Stuart Hobson

[Anonymous]

I'm not the poster you're coming at. I'm the one who left after 6th grade. I've spoken to the old and new principals. I've attended theater productions. I've gotten to know some great teachers. I've volunteered to help around the school grounds, and to help inside the building with students. But I've also seen 8th grade boys arrested on the playground for fighting. I've also had my kid in classes where the majority of students worked behind grade level, if they worked at all (some were too disruptive to get in much work). My kid was cussed out in hallways and on the playground one too many times. The rosy picture you paint of Hobson just doesn't fly with us.

[Anonymous]

I hope that one day while the across-the-street-for-20-years poster is watching the school, the students start to have one of their many brawls but then suddenly break out into a big song and dance number from West Side Story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This silly thread is going nowhere. OP, if you're still interested, search for other recent SH threads. No shortage.

All SH threads ultimately devolve into this, usually started off course by people whose impressions of SH are 10-20 years old but are certain they KNOW.

[Anonymous]

We left after 6th grade this year. We’re at a parochial school now with worse facilities and much better academics.

[Anonymous]

What parochial school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What parochial school?

Yes please. Would also be cool if you would be willing to share other impressions and differences. It is pretty rare to get to hear two firsthand comparative accounts (instead of what someone's brother's sister's neighbor who went there in 2002 said).

[Anonymous]

PP who left after 6th grade.

In a nutshell, Hobson can't serve it's IB largely UMC population very well w/out leveled classes in science or social studies. Our impression was that admins, teachers and parents mostly want these classes, but DCPS HQ won't permit them. The school also doesn't offer tough enough math to advanced 6th grader, though things get better w/math in 7th grade. English classes are pitched at grade level, with no above-grade level instruction for advanced students. Perhaps the biggest problem we faced was that our shy kid didn't like dealing with what she termed "rowdiness" in hallways, cafeteria, electives and on the playground. She wasn't too happy w/the behavior of peers outside honors ELA and math and Spanish (not mandatory, attracting stronger students). The arts program at Hobson theatrical performances, instrumental instruction) is very good, but she's no performer and we couldn't get her to take advantage of it.

[Anonymous]

We've been hearing this for years. Yawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP who left after 6th grade.

In a nutshell, Hobson can't serve it's IB largely UMC population very well w/out leveled classes in science or social studies. Our impression was that admins, teachers and parents mostly want these classes, but DCPS HQ won't permit them. The school also doesn't offer tough enough math to advanced 6th grader, though things get better w/math in 7th grade. English classes are pitched at grade level, with no above-grade level instruction for advanced students. Perhaps the biggest problem we faced was that our shy kid didn't like dealing with what she termed "rowdiness" in hallways, cafeteria, electives and on the playground. She wasn't too happy w/the behavior of peers outside honors ELA and math and Spanish (not mandatory, attracting stronger students). The arts program at Hobson theatrical performances, instrumental instruction) is very good, but she's no performer and we couldn't get her to take advantage of it.

Can anyone speak to whether these same limitations are present at Deal? If so, why wouldn't the same issues present (does UMC population mitigate)? If not, how does DCPS justify allowing Deal to to what SH can't?

Serious questions. Not trying to troll, just trying to understand is this is any different at Deal.

[Anonymous]

Does Deal have advanced Science and Social Studies?
Stuart currently offers accelerated math for 6th graders as well as Algebra I and Geometry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who left after 6th grade.

In a nutshell, Hobson can't serve it's IB largely UMC population very well w/out leveled classes in science or social studies. Our impression was that admins, teachers and parents mostly want these classes, but DCPS HQ won't permit them. The school also doesn't offer tough enough math to advanced 6th grader, though things get better w/math in 7th grade. English classes are pitched at grade level, with no above-grade level instruction for advanced students. Perhaps the biggest problem we faced was that our shy kid didn't like dealing with what she termed "rowdiness" in hallways, cafeteria, electives and on the playground. She wasn't too happy w/the behavior of peers outside honors ELA and math and Spanish (not mandatory, attracting stronger students). The arts program at Hobson theatrical performances, instrumental instruction) is very good, but she's no performer and we couldn't get her to take advantage of it.

Can anyone speak to whether these same limitations are present at Deal? If so, why wouldn't the same issues present (does UMC population mitigate)? If not, how does DCPS justify allowing Deal to to what SH can't?

Serious questions. Not trying to troll, just trying to understand is this is any different at Deal.

Deal doesn't offer ELA honors classes like Hobson does because DCPS won't allow that. Deal only offers advanced math classes. Yes, UMC mitigates at Deal, in a big way - school is majority in-boundary and white. Hobson is about 20% in-boundary and white. Any wonder that so many Hill families of 5th graders run off to BASIS? At least at BASIS, no social promotion after 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

So I guess I’m not tracking- people are upset that SH doesn’t offer advanced science and social studies but neither does the “more highly acclaimed” (please notice quotes) Deal?

I get that SH has kids that are not advanced and may even read at a lower grade level but it seems to me that they have created a space for the high achiever with the offering of advanced ELA and math. So is the real issue that SH has more students of color?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I guess I’m not tracking- people are upset that SH doesn’t offer advanced science and social studies but neither does the “more highly acclaimed” (please notice quotes) Deal?

I get that SH has kids that are not advanced and may even read at a lower grade level but it seems to me that they have created a space for the high achiever with the offering of advanced ELA and math. So is the real issue that SH has more students of color?

Advanced ELA and math are not enough to keep people happy if they also have to sit through chaotic and unchallenging classes in other areas and the general atmosphere of the school is chaotic.

Advanced classes at SH are a way of being in a room with kids who are on or above grade level and behave acceptably. At Deal, that is true of most of the kids so there is not the same need for advanced classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I guess I’m not tracking- people are upset that SH doesn’t offer advanced science and social studies but neither does the “more highly acclaimed” (please notice quotes) Deal?

I get that SH has kids that are not advanced and may even read at a lower grade level but it seems to me that they have created a space for the high achiever with the offering of advanced ELA and math. So is the real issue that SH has more students of color?

What are you asking, or perhaps stating? That most of us who live in-boundary for SH with children who could attend are racist?

We're an AA family who'd rather move from the Hill than send our children to Hobson.

There's a giant cohort of kids at SH who work behind grade level and have trouble behaving and learning. Yet DCPS won't track academically, or set up test-in/GT programs you find in many other US cities. In certain American neighborhoods, e.g. in Appalachia, almost all of the tough/behind kids would be white.

Not buying the fact that SH has more student of color than Deal is the crux of the problem here.

[Anonymous]

Of course it's not the main problem. I'd much rather send my kid to a MS version of Banneker than Hobson.

Four or five years ago, a video clip from a city council hearing circulated widely on Cap Hill. In the clip, you heard Dave Grosso asserting that racism explained why almost all IB Brennt parents reject Jefferson Academy, where only around 20% of students tested proficient on the PARCC and no honors classes were offered. That clip pissed a lot of us off.