They need to move some of the Deal feeders to Hardy, it is crystal clear! And none of this should have ANYthing to do with IB/OOB. At all. Take feeders from an overcrowded to an under-utilized school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

This policy has true foresight. Last year, there were 70 slots available through the lottery. This year, something like a dozen. Maybe it's because expectations are different; maybe it's a signalling strategy. Regardless, the principal can indeed keep to that dozen. There is nothing sicking about it. In fact, it may well be judicious foresight because if there is rapid growth projected within the next few years, then you better limit the number of students you take in so as not to end up with a ballooned 7th or 8th grade down the road.

I think that the "strategy" as proposed here is designed to make Hardy attractive to IB families by promising that undesirable families will be kept out.

It has to presume that WOTP boundaries will be redrawn to put desirable families IB for Hardy. Otherwise, it's strange indeed to limit seats when there are OOB parents currently zoned for Deal who are looking for alternatives. According to the zone map ( http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Files/downloads/Learn-About-Schools/Attn_Zones_Middle_2013_2014_10.2.pdf ) the Deal boundary is still the largest in NW, even if you cut out Shepherd Park.

Seems counterproductive to make Hardy, a school that's under-enrolled, unappealing to OOB families--though reasons for doing so are pretty transparent. Of course, there could be a proximity preference but being hundreds short of capacity and turning families away in the face of Deal's overcrowding doesn't fly.

Anonymous wrote:If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

I do not think she is limiting available OOB spots . Tentative counts from the feeder schools show that Hardy will have larger IB enrollment this year, so it made sense to make available for lottery placement lower numbers (15 spots) for 6th grade 2014-2015. If OOB spots remain available after IB enrollment (which will start in April), those spots will be opened up to OOB.

This is all moot. If there are enough IB kids who want to go there and fill the school, than so be it! No we can build better middle schools in other parts of the city.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

Why is it sickening? Why don't the OOB families work to improve their IB schools the way Hardy's IB families have? Hardy is a neighborhood school. If you want your kids to go there, rent within the boundary.

The OOB process has created a city-wide sense of entitlement to neighborhood schools WOTP. If you don't believe in neighborhood schools, apply to one of the many city-wide charter schools.

Considering Hardy is 11% IB it seems like the OOB kids/parents are leading the school to improve.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

This policy has true foresight. Last year, there were 70 slots available through the lottery. This year, something like a dozen. Maybe it's because expectations are different; maybe it's a signalling strategy. Regardless, the principal can indeed keep to that dozen. There is nothing sicking about it. In fact, it may well be judicious foresight because if there is rapid growth projected within the next few years, then you better limit the number of students you take in so as not to end up with a ballooned 7th or 8th grade down the road.

Exactly, at least someone in DCPS is planning ahead for projected numbers of students.

Anonymous wrote:If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

This policy has true foresight. Last year, there were 70 slots available through the lottery. This year, something like a dozen. Maybe it's because expectations are different; maybe it's a signalling strategy. Regardless, the principal can indeed keep to that dozen. There is nothing sicking about it. In fact, it may well be judicious foresight because if there is rapid growth projected within the next few years, then you better limit the number of students you take in so as not to end up with a ballooned 7th or 8th grade down the road.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

Why is it sickening? Why don't the OOB families work to improve their IB schools the way Hardy's IB families have? Hardy is a neighborhood school. If you want your kids to go there, rent within the boundary.

The OOB process has created a city-wide sense of entitlement to neighborhood schools WOTP. If you don't believe in neighborhood schools, apply to one of the many city-wide charter schools.

+1

Anonymous wrote:If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

Why is it sickening? Why don't the OOB families work to improve their IB schools the way Hardy's IB families have? Hardy is a neighborhood school. If you want your kids to go there, rent within the boundary.

The OOB process has created a city-wide sense of entitlement to neighborhood schools WOTP. If you don't believe in neighborhood schools, apply to one of the many city-wide charter schools.

If she really is limiting OOB spots when there some available, that is sickening. If IB families think that is the only way to make Hardy another Deal that is more sickening.

Principal Pride's strategy to increase Hardy's appeal to IB Family is paying off. Large enrollment numbers are expected from all feeder schools and I understand IB parents are getting organized to make Hardy a stronger neighborhood school. I see for Hardy the same Deal process 10 years later...Give it 4 years, and unfortunately the school will be all IB. It's a small school, it won't take long.

Anonymous wrote:I am sure that Pride wants to appeal towards IB families but I don't think she can legally turn away OOB students if there are spots available.

She cannot limit the number of OOB students who come up through the feeder schools but she can set the number of OOB students she is willing to accept from outside the feeder system. Even if she just indicates that there will be one seat available (in reality there will be more), this will generate a waitlist that she can draw on if her IB+OOB feeder population is lower than expected.

I am sure that Pride wants to appeal towards IB families but I don't think she can legally turn away OOB students if there are spots available.

Isn't Pride looking to limit the 6th grade to just IB families and thinks she has Kaya's blessing? Rumor has it she wants to under enroll, keeping OOB students out to try to appease the IB folks.

Or are those just rumors? The form seems not limited to IB families.

See the sidebar on the home page of Hardy's website here - http://www.hardyms.org/ or direct link is here - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dENTanVUZmYyQ2U1UHJUVVZJRGM2eUE6MA

This "commitment letter" is nonbinding, it just gives Hardy a sense of enrollment numbers for 2014-2015.