So how many IB are going to really be at Hardy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This notion that everything is just great at Hardy fails the truth test. Branding those who raise concerns as trolls or 'haters' or racists does nothing to address the schools' fundamental issues. As a blogger in another thread concluded, yes, there is something wrong at Hardy. It's past time to fix it

Nobody is branding every criticism of Hardy as the product of trolls, haters, or racists. And nobody is saying that everying is "just great." Hardy is solid, but not perfect. It works for some families, but not for others. It could stand to improve, sure. But branding Hardy and its students as ill=prepared failures is unfair and also fails the truth test.

Admittedly, we all have different standards. However, I find it difficult to label a school in which 28% of the kids are not proficient in math and 34% are not proficient in reading "solid." The DCCAS is not a hard test.

You're entitled to your view. But you also need to realize that the DCAS is a test of demographics more than anything else. So yes, there is a cadre of low-performing kids that come into Hardy (some, I might add, come from IB schools - they are not all OOB students). And those students to poorly on their DCAS tests. But there is also a cadre of high-performing students (some from IB, some from OOB) at Hardy - and those students do great on their DCAS and go on to succeed at Wilson, at DCPS magnets, and at prestigious private schools. The great thing about Hardy is that it serves both sets of students quite well. The notion that Hardy is not "solid" for your kid because there other kids for whom it is not necessarily "solid" is incorrect.

I'm sorry, but this seems like a grasping at straws attempt to justify as academically solid what is still a distant also-ran middle school academically. Hardy needs a good kick in the pants, not a other pat on the back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This notion that everything is just great at Hardy fails the truth test. Branding those who raise concerns as trolls or 'haters' or racists does nothing to address the schools' fundamental issues. As a blogger in another thread concluded, yes, there is something wrong at Hardy. It's past time to fix it

Nobody is branding every criticism of Hardy as the product of trolls, haters, or racists. And nobody is saying that everying is "just great." Hardy is solid, but not perfect. It works for some families, but not for others. It could stand to improve, sure. But branding Hardy and its students as ill=prepared failures is unfair and also fails the truth test.

Admittedly, we all have different standards. However, I find it difficult to label a school in which 28% of the kids are not proficient in math and 34% are not proficient in reading "solid." The DCCAS is not a hard test.

You're entitled to your view. But you also need to realize that the DCAS is a test of demographics more than anything else. So yes, there is a cadre of low-performing kids that come into Hardy (some, I might add, come from IB schools - they are not all OOB students). And those students to poorly on their DCAS tests. But there is also a cadre of high-performing students (some from IB, some from OOB) at Hardy - and those students do great on their DCAS and go on to succeed at Wilson, at DCPS magnets, and at prestigious private schools. The great thing about Hardy is that it serves both sets of students quite well. The notion that Hardy is not "solid" for your kid because there other kids for whom it is not necessarily "solid" is incorrect.

I'm sorry, but this seems like a grasping at straws attempt to justify as academically solid what is still a distant also-ran middle school academically. Hardy needs a good kick in the pants, not a other pat on the back.

Just sayin' - this is the kind of attitude that infuriates those of who send our kids to Hardy now. We acknowledge that Hardy has its flaws, and that it is not perfect. We explain to you why it works for our kids, and why it might work for yours if you give it a chance. And the response is a bunch of insults directed at our school and at us.

Here's the thing thats doubly infuriating - posters like Ms. "Hardy needs a good kick in the pants" are never in a million years going to send their kids to Hardy, swift kick in the pants or not. They just want to sit there judging everyone else- and everyone else's school choice - as flawed.

[Anonymous]

Agree wholeheartedly about getting rid of the uniforms. Uniforms give the impression that Hardy still has serious discipline problems, which the uniforms presumably are intended to address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree wholeheartedly about getting rid of the uniforms. Uniforms give the impression that Hardy still has serious discipline problems, which the uniforms presumably are intended to address.

Hardy does not have uniforms.

Hardy has a dressing code which allows a good degree of flexibility , especially for girls.

Dressing code is meant to support integration within a very diverse school. A large majority of current parents and students are positive about this dressing code.

The ES feeder school coordination group has never mentioned the dressing code as an issue or an area which requires change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree wholeheartedly about getting rid of the uniforms. Uniforms give the impression that Hardy still has serious discipline problems, which the uniforms presumably are intended to address.

Hardy does not have uniforms.

Hardy has a dressing code which allows a good degree of flexibility , especially for girls.

Dressing code is meant to support integration within a very diverse school. A large majority of current parents and students are positive about this dressing code.

The ES feeder school coordination group has never mentioned the dressing code as an issue or an area which requires change.

Hmmm: Principal Pride would probably object to your characterization of Hardy's uniform code:

http://www.hardyms.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=242736&type=d

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree wholeheartedly about getting rid of the uniforms. Uniforms give the impression that Hardy still has serious discipline problems, which the uniforms presumably are intended to address.

Hardy does not have uniforms.

Hardy has a dressing code which allows a good degree of flexibility , especially for girls.

Dressing code is meant to support integration within a very diverse school. A large majority of current parents and students are positive about this dressing code.

The ES feeder school coordination group has never mentioned the dressing code as an issue or an area which requires change.

Hmmm: Principal Pride would probably object to your characterization of Hardy's uniform code:

http://www.hardyms.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=242736&type=d

Thanks for sharing the link, which just confirms what I had just said. Hardy does not have a uniform. KIPP has a uniform. McKinley has a uniform. There you are required to purchase (or receive for free) from the school their custom-made, identical for all uniforms, with the school logo, etc.

This does not happen at Hardy, where kids are required to wear khaki bottoms and blue or white collared shirts . You can buy your pants/skirts anywhere you want. Skits can be plain , pleated, long or short (knee-lenght). Girls can wear pants or skirs (in several uniformed school they have not choice but to wear a skirt!). Pants can be jeans-cut, traditional front pleated cut of straight or any other style (except cargos or or low waist pants which show underwear, thank God!) .

The webpage you just linked is very clear. It is a dress code, not a uniform.

"... Therefore we enforce a strict dress code to ensure that our students spend their time focused on academic achievement and not on fashion. Hardy students must follow the dress code every day that they come into school. ".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree wholeheartedly about getting rid of the uniforms. Uniforms give the impression that Hardy still has serious discipline problems, which the uniforms presumably are intended to address.

Hardy does not have uniforms.

Hardy has a dressing code which allows a good degree of flexibility , especially for girls.

Dressing code is meant to support integration within a very diverse school. A large majority of current parents and students are positive about this dressing code.

The ES feeder school coordination group has never mentioned the dressing code as an issue or an area which requires change.

Hmmm: Principal Pride would probably object to your characterization of Hardy's uniform code:

http://www.hardyms.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=242736&type=d

Thanks for sharing the link, which just confirms what I had just said. Hardy does not have a uniform. KIPP has a uniform. McKinley has a uniform. There you are required to purchase (or receive for free) from the school their custom-made, identical for all uniforms, with the school logo, etc.

This does not happen at Hardy, where kids are required to wear khaki bottoms and blue or white collared shirts . You can buy your pants/skirts anywhere you want. Skits can be plain , pleated, long or short (knee-lenght). Girls can wear pants or skirs (in several uniformed school they have not choice but to wear a skirt!). Pants can be jeans-cut, traditional front pleated cut of straight or any other style (except cargos or or low waist pants which show underwear, thank God!) .

The webpage you just linked is very clear. It is a dress code, not a uniform.

"... Therefore we enforce a strict dress code to ensure that our students spend their time focused on academic achievement and not on fashion. Hardy students must follow the dress code every day that they come into school. ".

and I quote, from the top:

"School Uniforms" -- "Hardy Middle School is Proud to be a UNIFORM school...."

Stop playin'....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree wholeheartedly about getting rid of the uniforms. Uniforms give the impression that Hardy still has serious discipline problems, which the uniforms presumably are intended to address.

Hardy does not have uniforms.

Hardy has a dressing code which allows a good degree of flexibility , especially for girls.

Dressing code is meant to support integration within a very diverse school. A large majority of current parents and students are positive about this dressing code.

The ES feeder school coordination group has never mentioned the dressing code as an issue or an area which requires change.

Hmmm: Principal Pride would probably object to your characterization of Hardy's uniform code:

http://www.hardyms.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=242736&type=d

Thanks for sharing the link, which just confirms what I had just said. Hardy does not have a uniform. KIPP has a uniform. McKinley has a uniform. There you are required to purchase (or receive for free) from the school their custom-made, identical for all uniforms, with the school logo, etc.

This does not happen at Hardy, where kids are required to wear khaki bottoms and blue or white collared shirts . You can buy your pants/skirts anywhere you want. Skits can be plain , pleated, long or short (knee-lenght). Girls can wear pants or skirs (in several uniformed school they have not choice but to wear a skirt!). Pants can be jeans-cut, traditional front pleated cut of straight or any other style (except cargos or or low waist pants which show underwear, thank God!) .

The webpage you just linked is very clear. It is a dress code, not a uniform.

"... Therefore we enforce a strict dress code to ensure that our students spend their time focused on academic achievement and not on fashion. Hardy students must follow the dress code every day that they come into school. ".

and I quote, from the top:

"School Uniforms" -- "Hardy Middle School is Proud to be a UNIFORM school...."

Stop playin'....

The webpage can call it in any way they want. If you go beyond the first line, you'll see that the school only has a dress code. The web page gives you indications on colors of bottoms and tops (and poses a limit for skirts which cannot be shorter than knee height, and no hoods inside the school).

If you visit the school, you'll see kids wear the same three colors, but display a variety of styles, and no school logos.

The logo t-shirts are sold by the PTO for fundrising , not by the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy already has some honors classes but perhaps what they need to attract significantly more IB students is to create a separate, full-fledged honors program, a dedicated academy within the school. Make it entirely merit-based, test-in, supplemented by transcripts and teacher recommendation and take only the top applicants. Provide extra enrichment, dedicated faculty and advisors for the honors program. Have the honors program start at sixth grade with an additional on-ramp admission opportunity at the beginning of seventh for other high-performing students. Once the honors program is up and running at Hardy, many IB parents would be flocking to get their kids in to a relatively small, elite academic program. And junk the Hardy uniforms.... at a minimum get rid of them for the honors program.

Oh so basically what you want is a private school paid for by DC taxpayers.

[Anonymous]

Jeez why not? We pay enough in taxes per student to have all of that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy already has some honors classes but perhaps what they need to attract significantly more IB students is to create a separate, full-fledged honors program, a dedicated academy within the school. Make it entirely merit-based, test-in, supplemented by transcripts and teacher recommendation and take only the top applicants. Provide extra enrichment, dedicated faculty and advisors for the honors program. Have the honors program start at sixth grade with an additional on-ramp admission opportunity at the beginning of seventh for other high-performing students. Once the honors program is up and running at Hardy, many IB parents would be flocking to get their kids in to a relatively small, elite academic program. And junk the Hardy uniforms.... at a minimum get rid of them for the honors program.

Oh so basically what you want is a private school paid for by DC taxpayers.

We want a great academic school supported by us DC taxpayers. Hardy gets a grade of "F" for effectively serving the needs of its designated community service area. (What else do you call a score of 13, the percentage of IB kids at a pretty-modest sized school?) There's no reason, with the proper focus an emphasis, that Hardy could not surpass Deal as Washington's preeminent public middle school program. But it will never happen so long as stakeholders continue to be invested in the status quo, even if only emotionally, and try to delude themselves and others that a barely 'good enough' school is wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy already has some honors classes but perhaps what they need to attract significantly more IB students is to create a separate, full-fledged honors program, a dedicated academy within the school. Make it entirely merit-based, test-in, supplemented by transcripts and teacher recommendation and take only the top applicants. Provide extra enrichment, dedicated faculty and advisors for the honors program. Have the honors program start at sixth grade with an additional on-ramp admission opportunity at the beginning of seventh for other high-performing students. Once the honors program is up and running at Hardy, many IB parents would be flocking to get their kids in to a relatively small, elite academic program. And junk the Hardy uniforms.... at a minimum get rid of them for the honors program.

Oh so basically what you want is a private school paid for by DC taxpayers.

We want a great academic school supported by us DC taxpayers. Hardy gets a grade of "F" for effectively serving the needs of its designated community service area. (What else do you call a score of 13, the percentage of IB kids at a pretty-modest sized school?) There's no reason, with the proper focus an emphasis, that Hardy could not surpass Deal as Washington's preeminent public middle school program. But it will never happen so long as stakeholders continue to be invested in the status quo, even if only emotionally, and try to delude themselves and others that a barely 'good enough' school is wonderful.

But what was described above is a private school, not Deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy already has some honors classes but perhaps what they need to attract significantly more IB students is to create a separate, full-fledged honors program, a dedicated academy within the school. Make it entirely merit-based, test-in, supplemented by transcripts and teacher recommendation and take only the top applicants. Provide extra enrichment, dedicated faculty and advisors for the honors program. Have the honors program start at sixth grade with an additional on-ramp admission opportunity at the beginning of seventh for other high-performing students. Once the honors program is up and running at Hardy, many IB parents would be flocking to get their kids in to a relatively small, elite academic program. And junk the Hardy uniforms.... at a minimum get rid of them for the honors program.

Oh so basically what you want is a private school paid for by DC taxpayers.

We want a great academic school supported by us DC taxpayers. Hardy gets a grade of "F" for effectively serving the needs of its designated community service area. (What else do you call a score of 13, the percentage of IB kids at a pretty-modest sized school?) There's no reason, with the proper focus an emphasis, that Hardy could not surpass Deal as Washington's preeminent public middle school program. But it will never happen so long as stakeholders continue to be invested in the status quo, even if only emotionally, and try to delude themselves and others that a barely 'good enough' school is wonderful.

What on Earth makes you think the current and incoming parents and the principal are "invested in the status quo"? Have you read the pages and pages of information about new classes and initiatives? You are obviously a troll who is determined to twist the truth to suit some crazy agenda.

[Anonymous]

@ 1330: I would tend to trust the school's definition of its own uniform policy, specifically that it has "school uniforms" and is "proud to be a UNIFORM school." I can only conclude that Hardy Middle School requires to its students to wear a uniform.

The random crank nut on the message board who chooses to believe the contrary can continue to press accelerate at red lights, consider paying taxes to be only a suggestion, etc...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:@ 1330: I would tend to trust the school's definition of its own uniform policy, specifically that it has "school uniforms" and is "proud to be a UNIFORM school." I can only conclude that Hardy Middle School requires to its students to wear a uniform.
..

Clearly they need to make changes. To their website.