Deal and Hardy turnaround

[Anonymous]

There is an element of truth in all of the above.

Hardy is not perfect. No school is.

But the school gets an unfair rap from many people on this board who are stuck in 2010-2011 instead of looking at what is happening now. To wit, the outmoded idea that IB families are unwelcome is not at all true today - the current PTA President is from an IB family and the Principal spent all year working hard to increase IB enrollment.

Some kids do poorly at Hardy, just as some kids do poorly at every school. But good, smart kids from dedicated families are at Hardy now and getting a great education that includes opportunities that are not available at any other DC middle school, public or private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is an element of truth in all of the above.

Hardy is not perfect. No school is.

But the school gets an unfair rap from many people on this board who are stuck in 2010-2011 instead of looking at what is happening now. To wit, the outmoded idea that IB families are unwelcome is not at all true today - the current PTA President is from an IB family and the Principal spent all year working hard to increase IB enrollment.

Some kids do poorly at Hardy, just as some kids do poorly at every school. But good, smart kids from dedicated families are at Hardy now and getting a great education that includes opportunities that are not available at any other DC middle school, public or private.

Such as?

[Anonymous]

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

No anger. Not even an exclamation point. I'm a new poster to this thread and don't see the point of continuing to poke the several posters on this thread who think Hardy is a good school.

You, on the other hand, seem to want to be starting trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is an element of truth in all of the above.

Hardy is not perfect. No school is.

But the school gets an unfair rap from many people on this board who are stuck in 2010-2011 instead of looking at what is happening now. To wit, the outmoded idea that IB families are unwelcome is not at all true today - the current PTA President is from an IB family and the Principal spent all year working hard to increase IB enrollment.

Some kids do poorly at Hardy, just as some kids do poorly at every school. But good, smart kids from dedicated families are at Hardy now and getting a great education that includes opportunities that are not available at any other DC middle school, public or private.

Such as?

The music and arts program, which is unparalleled citywide.

The ability to attend a small middle school but have all (or almost all) the opportunities that are available at larger DCPS middle schools (athletics in particular).

The SEM/gifted and talented program.

[Anonymous]

I'd love to understand the details of this gifted and talented program. How are students selected? I heard (my child is in 3rd grade so this is 2nd hand) that everyone in Hardy is in it. Is this true? Can someone with a child at the school shed some light on this?

[Anonymous]

Balderdash

[Anonymous]

Bump. Hardy families, how did your kids do this year? IB families, do you feel welcome? Key and Mann 5th grade parents, are you sending your kids there next year, and how did you make that decision?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd love to understand the details of this gifted and talented program. How are students selected? I heard (my child is in 3rd grade so this is 2nd hand) that everyone in Hardy is in it. Is this true? Can someone with a child at the school shed some light on this?

I don't have a child at Hardy but I looked into this at length this year, got examples, spoke with the SEM, and went through the documentation that's available, in print and electronically. My understanding is that it's a multi-tiered program. Some components are indeed designed to benefit and enrich everyone. Tier two measures reach about half of the students. I remember thinking that tier two consists of tracking in some way. And about a tenth qualify for the G&T (tier three) program components.
Hardy is a little out of the way for us but it seems to have it together. I'd contact the SEM coordinator there; she'll explain that better than I can.

[Anonymous]

I asked the principal about the G&T program and she seemed irritated about my line of questioning. I realize that I have a 3rd grader, but I think I should be able to ask questions without the attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked the principal about the G&T program and she seemed irritated about my line of questioning. I realize that I have a 3rd grader, but I think I should be able to ask questions without the attitude.

Actually, she should be happy to answer these questions. Part of the strategy of Hardy has to be turning around the perceptions of the schools. that happens through word of mouth and having good things to say often happens through conversations with interested families.

We live inbound for Deal and I have a rising third grader. If the G&T and the music program are great, I would like to know that in case I want to attempt through the lottery to send my child to there and that could align really well with her strengths and interests. Deal has a great reputation, but it is really big.

I plan to go to open houses for Deal, Hardy, Latin and Basis this year and my oldest is currently a rising 3rd grader, so not too early IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked the principal about the G&T program and she seemed irritated about my line of questioning. I realize that I have a 3rd grader, but I think I should be able to ask questions without the attitude.

Considering most of us on this board consider our children so special they should have a special advanced track, it can get tiring. Most of us have kids that have benefitted from our ability to provide extras, many other kids have not in this city. I would not doubt it gets tiring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked the principal about the G&T program and she seemed irritated about my line of questioning. I realize that I have a 3rd grader, but I think I should be able to ask questions without the attitude.

I went to see the principal give a speech describing the "enrichment model" and it was a bunch of gobbledy-gook. There might be some "there" there but the principal sure couldn't convey it.

[Anonymous]

Could you define "gobbledy gook", PP? It would be a lot more helpful to the conversation if you could be specific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could you define "gobbledy gook", PP? It would be a lot more helpful to the conversation if you could be specific.

She didn't say anything at all about what the program is or what it does. She talked about how the program had been successful in another state, and how groundbreaking it was, but it was empty praise.

[Anonymous]

Principal bashing that's the ticket. Next go after the Chancellor. Then when that doesn't work. I guess you move to the suburbs. Sell your gouse and the cycle starts all over again. Guess who aint worried?