Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^NP here. I'm having a hard time understanding this: why is it when IB parents say that their concern is the educational quality, that Hardy parents ignore that and claim it's about something else? Do you think we're lying?

Don't be stupid. Just 'cause peple said the Civil War was about states'r rights didn't make it so - it was about slavery.

Read the whole thread. It will open your eyes. "Eduational quality" is a statement that is a proxy for a whole bunch of complaints - some race-based, some legitimate educational quality-related, some in a whole different category- that cannot be fixed by making whatever improvements to "educational quality" sought by IB parents.

I'm not being stupid. I'm being honest (obviously something you're not used to). This is an anonymous forum. Why would I lie? If parents say it's about race, then it's about race. If they say it's about class, it's about class. If they say it's about educational quality, then it's not? That's stupid. How are we supposed to have a real discussion if we can't take what is said at face value?

to figure out what people, besides taking it at face value, it could help to have them define what educational "educational quality" means to them. More experienced teachers? higher scores? more opportunities for advanced students? higher SES? 20%+ white?

Fine. Then ask those questions instead of ignoring concerns about educational quality. The entire topic is just brushed aside in favor of something else that has nothing to do with what we're talking about.

^^ to figure out what people MEAN

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^NP here. I'm having a hard time understanding this: why is it when IB parents say that their concern is the educational quality, that Hardy parents ignore that and claim it's about something else? Do you think we're lying?

Don't be stupid. Just 'cause peple said the Civil War was about states'r rights didn't make it so - it was about slavery.

Read the whole thread. It will open your eyes. "Eduational quality" is a statement that is a proxy for a whole bunch of complaints - some race-based, some legitimate educational quality-related, some in a whole different category- that cannot be fixed by making whatever improvements to "educational quality" sought by IB parents.

I'm not being stupid. I'm being honest (obviously something you're not used to). This is an anonymous forum. Why would I lie? If parents say it's about race, then it's about race. If they say it's about class, it's about class. If they say it's about educational quality, then it's not? That's stupid. How are we supposed to have a real discussion if we can't take what is said at face value?

to figure out what people, besides taking it at face value, it could help to have them define what educational "educational quality" means to them. More experienced teachers? higher scores? more opportunities for advanced students? higher SES? 20%+ white?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^NP here. I'm having a hard time understanding this: why is it when IB parents say that their concern is the educational quality, that Hardy parents ignore that and claim it's about something else? Do you think we're lying?

Don't be stupid. Just 'cause peple said the Civil War was about states'r rights didn't make it so - it was about slavery.

Read the whole thread. It will open your eyes. "Eduational quality" is a statement that is a proxy for a whole bunch of complaints - some race-based, some legitimate educational quality-related, some in a whole different category- that cannot be fixed by making whatever improvements to "educational quality" sought by IB parents.

Oh, Gawd! Must everything be manufactured into a racial issue?!!

In DC manufacturing is not needed -- it's a fact of life.

This is code for something, right? Since no one here actually says what they mean.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^NP here. I'm having a hard time understanding this: why is it when IB parents say that their concern is the educational quality, that Hardy parents ignore that and claim it's about something else? Do you think we're lying?

Don't be stupid. Just 'cause peple said the Civil War was about states'r rights didn't make it so - it was about slavery.

Read the whole thread. It will open your eyes. "Eduational quality" is a statement that is a proxy for a whole bunch of complaints - some race-based, some legitimate educational quality-related, some in a whole different category- that cannot be fixed by making whatever improvements to "educational quality" sought by IB parents.

Oh, Gawd! Must everything be manufactured into a racial issue?!!

In DC manufacturing is not needed -- it's a fact of life.

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem if more ward 3 parents decide to send their child to Hardy MS if they agree to respect Hardy's unique culture. Some things can not be changed.

kidding right? everything can be changed and everything does change, at least a little, or slowly, over time. IB Hardy parents do not have to agree to anything in advance about their neighborhood school. I suggest we not dwell on this issue.

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem if more ward 3 parents decide to send their child to Hardy MS if they agree to respect Hardy's unique culture. Some things can not be changed.

Whether you have a problem with it or not, neighborhood kids have a right to the school, and they do not have to accept the culture at all. They can advocate for any changes they want. Not that they will, but it seems arrogant to say, "We'll let you come if you respect our culture."

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem if more ward 3 parents decide to send their child to Hardy MS if they agree to respect Hardy's unique culture. Some things can not be changed.

What is Hardy's unique culture?

I have no problem if more ward 3 parents decide to send their child to Hardy MS if they agree to respect Hardy's unique culture. Some things can not be changed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worthwhile discussing why the IB percent at Hardy is only 13%, when within a day or two we will know the new IB percent, which will likely be higher?

Whether its 13 percent or 16 percent the lingering question about Hardy is why it is so shockingly low.

If you think Hardy is shockingly low then you must have just moved your kid here from Andover. We use different comparables to arrive at "shock value" -- such that Hardy is considered to be pretty OK, not shocking whatsoever.

It's shocking that 87 percent of the IB school population doesn't choose Hardy. Why not.

They need to do what they did on Capitol Hill, get together and pledge to attend Hardy:

http://chpspo.org/about-2/

Just read about this in the Natalie Wexler article that was linked in another thread:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/24018/anxious-about-the-new-school-boundaries-here-are-some-things-to-consider/

Exactly, when the IB parents form a cohort and pledge to go, then the school will start to get better. Until then, it's just not a very good school. And while I would not focus on uniforms in making my decision, I have to admit they are offputting to me.

Ha. Really what will happen is that they will all pledge to go - and then apply to Latin, Basis, privates, or move. On the first day of school a few suckers will find that they are the only ones who believed the pledge.

some thoughts:

1) Capitol Hill has a problem of multiple MSs with high OOB and no critical mass. That won't happen WOTP because there is only one MS still accepting OOB in grade 6: Hardy. And the high-performing schools WOTP that don't feed to Deal all feed to one MS: Hardy. The Hill problem just doesn't exist for Hardy.

2) The pledge might not be to attend next year. It might be among grade 2-3 parents to publicly demand specific changes on a 2-3-year period, and then attend. Not just petitioning the principal, but also chancellor, DC council, mayor. If IB parents got together and did this, it would get results.

3) A neighborhood school welcomes all comers up to capacity, but it belongs to the neighborhood first. It's completely legitimate for neighborhood parents to make demands of the school and shape its direction in order to improve appeal to IB families and increase IB participation. The only people who could possibly be against this are prospective grade 6 OOB parents. Current OOB and those OOB at a feeder are unaffected, and everyone else, from IB families to DC govt would be supportive. One thing that came through loud and clear in the whole DME process is support for neighborhood schools, and that means high-IB.

4) The "threat" of charters and even independents for MS is exaggerated. I don't know anyone who is considering or has chosen KIPP. Maybe that's just who I know. I have heard of some people considering Latin or BASIS because they are not IB for Deal but all would choose Deal. I do know some people who are hanging their hats on the potential of DCI, but they are candid about the risk of the unknown. If Hardy achieves majority-IB then it will eat these charters' lunches, not the other way around. A majority-IB Hardy would even steal from the best privates, as Deal now does. Not everyone who can afford private really wants to do it. If you have a great public option you can find lots of other uses for that money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^NP here. I'm having a hard time understanding this: why is it when IB parents say that their concern is the educational quality, that Hardy parents ignore that and claim it's about something else? Do you think we're lying?

Don't be stupid. Just 'cause peple said the Civil War was about states'r rights didn't make it so - it was about slavery.

Read the whole thread. It will open your eyes. "Eduational quality" is a statement that is a proxy for a whole bunch of complaints - some race-based, some legitimate educational quality-related, some in a whole different category- that cannot be fixed by making whatever improvements to "educational quality" sought by IB parents.

I'm not being stupid. I'm being honest (obviously something you're not used to). This is an anonymous forum. Why would I lie? If parents say it's about race, then it's about race. If they say it's about class, it's about class. If they say it's about educational quality, then it's not? That's stupid. How are we supposed to have a real discussion if we can't take what is said at face value?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^NP here. I'm having a hard time understanding this: why is it when IB parents say that their concern is the educational quality, that Hardy parents ignore that and claim it's about something else? Do you think we're lying?

Don't be stupid. Just 'cause peple said the Civil War was about states'r rights didn't make it so - it was about slavery.

Read the whole thread. It will open your eyes. "Eduational quality" is a statement that is a proxy for a whole bunch of complaints - some race-based, some legitimate educational quality-related, some in a whole different category- that cannot be fixed by making whatever improvements to "educational quality" sought by IB parents.

Oh, Gawd! Must everything be manufactured into a racial issue?!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's one thing to take a big risk yourself, but it's quite another to take a huge risk with your child's education. The middle school years are crucial. How is a parent of a 6th grader supposed to react when you say, "if you go here, it will be a better school in five years."

You are ALWAYS taking risks with your child's education. The top ranked suburban school can have the one bad teacher who turns your kid off to the subject they would otherwise have excelled in. It can have the gang of mean girls who sends your kid into a full blown clinical depression. There ARE no guarantees. Period. Its all a matter of tradeoffs.

Some IB families are already making the tradeoff to go to Hardy. It is, after all, probably the second most highly regarded MS in the District.

If the percent of IB families goes from 13% to 20%, probably some who wouldn't make the tradeoff at 13% will be inclined to do so.

I wonder if the people making so much effort to discourage people from choosing to attend Hardy are not OOB families afraid of losing their slots?

Perhaps, but you try to avoid risks. I am not an OOB parent. I'm in bound, but my kids are already in high school -- private because of Hardy.

You try to avoid risks at reasonable cost. Private school tuition is a significant cost. Some will choose private till the transition is complete, but some will find the trade off makes sense at an earlier stage in the process.

I do not understand why you do not understand that people make tradeoffs differently than you do? Do you feel under attack for choosing private?

Anonymous wrote:^^NP here. I'm having a hard time understanding this: why is it when IB parents say that their concern is the educational quality, that Hardy parents ignore that and claim it's about something else? Do you think we're lying?

Don't be stupid. Just 'cause peple said the Civil War was about states'r rights didn't make it so - it was about slavery.

Read the whole thread. It will open your eyes. "Eduational quality" is a statement that is a proxy for a whole bunch of complaints - some race-based, some legitimate educational quality-related, some in a whole different category- that cannot be fixed by making whatever improvements to "educational quality" sought by IB parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worthwhile discussing why the IB percent at Hardy is only 13%, when within a day or two we will know the new IB percent, which will likely be higher?

Whether its 13 percent or 16 percent the lingering question about Hardy is why it is so shockingly low.

If you think Hardy is shockingly low then you must have just moved your kid here from Andover. We use different comparables to arrive at "shock value" -- such that Hardy is considered to be pretty OK, not shocking whatsoever.

It's shocking that 87 percent of the IB school population doesn't choose Hardy. Why not.

They need to do what they did on Capitol Hill, get together and pledge to attend Hardy:

http://chpspo.org/about-2/

Just read about this in the Natalie Wexler article that was linked in another thread:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/24018/anxious-about-the-new-school-boundaries-here-are-some-things-to-consider/

Exactly, when the IB parents form a cohort and pledge to go, then the school will start to get better. Until then, it's just not a very good school. And while I would not focus on uniforms in making my decision, I have to admit they are offputting to me.

Ha. Really what will happen is that they will all pledge to go - and then apply to Latin, Basis, privates, or move. On the first day of school a few suckers will find that they are the only ones who believed the pledge.