teachers and families were not aware of what was taking place. I am one of them. Quite a few Hardy teachers feel blindsided and feel they had no voice in the decisions and supposed “advocacy” that was taking place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A dedicated group of bullies. A dedicated SMALL group of privileged bullies who clearly have time and resources for a witch hunt. This is about race. Most of Hardy’s teachers and families were not aware of what was taking place. I am one of them. Quite a few Hardy teachers feel blindsided and feel they had no voice in the decisions and supposed “advocacy” that was taking place.

So what do you think should have happened? The complaints of a significant proportion of parents dismissed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A dedicated group of bullies. A dedicated SMALL group of privileged bullies who clearly have time and resources for a witch hunt. This is about race. Most of Hardy’s teachers and families were not aware of what was taking place. I am one of them. Quite a few Hardy teachers feel blindsided and feel they had no voice in the decisions and supposed “advocacy” that was taking place.

Several hundred people signed the petition, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Someone needs to audit that petition. Allegedly several hundred people signed it but most of the teachers and families of Hardy did not sign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone needs to audit that petition. Allegedly several hundred people signed it but most of the teachers and families of Hardy did not sign.

The signatures are solid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the interim principal?

—Rising sixth grader Hardy parent.

"After working with DCPS leadership to identify an interim school leader, I am pleased to announce that DCPS Secondary Schools Principal in Residence, Mr. Brandon Eatman, will lead Hardy Middle School for the remainder of School Year 2022-2023.

Mr. Eatman most recently served as Interim Principal of Roosevelt High School at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. He was also an Assistant Principal and Interim Principal at Phelps A.C.E. High School during School Year 2021-2022. He is a 28-year veteran of DC Public Schools, having served as a kindergarten teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal in the Capitol Hill Cluster. He was also the founding principal of Capitol Hill Montessori where he led for seven years. Additionally, Mr. Eatman gained valuable secondary experience while working as an Assistant Principal at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. "

Dude has been in DCPS for 28 years and he's never had a permanent Principal assignment?

Wow. He was the Cluster principal so long ago it was when SWS was still in Peabody and the Montessori school was still in Watkins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fired or quit?

Either way, massive props to the parent organizers for moving a mountain here. I would not have thought that this could be done in DCPS.

I've had the (mis)fortune of doing this before at another DCPS school. When you get the school superintendent involved, things can finally get moving.

[Anonymous]

Hardy teacher here - expect many more staff departures after this recent development. No one wants to teach in a building where a small group of privileged parents have been empowered and now think they are going to control our school. Hardy just isn’t that special (there are hundreds of schools in DC that have vacancies). I’m out.