Call to discuss the state of Hardy 05/15/23

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you don’t deny there is an open grievance then. And, I presume, you don’t deny that PJ should not have shared his proposed schedule on May 3 given the open grievance.

Or, do you want me to quote from emails?

And on the schedule that was shown on May 3rd, it doesn’t comply with a host of DCPS requirements.

The grievance was filed due to procedural concerns (meaning did the schedule change go through the proper contractually specified committee and did all teachers get a chance to have input.) If you read the grievance you would know this…. Oh that’s right, you don’t have access to it because YOU DONT WORK AT HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL. I know this concept is hard for this group of bigoted entitled parents to stomach.

Stop trying to use the grievance as ammunition that there was any teacher support behind this whole thing and that the lululemon mob was justified in their witch hunt.

DP: So everyone is in agreement that the schedule did not undergo the proper process or get required inputs.

How is that not a problem, particularly when the result sucks majorly for the students?

I've been in multiple DCPS schools over 15 years as a teacher and I have never once seen a staff aligned on scheduling. Probably the most political thing that gets worked on this time of year. It's also known to be flexible leading up to the beginning of the next school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you don’t deny there is an open grievance then. And, I presume, you don’t deny that PJ should not have shared his proposed schedule on May 3 given the open grievance.

Or, do you want me to quote from emails?

And on the schedule that was shown on May 3rd, it doesn’t comply with a host of DCPS requirements.

The grievance was filed due to procedural concerns (meaning did the schedule change go through the proper contractually specified committee and did all teachers get a chance to have input.) If you read the grievance you would know this…. Oh that’s right, you don’t have access to it because YOU DONT WORK AT HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL. I know this concept is hard for this group of bigoted entitled parents to stomach.

Stop trying to use the grievance as ammunition that there was any teacher support behind this whole thing and that the lululemon mob was justified in their witch hunt.

DP: So everyone is in agreement that the schedule did not undergo the proper process or get required inputs.

How is that not a problem, particularly when the result sucks majorly for the students?

Oh dear lord - it is not that serious and not a fireable offense. Kids never get their schedules until before the first week of school anyway and even then their schedules are going to change. Schedules go through many iterations between now and August.

Sure you have logic and reason on your side, but don't forget it "sucks majorly" for students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused about the schedule part of this. Are all schedules usually finalized by now? What about the summer? I feel like under Cooke’s during his first or second year we didn’t know anything about our schedule and teachers until about five minutes before school started and a couple of teachers were hired to fill vacancies months into the school year. This all predated the 90 minute block class mess of course—which PJ inherited. Along with the terrible budget.

Exactly. But we are dealing with a system that choose politics over kids and took the easy way out and not say NO to the bullies of upper NW.

I find it interesting how at a school with 60% BIPOC students, people are assuming it’s only “rich white parents” who wanted the change. That has not been the experience at all in my DCPS - and it’s a frequent (and dare I say racist?) assumption that only white parents have opinions on school issues.

It is well known that small ground s of privileged parents often take over schools and do exactly what was done at Hardy. White parents are not the only one that have opinions however they are often times the only ones DCPS really listens to. I am sure the parents over at schools that are 99-100% Black want safe schools and have petitioned DCPS. Nothing is done. Their children are forced to go to schools where students are being shot, massive gang fights, high teacher vacancies, etc. When the parents write letter and protest nothing is done. Radio Silence.

This is an argument for DCPS to listen to more parents. Not to make snarky comments about “Lulukemon moms” “taking over” a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you don’t deny there is an open grievance then. And, I presume, you don’t deny that PJ should not have shared his proposed schedule on May 3 given the open grievance.

Or, do you want me to quote from emails?

And on the schedule that was shown on May 3rd, it doesn’t comply with a host of DCPS requirements.

The grievance was filed due to procedural concerns (meaning did the schedule change go through the proper contractually specified committee and did all teachers get a chance to have input.) If you read the grievance you would know this…. Oh that’s right, you don’t have access to it because YOU DONT WORK AT HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL. I know this concept is hard for this group of bigoted entitled parents to stomach.

Stop trying to use the grievance as ammunition that there was any teacher support behind this whole thing and that the lululemon mob was justified in their witch hunt.

“procedural concerns” are important. if the principal wasn’t on top of things and the grievance was interfering with finalizing a schedule, that’s a problem.

[Anonymous]

Guess which kids aren’t getting any pizza or citizenship awards at the end of year classroom parties? The PTO vultures.

LOL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused about the schedule part of this. Are all schedules usually finalized by now? What about the summer? I feel like under Cooke’s during his first or second year we didn’t know anything about our schedule and teachers until about five minutes before school started and a couple of teachers were hired to fill vacancies months into the school year. This all predated the 90 minute block class mess of course—which PJ inherited. Along with the terrible budget.

Exactly. But we are dealing with a system that choose politics over kids and took the easy way out and not say NO to the bullies of upper NW.

I find it interesting how at a school with 60% BIPOC students, people are assuming it’s only “rich white parents” who wanted the change. That has not been the experience at all in my DCPS - and it’s a frequent (and dare I say racist?) assumption that only white parents have opinions on school issues.

It is well known that small ground s of privileged parents often take over schools and do exactly what was done at Hardy. White parents are not the only one that have opinions however they are often times the only ones DCPS really listens to. I am sure the parents over at schools that are 99-100% Black want safe schools and have petitioned DCPS. Nothing is done. Their children are forced to go to schools where students are being shot, massive gang fights, high teacher vacancies, etc. When the parents write letter and protest nothing is done. Radio Silence.

Let's assume you are correct. Is the answer then that all schools should be unsafe? That's moronic. The answer is that all parental voices should be heard and considered, whether from predominantly white UMC schools or low SES predominantly black schools. Your mentality is part of the reason you cannot get traction. Your response here is to demonize the white parents who were successful instead of focusing on the power structure that ignores your concerns. In doing so you make it easier for the power structure to ignore you. But, by all means, continue to throw temper tantrums and get mad at other parents if you think that's going to solve your problems.

YEP. this is especially infuriating given that the leftist line on schools is that white parents must not “hoard opportunities” and that kids who are “furthest from opportunity” (ie W7 and 8) should get seats in the schools that are wealthier/whiter. Well, how exactly do you think those opportunities are created? By parents with the resources and skills to advocate for their schools. Yet when white parents are perceived here as advocating successfully, they become “racist” and “trying to take over.” You cannot have it both ways. The NW schools are strong in part because the parents force DCPS to keep them strong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you don’t deny there is an open grievance then. And, I presume, you don’t deny that PJ should not have shared his proposed schedule on May 3 given the open grievance.

Or, do you want me to quote from emails?

And on the schedule that was shown on May 3rd, it doesn’t comply with a host of DCPS requirements.

The grievance was filed due to procedural concerns (meaning did the schedule change go through the proper contractually specified committee and did all teachers get a chance to have input.) If you read the grievance you would know this…. Oh that’s right, you don’t have access to it because YOU DONT WORK AT HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL. I know this concept is hard for this group of bigoted entitled parents to stomach.

Stop trying to use the grievance as ammunition that there was any teacher support behind this whole thing and that the lululemon mob was justified in their witch hunt.

DP: So everyone is in agreement that the schedule did not undergo the proper process or get required inputs.

How is that not a problem, particularly when the result sucks majorly for the students?

Oh dear lord - it is not that serious and not a fireable offense. Kids never get their schedules until before the first week of school anyway and even then their schedules are going to change. Schedules go through many iterations between now and August.

Sure you have logic and reason on your side, but don't forget it "sucks majorly" for students

It's not about the timing of when students get their schedules! No one has said that.

It is about the classes available to students, class size, class length, and how the budget and schedule process are managed to get to a good, if imperfect, result (rather than let's just not try and let it be crappy because it's always imperfect result anyway).

The schedule and budget process, or lack thereof, are one of a bunch of Hardy challenges this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lost in all this race distraction: the Instructional Superintendent is BLACK. The man who go made the decision is BLACK. And his boss is BLACK. And his bosses’ boss is BLACK. And the mayor is BLACK. If you think these people were all just doing the bidding of some white parents, reflect upon what you are saying. They’re not capable of independent thought. They have no backbone. They don’t know how to do their jobs.

Or, just maybe, race has nothing to do with

But but but but ….. I can’t be racist - I have two black friends! I voted for Obama.

But because you took a stand against an incompetent and dishonest principal who is black, you are a racist? That’s really what you think?

I'm curious how the CSO will end up handling this.

Also, other teachers around Dcps see this and it matters during hiring season

THIS.

PTO, why would anyone with any sort or talent want to come teach at Hardy now? This whole situation is a shit show. Congrats - the applicant pool will be full of young teachers who don’t know any better. Any seasoned educator would see this whole thing and run a mile away. There are just too many vacancies in DCPS and it is really easy to move schools (with the same salary and benefits).

You’ve just made Hardy an undesirable place to work at. Why would any principal or AP choose to come here after this fiasco?

Hardy’s reputation was rapidly declining anyway. You seem to be arguing that the only choice was to go down with the sinking ship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lost in all this race distraction: the Instructional Superintendent is BLACK. The man who go made the decision is BLACK. And his boss is BLACK. And his bosses’ boss is BLACK. And the mayor is BLACK. If you think these people were all just doing the bidding of some white parents, reflect upon what you are saying. They’re not capable of independent thought. They have no backbone. They don’t know how to do their jobs.

Or, just maybe, race has nothing to do with

But but but but ….. I can’t be racist - I have two black friends! I voted for Obama.

But because you took a stand against an incompetent and dishonest principal who is black, you are a racist? That’s really what you think?

I'm curious how the CSO will end up handling this.

Also, other teachers around Dcps see this and it matters during hiring season

THIS.

PTO, why would anyone with any sort or talent want to come teach at Hardy now? This whole situation is a shit show. Congrats - the applicant pool will be full of young teachers who don’t know any better. Any seasoned educator would see this whole thing and run a mile away. There are just too many vacancies in DCPS and it is really easy to move schools (with the same salary and benefits).

You’ve just made Hardy an undesirable place to work at. Why would any principal or AP choose to come here after this fiasco?

Hardy’s reputation was rapidly declining anyway. You seem to be arguing that the only choice was to go down with the sinking ship.

LOL. As we knock down every one of these clown arguments they start to retreat into this kind of talk

[Anonymous]

I think it’s hilarious that the Hardy parents go-to insult on this forum to every teacher with an opposing viewpoint is to immediately go to the classist and elitist jabs of “they’re unhinged”, “toxic”, “rage-fueled”, “drunk”, and “bad at their jobs”.

Get off your snobby high horse. God some of you absolutely suck. Stop clutching your pearls and doubling down in your racist rhetoric because the teachers refuse to kowtow to you. Stop trying to discredit anyone who disagrees with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lost in all this race distraction: the Instructional Superintendent is BLACK. The man who go made the decision is BLACK. And his boss is BLACK. And his bosses’ boss is BLACK. And the mayor is BLACK. If you think these people were all just doing the bidding of some white parents, reflect upon what you are saying. They’re not capable of independent thought. They have no backbone. They don’t know how to do their jobs.

Or, just maybe, race has nothing to do with

But but but but ….. I can’t be racist - I have two black friends! I voted for Obama.

But because you took a stand against an incompetent and dishonest principal who is black, you are a racist? That’s really what you think?

I'm curious how the CSO will end up handling this.

Also, other teachers around Dcps see this and it matters during hiring season

THIS.

PTO, why would anyone with any sort or talent want to come teach at Hardy now? This whole situation is a shit show. Congrats - the applicant pool will be full of young teachers who don’t know any better. Any seasoned educator would see this whole thing and run a mile away. There are just too many vacancies in DCPS and it is really easy to move schools (with the same salary and benefits).

You’ve just made Hardy an undesirable place to work at. Why would any principal or AP choose to come here after this fiasco?

Hardy’s reputation was rapidly declining anyway. You seem to be arguing that the only choice was to go down with the sinking ship.

LOL. As we knock down every one of these clown arguments they start to retreat into this kind of talk

You can make as many juvenile unhinged posts you want, but the facts speak for themselves. The Hardy challenges have been increasing and well-documented all year. A large group of parents were concerned enough to organize. And DCPS was concerned enough to respond. The claim that it’s just a “clown argument” made up apparently by a few vindictive white moms holds zero water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s hilarious that the Hardy parents go-to insult on this forum to every teacher with an opposing viewpoint is to immediately go to the classist and elitist jabs of “they’re unhinged”, “toxic”, “rage-fueled”, “drunk”, and “bad at their jobs”.

Get off your snobby high horse. God some of you absolutely suck. Stop clutching your pearls and doubling down in your racist rhetoric because the teachers refuse to kowtow to you. Stop trying to discredit anyone who disagrees with you.

um maybe you should edit your posts if you don’t want to come off as unhinged! and please stop with the false accusations of racism. that’s unconscionable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np, former Hardy teacher that left and teach in ward 7 now. Life is way less stressful. Hardy teachers, we have several openings, class sizes are all around 20 and parents thinking they can do my job better than I do are a lot rarer.

[/b]Any parent wondering why Cooke[b] left... You know hes still in the same system still doing the same job.... Just... Not with you, right? Lol

I have no doubt his decision-making for leaving Hardy was complex and I don't think it was primarily because of the parents community. Was it a factor? Sure, I bet it was. But you do him a disservice in broadcasting your assumptions here. I'd imagine bigger drivers in his decision to go to MacFarland include being able to work at a school he can walk to from his home. Working a couple blocks from his kids' elementary school where he can run to for assemblies or dropping off a forgotten lunchbox, like other parents who are trying to be there for their kids. A nicer existence than busting his ass every day to get across town super early. And he worked late often. And was present at tons of sporting events. He's just that kind of engaged leader. His kids are in-boundary for MacFarland. You don't think part of his calculus in taking the gig was wanting to try and affect change at MacFarland so that it has a better chance of being a great school for his own children? Plus DCPS needed a dynamic, proven leader for MacFarland. DCPS sees the potential in MacFarland. And they know Cooke can get it there. Was leaving behind the many daily parent emails and calls a bonus when he decided to make the move? Probably. But to say that was the primary reason he left tells me you dont know him.

Lmao what a long nonsensical post. I can tell you don’t know him either. Well….sounds like you know him as a parent. Your take on why he left is exactly what he fed you and what your fragile egos need to believe.

Anyone that actually KNOWS the great Cooke, or has worked with him knows he left 1000% because of the terrible Hardy parents. Sorry to burst your bubble.

I’ve been reading your posts throughout this thread. You come across like an unhinged and frequently drunk but consistently racist clown who is both terrified that DCPS employees might be held accountable for their performance and completely disinterested in the quality of education that DCPS students receive. You claim to be a Hardy staff member but have done little to distinguish yourself from a Macedonian troll paid to spread misinformation and foment social division. People told you many pages ago to get lost. The thread would be much better had you heeded that advice.

Not sure how you know the identities of all the anonymous posters but it's probably the same way you know how to run a school hahaha

[Anonymous]

New to this thread, but I fail to understand how holding a person accountable for doing their job poorly is bullying? This notion feels more like part of the problem. Of course he should have been reassigned. The real problem is that he was given this assignment in the first place. He seemed to me to be entirely unqualified, but my conversations with him and as an audience at parent meetings led me to believe he probably interviewed well. He sounded like he knew what to say, but he very clearly didn’t know how to actually do the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s hilarious that the Hardy parents go-to insult on this forum to every teacher with an opposing viewpoint is to immediately go to the classist and elitist jabs of “they’re unhinged”, “toxic”, “rage-fueled”, “drunk”, and “bad at their jobs”.

Get off your snobby high horse. God some of you absolutely suck. Stop clutching your pearls and doubling down in your racist rhetoric because the teachers refuse to kowtow to you. Stop trying to discredit anyone who disagrees with you.

um maybe you should edit your posts if you don’t want to come off as unhinged! and please stop with the false accusations of racism. that’s unconscionable.

Sorry Dad I’ll edit my posts now so that I don’t trigger these cotton ball soft parents who are having a meltdown with strangers on an anonymous Internet forum.