Hardy Middle School -- 5th grade in feeder school -- who's considering Hardy for 6th?

[Anonymous]

Of course, once Eaton students are required to go to Hardy instead of Deal (current Eaton 4th graders), Hardy is going to get an influx of diverse, talented kids that will improve Hardy tremendously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are there great parts of Hardy? Yes, of course. Ms. Punwani is one of the best English teachers. Their Dean of students is excellent and really connects with troubled middle schoolers. Unfortunately, the staff is stretched for the amount of students they have. The space is way too small. Their special education department is old school DC baby and I feel the principal is not really worried about educating students but working on her 5 year plan to make it into Deal at any cost so she can move on to bigger and better things.

Please explain.

Not the PP, but Hardy, like other DCPS schools, admits some kids with special ed needs. Look at Hardy's list of faculty -- a surprising number are special education teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few years ago, Hardy didn't have a boys soccer program (football, but not soccer) but it looks like they do now according to the school's website. That's a big step forward in the athletic program, at least for in-boundary boys.

So girls can only play bbal? This shit pisses me off anywhere, not just at Hardy.

Deal has several girls teams.

Who struggle to find teams to play against because ....

Deal plays against several isl teams. There is no shortage of opponents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is an old thread but if you are considering Hardy-don't. I have two children who have been to Hardy and it's a mess. When my oldest child started there 5 years ago it was a lovely small school with a large art and music department. By the time he graduated, art and music were not required, they changed the scheduling system so that there are the same amount of periods everyday(this eliminates being able to take 3 electives), and their Math, Language and Science Departments are a mess. In 6th grade the principal keeps the numbers down to make the in-boundary families happy but over enrolls and floods the 8th grade. This has happened twice and when I asked Principal Pride she said it was impossible to know who would enroll. Really?

Their Math levels land most of their students one to two years behind their peers from the other feeder schools to Wilson. At Deal every student is offered at least Algebra 1 in the 8th grade. At Hardy only one section of Math receives Algebra 1. Students have to be recommended and pass a test. These test aren't normed and change from year to year. Every student at Deal is being pushed to take AT LEAST ALGEBRA 1 in the 8th grade while Hardy students have to jump through hoops and beat out their classmates to get into the one section. It's pathetic. When I asked the administration why 8th graders weren't taking Algebra 1 they said that most students would enter SWW and Wilson taking Algebra 1 as a freshman. I can assure you that with two students in high school only at risk students are taking Algebra 1 as a freshman and those from Hardy.

The one saving grace of the school's education is what they call the SEM class. It's a wonderful schoolwide enrichment class that shouldn't be an elective but a school wide class that is a project based learning focusing on STEM. All of DCPS is supposed to have rolled this out. It is how most classes should be taught using best teaching practice and student exploration. It gets kids excited about learning. Unfortunately, this class is once in their day and only for a half year, then it's back to teachers standing in front of them droning on and on while students sit.

Are there great parts of Hardy? Yes, of course. Ms. Punwani is one of the best English teachers. Their Dean of students is excellent and really connects with troubled middle schoolers. Unfortunately, the staff is stretched for the amount of students they have. The space is way too small. Their special education department is old school DC baby and I feel the principal is not really worried about educating students but working on her 5 year plan to make it into Deal at any cost so she can move on to bigger and better things.

Of course this is just observation from a mom who used to teach middle school ages before her kids were born and who wanted more for my kids. My kids are thriving in high school but their freshman years were hell on wheels getting caught up which included one of them having to take an online Math course over the summer recommended by the chair of the Math department who could not believe a smart kid had been left behind.

I don't want to start a fight but offer a view that is different than it sucks, it's getting better or it's great.


Hope this helps.

You rock, PP. We need to hear all this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course, once Eaton students are required to go to Hardy instead of Deal (current Eaton 4th graders), Hardy is going to get an influx of diverse, talented kids that will improve Hardy tremendously.

Not necessarily. I know several Eaton families who are actively considering charter options or even private rather than have to go to Hardy. The forced expulsion from Deal may cause these families to leave DCPS entirely, whic hwoukd be a shame. To be sure, opinions differs among the parent body and where you stand may depend on where you sit. Some OOB Eaton families are actually zoned for Deal so they have no worries. Other OOB families figure that Hardy is still better than their 'home' middle school option, and their kids will go to Wilson all the same, so they have accepted it. Others are intrigued by Hardy's smaller size but concerned about rumors that DC plans effectively to grow Hardy's enrollment by keeping OOB levels the same as IB numbers increase. A lot of Eaton's Cleveland Park families are still pretty angry about losing Deal and worry that it will stall the trend in recent years for more neighborhood kids to choose Eaton.

[Anonymous]

These Hardy threads will never seem to die. My kid went there 2 years ago and is doing fine at Wilson. Taking honors and AP classes. Involved in extra-curriculars. Younger child will be going there soon.

So much hand-wringing. Really, it's all going to be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These Hardy threads will never seem to die. My kid went there 2 years ago and is doing fine at Wilson. Taking honors and AP classes. Involved in extra-curriculars. Younger child will be going there soon.

So much hand-wringing. Really, it's all going to be fine.

True. Hamburger will nourish you just fine, but people who used to get sirloin steak will still miss the steak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These Hardy threads will never seem to die. My kid went there 2 years ago and is doing fine at Wilson. Taking honors and AP classes. Involved in extra-curriculars. Younger child will be going there soon.

So much hand-wringing. Really, it's all going to be fine.

Same experience here - my Hardy grad is killing it at Wilson.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure that "killing it" at Wilson means much, but people often don't realize that until they encounter better-prepared peers in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I'm not sure that "killing it" at Wilson means much, but people often don't realize that until they encounter better-prepared peers in college.

We'll see - though as a group, the Wilson grads I know did well in college, so in not losing a lot of sleep over this. But PP, if thinking this way makes it easier for you to swallow private school tuition or a long commute, then keep on keepin' on.

[Anonymous]

As more kids who come from the feeders and are "algebra track" and similar tack levels they are going to have to keep adding more sections of these classes. And the parents are pushing for it and getting it - and raising the PTO money to make things happen. The experiences from even a few years ago are hardy are relevant but less relevant now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As more kids who come from the feeders and are "algebra track" and similar tack levels they are going to have to keep adding more sections of these classes. And the parents are pushing for it and getting it - and raising the PTO money to make things happen. The experiences from even a few years ago are hardy are relevant but less relevant now.

I've heard a rumor that as more such kids come to Hardy, DCPS does not plan to throttle back the existing large number of OOB slots, thus effectively growing the size of the Hardy student body. I hope not! This would be a shame, as the school's smaller size is one definable, perceived advantage right now.

[Anonymous]

Based on the growing trends - Principal Pride mentioned it could get up to around 500 kids total (IB kids alone from the 5 feeders could fill out most of that).

[Anonymous]

Trailers at Wilson (More trailers?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As more kids who come from the feeders and are "algebra track" and similar tack levels they are going to have to keep adding more sections of these classes. And the parents are pushing for it and getting it - and raising the PTO money to make things happen. The experiences from even a few years ago are hardy are relevant but less relevant now.

I've heard a rumor that as more such kids come to Hardy, DCPS does not plan to throttle back the existing large number of OOB slots, thus effectively growing the size of the Hardy student body. I hope not! This would be a shame, as the school's smaller size is one definable, perceived advantage right now.

Fillmore Arts has been approved to stay at hardy next school year so there really won't be vacated space that can be used to grow Hardy that much. Principal Pride said at a recent open house that I attended that she wouldn't want to see next year's incoming 6th grade class to be more than around 150--135 has been the target in recent years. A fifteen-student increase isn't that bad and next year, with Eaton excluded, there will be a pool of around 180 feeder school students for 6th grade. They just need to deliver if they want to fill up the 6th grade with feeder school students.