Eaton Thrown Under the Bus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basically everyone who can afford to leave the system will and Hardy will have to be good enough for the rest. Wow.

OK, let's send kids with below basic proficiency to sidwell and watch their scores soar! right? all those incredible teachers! all those highly literate kids!

Of course it doesn't work that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your old friend, the current IB Hardy parent, just checking in to this thread again to point out that Hardy is a very solid school now, with students that attend from 6-8th and then get into the most selective privates and DCPS magnets.

Hardy next year will offer Geometry in the building, so you can stop worrying about that. As a bonus, the Math program is run by the award-winning Sarah Bax - arguably the best teacher in DCPS.

Hardy offers a full range of language courses, including ASL.

I know this may shock some parents, but Hardy offers opportunities for students - especially in music and in the gifted and talented programs - that are better than those offered at Deal.

Principal Pride is doing a great job - teachers are happy, students are happy, and there is a great learning environment.

Please give Hardy a fair shot before bashing the school. Your perceptions from 10, or 5, or even 3 years ago are very out of date.

It's a great place to go to school, and you won't regret sending your student there.

Thanks, that is great to hear. I am in the Eaton district and am not opposed to feeding to Hardy. It really does make more sense than moving some of the other Deal feeders. I also support the idea of having each elementary school feed to two middle schools. In the Eaton/JKLM area that would guarantee a great Hardy, I have no doubt.

BUT it will all be destroyed if a path isn't guaranteed from Hardy/Deal to Wilson. The improvements at Hardy will cease and Deal will slip down. The parents that have and will invest in Hardy and Deal will not do so if they know they cannot count on Wilson, and that their kids may not those same great kids, IB and OOB, that have come through middle school with them. A city-wide lottery for HS will mean massive flight to the burbs and private schools and a downslide for all the DC public schools that are now good, elementary, middle and high school. This is on top of decreasing tax revenues to fund schools when the higher SES folks leave. It's just common sense. No one likes uncertainty, particularly parents. A lottery based system for high school will just drive the high SES WArd 3 people away and with them will go a great Eaton, Hearst, Hardy, and perhaps even JKLM.

And what about raising the standards of the schools outside of Ward 3. People are kidding themselves if they think this proposal would do that. It does NOTHING to help the failing schools. They will slide even lower. It is great that many parents outside of the Deal/Wilson district schlep their kids across town to attend the feeder schools and get involved in the schools. It's what makes these schools great. But it doesn't work the other way around. Ward 3 high SES parents are simply not going to schlepp their kids across town to Eastern or Coolidge and invest in those schools. They will leave. So for the lesser performing schools there will be flight for the lucky lottery winners and no injection of needed resources, human or otherwise. A city-wide lottery for HS is a lose-lose situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your old friend, the current IB Hardy parent, just checking in to this thread again to point out that Hardy is a very solid school now, with students that attend from 6-8th and then get into the most selective privates and DCPS magnets.

Hardy next year will offer Geometry in the building, so you can stop worrying about that. As a bonus, the Math program is run by the award-winning Sarah Bax - arguably the best teacher in DCPS.

Hardy offers a full range of language courses, including ASL.

I know this may shock some parents, but Hardy offers opportunities for students - especially in music and in the gifted and talented programs - that are better than those offered at Deal.

Principal Pride is doing a great job - teachers are happy, students are happy, and there is a great learning environment.

Please give Hardy a fair shot before bashing the school. Your perceptions from 10, or 5, or even 3 years ago are very out of date.

It's a great place to go to school, and you won't regret sending your student there.

Thanks, that is great to hear. I am in the Eaton district and am not opposed to feeding to Hardy. It really does make more sense than moving some of the other Deal feeders. I also support the idea of having each elementary school feed to two middle schools. In the Eaton/JKLM area that would guarantee a great Hardy, I have no doubt.

BUT it will all be destroyed if a path isn't guaranteed from Hardy/Deal to Wilson. The improvements at Hardy will cease and Deal will slip down. The parents that have and will invest in Hardy and Deal will not do so if they know they cannot count on Wilson, and that their kids may not those same great kids, IB and OOB, that have come through middle school with them. A city-wide lottery for HS will mean massive flight to the burbs and private schools and a downslide for all the DC public schools that are now good, elementary, middle and high school. This is on top of decreasing tax revenues to fund schools when the higher SES folks leave. It's just common sense. No one likes uncertainty, particularly parents. A lottery based system for high school will just drive the high SES WArd 3 people away and with them will go a great Eaton, Hearst, Hardy, and perhaps even JKLM.

And what about raising the standards of the schools outside of Ward 3. People are kidding themselves if they think this proposal would do that. It does NOTHING to help the failing schools. They will slide even lower. It is great that many parents outside of the Deal/Wilson district schlep their kids across town to attend the feeder schools and get involved in the schools. It's what makes these schools great. But it doesn't work the other way around. Ward 3 high SES parents are simply not going to schlepp their kids across town to Eastern or Coolidge and invest in those schools. They will leave. So for the lesser performing schools there will be flight for the lucky lottery winners and no injection of needed resources, human or otherwise. A city-wide lottery for HS is a lose-lose situation.

Yes. This. Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the Cleveland Park folks in $2 million homes already send their kids to private school, but Cleveland Park has lots of other residents -- in much less expensive homes and condos. They are the ones who will not have options because they don't have the funds for private. The uncertainty will hurt a lot of property values in Ward 3. If Hardy is not good enough for Mann and Stoddert (witness the numbers), then why is it good enough for Eaton. It's not what any of the parents expect. Is it simply Eaton's turn to go to the bad middle school? Can't we do better than that for all the kids in the city?

It may be a good enough outcome for Eaton because it has more than 50 percent students from out of boundary area. Those kids' parents probably will be ok with any option that is not their "home" school, especially if it is on the west side of Rock Creek Park. The OOB parents also are less likely to be activist complainers than you would find in schools with a higher proportion of Ward 3 parents.

1st PP, show me the sub 2mil owner occupied homes that send kids to Eaton--heck, show me the sub 750k home in CP and I've got a bridge I could sell you.

[Anonymous]

Are there any condos or apts in Eaton? Don't kids from McLean Gardens go to Eaton? How about the rental properties along Wisconsin just south of McLean Gardens?

Now about that bridge...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the Cleveland Park folks in $2 million homes already send their kids to private school, but Cleveland Park has lots of other residents -- in much less expensive homes and condos. They are the ones who will not have options because they don't have the funds for private. The uncertainty will hurt a lot of property values in Ward 3. If Hardy is not good enough for Mann and Stoddert (witness the numbers), then why is it good enough for Eaton. It's not what any of the parents expect. Is it simply Eaton's turn to go to the bad middle school? Can't we do better than that for all the kids in the city?

It may be a good enough outcome for Eaton because it has more than 50 percent students from out of boundary area. Those kids' parents probably will be ok with any option that is not their "home" school, especially if it is on the west side of Rock Creek Park. The OOB parents also are less likely to be activist complainers than you would find in schools with a higher proportion of Ward 3 parents.

1st PP, show me the sub 2mil owner occupied homes that send kids to Eaton--heck, show me the sub 750k home in CP and I've got a bridge I could sell you.

Are you kidding? Lots of less expensive houses , plus condos and apartments in the Eaton district. And I know people in $3 million homes who send their kids to Eaton . You obviously don't know the area at all.

[Anonymous]

We are in a private for k-5 and would consider sending our kids to Hardy or Deal. They are great schools. If any of you advocate to make them better as much as you whine and complain here - they will be sure to be awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the Cleveland Park folks in $2 million homes already send their kids to private school, but Cleveland Park has lots of other residents -- in much less expensive homes and condos. They are the ones who will not have options because they don't have the funds for private. The uncertainty will hurt a lot of property values in Ward 3. If Hardy is not good enough for Mann and Stoddert (witness the numbers), then why is it good enough for Eaton. It's not what any of the parents expect. Is it simply Eaton's turn to go to the bad middle school? Can't we do better than that for all the kids in the city?

It may be a good enough outcome for Eaton because it has more than 50 percent students from out of boundary area. Those kids' parents probably will be ok with any option that is not their "home" school, especially if it is on the west side of Rock Creek Park. The OOB parents also are less likely to be activist complainers than you would find in schools with a higher proportion of Ward 3 parents.

1st PP, show me the sub 2mil owner occupied homes that send kids to Eaton--heck, show me the sub 750k home in CP and I've got a bridge I could sell you.

Are you kidding? Lots of less expensive houses , plus condos and apartments in the Eaton district. And I know people in $3 million homes who send their kids to Eaton . You obviously don't know the area at all.

Np here. I've lived off Reno for 20 years so I'm acquainted with "the area."

1. There are not, in fact, "lots" of HOUSES that are "less expensive" than $2m. There are lots of condos, and there are a few townhome sort of things east of connecticut or in McLean gardens.

2. There are a handful of houses/SFHs in Cleveland park proper that are worth less than 2m. I think it's a stretch to announce that all of,these Have kids and all those kids attend eaton, don't you?

This is not news the whole reason eaton -- a small school to begin with, mind you -- has so many seats for kids eotp is precisely BECAUSE Cleveland park houses DON't send their kids to public school. A few parents moving into McLean gardens doesn't change that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
And what about raising the standards of the schools outside of Ward 3. People are kidding themselves if they think this proposal would do that. It does NOTHING to help the failing schools. They will slide even lower. It is great that many parents outside of the Deal/Wilson district schlep their kids across town to attend the feeder schools and get involved in the schools. It's what makes these schools great. But it doesn't work the other way around. Ward 3 high SES parents are simply not going to schlepp their kids across town to Eastern or Coolidge and invest in those schools. They will leave. So for the lesser performing schools there will be flight for the lucky lottery winners and no injection of needed resources, human or otherwise. A city-wide lottery for HS is a lose-lose situation.

Okay - what do you mean by "raising the standards?" Are you suggesting that the teachers and principals in those schools have lower standards than those WOTP? Or that DCPS hasn't offered the kinds of back-up programs that would help kids get up to standard? What?

Seriously, we have to get over this idea, instilled by Michelle Rhee and the whole "No Child Left Behind" ethos, that there is something inherently wrong with the schools that are "failing."

It becomes an insult to the children in those schools that we look past them -- given all the evidence we have now, about the effects of poverty, that anyone in a position to help children would be instead focused on firing adults and closing buildings - or assuming if you transport the kids to another building with another set of adults, everything will be fine.

[Anonymous]

My children attended Eaton and most (not all) of their friends were IB. Some lived in expensive houses, some in attached houses and condos and some in apartments. They differed in race, culture and economics, but they all wanted a good education for their children. That is just not as likely at Hardy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the Cleveland Park folks in $2 million homes already send their kids to private school, but Cleveland Park has lots of other residents -- in much less expensive homes and condos. They are the ones who will not have options because they don't have the funds for private. The uncertainty will hurt a lot of property values in Ward 3. If Hardy is not good enough for Mann and Stoddert (witness the numbers), then why is it good enough for Eaton. It's not what any of the parents expect. Is it simply Eaton's turn to go to the bad middle school? Can't we do better than that for all the kids in the city?

It may be a good enough outcome for Eaton because it has more than 50 percent students from out of boundary area. Those kids' parents probably will be ok with any option that is not their "home" school, especially if it is on the west side of Rock Creek Park. The OOB parents also are less likely to be activist complainers than you would find in schools with a higher proportion of Ward 3 parents.

1st PP, show me the sub 2mil owner occupied homes that send kids to Eaton--heck, show me the sub 750k home in CP and I've got a bridge I could sell you.

Are you kidding? Lots of less expensive houses , plus condos and apartments in the Eaton district. And I know people in $3 million homes who send their kids to Eaton . You obviously don't know the area at all.

Np here. I've lived off Reno for 20 years so I'm acquainted with "the area."

1. There are not, in fact, "lots" of HOUSES that are "less expensive" than $2m. There are lots of condos, and there are a few townhome sort of things east of connecticut or in McLean gardens.

2. There are a handful of houses/SFHs in Cleveland park proper that are worth less than 2m. I think it's a stretch to announce that all of,these Have kids and all those kids attend eaton, don't you?

This is not news the whole reason eaton -- a small school to begin with, mind you -- has so many seats for kids eotp is precisely BECAUSE Cleveland park houses DON't send their kids to public school. A few parents moving into McLean gardens doesn't change that.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the Cleveland Park folks in $2 million homes already send their kids to private school, but Cleveland Park has lots of other residents -- in much less expensive homes and condos. They are the ones who will not have options because they don't have the funds for private. The uncertainty will hurt a lot of property values in Ward 3. If Hardy is not good enough for Mann and Stoddert (witness the numbers), then why is it good enough for Eaton. It's not what any of the parents expect. Is it simply Eaton's turn to go to the bad middle school? Can't we do better than that for all the kids in the city?

It may be a good enough outcome for Eaton because it has more than 50 percent students from out of boundary area. Those kids' parents probably will be ok with any option that is not their "home" school, especially if it is on the west side of Rock Creek Park. The OOB parents also are less likely to be activist complainers than you would find in schools with a higher proportion of Ward 3 parents.

1st PP, show me the sub 2mil owner occupied homes that send kids to Eaton--heck, show me the sub 750k home in CP and I've got a bridge I could sell you.

Then you'd better sell that bridge. My kids went to Eaton, and lots of my neighbors send their kids there.

[Anonymous]

cleveland park house owner here and Eaton parent for 10 years and counting. the school has never been better. love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the Cleveland Park folks in $2 million homes already send their kids to private school, but Cleveland Park has lots of other residents -- in much less expensive homes and condos. They are the ones who will not have options because they don't have the funds for private. The uncertainty will hurt a lot of property values in Ward 3. If Hardy is not good enough for Mann and Stoddert (witness the numbers), then why is it good enough for Eaton. It's not what any of the parents expect. Is it simply Eaton's turn to go to the bad middle school? Can't we do better than that for all the kids in the city?

It may be a good enough outcome for Eaton because it has more than 50 percent students from out of boundary area. Those kids' parents probably will be ok with any option that is not their "home" school, especially if it is on the west side of Rock Creek Park. The OOB parents also are less likely to be activist complainers than you would find in schools with a higher proportion of Ward 3 parents.

1st PP, show me the sub 2mil owner occupied homes that send kids to Eaton--heck, show me the sub 750k home in CP and I've got a bridge I could sell you.

Are you kidding? Lots of less expensive houses , plus condos and apartments in the Eaton district. And I know people in $3 million homes who send their kids to Eaton . You obviously don't know the area at all.

Np here. I've lived off Reno for 20 years so I'm acquainted with "the area."

1. There are not, in fact, "lots" of HOUSES that are "less expensive" than $2m. There are lots of condos, and there are a few townhome sort of things east of connecticut or in McLean gardens.

2. There are a handful of houses/SFHs in Cleveland park proper that are worth less than 2m. I think it's a stretch to announce that all of,these Have kids and all those kids attend eaton, don't you?

This is not news the whole reason eaton -- a small school to begin with, mind you -- has so many seats for kids eotp is precisely BECAUSE Cleveland park houses DON't send their kids to public school. A few parents moving into McLean gardens doesn't change that.

Exactly.

You clearly don't know Cleveland Park, because you don't know what you're talking about, But even if this were accurate, what is your point exactly? That kids who don't live in Cleveland Park and yet attend Eaton somehow are not "deserving" enough of continuing to Deal?! Sheesh, if that's your view, it makes Mitt Romney seem like Pope Francis!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My children attended Eaton and most (not all) of their friends were IB. Some lived in expensive houses, some in attached houses and condos and some in apartments. They differed in race, culture and economics, but they all wanted a good education for their children. That is just not as likely at Hardy.

So your kids managed to be friends with the 1 in 4 (now 1in 3) kids who live IB and avoid the 66-75% who come from eotp. Slick.