Harder Elementary School

My son goes to this school currently. I know the staff is very involved and are working hard to improve the whole moral of the school. I have to disagree with the comment made about the principal. I am a total different race than he is and my son also experienced bullying. i have to say that the issue was addressed and measures were taken. I think sometimes we forget that the staff has state rules and regulations that leave their hands tied. There is no doubt that they are struggling with getting extra curricular activities started. It has to do with the parent involvement. If you are able get involved.
—Submitted by a parent

The problem with this school is the principle he caters to his own kind. He is not professional and they need a new leader. I was a student at this school and was excited to send my child, it's his forst year and already he has experienced bullying. I have been up to this school several times and nothing has happened, now I see why it's a level 1 school.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers and staff are good. I think the problem is the lack of parent involvement. We have gone to almost all parent / school meetings / assemblies and every time you see parents talking on their cell phones, talking over the teachers / speakers, and complaining for having to be there. One time my husband had to tell a parent that was talking very loudly to be quiet during a musical performance. Just don't go if you aren't going to participate. We did have an issue where my son was punched by a child and my son was sent home because his face was red from the punch and the other child was given a slip to take home, is that fair?. Also, my son was given a warning for sticking up to a bully that had pushed him and another child. There needs to be more positive things for the children that do not misbehave and harsher punishment for those that do.
—Submitted by a parent

Improvements are slow. Getting parents and teachers to get involved is like trying to move a brick wall. Teachers only want to teach, do what they have too, and go home for the day. Parents drop their children off and expect the teachers to do the rest without having to get involved until they pick them up at the end of the day. And those of us who do care, that do get involved, that do what they can for the student ; join the PTA and slowly try to chip away at that brick wall. Stop complaining, stop whining, stop crying. Everyone is to blame if a community can't pull together for the sake of their children. Everyone is to blame for not getting involved. Stop blaming the school, the teachers, the parents, because it doesn't matter whatsoever to the students unless everyone makes an effort. A school is useless without everyones involvement.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the previous posting. Harder seems soulless to me also. My daughter is enjoying 5th grade and has been at Harder since K with Ms. Lloyd. I'm ready to move on to middle school. I have an upcoming day off and want to check out the parent center which was just completed. One thing I must end with is my daughter is on the Honor Roll and she received her certificate. In the past, a Citizenship Certificate was also given to the students who earned it. She did, but was told only one certificate per student even though she earned both. I am not a happy parent.
—Submitted by a parent

I am sorry to say that Harder feels empty this year. There was a sense of community in the last several years that seems gone now. The school lacks personality this year. The kids used to love to go to school and the staff, in general seemed happy. That is no longer the case. I was definitely happy as a parent. We need to find a way to bring the life back to Harder. Unfortunately the principals and many of the teachers who had that energy, enthusiasm and passion are gone. I hope that those of us who are still there can find it for the sake of the students.
—Submitted by a parent

This year at Harder is going to be fun but we need more parent envolvment with the school site council. As the chairperson of the SSC, Im asking for any thoughts or ideas on how to improve Harders AYP. Harder is a great school but with more parents Involvement i know it will only get bettter
—Submitted by a parent

It is clear that change is a scary thing for some people. I am happy to see that change at Harder has been positive. Starting from the school facilities that have been painted and are lined with pictures of students and the school community. Physically the place is far more welcoming and more like a school than like the dingy institution that it looked like for years. There are a lot of student events for the kids as well as many many classes, workshops and groups for the parents to get involved in. I am one of the many parents who supports Harder and is proud to say that my students attend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

The school got some really bad press at the end of last year. Still the school continues to get better and better and in the opinion of myself its the best that it has even been (in all areas).
—Submitted by a parent

It is sad that many of the involved parents at HArder do not have access to the internet or information about this website to enter their thoughts about the school. This school has experienced numerous changes. I can say that I have noticed numerous positive changes since a permanent principal has been assigned and a lot of new staff members who are young, energetic and excited to teach. Safety was a concern at the beginning of the year, but parent involvement and proaction on the part of the administration addressed the major issues making safety a concern.
—Submitted by a parent

Take an opportunity to visit Harder and judge for yourself. The Harder community has had a lot of transition and as parent of 2 children who attend Harder, I can say that I have noticed a lot of improvment over the last several months. My child is in an intervention class to help with his academic performance and they now have counseling and other help for students who need someone to talk to. My boys love Harder and I am glad that I made the choice to keep them there.
—Submitted by a parent

The school has had lots of oppotunities for parents to get involved. But no one really ever shows up. Parents involvement is important to making a school better and making sure students acheive. I wish that parents would participate more at this school to help the teachers out, like I do.
—Submitted by a parent

I really wanted to send my daughter somewhere else because there was too much changing and questions going on there. I was unable to transfer her to another school at the beginning of the year. The school is still not perfect, but I am very happy that I didn't transfer her. She is in a combination class but her teacher seems to really keep her excited about learning and she is doing really well this year. The office staff and new principal are a lot more polite and helpful than last year.
—Submitted by a parent

My children is at Harder for the first time this year. They have not had any problems. The school has had some activities. I wish there were a few more but overall my children love it there and are doing very well.
—Submitted by a parent

Ms. Ford Morthel is the new principal at Harder. She taught both of my students when she was a teacher there. She was a great teacher and she has done a lot of great community things since she has been principal. My son who is now in middle school and many of his friends (at Chavez) have visited the school and comment on how much brighter the school is. It is welcoming and refreshing for me to know that someone who knows and has been apart of Harder is the principal.
—Submitted by a parent

Safety is a huge concern at Harder Elementary school. New leadership would be a start. I don't believe the interest of the children is a priority here. How can children learn when exposed to constant fighting?
—Submitted by a parent

Extremely disappointed in the administration. There's no prinicipal leadership. No discipline for those kids that don't care to learn, thus hampering the others learning experiance. There are some good teachers, however, the bad ones are allowed to be bad and provided a poor learning experiance to our kids. The only bright spot was the parnet involvement and the relationships that were made as a result.
—Submitted by a parent