Merging Deal and Hardy

[Anonymous]

You see, this is why we're not allowed to have nice thing.

[Anonymous]

We live within walking distance to Deal. If there were a bus to get the kids (esp the 6th graders) from one campus to the other, we would be cool with that. I can see Hardy being a transitional space for the 6th graders.
Basically you would have the same cohort of kids from 6-12, adopting the same culture and traditions, and then going on to the same HS.
Even though it would be a little inconvenient for us, I kind of like the idea.

[Anonymous]

Great, more traffic on Wisconsin! No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great, more traffic on Wisconsin! No.

Because I am driving 8th grade DC1 to pickup point for private school in MoCo and then DC2 to Sidwell for 6th grade because the now-out Hardy principal has FUBAR'd our neighborhood MS? And then back ont Wisconsin to take DC3 to IB Hardy feeder while I contemplate how to pay a third private school tuition after paying $70K in DC income and property taxes for a neighborhood and home I love but stuck with a school system focused on raising the bottom up but not the middle (and definitely NOT raising the top up).

Wisconsin Ave all the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just hang a new sign on Hardy that says "Alice Deal 2" and call it a day.

I think this is the answer. Indeed, just rename every middle school in DC "Alice Deal" and send kids to their neighborhood schools. That way, people can all claim they have great test scores and it's truly " Alice Deal for all."

[Anonymous]

This is just another salvo in the "what would be just the thing to bolster my property value" litany from the #1 Hardey poster. He cares not a whit for anyone's "walk to school" convenience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does this create more slots for OOB families?

it clearly doesn't. IF it worked it would attract more IB students, Limit slots for OB students, and increase enrollment at Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Part of the focus a few years ago from Rhee was to get all schools on the same grades. For example - Mann used to go through 6th b/c ..... no one goes from Mann to Hardy anyway so why not give the parents the flexibility to keep their kids in public 1 more year.

Having all schools on the same structure provided less transitions and made it easier for the children.

You might think it is no big deal - but for children who have any learning disability or anxiety, moving schools (even with the same cohort) creates a lot of stress and set backs.

If DC really wanted to work through supporting the students at Hardy and Deal, they can get rid of the crazy new rule regarding if you move OOB that you have the right to stay at the school and the feeder schools forever; enforce IB residency requirements; hire solid leaders.

Given our current Mayor and new Chancellor, I do not see that coming anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great, more traffic on Wisconsin! No.

Because I am driving 8th grade DC1 to pickup point for private school in MoCo and then DC2 to Sidwell for 6th grade because the now-out Hardy principal has FUBAR'd our neighborhood MS? And then back ont Wisconsin to take DC3 to IB Hardy feeder while I contemplate how to pay a third private school tuition after paying $70K in DC income and property taxes for a neighborhood and home I love but stuck with a school system focused on raising the bottom up but not the middle (and definitely NOT raising the top up).

Wisconsin Ave all the way.

Except now you want the hundreds of kids who walk to Deal to start being ferried down Wisconsin twice a day too. Walkable schools help everyone. It is a huge number of kids you are talking about. More than all of your fancy private schools put together. City planning has to pay attention to traffic and transportation and Green City when deciding where public school kids go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does this create more slots for OOB families?

it clearly doesn't. IF it worked it would attract more IB students, Limit slots for OB students, and increase enrollment at Wilson.

Or IF it really worked, maybe result in hardy not feeding Wilson. Deal capacity+ is heading toward equalling Wilson capacity one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is geography. A large number of Deal students live within walking distance to the school. My house is about 1/3 of a mile from Deal and getting to Hardy would be a huge pain in the ass.

It's called the thirty bus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does this create more slots for OOB families?

it clearly doesn't. IF it worked it would attract more IB students, Limit slots for OB students, and increase enrollment at Wilson.

Or IF it really worked, maybe result in hardy not feeding Wilson. Deal capacity+ is heading toward equalling Wilson capacity one day.

Good lord. And where would you send my kid to hs, if not wilson? We live near sibley.

[Anonymous]

My school district growing up had 6th grade centers (3 in the county), and then we fed into middle school (7-8) and onto high school (9-12). I think this was a good model to help the transition in the awkward teen years!

My DC would go to Deal and Wilson, but i would be supportive of this plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does this create more slots for OOB families?

it clearly doesn't. IF it worked it would attract more IB students, Limit slots for OB students, and increase enrollment at Wilson.

Or IF it really worked, maybe result in hardy not feeding Wilson. Deal capacity+ is heading toward equalling Wilson capacity one day.

Good lord. And where would you send my kid to hs, if not wilson? We live near sibley.

Exactly my point. They are letting too many kids attend these schools who live closer to other schools, so the kids who live near by go where? And now people want kids who walk to school to have to commute. This is bad city planning.

[Anonymous]

I genuinely believe that implementing a plan like this successfully (which apparently other school district have done) is beyond the abilities of DCPS. On paper it could make some sense, but it is simply not achievable with the bureaucracy we have in DC. I have zero faith that the could accomplish this.