Anonymous wrote:For those with kids at Hardy, what are you hearing about making more room there for growth by evicting Fillmore? (again).

Even as DCPS wants to grow IB enrollment, they are loathe to decrease OOB enrollment by much because of long-settled expectations by those who have looked to Hardy as an option. In short, it would be bad politics on the part of the chancellor and the mayor. The result is that Hardy will grow, and Fillmore is prime expansion space. Wilson, already overcrowded, will become more so.

For those with kids at Hardy, what are you hearing about making more room there for growth by evicting Fillmore? (again).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School uniforms

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/DCPS%20School%20Uniform%20Donation%20Guideline.pdf

Im guessing that “contact the school” means no uniform? I’m obviously way behind on all things DC and not perfectly up on my geography either, but glancing at this list...it looks like most of the schools in the tony parts of town don’t have uniforms, not do the application schools, but that the other schools do. Is that essentially the controversy?

Yes.

Of course, some tony private schools like Saint Albans have uniforms, so there's seemingly a paradox. But the public school uniform has a different meaning, given that in the Eighties/Nineties urban schools that were considered ungovernable adopted uniforms to instill a sense of discipline (and so that the kids wouldn't be robbing each other (or worse) over some trendy article of clothing). Either way, the uniform has a troubled connotation, which is why Hardy should join Deal in not having a uniform requirement.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Deal does not have uniforms. Hardy does, which is part of the school's culture and history. It is a very touchy subject.

Ok, thanks. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know anything. On one hand, I’m heartened by the posts that support the idea that both schools have positives and can be great for my kids. On the other, it seems like there’s a lot going on below the surface that I’m just not hip to.

It's gentrification.

Although both schools are in wealthy neighborhoods, Hardy is essentially a gentrifying school that until very recently, "IB" (aka neighborhood families) didn't utilize. Its student population came from all over the city, and even now more than students come from less affluent neighborhoods. Their families sought out Hardy as a way to secure a seat at Wilson High School and attend a better school than the one in their own neighborhood.

That is changing; in the next few years it will almost certainly be dominated by wealthy and upper middle-class families who live in the attendance zones.

Deal is further down this road, and thus is the 'safe' option in some people's minds.

And for some, who have mixed feelings about the 'gentrification', the uniforms represent the old DC-wide Hardy tradition. Some IB families are ok with the uniforms. Other, prospective Upper Northwest families wonder why the school feels the need to maintain uniforms, given the history of why urban public schools embraced uniforms in the 80s. It's complicated.

Anonymous wrote:School uniforms

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/DCPS%20School%20Uniform%20Donation%20Guideline.pdf

Im guessing that “contact the school” means no uniform? I’m obviously way behind on all things DC and not perfectly up on my geography either, but glancing at this list...it looks like most of the schools in the tony parts of town don’t have uniforms, not do the application schools, but that the other schools do. Is that essentially the controversy?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Deal does not have uniforms. Hardy does, which is part of the school's culture and history. It is a very touchy subject.

Ok, thanks. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know anything. On one hand, I’m heartened by the posts that support the idea that both schools have positives and can be great for my kids. On the other, it seems like there’s a lot going on below the surface that I’m just not hip to.

It's gentrification.

Although both schools are in wealthy neighborhoods, Hardy is essentially a gentrifying school that until very recently, "IB" (aka neighborhood families) didn't utilize. Its student population came from all over the city, and even now more than students come from less affluent neighborhoods. Their families sought out Hardy as a way to secure a seat at Wilson High School and attend a better school than the one in their own neighborhood.

That is changing; in the next few years it will almost certainly be dominated by wealthy and upper middle-class families who live in the attendance zones.

Deal is further down this road, and thus is the 'safe' option in some people's minds.

Anonymous wrote:Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Deal does not have uniforms. Hardy does, which is part of the school's culture and history. It is a very touchy subject.

Ok, thanks. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know anything. On one hand, I’m heartened by the posts that support the idea that both schools have positives and can be great for my kids. On the other, it seems like there’s a lot going on below the surface that I’m just not hip to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would only listen to parents of students that actually go to Hardy.

Hardy's improved a bit in the last 5 years. That said, I don't know any parent, given the choice of Deal or Hardy for his/her kid, who would voluntarily choose Hardy. That may seem harsh, but it's reality.

That is a fictional choice so in fact you don't know any parent who has made that choice.

And there is this question - are you a Hardy parent or not? It's an important question because when you actually talk to a Hardy parent most of them are enthusiastic about the school while the haters are too insecure about their own parenting to try it.

It wasn't actually a fictional choice. Until this year, Eaton students could choose whether to attend Deal or Hardy.

As a current Eaton family, I'm watching with interest to see what this year's 5th graders do.

The Hardy principal at recent open houses addressed some of the projected impact based on what current 5th grade families are indicating -- that feeder kids alone coming from the 5 feeders (adding Eaton) next year - will likely get the 6th grade up to 100 to 130 students (which has been traditionally a class size of 130, although they could increase up to 150 with current space, which they may consider). If you do the math, backing the Eaton cohort's PARCC scores out of the Deal totals -- http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Deal+Middle+School and then adding them to the Hardy scores (plus adding in a big expected jump of kids attending from Stoddert (and some but less from Mann, Key, Hyde) - http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Hardy+Middle+School -- hard to imagine based on the big difference now, but they are going to get get close to alignment quickly.

Just in the past few years, the demographics of kids coming from the feeders has already changed from around 10 percent to closer to 50 percent ... so keep in mind past test scores (even last years reported scores), and reports from families attending in the past, are already dated. I know people have said for the past two decades that Hardy is changing, but the stats are starting to show this change.

Hardy, as a small school, has high marks for things like every student reporting the teachers and principals know them and they have a caring adult to talk with, having a close friend, etc etc. For things like soccer, they seem to have done something to accommodate every kids who wants to play at some level, which is also a benefit of a smaller school (with the deficit of not having a real on campus soccer field!)

School uniforms

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/DCPS%20School%20Uniform%20Donation%20Guideline.pdf

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So much of this has been really helpful. I do have a couple of follow up questions that hopefully someone can answer:

Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Is either school particularly focused on integrating technology into the classroom? If so, in what way(s)? How is that working for your child?

Oldest child plays soccer and tennis. Is soccer a more or less popular sport at either school? He also really likes his drama class at his current school. Does either MS have a good theater program or elective offering?

Finally, is there anyone whose kid went to a Basis or similar charter in ES then attended Hardy or Deal? If so, how was the transition?

Uniforms are standard at most DCPS schools. It is a decision left up to the principal. They have had them at Hardy for 20 years at least. Deal does not have uniforms.

There's really no elementary charters that are similar to BASIS (meaning accelerated curriculum, subject expert teachers starting in early elementary) in DC.

What does subject expert mean? BASIS has had many teachers with no teaching experience. That does not make them expert. As for accelerated curriculum, it's just covering and zooming through the pages/lessons instead of understanding completely prior to moving on.

I don’t want to start a debate about what Basis is/isn’t. Kids currently attend a Basis school in another state, and there are things we like as well as things we don’t. We ended up at Basis because oldest was bored and always in trouble at his previous ES, and it (at least our location) has generally been a better fit for him than previous school. But because I recognize that it’s a small school with a very specific environment and instructional style, I am inquiring about anyone whose kids have transitioned out of that environment to Hardy or Deal.

I'm the PP you are responding to. My MS and HS kids goes to BASIS DC, so I"m not a hater and I'm actually pretty familiar with their elementary school model.

But there is no BASIS elementary in the district, and nothing that looks like it in the charter sector here.

Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Deal does not have uniforms. Hardy does, which is part of the school's culture and history. It is a very touchy subject.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So much of this has been really helpful. I do have a couple of follow up questions that hopefully someone can answer:

Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Is either school particularly focused on integrating technology into the classroom? If so, in what way(s)? How is that working for your child?

Oldest child plays soccer and tennis. Is soccer a more or less popular sport at either school? He also really likes his drama class at his current school. Does either MS have a good theater program or elective offering?

Finally, is there anyone whose kid went to a Basis or similar charter in ES then attended Hardy or Deal? If so, how was the transition?

Uniforms are standard at most DCPS schools. It is a decision left up to the principal. They have had them at Hardy for 20 years at least. Deal does not have uniforms.

There's really no elementary charters that are similar to BASIS (meaning accelerated curriculum, subject expert teachers starting in early elementary) in DC.

What does subject expert mean? BASIS has had many teachers with no teaching experience. That does not make them expert. As for accelerated curriculum, it's just covering and zooming through the pages/lessons instead of understanding completely prior to moving on.

I don’t want to start a debate about what Basis is/isn’t. Kids currently attend a Basis school in another state, and there are things we like as well as things we don’t. We ended up at Basis because oldest was bored and always in trouble at his previous ES, and it (at least our location) has generally been a better fit for him than previous school. But because I recognize that it’s a small school with a very specific environment and instructional style, I am inquiring about anyone whose kids have transitioned out of that environment to Hardy or Deal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So much of this has been really helpful. I do have a couple of follow up questions that hopefully someone can answer:

Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Is either school particularly focused on integrating technology into the classroom? If so, in what way(s)? How is that working for your child?

Oldest child plays soccer and tennis. Is soccer a more or less popular sport at either school? He also really likes his drama class at his current school. Does either MS have a good theater program or elective offering?

Finally, is there anyone whose kid went to a Basis or similar charter in ES then attended Hardy or Deal? If so, how was the transition?

Uniforms are standard at most DCPS schools. It is a decision left up to the principal. They have had them at Hardy for 20 years at least. Deal does not have uniforms.

There's really no elementary charters that are similar to BASIS (meaning accelerated curriculum, subject expert teachers starting in early elementary) in DC.

What does subject expert mean? BASIS has had many teachers with no teaching experience. That does not make them expert. As for accelerated curriculum, it's just covering and zooming through the pages/lessons instead of understanding completely prior to moving on.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. So much of this has been really helpful. I do have a couple of follow up questions that hopefully someone can answer:

Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Is either school particularly focused on integrating technology into the classroom? If so, in what way(s)? How is that working for your child?

Oldest child plays soccer and tennis. Is soccer a more or less popular sport at either school? He also really likes his drama class at his current school. Does either MS have a good theater program or elective offering?

Finally, is there anyone whose kid went to a Basis or similar charter in ES then attended Hardy or Deal? If so, how was the transition?

Uniforms are standard at most DCPS schools. It is a decision left up to the principal. They have had them at Hardy for 20 years at least. Deal does not have uniforms.

There's really no elementary charters that are similar to BASIS (meaning accelerated curriculum, subject expert teachers starting in early elementary) in DC.

OP here. So much of this has been really helpful. I do have a couple of follow up questions that hopefully someone can answer:

Hardy has uniforms? What/why? If so, does Deal?

Is either school particularly focused on integrating technology into the classroom? If so, in what way(s)? How is that working for your child?

Oldest child plays soccer and tennis. Is soccer a more or less popular sport at either school? He also really likes his drama class at his current school. Does either MS have a good theater program or elective offering?

Finally, is there anyone whose kid went to a Basis or similar charter in ES then attended Hardy or Deal? If so, how was the transition?