BASIS DCPCSB to open two PK3-5 campuses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to say that given the plethora of shit-astic schools in DC (*especially* at the middle school level), it would seem insane to deny expansion to one of the very, very few middle schools that many people are happy with. Like, if BASIS isn't allowed to expand, who on earth should be?

Of course, all of the kids entering middle school in DC were exceedingly well prepared and they performed poorly on standardized test in middle school because the schools themselves are so horrible...

I wish people would start separating out the value add of a school from the demographics of who goes there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to say that given the plethora of shit-astic schools in DC (*especially* at the middle school level), it would seem insane to deny expansion to one of the very, very few middle schools that many people are happy with. Like, if BASIS isn't allowed to expand, who on earth should be?

Of course, all of the kids entering middle school in DC were exceedingly well prepared and they performed poorly on standardized test in middle school because the schools themselves are so horrible...

I wish people would start separating out the value add of a school from the demographics of who goes there.

If we rely on PARCC and the MGP it suggests the Basis kids are improving from year to year (5 to 6, 6 to 7 and so on). More years of data will help see if it's a fluke or a pattern.

[Anonymous]

The charter board's longstanding obsession with meeting the needs of under-served populations, a local variant of tunnel vision, is on display yet again in this video.

What's wrong with mainly serving high SES families whose in-boundary schools are train wrecks, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in, at BASIS DC from K to 12th grades? Why not cater to well-heeled tax payers in a bid to keep more of their income and property tax dollars in the city, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in?

There aren't even 20 public schools in the city with enough white kids to pull them out by subgroup on PARCC testing, yet the charter board is fussing about the percentage of FARMs students at BASIS. There are already more than enough public schools catering to the poor in this city. Give poor kids a chance to rise with the high SES tide at a new BASIS elementary school. It's a no brainer. Fingers crossed for a vote for expansion in Dec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The charter board's longstanding obsession with meeting the needs of under-served populations, a local variant of tunnel vision, is on display yet again in this video.

What's wrong with mainly serving high SES families whose in-boundary schools are train wrecks, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in, at BASIS DC from K to 12th grades? Why not cater to well-heeled tax payers in a bid to keep more of their income and property tax dollars in the city, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in?

There aren't even 20 public schools in the city with enough white kids to pull them out by subgroup on PARCC testing, yet the charter board is fussing about the percentage of FARMs students at BASIS. There are already more than enough public schools catering to the poor in this city. Give poor kids a chance to rise with the high SES tide at a new BASIS elementary school. It's a no brainer. Fingers crossed for a vote for expansion in Dec.

Except the bolded part is the stated reason that charters were started, and the express mission of the PCSB.

The bigger problem for BASIS is its crappy record on students with disabilities most of whom have not had particularly complex needs, not students who qualify for FARMS. One of the BASIS reps last night (not from the DC school) seemed to think the school deserved a medal for its commitment ot students with disabilities because they now have a psychologist, a full time special ed coordinator and a couple learning specialists at the middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The charter board's longstanding obsession with meeting the needs of under-served populations, a local variant of tunnel vision, is on display yet again in this video.

What's wrong with mainly serving high SES families whose in-boundary schools are train wrecks, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in, at BASIS DC from K to 12th grades? Why not cater to well-heeled tax payers in a bid to keep more of their income and property tax dollars in the city, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in?

There aren't even 20 public schools in the city with enough white kids to pull them out by subgroup on PARCC testing, yet the charter board is fussing about the percentage of FARMs students at BASIS. There are already more than enough public schools catering to the poor in this city. Give poor kids a chance to rise with the high SES tide at a new BASIS elementary school. It's a no brainer. Fingers crossed for a vote for expansion in Dec.

Except the bolded part is the stated reason that charters were started, and the express mission of the PCSB.

The bigger problem for BASIS is its crappy record on students with disabilities most of whom have not had particularly complex needs, not students who qualify for FARMS. One of the BASIS reps last night (not from the DC school) seemed to think the school deserved a medal for its commitment ot students with disabilities because they now have a psychologist, a full time special ed coordinator and a couple learning specialists at the middle school.

Is the bolded the mission of the PCSB? I found this on their website...

Based on evidence gathered in each of these steps, DC PCSB reviews applicant groups based on five criteria:
1.Demonstrated need for the school;
2.Sufficient progress in developing the plan;
3.Consistency of the mission and philosophy;
4.Inclusiveness; and
5.Founding group ability

There's need for the school and inclusiveness, but nothing on underserved. By underserved do you mean a lack of quality by-right options?

[Anonymous]

Inclusiveness means they serve all students.

When they started there were both more poor students and more students with disabilities. Both populations have dwindled.

Same thing has happened at Wash Latin's middle school. In response its Board is currently planning a second campus to be located EOTR.

Basis on the other hand stated in its application and at the hearing that they were only looking at possible locations in Wards 1-6.

See the difference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inclusiveness means they serve all students.

When they started there were both more poor students and more students with disabilities. Both populations have dwindled.

Same thing has happened at Wash Latin's middle school. In response its Board is currently planning a second campus to be located EOTR.

Basis on the other hand stated in its application and at the hearing that they were only looking at possible locations in Wards 1-6.

See the difference?

Of course the populations have dwindled steadily in what amounts to a liberal arts GT program in a public school system without any before high school. Almost any well-educated parent who's lived in this city for a decade or more could have seen that one coming.

BASIS can't end multi-generational poverty in DC or anywhere else, but it can help dozens of poor DC kids reach for the stars, mainly by providing them a peer group that's predominantly high SES. I'm thrilled that BASIS is only looking at locations outside Wards 7 and 8. I wouldn't have gone to a great college, on a Pell grant, if most of my high school classmates hadn't been from upper middle-class families, unlike my own. No way, no how. I hear this a lot from colleagues and friends.

Come on, Latin's board isn't PLANNING to open a second campus EOTR; its members are merely talking about opening a second campus somewhere.

The difference is that BASIS isn't afraid to differentiate" (read track) aggressively, at least for science and math. Latin is.

[Anonymous]

Nope - no tracks for science at Basis. All students take same classes/exams.

As for Latin read their Board minutes. That is the goal/plan.
Because the dwindling numbers of economically disadvantaged and minority children has caught attention of the authorizers.

[Anonymous]

Basis can't be a GT program. It isn't legal or appropriate under the law or the terms of its charter agreement.

Also many GT students also have learning disabilities. It isn't so simple to draw the lines of who should or shouldnt be in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope - no tracks for science at Basis. All students take same classes/exams.

As for Latin read their Board minutes. That is the goal/plan.
Because the dwindling numbers of economically disadvantaged and minority children has caught attention of the authorizers.

Try harder. All BASIS DC students don't take the same science classes and exams from 8th grade on up.

Board minutes hardly constitute plans. You need a revised charter and a contract to renovate a building for that.

Has the dwindling number of economically disadvantaged and minority children in the city for, oh, 25+ years now, caught the attention of the authorizers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis can't be a GT program. It isn't legal or appropriate under the law or the terms of its charter agreement.

Also many GT students also have learning disabilities. It isn't so simple to draw the lines of who should or shouldnt be in.

Uh, it's pretty simple. Kids who can't, or won't, pass comps in 6th, 7th and 8th grades not only shouldn't be "in" unless they repeat a grade, they can't be "in" unless they repeat a grade. Nope, not complicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis can't be a GT program. It isn't legal or appropriate under the law or the terms of its charter agreement.

Also many GT students also have learning disabilities. It isn't so simple to draw the lines of who should or shouldnt be in.

Uh, it's pretty simple. Kids who can't, or won't, pass comps in 6th, 7th and 8th grades not only shouldn't be "in" unless they repeat a grade, they can't be "in" unless they repeat a grade. Nope, not complicated.

Which is not legal for students with disabilities under the IDEA. Period.

Magnets can do that. Charters can't no matter how much you wish it were the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The charter board's longstanding obsession with meeting the needs of under-served populations, a local variant of tunnel vision, is on display yet again in this video.

What's wrong with mainly serving high SES families whose in-boundary schools are train wrecks, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in, at BASIS DC from K to 12th grades? Why not cater to well-heeled tax payers in a bid to keep more of their income and property tax dollars in the city, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in?

There aren't even 20 public schools in the city with enough white kids to pull them out by subgroup on PARCC testing, yet the charter board is fussing about the percentage of FARMs students at BASIS. There are already more than enough public schools catering to the poor in this city. Give poor kids a chance to rise with the high SES tide at a new BASIS elementary school. It's a no brainer. Fingers crossed for a vote for expansion in Dec.

Go back and read the early pages of this thread. I'm willing to bet Basis middle school will look a lot different if they add K-4. Many high SES families will opt out for elementary and be blocked out for middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The charter board's longstanding obsession with meeting the needs of under-served populations, a local variant of tunnel vision, is on display yet again in this video.

What's wrong with mainly serving high SES families whose in-boundary schools are train wrecks, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in, at BASIS DC from K to 12th grades? Why not cater to well-heeled tax payers in a bid to keep more of their income and property tax dollars in the city, along with anybody else who cares to lottery in?

There aren't even 20 public schools in the city with enough white kids to pull them out by subgroup on PARCC testing, yet the charter board is fussing about the percentage of FARMs students at BASIS. There are already more than enough public schools catering to the poor in this city. Give poor kids a chance to rise with the high SES tide at a new BASIS elementary school. It's a no brainer. Fingers crossed for a vote for expansion in Dec.

Go back and read the early pages of this thread. I'm willing to bet Basis middle school will look a lot different if they add K-4. Many high SES families will opt out for elementary and be blocked out for middle school.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis can't be a GT program. It isn't legal or appropriate under the law or the terms of its charter agreement.

Also many GT students also have learning disabilities. It isn't so simple to draw the lines of who should or shouldnt be in.

Uh, it's pretty simple. Kids who can't, or won't, pass comps in 6th, 7th and 8th grades not only shouldn't be "in" unless they repeat a grade, they can't be "in" unless they repeat a grade. Nope, not complicated.

Which is not legal for students with disabilities under the IDEA. Period.

Magnets can do that. Charters can't no matter how much you wish it were the case.

Patently untrue. BASIS has a charter which accords them the right to hold kids who cannot pass middle school comps back a grade. Many of those held back hit the road. My wishes are irrelevant.