BASIS under federal investigation

[Anonymous]

Ok, I know they didn't come into TR (we were sped from day 1 there) and didn't come in to YY like they are doing to Basis. This actually is different and not historically how it is done.

What is the diabetes case?

[Anonymous]

Wait a minute....I see the game: deflect attention to YY to take the heat off---nice!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the Feds came into YY or not? Growing pains are one thing. Feds is another.

Feds never came to YY except when they went to all charter schools as a result of the DCPS diabetes case (which dragged charters into their investigation) and parents/kids were never encouraged to leave. My sped child has been there since the beginning and I came because I got lousy sped in preK at another school. YY has always had excellent sped (although not always excellent support from some parents and haters on this forum)

As history has shown, when the feds are called, they answer the call and show up. This isn't the first time feds have looked at the schools, and historically, no school out there has managed to grow up in this city without having someone investigate them at some point or another.

And as history shows, we have no shortage of haters who are quick to call for an investigation of the schools at a drop of a hat.

But as history has also shown, the mere fact that someone called them up and that they answered the call is not necessarily an indication of wrongdoing.

Nothing to see until the investigation is complete.

Obviously the "haters" were the parents of special education students at BASIS whose IEPs were not being followed and/or implemented correctly. Not the same thing at all as DCUM haters who don't have kids at the school but "hate" on a new school without basis.

While I wish BASIS well, please don't try to characterize the DCPCSB and DOE investigation as mere growing pains with little merit to the complaints (only paperwork problems, etc). Obviously, the charter board and the Feds think it's a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NO!!! DOJ came to ALL charters because of the DCPS diabetes case. Who are you that you are casting such aspersions against one of the few charters that have always done sped right? DOE actually gave YY AN AWARD for how well it has done sped!

This has nothing to do with the diabetes case. As mentioned, YY turned around wonderfully. Had it not been for some very intense outside situations that may or may not have happened. It certainly was not moving towards being an inclusive environment. BUT IT IS NOW. The point being that this could prove beneficial for BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NO!!! DOJ came to ALL charters because of the DCPS diabetes case. Who are you that you are casting such aspersions against one of the few charters that have always done sped right? DOE actually gave YY AN AWARD for how well it has done sped!

This has nothing to do with the diabetes case. As mentioned, YY turned around wonderfully. Had it not been for some very intense outside situations that may or may not have happened. It certainly was not moving towards being an inclusive environment. BUT IT IS NOW. The point being that this could prove beneficial for BASIS.

Can you give specifics as to how Yu Ying became more inclusive and how it was not inclusive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NO!!! DOJ came to ALL charters because of the DCPS diabetes case. Who are you that you are casting such aspersions against one of the few charters that have always done sped right? DOE actually gave YY AN AWARD for how well it has done sped!

This has nothing to do with the diabetes case. As mentioned, YY turned around wonderfully. Had it not been for some very intense outside situations that may or may not have happened. It certainly was not moving towards being an inclusive environment. BUT IT IS NOW. The point being that this could prove beneficial for BASIS.

Can you give specifics as to how Yu Ying became more inclusive and how it was not inclusive?

Not PP but I have a child w/IEP at YY. They are wonderful. All kids with IEPs are mainstreamed. Services are push-in whenever possible not pull-out. There are sp ed teachers in both Chinese and English classrooms with a Mandarin speaking Sp Ed teacher in the Chinese classroom. Inclusive classrooms in K last year had a ratio of 17/18:3 and class size will remain the same throughout grades. We have used a well known Education Consultant to oversee DC's IEP since DC was eligible for one w/followups every year and according to him, YY is the best he's seen for inclusion in DC. Very happy with Sp Ed services at YY.

We have only been at YY since it's been inclusive so can't speak to when it was not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the Feds came into YY or not? Growing pains are one thing. Feds is another.

Feds never came to YY except when they went to all charter schools as a result of the DCPS diabetes case (which dragged charters into their investigation) and parents/kids were never encouraged to leave. My sped child has been there since the beginning and I came because I got lousy sped in preK at another school. YY has always had excellent sped (although not always excellent support from some parents and haters on this forum)

As history has shown, when the feds are called, they answer the call and show up. This isn't the first time feds have looked at the schools, and historically, no school out there has managed to grow up in this city without having someone investigate them at some point or another.

And as history shows, we have no shortage of haters who are quick to call for an investigation of the schools at a drop of a hat.

But as history has also shown, the mere fact that someone called them up and that they answered the call is not necessarily an indication of wrongdoing.

Nothing to see until the investigation is complete.

Obviously the "haters" were the parents of special education students at BASIS whose IEPs were not being followed and/or implemented correctly. Not the same thing at all as DCUM haters who don't have kids at the school but "hate" on a new school without basis.

While I wish BASIS well, please don't try to characterize the DCPCSB and DOE investigation as mere growing pains with little merit to the complaints (only paperwork problems, etc). Obviously, the charter board and the Feds think it's a big deal.

The charter board and the feds are just doing their job, they were called in to investigate and so they are doing just that - and I would expect nothing less. Maybe you think it's a big deal, I happen to consider it far more sane and rational to defer judgement until we actually hear the findings coming out of the investigation.

Leave the authorities to handle it and for due process to be followed, as opposed to a trial of opinions on an anonymous website based on nothing but spotty, halfbaked and unreliable rumors, innuendo and misinformation.

[Anonymous]

Dear Families of BASIS DC,

We are writing to share some of our ongoing planning for the coming year as we continue to make BASIS DC among the world’s best schools. BASIS DC demonstrated a strong first year of operation – with CAS results placing us top three among charters in the District – but the school did face challenges in the areas of special education delivery and compliance. School management made adjustments throughout the year to address areas of weakness as they were identified. Eventually, BASIS DC elected to perform an internal audit in the spring, specifically focusing on special education so that we could target areas for improvement. From this we developed an action plan to address these important factors of our programming.

Also at the end of the school year, the Public Charter School Board performed an on-site visit to review year one special education compliance. This review was prompted by several complaints that the PCSB received throughout the year. PCSB staff arrived at the same conclusion as the school management–that some remediation was needed in order to ensure we were doing everything possible to serve all students.

At the recent PCSB meeting, the Board approved our action plan and thanked us for treating the matter seriously. Much of that action plan is already completed, including the hiring of a team of special education teachers and an experienced and effective coordinator, Ms. Jennifer Abdemalek. Also, our staff is involved in a series of professional development seminars to make sure everyone is equipped to meet the needs of all our students. These will take place prior to the start of school and throughout the year.

Ultimately, we all believe these steps will improve and strengthen our entire program for the 2013-2014 school year. We thank you for supporting our efforts to provide a world class education for all students at BASIS DC. Please contact our School Directors should you have any questions or to set up an appointment to discuss individual concerns.

Sincerely,

Sean Aiken
Head of School
BASIS DC

[Anonymous]

Yesterday, it was all over the news that BASIS was being "investigated for discriminating against Special Education students." So while you can call it simply rumor and innuendo, the fact that BASIS had complaints made against it and is being investigated has been all over the news.

Whether the complaints are with or without merit remains to be seen but as long as BASIS does better in the future and it keeps other charters scrupulous about following IEPs, it'll be a win win for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Nobody's denying that there were complaints - and it certainly looks like the complaints are being dealt with (and as someone posted the letter sent out a while back by Mr. Akin above it looks like they have it well in hand)

But what is over the top, what is innuendo is the fact that we have 8 pages of repeated desperate postings of "OMG, OMG, FEDS ARE INVESTIGATING!!!" as though their doors were busted down, SWAT dudes came rappelling in through the skylights and people did the handcuffed duckwalk along with crates of files. Calm the hell down, people.

It's already gotten tiresome. 8 pages of this crap is already about 7 and a half pages too many.

Let everyone just do their work, let the investigations proceed, let BASIS do what it needs to resolve the problems. No need to carry on for another 8 pages about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody's denying that there were complaints - and it certainly looks like the complaints are being dealt with (and as someone posted the letter sent out a while back by Mr. Akin above it looks like they have it well in hand)

But what is over the top, what is innuendo is the fact that we have 8 pages of repeated desperate postings of "OMG, OMG, FEDS ARE INVESTIGATING!!!" as though their doors were busted down, SWAT dudes came rappelling in through the skylights and people did the handcuffed duckwalk along with crates of files. Calm the hell down, people.

It's already gotten tiresome. 8 pages of this crap is already about 7 and a half pages too many.

Let everyone just do their work, let the investigations proceed, let BASIS do what it needs to resolve the problems. No need to carry on for another 8 pages about it.

Dramatic much?

Is there BASIS bashing & boostering on DCUM? Yes. But in this thread not to the extent you've characterized it. Actually many of the posts were about how special education needs are met in a variety of schools, in both public and public charter. The only post I read bordering on hyperbole were the ones about TR and how "droves" of families were fleeing the school as if the school was on fire.

[Anonymous]

I love posts to chat room threads complaining about the fact that people are making too many posts on chat room threads. More concerningly I see more evidence that there is a cadre of basis pr folk here selling and/or defending their product. lack of usernames seriously diminishes the reliability of this site!

[Anonymous]

Why would a charter need to accept special needs. It's like a magnet school needing to except special needs. Don't you need to pass a test or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would a charter need to accept special needs. It's like a magnet school needing to except special needs. Don't you need to pass a test or something.

Brain dead troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NO!!! DOJ came to ALL charters because of the DCPS diabetes case. Who are you that you are casting such aspersions against one of the few charters that have always done sped right? DOE actually gave YY AN AWARD for how well it has done sped!

This has nothing to do with the diabetes case. As mentioned, YY turned around wonderfully. Had it not been for some very intense outside situations that may or may not have happened. It certainly was not moving towards being an inclusive environment. BUT IT IS NOW. The point being that this could prove beneficial for BASIS.

Can you give specifics as to how Yu Ying became more inclusive and how it was not inclusive?

Not PP but I have a child w/IEP at YY. They are wonderful. All kids with IEPs are mainstreamed. Services are push-in whenever possible not pull-out. There are sp ed teachers in both Chinese and English classrooms with a Mandarin speaking Sp Ed teacher in the Chinese classroom. Inclusive classrooms in K last year had a ratio of 17/18:3 and class size will remain the same throughout grades. We have used a well known Education Consultant to oversee DC's IEP since DC was eligible for one w/followups every year and according to him, YY is the best he's seen for inclusion in DC. Very happy with Sp Ed services at YY.

We have only been at YY since it's been inclusive so can't speak to when it was not.

OMG!! IT ALWAYS WAS INCLUSIVE!! In fact it is only in the last year or two that they started having self-contained for severe cases. Who is the idiot who is pretending they know???