HARDY MIDDLE SCHOOL: Record numbers from feeder schools for 2014-2015

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can buy a house in Petworth, isn't that upper middle class in DC?

Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't guarantee an acceptable public school education and we're not prepared to shell out $20-35k per year on private. Our neighborhood middle school is closed and Hardy was looking like a pretty good alternative to Deal to us.

Might as well pay for snotty elitest attitudes, if I thought it might benefit my kid. But I don't, and if that's all Hardy's offering after you successfully fill up with IB kids, then I think it's better to look elsewhere.

And I don't think I'll be alone on that in the future. Look for what will distinguish Hardy, or wait for what will extinguish it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm sorry, encouraging in-boundary attendance is not the same as eliminating OOB.

I'm sorry, have you seen this thread yet? http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/363908.page

I live in Petwoth, the real estate here is only going up, we're moving on to our second child and I know I'm not alone in saying Deal is not attractive at 1200+ students. Hardy looks fantstic from our POV, commute notwithstanding. We've been talking about it as, well that's the life of an urban kid.

But all this biz about low-SES percentages, and being prepared to learn, and discipline problems sounds like pretty clear code for "rich people will come in when poor people will get out."

If the school has a capacity for 650 and it's currently at 400, what in the hell is keeping IB parents from filling it now? If you say academic rigor and program offerings and extracurriculars, I'm ready to join your fight to make it happen, because the ward 4 problem is woefully sad and neglected.

If you say it's demographics, as many Hardy neighbors have expressed here, I'll say you can go hang and suggest that current and prospective OOB Hardy families take a look at Paul Public Charter School. We're pretty excited about it and think--hope with fingers crossed!-- that it will continue to diversify as it maintains its academic standards. Looks like a REALLY great school

BRAVO!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a Mann parent and a few weeks ago was talking to a 5th grade parent and he said that NO current 5th graders were even considering it. He is active and knows the other parents so I'm wondering what the disconnect is and if this was a recent decision for these families or if you've all been wanting to go to Hardy all along this year.

How misinformed! Please talk to Liz Whisnant, she knows all about the six families. All of the six families had independently matured positive views about Hardy. However coordination started in the most recent weeks. I am confident that by now your contact person is more aware of the picture than he was weeks ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it really matter who goes there or does it matter of you like the program. Sounds like a lot of white scaredy cats to me.

+2

Like it's only acceptable if it's mostly IB. Defeats the purpose and spirit of public school. And if the principal is on a campaign to eliminate OOB, then it's even more undesirable. You can't just say, "this is OUR school-- get out!"

We are not saying that. We are actually saying, "this is our school -- let's get in!".

Fifth grade parent from feeder school (going to Hardy)

[Anonymous]

We are inbound from Stoddert. We went to one of the first Hardy open house with low expectations. Came out knowing that Hardy was the school for our daughter. We had a couple or additional follow-up visits, talked to math teachers (6th grade and 8th grade, both impressive) and to Principal Pride whom we knew from her interim at Stoddert. We did not apply to any other schools (charter, private). Great to see more neighborhood families have made up their mind in favor of Hardy, she will be happier to walk to/from school with her mates (Glover Park). We are puzzled by the current IB/OB debate, or skepticism about the school. I bet those skeptics have not visited the school or talked to the Teachers and to the Principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Mann parent and a few weeks ago was talking to a 5th grade parent and he said that NO current 5th graders were even considering it. He is active and knows the other parents so I'm wondering what the disconnect is and if this was a recent decision for these families or if you've all been wanting to go to Hardy all along this year.

How misinformed! Please talk to Liz Whisnant, she knows all about the six families. All of the six families had independently matured positive views about Hardy. However coordination started in the most recent weeks. I am confident that by now your contact person is more aware of the picture than he was weeks ago.

Glad to hear it. My child is in a younger grade so I still have several years until we're there. By then I can only imagine the numbers will grow if 25% of the kids are going this year. I also wonder if that means more 3rd and 4th graders will stick around for next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't hope that Eaton follows suit -Eaton is mostly OOB with grandfather privileges, and Hardy is a small school with the potential to be a neighborhood school-regardless of how the OOB students perform, I want my kid to go to a neighborhood school, and if OOB kids populate it, regardless of whether or not they are entering because they attended an OOB feared or not, it isn't really a neighborhood school then, is it?

Eaton parent here. Eaton is NOT mostly OOB, it's mostly IB.

[Anonymous]

Hi eaton parent-you should let your DCPS know they are wrong then-according to DCPS and Eaton's website, Eaton is 64% Out of boundary this year: http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Eaton+Elementary+School

[Anonymous]

PP is right. And it was even higher in past years, and is higher in the older classes than the younger, so that is more OOB kids qualifying for a seat at either Deal or Hardy.

[Anonymous]

7:37 Eaton parent, you are incorrect. Eaton was 87% OOB 2 years ago. and it is 2/3 OOB this year. That is certainly NOT "mostly IB".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi eaton parent-you should let your DCPS know they are wrong then-according to DCPS and Eaton's website, Eaton is 64% Out of boundary this year: http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Eaton+Elementary+School

NP here. Those stats are from last school year. DCPS hasn't released the demographic data for the 2013/14 school year.

[Anonymous]

Regardless, it is doubtful it has changed by more than 25 or 30% IB form what it is now in one school year, and is therefore mostly OOB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regardless, it is doubtful it has changed by more than 25 or 30% IB form what it is now in one school year, and is therefore mostly OOB

Yes, but you actually don't know do you? It would only have to change by 15% to be mostly IB. I'd stop posting if I were you. You don't seem to have any of your facts straight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regardless, it is doubtful it has changed by more than 25 or 30% IB form what it is now in one school year, and is therefore mostly OOB

New poster here. Nice reading comprehension. We have two points of reference: two years ago it was 87% OOB. Last year it was 67%. That's a 20% change in one year. If it changes by 20% again this year, it will be majority IB.

I have no knowledge about anything relating to Eaton. I'm just criticizing you, PP, for not thinking when posting.

[Anonymous]

Many schools that are ~50% OOB ON AVERAGE have 100% in bounds in the preK to K to 1st grades, and have 70% 80% 90% OOB in 4th 5th grades.

The impression of how many students live in the neighborhood can be very different depending on the grade level. It is typical for the parents in the younger grades to think that their child's grade is the one that will stay together, and become IB all the way through.

I do know several families that were offered (one that accepted) 4th grade slots OOB in Aug/Sep 2013 for the current school year. It seemed that Eaton was working the WL pretty far down to find 4th graders for this year.