Deal and Hardy turnaround

[Anonymous]

I have been at Hardy afterschool a couple of time on the circulator. Yes there were some kids that lack "home training." But most were pretty well behaved. Probably these kids were from lower SES homes, but do you really think that these kids will taint your child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy is not perfect and needs many improvements but it's not a hell hole either. Kids can be rowdy but there's lots of good teaching going on. Hardy's not as well established or creative as Deal and it lacks some variety of after-school activities. But my kid feels safe there, is learning and wants to go to school. I wish Hardy were slightly more like Deal in terms of the class offerings and extra curricular stuff but on the whole we're pretty happy.

Are you IB or OOB? I'm IB, and I've followed Hardy for years, and my observation is that that there has been and continues to be a palpable anti-IB environment at the school. I was at the PTA meeting in 2010 when it was announced that Pope was being transferred, and I could not believe my ears at some of the things that were coming out of the mouths of teachers at that meeting. And those teachers are still at the school, and many continue to advocate against IB families. There is no way I would trust my children to them after hearing that.

Anonymous wrote:someone asked why OOB parents might put up with something not as good as Deal...well the bottom line is there just aren't enough good middle school slots in the city in charters or DCPS...it's hard to find the 'right' spot for your child and you sometimes make compromises that you have to live with. Hardy may not be for everyone but if it actually got more neighborhood support it could be great.

This is the real problem.

[Anonymous]

We went on a tour of Hardy and a teacher openly dissed the school, its leadership, and the Chancellor. It made it hard to envision sending my kids there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been at Hardy afterschool a couple of time on the circulator. Yes there were some kids that lack "home training." But most were pretty well behaved. Probably these kids were from lower SES homes, but do you really think that these kids will taint your child?

I think children who behave this way would waste my child's time in class and create a negative environment outside of class. I think their behavior (and likely corresponding lack of academic preparation) will limit the pace and depth of academic work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been at Hardy afterschool a couple of time on the circulator. Yes there were some kids that lack "home training." But most were pretty well behaved. Probably these kids were from lower SES homes, but do you really think that these kids will taint your child?

I think children who behave this way would waste my child's time in class and create a negative environment outside of class. I think their behavior (and likely corresponding lack of academic preparation) will limit the pace and depth of academic work.

I agree. I think a good number of Hardy students are poorly behaved. My DC has cried several times over the year how much DC hates Hardy, but the thing is there aren't enough good MS choices in the city. While the quality of students are questionable, so are the quality of faculty. Hardy really needs to set a higher standard and live up to it. They are always worried about not being at its full capacity. Well, if they have higher standard to live by, naturally families will start to enroll at the school. Deal must be doing something right and better. Unfortunately, Hardy is not supported by a majority of their IB families and there are good reasons for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went on a tour of Hardy and a teacher openly dissed the school, its leadership, and the Chancellor. It made it hard to envision sending my kids there.

I went to the Hardy open house and it was very off-putting.

[Anonymous]

Well, if IB parents find it so off putting, then they can go private or OOB somewhere else. Frankly, I think there is much more anti-Hardy sentiment from certain parents who think that Ward 3 needs another MS (which it doesn't, compared to other wards) and were not happy to simply run Pope out of Hardy.

2010 is over. Get over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went on a tour of Hardy and a teacher openly dissed the school, its leadership, and the Chancellor. It made it hard to envision sending my kids there.

I went to the Hardy open house and it was very off-putting.

I did too - maybe a different open house, don't know - and I found it very well organized, very informative, and it was nice to see the school in action. We got to visit different classrooms and the students were very forthcoming and genuinely interested and vested in the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you IB or OOB? I'm IB, and I've followed Hardy for years, and my observation is that that there has been and continues to be a palpable anti-IB environment at the school. I was at the PTA meeting in 2010 when it was announced that Pope was being transferred, and I could not believe my ears at some of the things that were coming out of the mouths of teachers at that meeting. And those teachers are still at the school, and many continue to advocate against IB families. There is no way I would trust my children to them after hearing that.

What did they say?

[Anonymous]

Dr. Mary was a good choice for Hardy after the crazy Rhee plan to oust Pope and put in Nerenberg. Hardy needed something to simmer down the mess. But she is not the right choice for leading a school turnaround movement. If you want Hardy to go through a transformation like Deal, you need a leader who will lead that change like Deal had. Who can do that is the question. DCPS does not do a great job of attracting top talent for principals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy is not perfect and needs many improvements but it's not a hell hole either. Kids can be rowdy but there's lots of good teaching going on. Hardy's not as well established or creative as Deal and it lacks some variety of after-school activities. But my kid feels safe there, is learning and wants to go to school. I wish Hardy were slightly more like Deal in terms of the class offerings and extra curricular stuff but on the whole we're pretty happy.

Are you IB or OOB? I'm IB, and I've followed Hardy for years, and my observation is that that there has been and continues to be a palpable anti-IB environment at the school. I was at the PTA meeting in 2010 when it was announced that Pope was being transferred, and I could not believe my ears at some of the things that were coming out of the mouths of teachers at that meeting. And those teachers are still at the school, and many continue to advocate against IB families. There is no way I would trust my children to them after hearing that.

Anonymous wrote:someone asked why OOB parents might put up with something not as good as Deal...well the bottom line is there just aren't enough good middle school slots in the city in charters or DCPS...it's hard to find the 'right' spot for your child and you sometimes make compromises that you have to live with. Hardy may not be for everyone but if it actually got more neighborhood support it could be great.

This is the real problem.

I was at that meeting, too, and only one teacher spoke - who happened to be an award-winning teacher who demanded high quality work from the students and who would never advocate against IB children. And I can't remember if she spoke publicly during the meeting or to a reporter and was quoted in the paper. No, it was the parents who spoke up and we were angry at Rhee's incompetent management and what are now clearly lies about Pope's next assignment (arts middle school that never happened - thanks for removing a competent principal from DCPS kids for a year btw). Fwiw, I was a white high HHI OOB parent.

[Anonymous]

bump

[Anonymous]

Why, 23:13?

People seem to have made up their minds and the news is a whole lot of nothing. Ward 3 doesn't need a new MS, no matter how much hand wringing takes place from IB families who overplayed their hand when running out Pope.

Hardy is making excellent strides every year, and anyone who doubts that is not directly involved with the school or its students.

If IB parents don't appreciate it, fine. Go elsewhere and pay the price.

[Anonymous]

17:01 - that's a lot of anger!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why, 23:13?

People seem to have made up their minds and the news is a whole lot of nothing. Ward 3 doesn't need a new MS, no matter how much hand wringing takes place from IB families who overplayed their hand when running out Pope.

Hardy is making excellent strides every year, and anyone who doubts that is not directly involved with the school or its students.

If IB parents don't appreciate it, fine. Go elsewhere and pay the price.

Speak only for yourself. Just because you are having a good experience, it doesn't mean everyone else is. Why are you so defensive and sensitive about Hardy's criticism? Get real, not everyone who is attending or sending their kids to Hardy is happy. Just because we are sending ours to Hardy doesn't necessarily mean that we are happy there. And why do we have to be told to vote with our feet every time we say something less than stellar about Hardy? Let's face it, Hardy does have many shortcomings, and we'd like to see changes. I don't think we are asking too much to see "some" changes. Nobody is talking about Pope. He is out and he is gone. Now with the new administration, we'd still like to see changes or improvements. But you know what? I do realize we are asking too much there. We will not see changes or improvements from Hardy for a very long time, if at all.