When will Hardy Middle School be as attractive as Deal Middle School?

[Anonymous]

I went to an open house at Deal a month ago and I think four different PTA parents used the "teams make it feel like a small school" mantra. PP, you might not realize that you're reciting a talking point, but you most certainly are. No matter how you spin it, 5 teams of 120 kids is a lot of kids.

[Anonymous]

I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

So we're not seeing a blip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once Hardy ceases to be a pan-DC school and reaches 75-80%+ IB enrollment, it will be seen as approaching Deal's league. Not before.

Which tells you something about the values such people hold.

One person's herd mentality is another person's faith in shared values.

Meaning that people who live OOB must not have the same values? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

So we're not seeing a blip.

But total from 2010-2015 seems about the same as 2015-2025 (twice as long a time period).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

So we're not seeing a blip.

But total from 2010-2015 seems about the same as 2015-2025 (twice as long a time period).

Which is consistent with DC consistently underestimating Ward 3 growth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

So we're not seeing a blip.

Hopefully they are giving you the same data for all wards. Because it's important to look at not just how Ward 3 is growing, but whether it's growing faster or more than the rest of the city.

This Office of Planning presentation from spring 2016 doesn't get into Ward by Ward growth, but suggests that the city's under 18 population is growing overall with Wards 4, 1 and 8's youth population growing the most. https://dme.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dme/publication/attachments/DME%20Cross%20Sector%20Presentation%20revised%202.16.17.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't comment on Hardy but Deal seems to be past the tipping point. It's like survival of the fittest to find a seat at lunch because the cafeteria now has to hold hundreds more students than it was planned for. Some classes are well past 30 students in size. The sports teams are either so competitive to get a spot that many talented kids are cut or the are so poorly organized that its just a frustrating experience. Parents are actively discouraged from scheduling a conference with teachers on conference day because the teachers don't have the bandwidth to meet with all of the parents. Many of the student computers are broken and have not been repaired or replaced. Some of the teachers are good and the curriculum is moderately rigorous (a debatable issue) but the place is really showing the wear and tear of the overcrowding. I don't believe Deal students today have the same experience students did 4-5 years ago.

Hardy parent here. My 7th grader's science, honors math and honors English all have more than 30 students. Social Studies high 20s. Try understanding that when the school is actually underenrolled. Last week DC also had one substitute each day - same substitute, different subject. It was actually an improvement as there have been numerous days with no substitute coverage all so the kids were unsupervised until the gym teacher or an admin stepped in.

These are symptoms of poor management and a lack of leadership and it is time for everyone to thank the principal for getting the school to this point and find a new leader. Our ES has been increasing its IB election to Hardy the last several years, and it looks like a big drop-off for 6th grade

The problem is that DCPS is highly resistant to segregation based on academic competence (colloquially known as "tracking"), combined with an almost singular infatuation with the concept of "equity" (in their world, "equity" means providing as much money as possible to low-income students). So, the prospect of adding honors classes to create several class sizes of 16-or-so (in the first year of the added class(es) anyway) would be truly immoral to them. Of course, most other school districts throughout the United States have "excellence" as one of many stated structural goals ("equity" as defined here being one strong goal as well), but you are just not going to find,in practice, academic excellence as a goal here.

[Anonymous]

DCPS plan to finally close the achievement gap is to starve the top performers out of an education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

So we're not seeing a blip.

Yeah - definitely no need to reclaim the old hardy school. Lots more room for trailers in ward 3. Eyeroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

Why then does DCPS not reduce out of boundary school enrollment in Ward 3 schools? DC politics??

So we're not seeing a blip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

Why then does DCPS not reduce out of boundary school enrollment in Ward 3 schools? DC politics??

So we're not seeing a blip.

Why then does DCPS not reduce out of boundary school enrollment in Ward 3 schools? DC politics??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't comment on Hardy but Deal seems to be past the tipping point. It's like survival of the fittest to find a seat at lunch because the cafeteria now has to hold hundreds more students than it was planned for. Some classes are well past 30 students in size. The sports teams are either so competitive to get a spot that many talented kids are cut or the are so poorly organized that its just a frustrating experience. Parents are actively discouraged from scheduling a conference with teachers on conference day because the teachers don't have the bandwidth to meet with all of the parents. Many of the student computers are broken and have not been repaired or replaced. Some of the teachers are good and the curriculum is moderately rigorous (a debatable issue) but the place is really showing the wear and tear of the overcrowding. I don't believe Deal students today have the same experience students did 4-5 years ago.

Hardy parent here. My 7th grader's science, honors math and honors English all have more than 30 students. Social Studies high 20s. Try understanding that when the school is actually underenrolled. Last week DC also had one substitute each day - same substitute, different subject. It was actually an improvement as there have been numerous days with no substitute coverage all so the kids were unsupervised until the gym teacher or an admin stepped in.

These are symptoms of poor management and a lack of leadership and it is time for everyone to thank the principal for getting the school to this point and find a new leader. Our ES has been increasing its IB election to Hardy the last several years, and it looks like a big drop-off for 6th grade

The problem is that DCPS is highly resistant to segregation based on academic competence (colloquially known as "tracking"), combined with an almost singular infatuation with the concept of "equity" (in their world, "equity" means providing as much money as possible to low-income students). So, the prospect of adding honors classes to create several class sizes of 16-or-so (in the first year of the added class(es) anyway) would be truly immoral to them. Of course, most other school districts throughout the United States have "excellence" as one of many stated structural goals ("equity" as defined here being one strong goal as well), but you are just not going to find,in practice, academic excellence as a goal here.

You must be new to DC. Here, "equity," "inclusion" and diversity will always come before academic excellence and overall rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Uh, lots of kids at Deal get cut after tryouts for sports cause there are not enough spots for interested students. For high school I understand that but in middle school most students should be accommodated If they have the interest. Just too many kids. And if my athletic Hardy kid wants to play a sport that is not offered at Hardy he will try out for the deal team because that is permissible. And I would add that school sports are not the gold standard anymore. It's all about leagues and travel teams now. And finally, the mayor and chancellor made a big deal about how they were investing in all middle schools this upcoming school year to increase sport offerings. Anyway, not sure sports is the best argument why Deal is great and Hardy is not.

Then you would think that Hardy would expand its sports offerings to compete with Deal in these circumstances.

Not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just saw a letter that Jenny Niles sent to Mary Cheh about Ward 3 crowding. There's a lot of good stuff in it, I'll probably post on it in detail later, but it did have population figures from the Office of Planning.

Ward 3, Under-18 Population:
2010 (1) 8,629
2015 (2) 11,419
2020 (3) 12,727
2025 (3) 14,026

(1) Actual from the 2010 census
(2) Estimate from the US Census
(3) Office of Planning projection

These are the 2017 projections. Note that past projections have under-estimated the growth of the school-age population in Ward 3.

Why then does DCPS not reduce out of boundary school enrollment in Ward 3 schools? DC politics??

So we're not seeing a blip.

Why then does DCPS not reduce out of boundary school enrollment in Ward 3 schools? DC politics??

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a Deal parent, I would take Hardy over Deal if I had to do it again. DC is happy, but Mom and Dad are not all that impressed. There are too many students. Admin does its best to mitigate the problems, but things are not nearly as rosy as they are made to appear.

You say that, but when push comes to shove, the relative lack of advanced classes and sports at Hardy are a deal breaker for most families. Almost noone willingly picks Hardy over Deal. Most will accept the crowding as the price of a better all around education.

The city could address the lack of sports by taking back control of the Jelleff field and letting Hardy use it. Currently it's leased to Maret after school, but the lease expires in 2020. There's no reason to renew it. During the day it's used by the British School, I don't believe they have any kind of long-term arrangement. Having that field for PE and extracurriculars would give Hardy a comparable facility to what Deal has. Then being a smaller school would become a real advantage as a much higher percentage of the kids would be able to participate in team sports.

Does Maret have an option to renew? Even if they don't, you know at the end of the day that DPR will sell access for cash. In DC, the bling is the thing.