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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]24-28 in all four my my DC's core classes (ELA honors, math honors, science, social studies). Higher numbers in 8th grade classrooms. Seemingly no strategic planning for influx of next year's 6th grade IB based on current 5th grade enrollment. Once through 6th grade, the honors classes are swamped - desperately need additional honors sections, or finally recognize that more of the student body is "honors" in comparison to past Hardy student body (e.g. able to accelerate through material at faster and more in-depth pace), and the residual student body is taught at the snail's pace students now plod through.

PE is well-known disaster start to finish in all grades, with intense locker room bullying during unmonitored dress-out/dress-in, teacher on phone throughout class, students doing what they want and not participating or outright ignoring teacher. Students are supposed to be having "health education" for nine weeks of each PE curriculum (new this year) but teachers are ill-equipped/-prepared/-trained to actually teach anything of substance beyond rules of volleyball or hollering at kids in a gym or on a field. Academic teachers definitely are making an effort but 7th grade ELA teacher departing mid-year for a different MS due to challenging commute, so an entire grade-level of students will be starting over with a new instructor weeks before PARCC. SocSci teacher is new and very earnest, having been a long-term sub all of last year, but lacking skills and experience to command classroom's attention (frustrating to DC who adores the 7th grade topic of ancient civilizations but behavior disruptions are constant). Student cell phone use rampant throughout the day and during class despite supposedly strict rules that the Administration makes a big show of enforcing (we have concluded teachers just look to other way?). Woe to the child that actually makes a complaint or identifies brawling girls during recess - will be tainted as a "snitch" for speaking up in the interest of helping foster a learning environment. Concerns elevated to school leadership routinely dismissed as typical middle school behavior and parents made to feel they should be helping toughen up their DC ("we're not in elementary school anymore") and not have concerns about the daily reports that come home. We went with that approach until bruises showed up on DC and DC was subject of taunting social media. [/quote]

1. PE: I disagree: one PE teacher, new this year and very young, is a disaster (does not control the class, and spends time at the phone). All other PE teachers are effective and committed. I believe this PE teacher has already been sanctioned and I would not be surprised if next year she moved to a different school (I am sorry for the next school) .

2. 7th grade ELA teacher. Finally she's gone. That's great news for the school. It took Hardy 3 years to clear the 7th grade ELA (as you all know, Ms Pride does not have the power to fire teachers). I am sure the replacement will be great. All teachers recruited by Ms Pride are outstanding teachers (6th grade science, 7th & 8th grade math, 8th grade social science to name a few).

3. Honors classes. Yes, definitely overcrowded. That's an area where I agree more effort should be placed at this point, as one class per cohort is no longer sufficient.

4. Discipline. The school has in each grade some 4-5 highly disruptive kids, and I'd say 20 kids with bad behavior. Plus some 40 "meh"/uninspired kids and an increasing set of 60-70 motivated, positive and nice kids, and a sub-set of 10 outstanding outliers. Kids tend to cluster in groups according to this categorization. Fights do happen , but they are mostly within-group. Normally "meh" and inspired kids are not involved or affected by this. Fewer times they are, eg. in cases when they report and are then tainted as snitch. In my view, the school would benefit if more trouble-makers (who are a few, and well-known) were expelled. However, as you know, DCPS schools have very limited independence on this regard. The policy should be fixed at DCPS level.

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