So how many IB are going to really be at Hardy?

[Anonymous]

What would be the point of Pride saying something in September, that would then be shown to be false in October? That doesn't make sense.

OTOH I said the same thing about Dick Cheney and WMD's in 2003. Is there reason to think Principal Pride is like VP Cheney?

[Anonymous]

oh dear lord. please people, get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re # of IB kids-someone mentioned on this thread that hArdy met their goal of 50 IB 6th graders this year and met 100% capacity for that grade as well.

Is that based on DCPS methodology of counting where students actually live or using Principal Pride's system, in which OOB students who attended an IB feeder are considered "in boundary"?

Two observations on this question:

1. it is a good example of the goalpost-moving that occurs with potential Hardy parents. They announce they want something - more IB families - then when they get it, they announce that it's not quite right - not the right kind of IB families. Reminds me of a few years ago - IB families met with DCPS officials and asked for a gifted and talented program at Hardy. They got it - the SEM program - and it's great. But of course, it was mostly ignored by these same IB families because it was not the right kind of gifted and talented program.

2. People who complain about the wrong kind of IB families (ie, families that lotteried into IB schools)....I am not calling you racists. But can you at least understand the perception that this creates? There is some logic to saying "I want my kid to go to school with other kids from his high-performing school because I know these will be high-performing kids." But to say "I only want my kids to go to school with high-performing kids from the white part of town"? How are we supposed to view statements that have that message?

This is confusing. If there is any "goal post" moving, it may be on the part of the school administration. DCPS uses a pretty simple metric for IB and OB (assuming that residences are reported accurately). Students either reside in boundaries or they don't. This has yielded rather small IB percentages at Hardy. Then the school announces lofty goals for the 6th grade entering class, but it turns out they use a different methodology altogether. A student who resides OB is somehow considered IB if s/he feeds from an IB feeder school. Given high OB enrollment at a school like Addison-Hyde, this can skew the numbers quite a bit.

[Anonymous]

Here's how Hardy could score a big one. They should call up the music prodigy who was forced out of Deal for truancy, and try to attract her family to the school. Announce that Hardy, as a smaller school that caters to the individual student, is more than able to make her competition schedule work within their educational program -- something that a larger, obviously bureaucratic middle school like Deal is unable, or at least unwilling, to do.

[Anonymous]

and so what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:and so what?

If you don't get it, you don't get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's how Hardy could score a big one. They should call up the music prodigy who was forced out of Deal for truancy, and try to attract her family to the school. Announce that Hardy, as a smaller school that caters to the individual student, is more than able to make her competition schedule work within their educational program -- something that a larger, obviously bureaucratic middle school like Deal is unable, or at least unwilling, to do.

If she did that IB families would just stick their noses in the air and complain that Principal Pride was too busy recruiting OOB families and was not catering enough to IB needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re # of IB kids-someone mentioned on this thread that hArdy met their goal of 50 IB 6th graders this year and met 100% capacity for that grade as well.

Is that based on DCPS methodology of counting where students actually live or using Principal Pride's system, in which OOB students who attended an IB feeder are considered "in boundary"?

Two observations on this question:

1. it is a good example of the goalpost-moving that occurs with potential Hardy parents. They announce they want something - more IB families - then when they get it, they announce that it's not quite right - not the right kind of IB families. Reminds me of a few years ago - IB families met with DCPS officials and asked for a gifted and talented program at Hardy. They got it - the SEM program - and it's great. But of course, it was mostly ignored by these same IB families because it was not the right kind of gifted and talented program.

2. People who complain about the wrong kind of IB families (ie, families that lotteried into IB schools)....I am not calling you racists. But can you at least understand the perception that this creates? There is some logic to saying "I want my kid to go to school with other kids from his high-performing school because I know these will be high-performing kids." But to say "I only want my kids to go to school with high-performing kids from the white part of town"? How are we supposed to view statements that have that message?

This is confusing. If there is any "goal post" moving, it may be on the part of the school administration. DCPS uses a pretty simple metric for IB and OB (assuming that residences are reported accurately). Students either reside in boundaries or they don't. This has yielded rather small IB percentages at Hardy. Then the school announces lofty goals for the 6th grade entering class, but it turns out they use a different methodology altogether. A student who resides OB is somehow considered IB if s/he feeds from an IB feeder school. Given high OB enrollment at a school like Addison-Hyde, this can skew the numbers quite a bit.

The point isn't what DCPS said or did not say (to my knowledge, neither DCPS nor Principal Pride made any public promises). The point is that:

1. IB families say they want their kids to go to school with other IB families because these kids went to high-performing elementary schools and are therefore more likely to be high-performing middle-school students.

2. IB families then say that they don't want their kids to go to middle school with graduates of the IB elementary schools if those graduates live in non-white neighborhoods.

On the face of it, this looks like race is the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re # of IB kids-someone mentioned on this thread that hArdy met their goal of 50 IB 6th graders this year and met 100% capacity for that grade as well.

Is that based on DCPS methodology of counting where students actually live or using Principal Pride's system, in which OOB students who attended an IB feeder are considered "in boundary"?

Two observations on this question:

1. it is a good example of the goalpost-moving that occurs with potential Hardy parents. They announce they want something - more IB families - then when they get it, they announce that it's not quite right - not the right kind of IB families. Reminds me of a few years ago - IB families met with DCPS officials and asked for a gifted and talented program at Hardy. They got it - the SEM program - and it's great. But of course, it was mostly ignored by these same IB families because it was not the right kind of gifted and talented program.

2. People who complain about the wrong kind of IB families (ie, families that lotteried into IB schools)....I am not calling you racists. But can you at least understand the perception that this creates? There is some logic to saying "I want my kid to go to school with other kids from his high-performing school because I know these will be high-performing kids." But to say "I only want my kids to go to school with high-performing kids from the white part of town"? How are we supposed to view statements that have that message?

You talk about the "IB community" like there's one person speaking for everyone and choosing for everyone. It's hundreds of families, each family makes what they feel is the best choice for their family. If the school isn't attracting families it's not the families' fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re # of IB kids-someone mentioned on this thread that hArdy met their goal of 50 IB 6th graders this year and met 100% capacity for that grade as well.

Is that based on DCPS methodology of counting where students actually live or using Principal Pride's system, in which OOB students who attended an IB feeder are considered "in boundary"?

Two observations on this question:

1. it is a good example of the goalpost-moving that occurs with potential Hardy parents. They announce they want something - more IB families - then when they get it, they announce that it's not quite right - not the right kind of IB families. Reminds me of a few years ago - IB families met with DCPS officials and asked for a gifted and talented program at Hardy. They got it - the SEM program - and it's great. But of course, it was mostly ignored by these same IB families because it was not the right kind of gifted and talented program.

2. People who complain about the wrong kind of IB families (ie, families that lotteried into IB schools)....I am not calling you racists. But can you at least understand the perception that this creates? There is some logic to saying "I want my kid to go to school with other kids from his high-performing school because I know these will be high-performing kids." But to say "I only want my kids to go to school with high-performing kids from the white part of town"? How are we supposed to view statements that have that message?

You talk about the "IB community" like there's one person speaking for everyone and choosing for everyone. It's hundreds of families, each family makes what they feel is the best choice for their family. If the school isn't attracting families it's not the families' fault.

Nobody's assigning "fault"...but understanding incentives helps figure out what changes - if any - will really attract IB families. For example, getting rid of the principal that IB families wanted out did not attract IB families. Improvements to academic programs - like adding the SEM program - did not attact IB families even though IB families said it would. There was some other factor at play. And figuring out what that factor is helps make sure that resources are spent wisely. I posit that one factor is race. And that makes me wonder if there is any solution for IB families that will address their real - not their stated - concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Nobody's assigning "fault"...but understanding incentives helps figure out what changes - if any - will really attract IB families. For example, getting rid of the principal that IB families wanted out did not attract IB families. Improvements to academic programs - like adding the SEM program - did not attact IB families even though IB families said it would. There was some other factor at play. And figuring out what that factor is helps make sure that resources are spent wisely. I posit that one factor is race. And that makes me wonder if there is any solution for IB families that will address their real - not their stated - concerns.

Let's see. Five principals in three years. Almost daily coverage in the Washington Post. Test scores significantly lower than Deal. Low retention of the few IB kids who do attend.

Then there's uniforms. And teachers who have publicly stated they don't believe IB kids belong at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Nobody's assigning "fault"...but understanding incentives helps figure out what changes - if any - will really attract IB families. For example, getting rid of the principal that IB families wanted out did not attract IB families. Improvements to academic programs - like adding the SEM program - did not attact IB families even though IB families said it would. There was some other factor at play. And figuring out what that factor is helps make sure that resources are spent wisely. I posit that one factor is race. And that makes me wonder if there is any solution for IB families that will address their real - not their stated - concerns.

Let's see. Five principals in three years. Almost daily coverage in the Washington Post. Test scores significantly lower than Deal. Low retention of the few IB kids who do attend.

Then there's uniforms. And teachers who have publicly stated they don't believe IB kids belong at the school.

Please find us the cite for this instead of asserting it over and over without evidence - because no one else on this thread has ever heard them say this or witnessed behavior that would suggest these attitudes.

[Anonymous]

Can someone please stand outside Hardy with a clipboard and count the number of black kids versus white kids coming in? I'm not racist or anything. I just really, really need to know before I consider sending my child there. Please report back here on DCUM, there's a lot of other totally not racist parents that also really need to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Nobody's assigning "fault"...but understanding incentives helps figure out what changes - if any - will really attract IB families. For example, getting rid of the principal that IB families wanted out did not attract IB families. Improvements to academic programs - like adding the SEM program - did not attact IB families even though IB families said it would. There was some other factor at play. And figuring out what that factor is helps make sure that resources are spent wisely. I posit that one factor is race. And that makes me wonder if there is any solution for IB families that will address their real - not their stated - concerns.

Let's see. Five principals in three years. Almost daily coverage in the Washington Post. Test scores significantly lower than Deal. Low retention of the few IB kids who do attend.

Then there's uniforms. And teachers who have publicly stated they don't believe IB kids belong at the school.

Stop making stuff up.

[Anonymous]

Here, let me help with finding a quote from a teacher (see below). Oh, wait, it just says that an award-winning math teacher said that the staff will leave if Mr. Pope leaves. Not a single word against IB children. But go on, person who obsesses about that meeting, give us the cite. You seem so certain that it occurred and you keep repeating it. You must have evidence somewhere.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/05/AR2009120501580.html

Hardy Middle parents, staff decry replacement of principal
By Bill Turque
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 6, 2009

Sarah Bax, an award-winning math teacher at Hardy Middle School in Georgetown, goes back many years with Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, once her trainer in the Teach for America program.

But Bax had a warning for her old mentor Friday night, after Rhee announced her decision to replace Patrick Pope, the popular longtime principal.

"This is a grave, grave error," Bax said. "This staff will not be here when Mr. Pope is not here."

Bax was part of a standing-room-only crowd of parents, teachers and students infuriated by Rhee's decision to change leadership at the school, home to a highly regarded arts and instrumental music program that draws a predominantly African American student body from all wards of the city.