Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 14:01     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:Parking for teachers and staff can be an issues in areas under-served by public transportation and metro.
At Horace Mann, parents have set up a system where we are lending teachers parking permits during the renovation months (equipment and trailers have occupied the whole parking area). You want your teachers to be happy about the school. Most importantly we want them to remain at Mann, despite the disruptions due to the renovations (2 years).

The small parking area at Hardy is functional to a good functioning to the school. I am sure that if we did a survey, most school parents would tell you that they'd rather leave that small parking space for their teachers, that have that oddly-shaped for outdoor gathering of kids.

Thought my kid is in 3th grade, I went to see the school following Ms Pride's visit to Mann. We were impressed. More and more Mann families will enroll into Hardy if the current momentum is kept.


Let's put some facts in here on the parking and outside space. There are presently 33 cars in the parking lot. Another 20 cars are parked behind the hardy building. The British School sends their kids to the massive Maret/Jelle field. The question about space prospective Hardy parents need to focus on is whether they want the 100 car parking lot adjacent to the south edge of Hardy to become townhouses. GW plans to sell it. It was school property until sold in late 90s by Barry administration.

Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 13:53     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:Eaton parents are the worse. They have been throwing shit on Hardy at meetings , blogs, DCUM, without ever visiting the school.
Most of them are OOB, and still they do not care to throw trash on the OOB kids attending Hardy... Just because they have been hit by a lucky star at a lottery and got a spot for 5 years at Eaton.

I hope they stay away from Hardy, and keep their bad attitude elsewhere.


Actually, Eaton families are the best.
You clearly have never spoken to an Eaton parent because none of us would tolerate the nonsense from your post. You have no idea what you are talking about.
The Eaton community supports both Deal and Hardy. We were given the "dual feeder" status in 2009 by Rhee in an obviously political move that had nothing to do with Eaton. Eaton has fed to Deal for decades with many families choosing Hardy in the Patrick Pope days. We were not part of the instability that happened as a result of Rhee's decisions.
Eaton is a great school with kids from all over the city, excellent test scores, interesting opportunities for our kids, a great community and reasonable, smart parents who want what's best for our kids. That's it-no bad attitude or throwing anything anywhere.
I can't even believe I spent all that time responding to your nonsense.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 13:40     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sports had nothing to do with our decision not to send DC to hardy. It was about academics and safety. Those need to be the priorities.


Huh? Have you crossed the threshold of the school?

--mom of a Hardy student who feels perfectly safe there
I know - I sent my kid there for all three years. Safety? Never crossed my mind as an issue. Now, academics, that was more variable but mostly good teachers back then with a few royal clunkers. But I don't know what it's like now. Can't believe that it's gotten dangerous though since then. Seriously?
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 13:18     Subject: Re:How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
One hour or physical ed. a day, 5 DAYS A WEEK, is only one of the great offerings of the school. If you want unlimited space for outdoor playing, then go to the suburbs. We have chosen to live in the City.


Hey, I've chosen to live in the City also. Right now my kids would go to Deal, which has better facilities and academics than Hardy. If redistricting goes through and they lose the Deal option, then they will not have the same opportunities. It has nothing to do with being in the city, but it has everything to do with the particular school.


Then, after Eaton, you are welcome to move to Bethesda. There you'll have plenty of play area and huge soccer fields.


If I were Eaton families -- IB or OB -- I would relax. There is no way that folks in Cleveland Park will accept being forced out of Deal.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 13:16     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Eaton parents are the worse. They have been throwing shit on Hardy at meetings , blogs, DCUM, without ever visiting the school.
Most of them are OOB, and still they do not care to throw trash on the OOB kids attending Hardy... Just because they have been hit by a lucky star at a lottery and got a spot for 5 years at Eaton.

I hope they stay away from Hardy, and keep their bad attitude elsewhere.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 13:09     Subject: Re:How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:
One hour or physical ed. a day, 5 DAYS A WEEK, is only one of the great offerings of the school. If you want unlimited space for outdoor playing, then go to the suburbs. We have chosen to live in the City.


Hey, I've chosen to live in the City also. Right now my kids would go to Deal, which has better facilities and academics than Hardy. If redistricting goes through and they lose the Deal option, then they will not have the same opportunities. It has nothing to do with being in the city, but it has everything to do with the particular school.


Then, after Eaton, you are welcome to move to Bethesda. There you'll have plenty of play area and huge soccer fields.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 13:02     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:Pride took a page from Kim's book and has started to visit all of the elementary schools to boost confidence in the school. That specific move was critical for Kim and it will be critical for Pride.


When Kim really began to boost confidence in Deal was when her actions led Marion Barry to head a protest against her. In-boundary families concluded that Kim must be doing something right. So Pride needs to bend the curve enough that he incurs the ire of the ex-mayor-for-life, and the hearts and minds of Ward 2 and 3 parents will follow!
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 13:00     Subject: Re:How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
One hour or physical ed. a day, 5 DAYS A WEEK, is only one of the great offerings of the school. If you want unlimited space for outdoor playing, then go to the suburbs. We have chosen to live in the City.


Hey, I've chosen to live in the City also. Right now my kids would go to Deal, which has better facilities and academics than Hardy. If redistricting goes through and they lose the Deal option, then they will not have the same opportunities. It has nothing to do with being in the city, but it has everything to do with the particular school.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 12:45     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
One side of Mass is Hardy, one side of Mass is Deal. It is slit down the middle of the street, thus your confusion. The elementary school boundaries on Macarthur are like that for a few blocks also-one side of the median for about 3 blocks sour is Mann and the other Key.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 12:40     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
That overlap area isn't Spring Valley like the PP claimed.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 12:17     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Ok, let's not go crazy here. There is no boundary overlap in Spring Valley. Those families are IB for Hardy unless they randomly chose to send their kids to a Deal feeder. Security isn't an issue at either school though Hardy has a much higher suspension rate than Deal. And I have no idea what you are talking about with teacher accountability?!?! And yes, if one of your requirements for your child's middle school is a "uniquely beautiful location".....well um, ok, good for you?


A number of blocks on Massachusetts Ave feeds into Hardy and Deal.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 12:15     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kids are better able to focus if they know they will have good outside time regularly. Proper outside space and after school programming utilizing thatspace is noticed by prospective families and, ye, teachers.


Sports are not the be all and end all. However, along with academic rigor,a strong curriculum, an atmosphere conducive to study and learning and a robust extracurricular program, including sports, Hardy is not going to attract families who believe that Deal has superior offerings. If DCPS believes that free, off-street parking is so important to attract staff, then it should put the parking underground to preserve and expand student athletic space. This is what Janney did. Is Hardy not as worthy?



Please, can you refrain from posting when you do not know what we are talking about? Just go and post to a different topic.

First, many (but not all!) of the IB families increasingly heading to Hardy have no access to Deal. So the first half of your message is nonsense.

secondly, underground parking in an old (beautiful!) building in the hearth or Georgetown such as Hardy's is not an option. Take a look yourself to understand that, and understand why the site is different from the Janney's pre-renovation site. It is not only basic cost-effectiveness principles, but also additional considerations (where would you host the huge machinery for digging and consolidating the underground parking? You are in the middle of Georgetown!! Would you suggest to tear down and reduce to a working site for 2 years all of the outdoor available space? Janney was able to kept its outdoor facilities in the Wisconsin side functional during the renovations. Hardy would not. Go and take a look please. Or if you just want to shoot messages , go to the "Going Out" or personal stuff section of the site.

Bottom line. Hardy's outdoor facilities are very good, and they are great if you consider that the school is a downtown school and in the middle of Georgetown The British school, just across the street, has a fraction of the sport indoor and outdoor facilities that Hardy has.

One hour or physical ed. a day, 5 DAYS A WEEK, is only one of the great offerings of the school. If you want unlimited space for outdoor playing, then go to the suburbs. We have chosen to live in the City.


I know families who are in the dual-feeding area of Spring Valley and who are opting this year for Hardy instead of Deal. Smaller numbers (Hardy has 1/4 of Deal population), stronger accountability of teachers and kids. Higher control and security of the school facilities. Great and unique music program (which , finally, does not take away anything from the more traditional rigorous academic subjects, which are now the priority -- used to be the other way round in older times).
I include the uniquely beautiful location (which I know, matters more to me than to the average parents...).



Ok, let's not go crazy here. There is no boundary overlap in Spring Valley. Those families are IB for Hardy unless they randomly chose to send their kids to a Deal feeder. Security isn't an issue at either school though Hardy has a much higher suspension rate than Deal. And I have no idea what you are talking about with teacher accountability?!?! And yes, if one of your requirements for your child's middle school is a "uniquely beautiful location".....well um, ok, good for you?


Wrong. Upper east side of Mass Avenue , before Ward Circle, feeds into both Deal and Hardy.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 12:11     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Pride took a page from Kim's book and has started to visit all of the elementary schools to boost confidence in the school. That specific move was critical for Kim and it will be critical for Pride.
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 11:54     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kids are better able to focus if they know they will have good outside time regularly. Proper outside space and after school programming utilizing thatspace is noticed by prospective families and, ye, teachers.


Sports are not the be all and end all. However, along with academic rigor,a strong curriculum, an atmosphere conducive to study and learning and a robust extracurricular program, including sports, Hardy is not going to attract families who believe that Deal has superior offerings. If DCPS believes that free, off-street parking is so important to attract staff, then it should put the parking underground to preserve and expand student athletic space. This is what Janney did. Is Hardy not as worthy?



Please, can you refrain from posting when you do not know what we are talking about? Just go and post to a different topic.

First, many (but not all!) of the IB families increasingly heading to Hardy have no access to Deal. So the first half of your message is nonsense.

secondly, underground parking in an old (beautiful!) building in the hearth or Georgetown such as Hardy's is not an option. Take a look yourself to understand that, and understand why the site is different from the Janney's pre-renovation site. It is not only basic cost-effectiveness principles, but also additional considerations (where would you host the huge machinery for digging and consolidating the underground parking? You are in the middle of Georgetown!! Would you suggest to tear down and reduce to a working site for 2 years all of the outdoor available space? Janney was able to kept its outdoor facilities in the Wisconsin side functional during the renovations. Hardy would not. Go and take a look please. Or if you just want to shoot messages , go to the "Going Out" or personal stuff section of the site.

Bottom line. Hardy's outdoor facilities are very good, and they are great if you consider that the school is a downtown school and in the middle of Georgetown The British school, just across the street, has a fraction of the sport indoor and outdoor facilities that Hardy has.

One hour or physical ed. a day, 5 DAYS A WEEK, is only one of the great offerings of the school. If you want unlimited space for outdoor playing, then go to the suburbs. We have chosen to live in the City.


I know families who are in the dual-feeding area of Spring Valley and who are opting this year for Hardy instead of Deal. Smaller numbers (Hardy has 1/4 of Deal population), stronger accountability of teachers and kids. Higher control and security of the school facilities. Great and unique music program (which , finally, does not take away anything from the more traditional rigorous academic subjects, which are now the priority -- used to be the other way round in older times).
I include the uniquely beautiful location (which I know, matters more to me than to the average parents...).



Ok, let's not go crazy here. There is no boundary overlap in Spring Valley. Those families are IB for Hardy unless they randomly chose to send their kids to a Deal feeder. Security isn't an issue at either school though Hardy has a much higher suspension rate than Deal. And I have no idea what you are talking about with teacher accountability?!?! And yes, if one of your requirements for your child's middle school is a "uniquely beautiful location".....well um, ok, good for you?
Anonymous
Post 05/20/2014 11:30     Subject: How has Hardy drawn inbound families?
Parking for teachers and staff can be an issues in areas under-served by public transportation and metro.
At Horace Mann, parents have set up a system where we are lending teachers parking permits during the renovation months (equipment and trailers have occupied the whole parking area). You want your teachers to be happy about the school. Most importantly we want them to remain at Mann, despite the disruptions due to the renovations (2 years).

The small parking area at Hardy is functional to a good functioning to the school. I am sure that if we did a survey, most school parents would tell you that they'd rather leave that small parking space for their teachers, that have that oddly-shaped for outdoor gathering of kids.

Thought my kid is in 3th grade, I went to see the school following Ms Pride's visit to Mann. We were impressed. More and more Mann families will enroll into Hardy if the current momentum is kept.