Any thoughts on the Wash Post/Bill Turque article on Hardy MS on the schools insider website??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And ... If you choose NOT to go to Hardy, will you ever consider yourself partially responsible for the suffering of many hundreds of children that don't have the same "middle school options" as yourselves. Because of this debacle, we now send our seventh grader to private school at great expense, like many others who find no viable public school option in DC.

Well, do YOU "consider yourself partially responsible for the suffering of many hundreds of children" because you opted out of Hardy?

NO. Read it in context; as in who the question was directed towards ...

I will repeat ...
For all those in-boundary elementary school parents who felt such passion and accomplishment for motivating Chancellor Rhee to remove principal Pope, I have two questions.

Did you celebrate? Did you ever care enough to find out what was really going on? I hope so.

[Anonymous]

That is what happens when a "public school" (that was selective amongst the minorities it took) drops their application and screening requirements and actually becomes a real PUBLIC school that has to accept ALL kinds of kids and do their best to educate them........WELCOME TO THE REAL DCPS PEOPLE!!!!!! Maybe School w/o Walls, Banneker, MsKinley Tech, and Ellington will be next to rejoin the PUBLIC school system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And ... If you choose NOT to go to Hardy, will you ever consider yourself partially responsible for the suffering of many hundreds of children that don't have the same "middle school options" as yourselves. Because of this debacle, we now send our seventh grader to private school at great expense, like many others who find no viable public school option in DC.

Well, do YOU "consider yourself partially responsible for the suffering of many hundreds of children" because you opted out of Hardy?

He opted out of Hardy AFTER it became a mess because He had the resources to do so. Many parents, whose tax money is just as good (though maybe not as high) as yours who do not have similar financial resources, are now out of luck, because of Rhee's mucking around.

To them, Hardy was a good option. Now it's not and it's never been a good option for people like you.

[Anonymous]

If the former incarnation of Hardy was so great for you, build it in your own neighborhood. While you're at it, rem-make Hardy so that it meets the needs of the current in-bounds families.

[Anonymous]

Prediction - Hardy will remain one of the strongest middle schools for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is what happens when a "public school" (that was selective amongst the minorities it took) drops their application and screening requirements and actually becomes a real PUBLIC school that has to accept ALL kinds of kids and do their best to educate them........WELCOME TO THE REAL DCPS PEOPLE!!!!!! Maybe School w/o Walls, Banneker, MsKinley Tech, and Ellington will be next to rejoin the PUBLIC school system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow - what's your problem with magnet or selective schools? All kids aren't the same, why should the schools be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the former incarnation of Hardy was so great for you, build it in your own neighborhood. While you're at it, rem-make Hardy so that it meets the needs of the current in-bounds families.

I don't know how it is going to meet the needs of in-boundaries families these days given that it has declined since Pope left. Do in-boundaries families like disorganization and lack of discipline and administrators short one experience with middle schools?

[Anonymous]

NP: I admit only a passing knowledge of the issues with Hardy and the change in principals. However, I understand the issue was that Hardy was an arts magnat school with selective admission, which meant that it was not an option as a public MS for families inbounds.

Was Pope actually fired? Or did he choose to leave to start an charter arts magnat-type school (which is what I was told)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP: I admit only a passing knowledge of the issues with Hardy and the change in principals. However, I understand the issue was that Hardy was an arts magnat school with selective admission, which meant that it was not an option as a public MS for families inbounds.

Was Pope actually fired? Or did he choose to leave to start an charter arts magnat-type school (which is what I was told)?

Hardy has always been open to all in-boundary families. There are no "magnent" schools per se in DCPS. Hardy did have an application process, but repeat - all inboundary kids who applied would get in.

Pose was not fired, he was assigned to central office supposedly to plan an arts middle school. He did not choose to leave. That is false.

[Anonymous]

PP, thank you for clarifying. I didn't realize that all in-boundary families automatically got in.

I'm confused though...(maybe because I have the wrong impression of what a magnet school is...) Why was there any application process if it wasn't a magnet school? What was the school looking for in applicants if not strength in a particular subject matter?

[Anonymous]

One thing has become very clear over the last year-plus...Georgetown parents are very confused and have trouble reading. DUH! It's a bonus to have a more thoughtful process of "applying" to any school, and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to find out in about 3 minutes that if you live in the boundary of course you have a right to attend. I don't live in the boundary, but did research Hardy for my "artistic" child, and was very attracted by the specificity. After all, isn't that the problem with Rhee/Bloomberg/Duncan style American Ed? All of it looks THE SAME? Isn't that why parents leave publics and go private? Anyway, I only read the Hardy application as taking a sincere interest in informing families and students that if they are not at all curious about having a serious art/music elective or would rather spend every elective period doing more science or math, Hardy may not be a good fit. At that, what Hardy offers is not an abundance of arts electives, but the bare minimum any good school should offer and their art and music teachers are excellent. Who knows, though, they may just take their business elsewhere, as it may have become a less inspiring atmosphere for great art or music teachers.

[Anonymous]

It wasn't the Georgetown parents that were confused and had trouble reading. It was the Key school parents in Palisades. They're bitching about Pope successfully got him removed. Now there are even fewer in boundary families at the school. In fact, several have left this year.

[Anonymous]

Oh yes, those damned Key school parents. Instead of demanding what they wanted, they should have let Pope remain? Let's see, under that scenario, the in-boundary middle school would be run by a principal (Pope) who demonstrated open animosity to Key parents, who instituted a bogus "application" process in order to keep "difficult" minority kids out. This is the ideal?!? Why not just have a real school-- one that is not openly hostile to the upper-income children who actually live in boundary. Flame away!

[Anonymous]

15:45 here. I am not a Georgetown or Key parent. I'm just a parent with kids in DCPS ES trying to figure out how DCPS MSs work.

I have never seen a Hardy application and don't know the details of how Hardy worked/works so asked what I thought were fair and reasonable questions.

There are clearly lots of emotions tied up in whatever Hardy was/is and whatever happened with the change in administration.

It sounds like Hardy used to be a good school that served kids well (as well as any in dCPS, it seems). It's hard to tell whether that is still true, or is likely to be true in the near future. I would really appreciate hearing from current Hardy parents about the advantages/disadvantages, especially since the change in administration.

[Anonymous]

Hardy's enrollment is growing rapidly, and the school is second to Deal when considering DCPS middle schools. Granted, it has its share of drama, but make no mistake, Hardy is a rock solid choice and most DC parents would be lucky to have it available to them - I know I would. Rumors of Hardy's demise are premature to say the least.