Hardy Elementary School

Once again, Mrs. Wolfe hit it out of the ball park!!! Seussapaloosa this week was amazing! She brought in guest readers including principals from Lewis Middle School and Patrick Henry for the 5th graders, our beloved previous librarian Mrs. Muscat, soccer players from SDSU, city council members including Marty Emerald and Mayor Bob Filner (a former Hardy parent himself!)!!! Amazing! We are so grateful to have such a strong principal and staff who put in long hours constantly working to make our school better and better. How Mrs. Wolfe does that while a couple of lunatics from the community try to dominate her time with complaints (that have repeatedly been proved unfounded) and a smear campaign against our school (in what seems to be an irrational need to validate their own reality) I will never know. Way to go Hardy!
—Submitted by a parent

What a terrific school. I come from a small town and this is how I remember how school was like. All the teachers know you. In fact, a lot of the parents do, too. There is such heart and a sense of community; I'm so happy that my children get to experience this wonderful and thriving environment!
—Submitted by a parent

Obviously appearances can be deceiving. Don't dismiss the parents who are trying to help porotect kids and other parents by posting their concerns. Also, this site has taken down many, many concerns because it doesn't allowing naming individuals and if anyone doesn't like a comment, they can ask to have it removed, which has been done quite frequently. Yes, there are many wonderfu things about Hardy. I'm sure the parents of kids at Penn State thought the same thing.....
—Submitted by a parent

I have read some of these reviews and they are quite scathing. There are a lot of buzz words such as "mean" and "bullying" etc. I didn't see anything specific that would cause me to be alarmed. One comment in particular that caught my attention was that the principal was "unethical." That is a huge accusation to say about someone. I don't know the principal very well but she seems very sincere and eager to hear what parents have to say. I wonder if any of these unhappy parents dealt directly with the "problem" teachers? My son got off on the wrong foot with a teacher in middle school. He got stomach aches and didn't want to go to school. We met with the teacher and i helped facilitate the breakdown in communication between them. He gained a better understanding of what was expected for this class. I gave my son the opportunity and skills to take charge of a situation. I didn't fight his battle for him. Now my son is doing great in his class and he has found they have a common interest in Aztec basketball. Many parents think this would make it worse for the child but what message are we sending our kids if we don't first start with the problem head-on?
—Submitted by a parent

I was a student at this school and was bullied by a TEACHER who screamed at kids, told our class to shut up, threw things across the room, and humiliated kids for not knowing things or forgetting their homework. Most of my teachers were great but this one was really, really, really bad. I can't believe that adults won't do something about it! I can't believe that the adults think nothing bad is going on.

First hand knowledge of the wonderful staff at this school has led me to write this review. The children in my family have all had a wonderful experiences here that are reflected in their success in later years. Last weeks editorial sums it all up. Good teachers help our children thrive. How lucky any child is to spend their elementary years at Hardy. Kudos to this wonderful little school.
—Submitted by a parent

Hardy is a very typical public school. There are some nice teachers, some awful. Nice staff will not protect children from the really mean teachers. The test scores are not truly that impressive. Like most public schools, parents are only allowed to do the bake sales and carnivals. If discerning parents who look more closely raise questions about test scores and chronically poor performing staff those parents will be on the "outs" with staff. This is a very, very "typical" public school. It is ok if you are looking for "babysitting"', but don't expect "stellar" .
—Submitted by a parent

Love this school. The people, diversity, and caring professionals all make this small community school a gem. The open door policy of teachers and staff give it a real sense of community. They are also trying to start a community garden which will benefit all in the neighborhood.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a wonderful school with many extra programs, including, music, art, and a running club before school. There are also gifted enrichment programs that run during recess and after school. The teachers are caring professionals that go above and beyond the call to help parents and students alike. I would highly recommend this school!
—Submitted by a parent

If you are "in" with the principal you might have an "ok" experience at Hardy, presuming you can keep your kids away from certain "problem" teachers. I've observed parents who raise legitimate concerns be seriously mistreated. If your kids are lucky and avoid bad teachers or are "favorites" they'll do fine. All these very glowing reviews are beginning to sound very similiar. I wonder if my review will mysteriosuly be removed like other concerned parent reviews
—Submitted by a parent

My review was also removed from this website. We will see how long this attempt stays posted. There is no Gate program and Gate kids remain sorely unchallenged. There is a faction of parents who want to pretend that the school is ideal but the parent voice has been squelched and teachers' voices as well. What a disappointment this school is to many.
—Submitted by a parent

Hardy truly is a Great School. I have been a parent here for several years and I didn't think it was possible for this school to improve, but it has! The academic programs continue to challenge the students to learn and grow at an incredible rate. The teaching staff is professional and inspirational. The current administrator has implemented many special programs for students, including a school-wide American Postcard Project and supplemental activities for the GATE students during lunch time (my favorite being the book club). My children are happy, safe and thriving at Hardy Elemenary and I wouldn't send them anywhere else! I love this gem of a school!
—Submitted by a parent

I have taught at several high performing schools and prestigious areas in this city and our test scores at Hardy far exceed those other schools regardless of their communities and student populations. I have asked myself many times, what is it that makes Hardy so unique? We have such a beautiful blend of children from a variety of cultures that make our school a rich environment where children are encouraged to blossom and grow! Our children are thriving in a "real-world" situation each and every day. The students receive excellent instruction at school which is then reinforced at home with our supportive parent community. At Hardy, we are unique in the fact that we have very little transiency. The students that begin with us as kindergarteners remain at Hardy until that warm July day when they stand before us at fifth grade promotion more than ready for the challenges that await them in middle-school. Hardy uses a GATE cluster model which allows access to all students. Why should one test determine which children should and should not benefit from enriched instruction? There is not another school in this district where I would prefer to teach!!!
—Submitted by a teacher

I wonder how this school can get such a high rating considering the following things: 1. although the teachers are 'GATE certified', there are no special seminar classes, and with the increased class sizes due to budget cuts, it is impossible to foresee the teachers who are already at their max with the work load, doing any special education or motivating GATE students in different ways. 2. For years now there have been serious complaints about a staff member, yet no effective action has taken place. The bottom line is the safety and well being of the children, and I guess it is really hard to keep that in mind when dealing with teacher's unions and district officials.
—Submitted by a parent

I have had 3 children attend Hardy Elementary over the last 10 years and have had many great experiences. Despite the budget issues facing San Diego City Schools, Hardy Elementary has made their school such a treasure. Every teacher my children have had has been wonderful. The principle and teachers are easy to access via e-mail or after school hours to keep in constant communication so that their students succeed. The staff truly cares about each child as if they are their own. They value each child as an individual and foster a positive learning environment. They teach for the children, not for tests. The classrooms are filled with fun, learning, and laughter. Hardy has managed to staff a full-time art teacher, has a PE program in partnership with SDSU, computer education, English Learner instruction, and a wonderful "power hour" to strengthen all of the students reading skills. Hardy has a wonderfully diverse student population and continues to achieve higher than average test scores. Hardy is a "hidden gem"!!
—Submitted by a parent

My middle child went to this school and graduated. It is very personal, off the beaten path, and excellent academics. They really work with your kids on progress and take a vested interest in my childs future. My daughter will attend until she graduates as well. I LOVE HARDY
—Submitted by a parent

This school is wonderful! My daughter just left for middle school. She came to Hardy from a private school, which was more interested in scores than the student. My son will continue because Hardy teaches him well, is very consistent and truly cares about the individual student. The only problem I see with this school is not having an on-site alternative to the wonderful afterschool program.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended for K and 1st grade before we decided to move to another school. Her last year there really contributed to our decision to move to a private school. I volunteered in the classroom and witnessed hours of wasted instructional time expecting the kids to do over an hour of 'independent' reading(which always ended up with the kids goofing off or staring into space), plus hours of (non-educational) movie watching. After only 2 years the principal is leaving so who knows what will become of the school.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are wonderful. They take the time not just with the students but the parents as well. My daughter has improved by leaps and bounds, she impresses me daily with what she learns.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the best school ever. I am so glad I decided on Hardy when my daughter started Kindergarten. All the teachers are great, Mr. Marshall was an excellent principal, we will miss him greatly, he knew every student by name. He retired at the end of this school year. We have meet our new principal briefly and he seems great too. The school has a small student body which makes it 'homey'. The kids don't get lost in the crowd. The school has an art teacher and a permanent art room. This is great for the kids, they love going to art every week. The PTA does many assemblies and extra activities for the kids. They invest a lot of time and effort to give the students the best. Parents are greatly involved in school activities. SDSU students does PE with the kids as well. A+
—Submitted by Helen S., a parent