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

[Anonymous]

Hardy is free. You what you pay for. Perhaps demand a dive into the Ferrebee’s performance? At least be honest as to why he is not held to any standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy is free. You what you pay for. Perhaps demand a dive into the Ferrebee’s performance? At least be honest as to why he is not held to any standard.

Our property taxes pay for Hardy. It is decidedly not free. And we do want to get what we pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

There you go again with the crazed accusations of racism. I stopped reading at that point as I suspect did everybody else who has any interest in reasoned discourse. Any administrator or teacher worth their salt values parents who are invested in their children’s education and the schools that provide it. Those who abhor parental involvement and accountability for performance generally have the most to lose from it.

I really wish you would stop pretending that this is about teachers hating parental involvement. I have great relationships with most of my families, they know that they can bring up concerns with me, and I still support many of them as they matriculate to HS.

What you are doing is overstepping the role of the parent, and that is what I think is the problem.

DP: At least a couple of the teachers on here seem to resent the whole idea of parents. I appreciate that your perspective is different and am glad you have good relationships with students and families.

But where is the line at which parents take strong action? No doubt people have different opinions on that, but a bunch of us were at our limit. Obviously the hundreds of us who signed the petition had not taken a similar action previously in our years with DCPS.

My own family was at the point of seriously talking about moving out of DC. Perhaps a teacher would have a longer perspective, but a student having a terrible 2-3 years of a 3 year experience is too much in my own view.

Quite frankly you should of taken your child somewhere else. Parents like you should pay tuition to get it (school) exactly how you want.

Nope. I don't expect perfection. But when I have to drag my child to school everyday because he hates the environment, that's a problem. He, like all the rest of the kids, has the right to be there and to not feel vulnerable to someone else's misbehavior or rough-housing the whole time.

The idea that you have to put up with a miserable environment if you want to go to public school is a pathetically low standard. I expect more for my and everyone else's tax dollars.

I think what you are missing is quite how not-okay many of the kids have been this year with the lack of discipline. If you were to have my child in class, you wouldn't know how much he has hated this year. He stores up the misery until he's home.

Your snowflake is miserable because of you. Your snowflake is fragile because of you. Your kid will have a hard time surviving in the world. Look in the mirror instead of scapegoating an innocent man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

There you go again with the crazed accusations of racism. I stopped reading at that point as I suspect did everybody else who has any interest in reasoned discourse. Any administrator or teacher worth their salt values parents who are invested in their children’s education and the schools that provide it. Those who abhor parental involvement and accountability for performance generally have the most to lose from it.

I really wish you would stop pretending that this is about teachers hating parental involvement. I have great relationships with most of my families, they know that they can bring up concerns with me, and I still support many of them as they matriculate to HS.

What you are doing is overstepping the role of the parent, and that is what I think is the problem.

DP: At least a couple of the teachers on here seem to resent the whole idea of parents. I appreciate that your perspective is different and am glad you have good relationships with students and families.

But where is the line at which parents take strong action? No doubt people have different opinions on that, but a bunch of us were at our limit. Obviously the hundreds of us who signed the petition had not taken a similar action previously in our years with DCPS.

My own family was at the point of seriously talking about moving out of DC. Perhaps a teacher would have a longer perspective, but a student having a terrible 2-3 years of a 3 year experience is too much in my own view.

Quite frankly you should of taken your child somewhere else. Parents like you should pay tuition to get it (school) exactly how you want.

Nope. I don't expect perfection. But when I have to drag my child to school everyday because he hates the environment, that's a problem. He, like all the rest of the kids, has the right to be there and to not feel vulnerable to someone else's misbehavior or rough-housing the whole time.

The idea that you have to put up with a miserable environment if you want to go to public school is a pathetically low standard. I expect more for my and everyone else's tax dollars.

I think what you are missing is quite how not-okay many of the kids have been this year with the lack of discipline. If you were to have my child in class, you wouldn't know how much he has hated this year. He stores up the misery until he's home.

Your snowflake is miserable because of you. Your snowflake is fragile because of you. Your kid will have a hard time surviving in the world. Look in the mirror instead of scapegoating an innocent man.

Yep, the innocent man who was so on top of serious security incidents that he declined to report them to parents and DCPS.

But you're right -- we should all be training our kids in combat skills so they can take on the mean halls of Hardy with plenty of swagger. That's what school should be -- all about making preteens tough and street-smart. Screw that dumb book-learning stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

There you go again with the crazed accusations of racism. I stopped reading at that point as I suspect did everybody else who has any interest in reasoned discourse. Any administrator or teacher worth their salt values parents who are invested in their children’s education and the schools that provide it. Those who abhor parental involvement and accountability for performance generally have the most to lose from it.

I really wish you would stop pretending that this is about teachers hating parental involvement. I have great relationships with most of my families, they know that they can bring up concerns with me, and I still support many of them as they matriculate to HS.

What you are doing is overstepping the role of the parent, and that is what I think is the problem.

DP: At least a couple of the teachers on here seem to resent the whole idea of parents. I appreciate that your perspective is different and am glad you have good relationships with students and families.

But where is the line at which parents take strong action? No doubt people have different opinions on that, but a bunch of us were at our limit. Obviously the hundreds of us who signed the petition had not taken a similar action previously in our years with DCPS.

My own family was at the point of seriously talking about moving out of DC. Perhaps a teacher would have a longer perspective, but a student having a terrible 2-3 years of a 3 year experience is too much in my own view.

Quite frankly you should of taken your child somewhere else. Parents like you should pay tuition to get it (school) exactly how you want.

Nope. I don't expect perfection. But when I have to drag my child to school everyday because he hates the environment, that's a problem. He, like all the rest of the kids, has the right to be there and to not feel vulnerable to someone else's misbehavior or rough-housing the whole time.

The idea that you have to put up with a miserable environment if you want to go to public school is a pathetically low standard. I expect more for my and everyone else's tax dollars.

I think what you are missing is quite how not-okay many of the kids have been this year with the lack of discipline. If you were to have my child in class, you wouldn't know how much he has hated this year. He stores up the misery until he's home.

Your snowflake is miserable because of you. Your snowflake is fragile because of you. Your kid will have a hard time surviving in the world. Look in the mirror instead of scapegoating an innocent man.

Yep, the innocent man who was so on top of serious security incidents that he declined to report them to parents and DCPS.

But you're right -- we should all be training our kids in combat skills so they can take on the mean halls of Hardy with plenty of swagger. That's what school should be -- all about making preteens tough and street-smart. Screw that dumb book-learning stuff.

You lose so much credibility with comments like this. It's not at all that serious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

There you go again with the crazed accusations of racism. I stopped reading at that point as I suspect did everybody else who has any interest in reasoned discourse. Any administrator or teacher worth their salt values parents who are invested in their children’s education and the schools that provide it. Those who abhor parental involvement and accountability for performance generally have the most to lose from it.

I really wish you would stop pretending that this is about teachers hating parental involvement. I have great relationships with most of my families, they know that they can bring up concerns with me, and I still support many of them as they matriculate to HS.

What you are doing is overstepping the role of the parent, and that is what I think is the problem.

DP: At least a couple of the teachers on here seem to resent the whole idea of parents. I appreciate that your perspective is different and am glad you have good relationships with students and families.

But where is the line at which parents take strong action? No doubt people have different opinions on that, but a bunch of us were at our limit. Obviously the hundreds of us who signed the petition had not taken a similar action previously in our years with DCPS.

My own family was at the point of seriously talking about moving out of DC. Perhaps a teacher would have a longer perspective, but a student having a terrible 2-3 years of a 3 year experience is too much in my own view.

Quite frankly you should of taken your child somewhere else. Parents like you should pay tuition to get it (school) exactly how you want.

Nope. I don't expect perfection. But when I have to drag my child to school everyday because he hates the environment, that's a problem. He, like all the rest of the kids, has the right to be there and to not feel vulnerable to someone else's misbehavior or rough-housing the whole time.

The idea that you have to put up with a miserable environment if you want to go to public school is a pathetically low standard. I expect more for my and everyone else's tax dollars.

I think what you are missing is quite how not-okay many of the kids have been this year with the lack of discipline. If you were to have my child in class, you wouldn't know how much he has hated this year. He stores up the misery until he's home.

Your snowflake is miserable because of you. Your snowflake is fragile because of you. Your kid will have a hard time surviving in the world. Look in the mirror instead of scapegoating an innocent man.

Yep, the innocent man who was so on top of serious security incidents that he declined to report them to parents and DCPS.

But you're right -- we should all be training our kids in combat skills so they can take on the mean halls of Hardy with plenty of swagger. That's what school should be -- all about making preteens tough and street-smart. Screw that dumb book-learning stuff.

You lose so much credibility with comments like this. It's not at all that serious

Fair point. But declaring innocence and snowflakiness with 0 actual knowledge is idiotic. But, no, I shouldn't stoop to that level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

DP: My DS has hated his experience at Hardy this year -- abhors the constant misbehavior and lack of any effective discipline. If he had hated school this much under Cooke, I would have been complaining then too. I'm not accepting that he -- nor my younger DS -- should have to just be miserable because you think it was bad in the past too. I'm sorry change is tough for you, even if it may turn out positive for everyone.

I still fail to see how any of this makes things better for Hardy in the short and long term. Starting a search for a new leader and probably a good amount of teachers a month or two behind everyone else. Whoever is principal next year will be just as new and inexperienced, and I can promise you that there is nothing DCPS central is going to do to impact student misbehavior

Things were not getting better over the course of this year; they were getting worse. Now they have a decent chance of getting better. No one is under illusions that Hardy is suddenly idyllic, but there's space for optimism now.

Agreed. Looking forward to next year being better at Hardy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

DP: My DS has hated his experience at Hardy this year -- abhors the constant misbehavior and lack of any effective discipline. If he had hated school this much under Cooke, I would have been complaining then too. I'm not accepting that he -- nor my younger DS -- should have to just be miserable because you think it was bad in the past too. I'm sorry change is tough for you, even if it may turn out positive for everyone.

I still fail to see how any of this makes things better for Hardy in the short and long term. Starting a search for a new leader and probably a good amount of teachers a month or two behind everyone else. Whoever is principal next year will be just as new and inexperienced, and I can promise you that there is nothing DCPS central is going to do to impact student misbehavior

Things were not getting better over the course of this year; they were getting worse. Now they have a decent chance of getting better. No one is under illusions that Hardy is suddenly idyllic, but there's space for optimism now.

Agreed. Looking forward to next year being better at Hardy

I really don't think parents understand what this does to a schools reputation from a staffing perspective. It's prime hiring time. Teachers aren't going to accept a job where there is no principal, especially with the reasons why this principal was removed. That post article has already been shared on the WTU page and I think Hardy is going to end up losing teachers over this as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what’s up with the teacher trolls. But they seem to want us to believe that Hardy went from a school steadily improving in outcome and reputation, to a school with really unhappy parents, for no reason at all having to do with the leadership. That seems … hard to believe.

Teacher troll here - I don’t think the PTO realized how much this has upset my staff as a whole. This whole thing happened behind our backs and moved at the speed of light. We are shocked and angry. So yea, pardon us if we lash out in an online forum that continues to perpetuate lies.

If anyone from the PTO is here - might as well cancel that happy hour next week. We want nothing to do with y’all.

+1. Change my RSVP to no

Sorry, but what experienced PTO lead thinks its a wise idea to plan a happy hour at a bar for parents and staff to gather and drink together? Sounds totally irresponsible and unprofessional to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there parents who really still believe their whiteness and money didn’t directly influence their ability to impact this school this quickly? I mean beleive what you gotta believe about WHY you felt PJ had to go but the fact that he was removed and HOW he was removed is directly related to ya’lls clout in this City. To believe otherwise is naive and absurd and as others have tried to point out—reeks of your privilege and cluelessness. Do you believe if you were an upset group of Ward 8 parents any of this would have happened. Your collective refusal to acknowledge this makes it difficult to take any of you seriously.

It doesn’t matter that everyone at DCPS is black. You all represent the richest (and whitest) Ward in the City. DCPS knows who they CAN and CANT ignore. I don’t excuse any of it…but for Christ sake stop trying to deny it.

please, search the forum for what happened at JO Wilson. This has nothing to do with race. (for the record that WAS a case of a black male principal being unfairly pushed out … )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not a Hardy parent but good for these parents for getting organized and leading an effective outcome.
This puts DCPS on notice that they better do right by Hardy.
[b]Maybe someone could encourage the Hardy parent organizers to help other parent communities at other schools to organize as well to pressure DCPS to improve learning conditions.
DCPS needs accountability as they get away with way too much crap

This would be viewed as "condescending" and "evidence of privilege". There is no winning. If you don't try and help you are a racist. If you try and help you are a racist. The only acceptable response is to self flagellate early and often and hope to be labeled and ally.

-signed
Someone who used to try and support these causes but has had enough

Everyone get out your tiniest violins for the poor white victims in our society

Are you really trying to convince us you’ve tried to help the schools of other Wards? Because no one believes you.

Y’all are crazy defensive. You think it’s “performative” to consider your role in perpetuating inequality and racism. you’ve got no intention of helping others whatsoever. You benefit from this system. You’re like—I got mine!! My kids are “suffering” at this TERRIBLE school and we just HAPPEN to have time and resources to do something about it!! Geez I wonder WHY you have the time and resources to do anything about it?? Nothing to do with race there, huh??

No one’s is saying you should stop advocating but the the repeated screams of THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE! are just dumb.

PJ might have needed to go but I have no doubt that had he been a young WHITE first year principal it would have been handled differently.

Hardy is almost 2/3 BIPOC. White parents fighting to improve Hardy is anti-racist by definition. Read your Kendi.

[Anonymous]

Popcorn eating. Reading these posts have been hilarious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

There you go again with the crazed accusations of racism. I stopped reading at that point as I suspect did everybody else who has any interest in reasoned discourse. Any administrator or teacher worth their salt values parents who are invested in their children’s education and the schools that provide it. Those who abhor parental involvement and accountability for performance generally have the most to lose from it.

I really wish you would stop pretending that this is about teachers hating parental involvement. I have great relationships with most of my families, they know that they can bring up concerns with me, and I still support many of them as they matriculate to HS.

What you are doing is overstepping the role of the parent, and that is what I think is the problem.

DP: At least a couple of the teachers on here seem to resent the whole idea of parents. I appreciate that your perspective is different and am glad you have good relationships with students and families.

But where is the line at which parents take strong action? No doubt people have different opinions on that, but a bunch of us were at our limit. Obviously the hundreds of us who signed the petition had not taken a similar action previously in our years with DCPS.

My own family was at the point of seriously talking about moving out of DC. Perhaps a teacher would have a longer perspective, but a student having a terrible 2-3 years of a 3 year experience is too much in my own view.

Quite frankly you should of taken your child somewhere else. Parents like you should pay tuition to get it (school) exactly how you want.

Nope. I don't expect perfection. But when I have to drag my child to school everyday because he hates the environment, that's a problem. He, like all the rest of the kids, has the right to be there and to not feel vulnerable to someone else's misbehavior or rough-housing the whole time.

The idea that you have to put up with a miserable environment if you want to go to public school is a pathetically low standard. I expect more for my and everyone else's tax dollars.

I think what you are missing is quite how not-okay many of the kids have been this year with the lack of discipline. If you were to have my child in class, you wouldn't know how much he has hated this year. He stores up the misery until he's home.

Your snowflake is miserable because of you. Your snowflake is fragile because of you. Your kid will have a hard time surviving in the world. Look in the mirror instead of scapegoating an innocent man.

Students should never have to try to get an education with fights viewed as normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

DP: My DS has hated his experience at Hardy this year -- abhors the constant misbehavior and lack of any effective discipline. If he had hated school this much under Cooke, I would have been complaining then too. I'm not accepting that he -- nor my younger DS -- should have to just be miserable because you think it was bad in the past too. I'm sorry change is tough for you, even if it may turn out positive for everyone.

I still fail to see how any of this makes things better for Hardy in the short and long term. Starting a search for a new leader and probably a good amount of teachers a month or two behind everyone else. Whoever is principal next year will be just as new and inexperienced, and I can promise you that there is nothing DCPS central is going to do to impact student misbehavior

Things were not getting better over the course of this year; they were getting worse. Now they have a decent chance of getting better. No one is under illusions that Hardy is suddenly idyllic, but there's space for optimism now.

Agreed. Looking forward to next year being better at Hardy

I really don't think parents understand what this does to a schools reputation from a staffing perspective. It's prime hiring time. Teachers aren't going to accept a job where there is no principal, especially with the reasons why this principal was removed. That post article has already been shared on the WTU page and I think Hardy is going to end up losing teachers over this as well.

It’s “a school’s reputation.” Possessive.

Also, “That Post article has already been shared on the WTU page, and..”. Note the comma and proper noun.

I don’t believe you are a Hardy teacher.

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Anonymous wrote:This controversy will set Hardy back a decade. Sad.

PJ set Hardy back a decade. This "controversy" will reverse the backslide.

You guys are ridiculous. In one year PJ set the school back a decade? This is the kind of ludicrous unsubstantiated hysteria that got 400 parents whipped into a frenzy to sign a letter slim on facts. It’s also the kind of statement that makes you sound racist as hell given how over the top it is.

In the more than 5 years I’ve known Hardy, it has never been some kind of perfect gem! All the things happening at Hardy now happened under Cooke and Pride and the others before them. Then we had Covid, and budget cuts, and mental health crisis affecting kids, families, and teachers. Nothing is the same from before.

Cooke was better at PR. He answered his damn emails—but man he paid a lot of lip service to a bunch of things that NEVER changed under him. Nice guy but some really crappy teachers served under his watch. We had no clubs for years with Cooke and the sports were nonexistent? Where any you actually here under Cooke’s first few years? And then there’s that other difference between Cooke and PJ…wait what was it again??? Hmmm. Never mind.

It’s funny because you loved him so and yet you have at least a few of his coworkers here telling you all repeatedly that YOU ALL contributed to his departure with your nonsense but you’re just covering your ears. “ Lalalala” I can’t hear you! It could never have been ME!! I’m not the problem.

There you go again with the crazed accusations of racism. I stopped reading at that point as I suspect did everybody else who has any interest in reasoned discourse. Any administrator or teacher worth their salt values parents who are invested in their children’s education and the schools that provide it. Those who abhor parental involvement and accountability for performance generally have the most to lose from it.

I really wish you would stop pretending that this is about teachers hating parental involvement. I have great relationships with most of my families, they know that they can bring up concerns with me, and I still support many of them as they matriculate to HS.

What you are doing is overstepping the role of the parent, and that is what I think is the problem.

DP: At least a couple of the teachers on here seem to resent the whole idea of parents. I appreciate that your perspective is different and am glad you have good relationships with students and families.

But where is the line at which parents take strong action? No doubt people have different opinions on that, but a bunch of us were at our limit. Obviously the hundreds of us who signed the petition had not taken a similar action previously in our years with DCPS.

My own family was at the point of seriously talking about moving out of DC. Perhaps a teacher would have a longer perspective, but a student having a terrible 2-3 years of a 3 year experience is too much in my own view.

Quite frankly you should of taken your child somewhere else. Parents like you should pay tuition to get it (school) exactly how you want.

Nope. I don't expect perfection. But when I have to drag my child to school everyday because he hates the environment, that's a problem. He, like all the rest of the kids, has the right to be there and to not feel vulnerable to someone else's misbehavior or rough-housing the whole time.

The idea that you have to put up with a miserable environment if you want to go to public school is a pathetically low standard. I expect more for my and everyone else's tax dollars.

I think what you are missing is quite how not-okay many of the kids have been this year with the lack of discipline. If you were to have my child in class, you wouldn't know how much he has hated this year. He stores up the misery until he's home.

Your snowflake is miserable because of you. Your snowflake is fragile because of you. Your kid will have a hard time surviving in the world. Look in the mirror instead of scapegoating an innocent man.

You've gone round the bend my friend. DCPS replaced him.