Are in boundary families leaving Hardy because if MacArthur?

[Anonymous]

Any sense of what percentage of Hardy 8th graders will opt for MacArthur this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a terrible idea to feed a whole swath of kids into a niche high school with limited offerings, Yes, a small school with few sports could be good for some kids, but it's not the equivalent of JR, which btw, has lots of challenges right now with teachers not showing up for months at a time, etc. They should let people apply to the new high school but not force people to enroll in a school with limited offerings.

An 800-person high school is not "niche." Education experts actually recommend that size as better for students than the 2000-student behemoths. The issue is providing adequate budget, not that the size is inadequate.

It may not be niche in size but it certainly will be in its offerings. It was inadequate for sports when it was an elementary/middle school for GDS. Read the fact sheet -- basketbal and track/cross country are the only sports. There will be a green club, a chess club, and one or two more, but hardly what JR offers. There's no good transportation to the site -- even in bounds students will be challenged to get there without driving. A terrible site.

These are falsehoods. Further evidence that readers should identify trusted and informed community members and rely solely upon them for information. Too many anonymous actors fueled either by ignorance of mal-intent.

Soccer will also be a varsity sport. The school’s field is loathe enough for practices but it doesn’t meet DCIAA regulations for games, so games will be elsewhere. Those involved are pushing for games across the street at GW Mt Vernon.

There are probably/possibly other sports too, but I don’t know the list off-hand. But I do recognize lies without resort to my records.

I just watched the principal say that soccer will NOT be a varsity sport.

Talk about twisting language. A team of 9th graders will be destroyed on the field. But the goal is to make it a varsity sport in when the kids can compete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any sense of what percentage of Hardy 8th graders will opt for MacArthur this year?

How would anyone know this?

[Anonymous]

To answer the original question, we may leave Hardy because of MacArthur. Kids are still in upper elementary school, so we have a few years to make decisions and arrange things, but if they can't figure out an easier way for inbound kids to and from that location every day, we will not attend the new school.

I'm excited by what I heard at the virtual open house and think it could be a great opportunity for my kids. The principal's enthusiasm and energy was palpable. It will probably be a fantastic school in a few years. But an hour commute each way for an inbound school is a deal breaker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question, we may leave Hardy because of MacArthur. Kids are still in upper elementary school, so we have a few years to make decisions and arrange things, but if they can't figure out an easier way for inbound kids to and from that location every day, we will not attend the new school.

I'm excited by what I heard at the virtual open house and think it could be a great opportunity for my kids. The principal's enthusiasm and energy was palpable. It will probably be a fantastic school in a few years. But an hour commute each way for an inbound school is a deal breaker.

What would your alternative be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I’ll be the lone dissenter and say I have no faith in DCPS creating a high school out of nothing and will not be offering my child at Hardy now as a Guinea pig. We have submitted applications far and wide to get our child in a different place.

Also, Hardy sucks this year. The lack of anything other than academic classes and the daily fights among students plus locked bathrooms and locker rooms, we are done if at all possible.

NP. I was planning on sending my child to Hardy because I figured that I could supplement what the school was lacking in extracurriculars for less than the $50k it would cost for private school. However, what you’ve said is alarming. I refuse to send my child to a school where bathrooms are locked so kids don’t get assaulted (or sexually assaulted!). Is this really happening??? I thought I would have heard about it.

I have a 6th grader and neither she nor any of her friends are worried about any of that bathroom stuff. She hasn't mentioned witnessing fights in a few months, so it might be an older grade phenomenon that will age out if the current enrollment trends continue.

You are delusional. Then your 6th grader aren’t telling you what is really going on. Ignorance is not bliss.

You sound unhinged. It’s middle school. There will be drama. The school and the kids can handle it. You need to cam down. It isn’t elementary anymore. This is how your kids will get some independence and ability to negotiate spaces without you hovering over everything. I am not worried about my child’s safety and they are doing fine at Hardy. Stop with your hysterical nonsense.

DP. I don’t know exactly what is happening at Hardy, but stop pretending that violence is normal, that lack of art and music are normal. DCPS truly sells parents on low expectations, it’s nuts.

There have been cuts, but there is a music program. Also it’s not “violence” it’s kids getting in fights. Happens at most schools. It’s reality not low expectations. Especially after the trauma of the past few years. They are dealing with it. Seriously. This is not elementary school! You need to grow up. I feel bad for your kids.

NP. You are out if your mind if you think physical fights “happen at most schools” and isn’t violence. It IS violence, it’s not normal and it doesn’t happen at most schools. I attended public schools k-12 in a suburban area. Never saw or heard of a physical fight. My kids have been in private school in DC PK-12 and never seen or heard about a physical fight. It’s truly insane that you think this is okay and normal. Holy crap, what goes on in your house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll be the lone dissenter and say I have no faith in DCPS creating a high school out of nothing and will not be offering my child at Hardy now as a Guinea pig. We have submitted applications far and wide to get our child in a different place.

Also, Hardy sucks this year. The lack of anything other than academic classes and the daily fights among students plus locked bathrooms and locker rooms, we are done if at all possible.

NP. I was planning on sending my child to Hardy because I figured that I could supplement what the school was lacking in extracurriculars for less than the $50k it would cost for private school. However, what you’ve said is alarming. I refuse to send my child to a school where bathrooms are locked so kids don’t get assaulted (or sexually assaulted!). Is this really happening??? I thought I would have heard about it.

I have a 6th grader and neither she nor any of her friends are worried about any of that bathroom stuff. She hasn't mentioned witnessing fights in a few months, so it might be an older grade phenomenon that will age out if the current enrollment trends continue.

You are delusional. Then your 6th grader aren’t telling you what is really going on. Ignorance is not bliss.

You sound unhinged. It’s middle school. There will be drama. The school and the kids can handle it. You need to cam down. It isn’t elementary anymore. This is how your kids will get some independence and ability to negotiate spaces without you hovering over everything. I am not worried about my child’s safety and they are doing fine at Hardy. Stop with your hysterical nonsense.

DP. I don’t know exactly what is happening at Hardy, but stop pretending that violence is normal, that lack of art and music are normal. DCPS truly sells parents on low expectations, it’s nuts.

There have been cuts, but there is a music program. Also it’s not “violence” it’s kids getting in fights. Happens at most schools. It’s reality not low expectations. Especially after the trauma of the past few years. They are dealing with it. Seriously. This is not elementary school! You need to grow up. I feel bad for your kids.

NP. You are out if your mind if you think physical fights “happen at most schools” and isn’t violence. It IS violence, it’s not normal and it doesn’t happen at most schools. I attended public schools k-12 in a suburban area. Never saw or heard of a physical fight. My kids have been in private school in DC PK-12 and never seen or heard about a physical fight. It’s truly insane that you think this is okay and normal. Holy crap, what goes on in your house?

DP. I agree. The amount of physical violence that happens is nuts.

[Anonymous]

First of all “fight” doesn’t equate physical violence. Then no fights in suburban schools? Very hard to believe. They are typically huge and probably you were not aware of everything that happened. Also a fight may not mean something serious necessarily. It could be a typical, insignificant boy scuffle. I have seen that with my brothers so many times.. Many school shootings have happened in suburban schools through the years. So do you think there may be gun violence there but no fights ever?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all “fight” doesn’t equate physical violence. Then no fights in suburban schools? Very hard to believe. They are typically huge and probably you were not aware of everything that happened. Also a fight may not mean something serious necessarily. It could be a typical, insignificant boy scuffle. I have seen that with my brothers so many times.. Many school shootings have happened in suburban schools through the years. So do you think there may be gun violence there but no fights ever?

You think our kids don't know the difference between a fight and a sibling scuffle? You can keep downplaying and dismissing, but that's not convincing anyone aware of the reports of our own kids. No one is saying that there are daily brawls and injuries and major trauma. I am saying the fighting is more than acceptable, more than my children have experienced in the past at DCPS schools, and far more than I was ever exposed to. It is enough to be unnerving and stressful for my child, and I don't see why anyone should have to put up with that. I'm sorry you have such low standards.

[Anonymous]

Stop feeding the trolls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop feeding the trolls.

Which ones are the trolls?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all “fight” doesn’t equate physical violence. Then no fights in suburban schools? Very hard to believe. They are typically huge and probably you were not aware of everything that happened. Also a fight may not mean something serious necessarily. It could be a typical, insignificant boy scuffle. I have seen that with my brothers so many times.. Many school shootings have happened in suburban schools through the years. So do you think there may be gun violence there but no fights ever?

You think our kids don't know the difference between a fight and a sibling scuffle? You can keep downplaying and dismissing, but that's not convincing anyone aware of the reports of our own kids. No one is saying that there are daily brawls and injuries and major trauma. I am saying the fighting is more than acceptable, more than my children have experienced in the past at DCPS schools, and far more than I was ever exposed to. It is enough to be unnerving and stressful for my child, and I don't see why anyone should have to put up with that. I'm sorry you have such low standards.

This. It seems crazy that parents are downplaying these prevalent issues in DCPS as normal. It’s not.

The trolls are the ones in denial of not just the fights but huge behavior problems that exist that affects lots of students, the learning environment, etc..

[Anonymous]

Are we talking about Hardy or DCPS? Doesn’t that make a huge difference? How widespread and nasty are these fights at Hardy’s? Nobody downplays violence when our kids may be affected. I just feel like we are not talking about the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are we talking about Hardy or DCPS? Doesn’t that make a huge difference? How widespread and nasty are these fights at Hardy’s? Nobody downplays violence when our kids may be affected. I just feel like we are not talking about the same thing.

I think we are talking about Hardy? My kid is at Hardy and reports of fighting are so routine that it seems like alsmlt part of the nightly school download. She reported one to us a couple weeks ago where there was blood drawn and another recently where the AP had to pull the students off each other.

Also, she hasn’t had gym in weeks because the girls locker room is locked and the PE teacher refuses to have gym as a result despite the fact that the children don’t even seem to change. Thankfully her stint in gym is almost over because the guy sounds like a total a-hole who hates girls.

[Anonymous]

My 6th grade daughter at Hardy has also reported her gym teacher is sexist.