Reply to Am I crazy to be considering 6th at Hardy over Deal?

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[quote=Anonymous]I'm rooting for Hardy, too, but I think it has farther to go than the other posters appear to believe. All of the tours visit that advanced STEM class, and the kids are really impressive. But it's a tiny percentage of kids at Hardy who are in advanced math (7th grade algebra). I think it was 5-10%. Does anyone know the numbers for Deal?

Only 30% total at Hardy are at least in grade level math, meaning algebra in either 7th or 8th. 70% at Hardy are below grade level for math, meaning that they will take algebra for the first time in high school and miss a chance to take calculus. This might not seem important to you if your oldest child is still in elementary school, but believe me, it will matter to you when your child is applying for Walls or Banneker or trying for higher-level classes at Wilson, and even more when the college process starts.

Using the excuse that this is because more than 70% of Hardy kids are OOB is insulting to those children. Surely more than a few children over the years have been ready for advanced math, or could have been given the preparation while at Hardy to be prepared by high school. To think otherwise is to believe that a child's math trajectory is set in stone by age 10, which is ridiculous. Great schools take children as they come but they don't stop there, keeping everyone on the track they were on when they arrived. They identify the ones who can speed ahead if given a chance, and they work to make it happen. They don't wait for their in-boundary demographics to change and then claim improved results as their own success.

Hardy also offers nothing for children with existing foreign language skills, especially native Spanish speakers. Totally different league from Deal in this area.

I'm hopeful that Hardy will commit to making progress in math and languages by the time my youngest is ready for middle school in a few years. I think if it can rededicate itself to these areas, it will be a solid choice for both in-boundary and OOB families. But I don't think it's a peer to Deal at this point.[/quote]

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