Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kids at the British School across the street also wear a uniform. It looks similar to Hardy's; kids in wrinkled, re-worn stuff. Not a future fashionista in the entire bunch of them; but not a big deal I guess.

The British school uniforms look a little silly, like someone's idea of English little boy and little girl outfits just after the War. But parents who enroll their kids there do so completely voluntarily, paying with full knowledge of the school's expectations, as well as affectations. Unless a kid gets into a good charter or the parents can afford private, she or he has pretty much no choice about going to Hardy, uniforms and all. There's a difference.

This is true of any middle school, private or public. All schools have a culture - some value jocks, some value geeks, some value arts and music, some have dress codes, some do not; some have informal dress codes with kids that do not meet these informal codes being ostracized; some are cliquish, some are not; some are large, some are small; some teach to the test; others give kids a lot more intellectual freedom.

Each school has a culture. If you want to pay for private or move to a public with a different culture, then of course you can pick your culture. If you want to go public and don't want to move, then yes, you won't be able to choose the culture. Of course, if your child attends, as a parent or prospective parents at the school, you can (hopefully constructively) work to change that culture.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kids at the British School across the street also wear a uniform. It looks similar to Hardy's; kids in wrinkled, re-worn stuff. Not a future fashionista in the entire bunch of them; but not a big deal I guess.

On this we can agree: if "inculcate future fashionista" is an important criterion in your middle school choice, you should not consider either the British School or Hardy.

Why not? What if my kid likes fashion? The best I could hope is for the Hardy environment to create a repressed artist begging to escape the torture.

Anonymous wrote:The kids at the British School across the street also wear a uniform. It looks similar to Hardy's; kids in wrinkled, re-worn stuff. Not a future fashionista in the entire bunch of them; but not a big deal I guess.

On this we can agree: if "inculcate future fashionista" is an important criterion in your middle school choice, you should not consider either the British School or Hardy.

Anonymous wrote:The kids at the British School across the street also wear a uniform. It looks similar to Hardy's; kids in wrinkled, re-worn stuff. Not a future fashionista in the entire bunch of them; but not a big deal I guess.

The British school uniforms look a little silly, like someone's idea of English little boy and little girl outfits just after the War. But parents who enroll their kids there do so completely voluntarily, paying with full knowledge of the school's expectations, as well as affectations. Unless a kid gets into a good charter or the parents can afford private, she or he has pretty much no choice about going to Hardy, uniforms and all. There's a difference.

The kids at the British School across the street also wear a uniform. It looks similar to Hardy's; kids in wrinkled, re-worn stuff. Not a future fashionista in the entire bunch of them; but not a big deal I guess.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:
You're too simplistic. Deal gets even less per student than Hardy.

Then how do they do more (courses, sports, activities) with less?

Deal gets $500 less per student per year, but the overall Deal budget is $11 million and Hardy is $4 million. There are huge economies of scale in operating a school. For example, each school only has one principal and they get paid the same, right there is a difference of $250/student in the cost of a principal.

Deal could junk the school uniforms and save some $ that way.

That is Hardy....

(or maybe Deal could add them).

The school doesn't pay for the uniforms, parents do.

Is there an opt-out if the parents don't want to pay for them?

+1

The school administration has a supply of donated uniforms that they give out students whose families are in need. So yes, if you cannot afford a uniform you can opt out and your child will be provided with one free of charge.

Do any students just plain refuse to wear a uniform to school?

No. There are three reasons:

First, the students are respectful of their peers and teachers and obviously don't feel the need to create an unnecessary disruption.

Second, the kids actually like wearing a uniform. It puts them on an equal footing. And it saves them from the "what will I wear today" nonsense. It's one less thing they need to worry or think about in what is already an awkward phase of their lives.

Three, its a school rule, and the kids follow this and other school rules.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're too simplistic. Deal gets even less per student than Hardy.

Then how do they do more (courses, sports, activities) with less?

Deal gets $500 less per student per year, but the overall Deal budget is $11 million and Hardy is $4 million. There are huge economies of scale in operating a school. For example, each school only has one principal and they get paid the same, right there is a difference of $250/student in the cost of a principal.

Deal is also larger than some private colleges. Not everyone thinks this is desirable for 10 year-olds.

100 students per team. What's your damage?

400 per grade? Yikes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're too simplistic. Deal gets even less per student than Hardy.

Then how do they do more (courses, sports, activities) with less?

Deal gets $500 less per student per year, but the overall Deal budget is $11 million and Hardy is $4 million. There are huge economies of scale in operating a school. For example, each school only has one principal and they get paid the same, right there is a difference of $250/student in the cost of a principal.

Deal could junk the school uniforms and save some $ that way.

That is Hardy....

(or maybe Deal could add them).

The school doesn't pay for the uniforms, parents do.

Is there an opt-out if the parents don't want to pay for them?

+1

The school administration has a supply of donated uniforms that they give out students whose families are in need. So yes, if you cannot afford a uniform you can opt out and your child will be provided with one free of charge.

Do any students just plain refuse to wear a uniform to school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're too simplistic. Deal gets even less per student than Hardy.

Then how do they do more (courses, sports, activities) with less?

Deal gets $500 less per student per year, but the overall Deal budget is $11 million and Hardy is $4 million. There are huge economies of scale in operating a school. For example, each school only has one principal and they get paid the same, right there is a difference of $250/student in the cost of a principal.

Deal is also larger than some private colleges. Not everyone thinks this is desirable for 10 year-olds.

100 students per team. What's your damage?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're too simplistic. Deal gets even less per student than Hardy.

Then how do they do more (courses, sports, activities) with less?

Deal gets $500 less per student per year, but the overall Deal budget is $11 million and Hardy is $4 million. There are huge economies of scale in operating a school. For example, each school only has one principal and they get paid the same, right there is a difference of $250/student in the cost of a principal.

Deal could junk the school uniforms and save some $ that way.

That is Hardy....

(or maybe Deal could add them).

The school doesn't pay for the uniforms, parents do.

Is there an opt-out if the parents don't want to pay for them?

+1

The school administration has a supply of donated uniforms that they give out students whose families are in need. So yes, if you cannot afford a uniform you can opt out and your child will be provided with one free of charge.

When is count day?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:888 Responses to this post! Can we hit 1000 this month? I bet we can.....

+1

I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. Short of not posting, of course.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're too simplistic. Deal gets even less per student than Hardy.

Then how do they do more (courses, sports, activities) with less?

Deal gets $500 less per student per year, but the overall Deal budget is $11 million and Hardy is $4 million. There are huge economies of scale in operating a school. For example, each school only has one principal and they get paid the same, right there is a difference of $250/student in the cost of a principal.

Deal could junk the school uniforms and save some $ that way.

That is Hardy....

(or maybe Deal could add them).

The school doesn't pay for the uniforms, parents do.

Is there an opt-out if the parents don't want to pay for them?

+1

No. The student would face discipline for violating school and DCPS rules, same as anyone else.

Anonymous wrote:It depends on whose numbers you believe.

I suppose. So maybe everyon should wait till count day before commenting more?

Nope. No it doesn't.