WTF is happening at HARDY??????????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not missing it at all. You are correct about the decision to replace Pope being a top down decision by one person. Now, while the rest of us are discussing what is happening at Hardy and how best to address parent concerns, you are stuck in the past discussing a decision made a year ago. I realize you are upset about that and if it makes you feel better to simply repeat how upset you are about it over and over, go for it, but that will have little impact on how best to address current issues.

Until DCPS does something to satisfy all the affected families, don't expect anything unrest. The onus is not on the families to just get over it. The burden is on DCPS's doorstep. They trashed the school and expect everybody else to pick up and rebuild their mess. It's not going to happen.

Should be: "anything BUT unrest."

Carry on.

[Anonymous]

All I can say...it seems when principals threatened to quit or quit they get an immediate reprieve e.g., Ron Brown, Ballou and Dunbar. Not saying that is what Pope should've done but there's proof in the pudding. Gray is not doing anything because it doesn't involve dissolving of some type "sporting" genre. Let's be truthful, if Hardy's team championship was affected instead of the winter concert he would have been there front and center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gee, I wonder if the acting out by students has anything to do with the large number of parent's high-profile attack on the legitimacy of the school administration.

Kind of reminds me of youth attacks on "gentrifiers" in east Captiol Hill and elsewhere. Who knew when parents sit around talking about the "white interlopers who are stealing all our stuff and forcing us out of our homes" the kids might pick up on this and fight back?

Bingo!! I think you hit the nail on the head. When parents (and teachers, I must say) are so openly hostile to the administration, it is no surprise that kids think it's acceptable to challenge the administration at every turn. Did anyone attend the meeting last year (where Rhee announced Popes removal/departure)? The open anger/vitriol/hostility demonstrated by parents and teacher/union reps. in full view of students was appalling! No wonder some of these kids would think it's just fine to act out. Wise up Hardy community, you are doing more to damage this school than any administrator ever could.

Oh yes, because I found that smiling at Michelle Rhee and telling her that she isn't making a good decision worked so well to change her mind. Oh puh-lease!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed the part of the story where the parents were unable to get a meeting with the principal, were unable to engage DCPS, were not listened to--except for being told that Pope is returning. Otherwise, running to the Post is nothing more than a petty cry for attention. And the poster who mentioned the impact parents' attitudes have on their children is right on. It's no wonder kids are copping attitude toward the Hardy leadership when they see their parents doing it every night.

I got news for you. The parents who are complaining about the current principal are most likely middle class educated folks whose kids are not copping an attitude or getting into trouble. My kid graduated from Hardy and I am quite sure that the unhappy parents are most likely more similar in income and education to the average DCUM parent than not. But you'd have to be able to handle complexity to understand that there are diverse groups of students with diverse interests there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No, you've got it backwards. The strength of the school, and the school system overall is the critical factor here. DCPS has to have the best interests of the kids, the school, and the school system first. In this case the "customer" is not always right. It's sad that it's come down to this, but it sounds like it might be best if the situation were actually resolved by the disgruntled parents leaving the school. They're poisoning the atmosphere there, and it's clear they're never going to be happy unless there's a return to the situation ante. Which we've already decided doesn't make for the strongest DCPS.

So you want the middle class families to leave Hardy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
# selective admission criteria eliminated

You mean illegal selective criteria eliminated unless you see it as a problem that the school can no longer simply remove any kid with issues. That's called private school and it costs $30,000 a year.

It is not illegal to remove an Out-of-Boundaries kid with issues. OOB status is a privilege not a right and if kids don't behave they don't have a right to stay in their OOB school. This happens in schools all over DCPS. In-boundaries kids cannot be thrown out (unless they're expelled for serious violations).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:# Popular principal removed from position

A subjective complaint--not evidence of a problem.

# 1/2 principal (only there half the time) installed in position

Again, not a problem by itself. Capital Hill Cluster School has a 1/3 of a principal.

# students and families lobbied and were ignored

On whether to have Pope reinstated. What else has been ignored?

# selective admission criteria eliminated

You mean illegal selective criteria eliminated unless you see it as a problem that the school can no longer simply remove any kid with issues. That's called private school and it costs $30,000 a year.

# instrumental music program damaged or effectively destroyed

Yes, there was no Winter Concert. My God, the humanity. The fact is every kid in the school plays an instrument or sings in the chorus.

# corporal punishment teacher (whom the popular principal had fired) is still in place.

I have seen no details (nor should I have) on this issue so how anyone can draw conclusions I do not know.

# families with options are leaving the school, diluting diversity of the school population

Not sure the first half is a problem, and not sure the second half has anything to with reality.

# none of the parents demands or concerns have been addressed

Again, the only demand not met or addressed is the return of Pope. I have seen no other demand ignored.

Wrong on all counts. What you're missing is that this was a top-down decision made by one person at DCPS without seeking consensus or buy-in from all the stakeholders. Without even the pretense of extending courtesy. It's a phenomenal leadership fuck-up if I've ever seen one. Seriously this should be a B-school case study on how NOT to effect change.

It's a fait acompli. I'm not sure how the extended tantrum is benefiting anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
# selective admission criteria eliminated

You mean illegal selective criteria eliminated unless you see it as a problem that the school can no longer simply remove any kid with issues. That's called private school and it costs $30,000 a year.

It is not illegal to remove an Out-of-Boundaries kid with issues. OOB status is a privilege not a right and if kids don't behave they don't have a right to stay in their OOB school. This happens in schools all over DCPS. In-boundaries kids cannot be thrown out (unless they're expelled for serious violations).

I think the poster of the first quote above was referring the the selective criteria for admitting students as being illegal and/or more like a private school. Hardy, for years, sifted out the potential trouble-makers through it's "application" process. Funny how, under Pope, it never seemed to bother anyone that only the OOB (yes, mostly minority, low-income kids) needed to jump through this application hoop, but the in-boundary kids (mostly upper income, non-minority) did not. For those in-boundary, the application was a mere formality, they were guaranteed admission. The hybrid approach was transparent and bogus. Pope was no magician with the school -- he just used that offensive and insulting admissions process to rig the system and ensure he got the "right" kind of minority/low income kids. Disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I missed the part of the story where the parents were unable to get a meeting with the principal, were unable to engage DCPS, were not listened to--except for being told that Pope is returning. Otherwise, running to the Post is nothing more than a petty cry for attention. And the poster who mentioned the impact parents' attitudes have on their children is right on. It's no wonder kids are copping attitude toward the Hardy leadership when they see their parents doing it every night.

I got news for you. The parents who are complaining about the current principal are most likely middle class educated folks whose kids are not copping an attitude or getting into trouble. My kid graduated from Hardy and I am quite sure that the unhappy parents are most likely more similar in income and education to the average DCUM parent than not. But you'd have to be able to handle complexity to understand that there are diverse groups of students with diverse interests there.

Oh, please. As though middle-class kids--middle school kids, no less--are incapable of getting in trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
# selective admission criteria eliminated

You mean illegal selective criteria eliminated unless you see it as a problem that the school can no longer simply remove any kid with issues. That's called private school and it costs $30,000 a year.

It is not illegal to remove an Out-of-Boundaries kid with issues. OOB status is a privilege not a right and if kids don't behave they don't have a right to stay in their OOB school. This happens in schools all over DCPS. In-boundaries kids cannot be thrown out (unless they're expelled for serious violations).

I think the poster of the first quote above was referring the the selective criteria for admitting students as being illegal and/or more like a private school. Hardy, for years, sifted out the potential trouble-makers through it's "application" process. Funny how, under Pope, it never seemed to bother anyone that only the OOB (yes, mostly minority, low-income kids) needed to jump through this application hoop, but the in-boundary kids (mostly upper income, non-minority) did not. For those in-boundary, the application was a mere formality, they were guaranteed admission. The hybrid approach was transparent and bogus. Pope was no magician with the school -- he just used that offensive and insulting admissions process to rig the system and ensure he got the "right" kind of minority/low income kids. Disgusting.

Right you are about the selective admissions criteria. The pp was referring to that but the pp didn't actually address that -- the pp made a false claim about whether OOB students could be expelled.

With regard to the selective admissions criteria, you're right again -- that's not magic, that's management. And that's one reason Pope was successful after the OOB lottery was instituted. Prior to the lottery, principals did this all the time and the lottery changed that. Whether you like what he did or not, he figured out how to manage the situation -- unlike the current principal and assistant principals. Being a good manager is not magic -- so why are we removing the good managers and replacing them with people who are having difficulty coping?

And you're right a third time, there are also questions of fairness which need to be addressed. I'm not sure the best way to do that but I am sure that if you throw out the OOB admissions process, you make the school much less attractive to the in-boundaries families. And that's what was so truly ironic about the meeting Rhee had with the Key Elementary parents. If this meeting was the reason that Pope was removed, well, those parents succeeded in making the school worse. Now they are even less likely to send their kids there. And the students who are suffering are those kids in-boundary and out-of-boundary who want to study without the disruptions caused by persistent inadequate administration planning or by other students starting fights.

But the opinion of some folks on this thread is that people should just shut up and accept mediocrity. Bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:# Popular principal removed from position

A subjective complaint--not evidence of a problem.

# 1/2 principal (only there half the time) installed in position

Again, not a problem by itself. Capital Hill Cluster School has a 1/3 of a principal.

# students and families lobbied and were ignored

On whether to have Pope reinstated. What else has been ignored?

# selective admission criteria eliminated

You mean illegal selective criteria eliminated unless you see it as a problem that the school can no longer simply remove any kid with issues. That's called private school and it costs $30,000 a year.

# instrumental music program damaged or effectively destroyed

Yes, there was no Winter Concert. My God, the humanity. The fact is every kid in the school plays an instrument or sings in the chorus.

# corporal punishment teacher (whom the popular principal had fired) is still in place.

I have seen no details (nor should I have) on this issue so how anyone can draw conclusions I do not know.

# families with options are leaving the school, diluting diversity of the school population

Not sure the first half is a problem, and not sure the second half has anything to with reality.

# none of the parents demands or concerns have been addressed

Again, the only demand not met or addressed is the return of Pope. I have seen no other demand ignored.

Wrong on all counts. What you're missing is that this was a top-down decision made by one person at DCPS without seeking consensus or buy-in from all the stakeholders. Without even the pretense of extending courtesy. It's a phenomenal leadership fuck-up if I've ever seen one. Seriously this should be a B-school case study on how NOT to effect change.

It's a fait acompli. I'm not sure how the extended tantrum is benefiting anyone.

For some reason, you find it hard to comprehend that when you mistreat people? They're under no obligation to play nice with you. Clearly you don't have many friends in real life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
# selective admission criteria eliminated

You mean illegal selective criteria eliminated unless you see it as a problem that the school can no longer simply remove any kid with issues. That's called private school and it costs $30,000 a year.

It is not illegal to remove an Out-of-Boundaries kid with issues. OOB status is a privilege not a right and if kids don't behave they don't have a right to stay in their OOB school. This happens in schools all over DCPS. In-boundaries kids cannot be thrown out (unless they're expelled for serious violations).

I think the poster of the first quote above was referring the the selective criteria for admitting students as being illegal and/or more like a private school. Hardy, for years, sifted out the potential trouble-makers through it's "application" process. Funny how, under Pope, it never seemed to bother anyone that only the OOB (yes, mostly minority, low-income kids) needed to jump through this application hoop, but the in-boundary kids (mostly upper income, non-minority) did not. For those in-boundary, the application was a mere formality, they were guaranteed admission. The hybrid approach was transparent and bogus. Pope was no magician with the school -- he just used that offensive and insulting admissions process to rig the system and ensure he got the "right" kind of minority/low income kids. Disgusting.

Just so we're clear, you also find the identical Academy application process at Wilson disgusting, yes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something doesn't make sense -- an otherwise wonderful school (as Hardy/Pope boosters would assert) turns into a chaotic, violent, unsafe school because of a change in principal? Please!
Also, what does Rhee have to do with a teacher accused of 3! separate issues of corporal punishment.
Let's at least be honest. There are real problems here, especially with the students and teachers (who see the change in principal as an opportunity to act-out). Grow up and take responsibility.

This is the first I'm hearing of teachers acting out. Most teachers want a safe, orderly classroom and school, no latter what they think about the principal. Also, teachers know how easy it is to get a low evaluation score if they don't have behavior under control. I can't think of what would be in it for the teachers to act out.

[Anonymous]

Wow, when Rhee said she had a surprise for the parents of Hardy she really meant it. The plan that Henderson has proposed has me worried about the length of her tenure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, when Rhee said she had a surprise for the parents of Hardy she really meant it. The plan that Henderson has proposed has me worried about the length of her tenure.

What's Henderson's new plan?