BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013

[Anonymous]

Beg Borrow and Steal. Did that with much trepidation and viewing a short-term fix till HS -- and can't believe how DC is blooming and the quality of education free of the stress of testing constantly, us--along with many fellow DCPS folks who don't live in Deal area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Beg Borrow and Steal. Did that with much trepidation and viewing a short-term fix till HS -- and can't believe how DC is blooming and the quality of education free of the stress of testing constantly, us--along with many fellow DCPS folks who don't live in Deal area.

Private middle school costs about $25K/year.

Three years = $75K.

Two kids = $150K.

$150K = $1,700/month for 10 years ($210K total).

What about saving for college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Basis will operate at all like a start up charter. Given their record of success in Arizona, they can probably get some good credit and imagine there are some rather wealthy backers.

The poster probably knows what she is talking about and might possibly be under contract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Basis will operate at all like a start up charter. Given their record of success in Arizona, they can probably get some good credit and imagine there are some rather wealthy backers.

The poster probably knows what she is talking about and might possibly be under contract.

No. I am just paying attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

When will people realize you can't control public charter school enrollment by address. What part of "public" in public charter is so hard to grasp?

Um, there's the word "public" in "public schools," and these are all controlled by address. It's not like it's written in the Bible or something that charter schools have to be District-wide. This is something that leaders chose once upon a time, and it can be changed.

Also, I get the sense that Vincent Gray is interested in expanding charter schools across the city to address specific performance issues at DCPS. For places that are poorly served by DCPS and where parents are worried about their ability to get in someplace good via lottery, it would make sense to give preference to the students whose local, in-bounds DCPS options are weak.

Bible, no. DC charter law from 1996, yes. The only way a charter school can give address preference is for it to be a conversion of a DCPS. (The first charter school in the city was a DCPS conversion.)

Not to be a downer, but parents should have realistic expectations of what charters can and cannot do. There seems to be a perception that somehow BASIS will be flooded with applicants from Hardy boundary or already proficient and advanced students. While that could happen in theory, witness YY 10% FARMs, it would have to be a result of a low number of applicants. Given the waitlists at existing charters and Deal, a lottery is pretty much a given for BASIS.

I'm not sure if BASIS pursued the option of conversion. But there sure are some DCPS schools that could use a fresh start.

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§ 38-1802.06. Student admission, enrollment, and withdrawal.


(a) Open enrollment. -- Enrollment in a public charter school shall be open to
all students who are residents of the District of Columbia and, if space is
available, to nonresident students who meet the tuition requirement in
subsection (e) of this section.
(b) Criteria for admission. -- A public charter school may not limit
enrollment on the basis of a student's race, color, religion, national origin,
language spoken, intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or
aptitude, or status as a student with special needs. A public charter school
may limit enrollment to specific grade levels.
(c) Random selection. -- If there are more applications to enroll in a public
charter school from students who are residents of the District of Columbia than
there are spaces available, students shall be admitted using a random selection
process, except that a preference in admission may be given to an applicant who
is a sibling of a student already attending or selected for admission to the
public charter school in which the applicant is seeking enrollment.
(d)(1) Admission to an existing school. -- A District of Columbia public
school that has been approved to be converted to a charter school under § 38-
1802.01 shall give priority in enrollment to:
(A) Students enrolled in the school at the time the petition is granted;
(B) The siblings of students described in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph; and
(C) Students who reside within the attendance boundaries, if any, in which
the school is located.
(2) A private or independent school that has been approved to be converted to
a charter school under § 38-1802.01 may give priority in enrollment to the
persons described in paragraph (1)(A) and (1)(B) of this subsection for a
period of 5 years, beginning on the date its petition is approved.
(e) Nonresident students. -- Nonresident students shall pay tuition to attend
a public charter school at the applicable rate established for District of
Columbia public schools administered by the Board of Education for the type of
program in which the student is enrolled.
(f) Student withdrawal. -- A student may withdraw from a public charter school
at any time and, if otherwise eligible, enroll in a District of Columbia public
school administered by the Board of Education.
(g) Expulsion and suspension. -- The principal of a public charter school may
expel or suspend a student from the school based on criteria set forth in the
charter granted to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Basis will operate at all like a start up charter. Given their record of success in Arizona, they can probably get some good credit and imagine there are some rather wealthy backers.

The poster probably knows what she is talking about and might possibly be under contract.

No. I am just paying attention.

We need to pay attention to BASIS. The future of DC charter schools is here. Thank you so much!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Basis will operate at all like a start up charter. Given their record of success in Arizona, they can probably get some good credit and imagine there are some rather wealthy backers.

Major backing and Arizona roots:

http://www.azreporter.com/tt/index.php?id=1677

BASIS Approved to Establish Charter School in DC

In March, DC parents, eager to bring one of the nation's top academic programs to their community, donned t-shirts adorned with the slogan "I'M NOT WAITING FOR SUPERMAN; I FOUND BASIS." The slogan was a reference to the 2010 documentary Waiting for Superman which exposed the failings of the American school system.

Today, six months later, these parents have reason to celebrate. The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) granted the Committee to Bring a BASIS School to DC approval to operate a 5th through 12th grade charter school in the nation's capital. The school, BASIS DC, is scheduled to open for the 2012-13 school year. DC PCSB granted the Committee conditional approval in April; the Committee met all of the Board's conditions and received full and unconditional approval at a meeting yesterday evening.

The Committee intends to replicate the BASIS Schools model which has proven successful in Arizona, earning its flagship campus, BASIS Tucson, top ten statuses in The Washington Post, US News and Newsweek's rankings of America's Best High Schools.

"Our city has an opportunity to open a school here that will not only get our students up to grade level, but empower them to compete with the best students in the world," says Mary Siddall, Chair of the Committee to bring a BASIS School to DC. Siddall, a DC resident and parent, was committed to bringing a top nationally ranked open enrollment school to Washington, DC. "DC students deserve a world-class educational option," says Siddall, "and BASIS has proven it can deliver."

Fellow DC resident and Vice-Chair of the Committee, Robert Compton, agrees. In 2009 he released Two Million Minutes: The 21st Century Solution, a documentary which showcases BASIS as a solution to American student's poor academic performance compared to their international peers. Compton decided to produce the documentary after visiting BASIS Tucson and BASIS Scottsdale in 2008. "Meeting the schools' founders and understanding their philosophy and meeting the students and being just blown away by what they have achieved intellectually and academically renewed my hope that we can raise our standards in the 21st century."

In early 2012, BASIS DC will begin the registration process for the 2012-13 school year. The school will be an open enrollment charter school which will not require entrance examinations and will not charge tuition. Any student can attend if there is space available; a registration lottery will determine admission if there are more students interested than the school can accommodate.

"Teachers definitely pay attention... if I was messing up in school I would be continuously helped with exactly what I needed to do to catch up... and if I wanted to exceed in something they would give me the steps to exceed in that," says Gabriel Carranza, who graduated from BASIS Tucson in May, "I really firmly believe that because of the fact that I went to this school, I got accepted to Harvard."

2011 BASIS graduates were also accepted to, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Penn, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Duke, Dartmouth, The University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Brown, Cornell, Berkeley, and other top tier colleges and universities. To date, 100 percent of BASIS graduates have been accepted to a 4 year college or university, many entering college as sophomores due to the advanced nature of their academic coursework.

BASIS leaders look forward to similar success in Washington, DC. "No matter a child's economic background, geographic location, culture or ethnicity, a quality education along with hard work provides the opportunity to become successful in life," says Nick Fleege, BASIS Schools' New School Development Director, "we will strive to provide an education of the highest quality to DC students."


BASIS™ is a trademark or registered trademark of BASIS Educational Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Used with permission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Basis will operate at all like a start up charter. Given their record of success in Arizona, they can probably get some good credit and imagine there are some rather wealthy backers.

Major backing and Arizona roots:

http://www.azreporter.com/tt/index.php?id=1677

BASIS Approved to Establish Charter School in DC

In March, DC parents, eager to bring one of the nation's top academic programs to their community, donned t-shirts adorned with the slogan "I'M NOT WAITING FOR SUPERMAN; I FOUND BASIS." The slogan was a reference to the 2010 documentary Waiting for Superman which exposed the failings of the American school system.

Today, six months later, these parents have reason to celebrate. The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) granted the Committee to Bring a BASIS School to DC approval to operate a 5th through 12th grade charter school in the nation's capital. The school, BASIS DC, is scheduled to open for the 2012-13 school year. DC PCSB granted the Committee conditional approval in April; the Committee met all of the Board's conditions and received full and unconditional approval at a meeting yesterday evening.

Hello people,
Read all and weep: BASIS MUST be open and available to any student who applies within DC boundaries; Including students with special needs. NO cherry-picking or low-hanging fruit allowed. Welcome to the charter world. Access to all who apply!!!!!

The Committee intends to replicate the BASIS Schools model which has proven successful in Arizona, earning its flagship campus, BASIS Tucson, top ten statuses in The Washington Post, US News and Newsweek's rankings of America's Best High Schools.

"Our city has an opportunity to open a school here that will not only get our students up to grade level, but empower them to compete with the best students in the world," says Mary Siddall, Chair of the Committee to bring a BASIS School to DC. Siddall, a DC resident and parent, was committed to bringing a top nationally ranked open enrollment school to Washington, DC. "DC students deserve a world-class educational option," says Siddall, "and BASIS has proven it can deliver."

Fellow DC resident and Vice-Chair of the Committee, Robert Compton, agrees. In 2009 he released Two Million Minutes: The 21st Century Solution, a documentary which showcases BASIS as a solution to American student's poor academic performance compared to their international peers. Compton decided to produce the documentary after visiting BASIS Tucson and BASIS Scottsdale in 2008. "Meeting the schools' founders and understanding their philosophy and meeting the students and being just blown away by what they have achieved intellectually and academically renewed my hope that we can raise our standards in the 21st century."

In early 2012, BASIS DC will begin the registration process for the 2012-13 school year. The school will be an open enrollment charter school which will not require entrance examinations and will not charge tuition. Any student can attend if there is space available; a registration lottery will determine admission if there are more students interested than the school can accommodate.

"Teachers definitely pay attention... if I was messing up in school I would be continuously helped with exactly what I needed to do to catch up... and if I wanted to exceed in something they would give me the steps to exceed in that," says Gabriel Carranza, who graduated from BASIS Tucson in May, "I really firmly believe that because of the fact that I went to this school, I got accepted to Harvard."

2011 BASIS graduates were also accepted to, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Penn, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Duke, Dartmouth, The University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Brown, Cornell, Berkeley, and other top tier colleges and universities. To date, 100 percent of BASIS graduates have been accepted to a 4 year college or university, many entering college as sophomores due to the advanced nature of their academic coursework.

BASIS leaders look forward to similar success in Washington, DC. "No matter a child's economic background, geographic location, culture or ethnicity, a quality education along with hard work provides the opportunity to become successful in life," says Nick Fleege, BASIS Schools' New School Development Director, "we will strive to provide an education of the highest quality to DC students."


BASIS™ is a trademark or registered trademark of BASIS Educational Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Used with permission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Basis will operate at all like a start up charter. Given their record of success in Arizona, they can probably get some good credit and imagine there are some rather wealthy backers.

Major backing and Arizona roots:

http://www.azreporter.com/tt/index.php?id=1677

BASIS Approved to Establish Charter School in DC

In March, DC parents, eager to bring one of the nation's top academic programs to their community, donned t-shirts adorned with the slogan "I'M NOT WAITING FOR SUPERMAN; I FOUND BASIS." The slogan was a reference to the 2010 documentary Waiting for Superman which exposed the failings of the American school system.

Today, six months later, these parents have reason to celebrate. The District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB) granted the Committee to Bring a BASIS School to DC approval to operate a 5th through 12th grade charter school in the nation's capital. The school, BASIS DC, is scheduled to open for the 2012-13 school year. DC PCSB granted the Committee conditional approval in April; the Committee met all of the Board's conditions and received full and unconditional approval at a meeting yesterday evening.

Hello people,
Read all and weep: BASIS MUST be open and available to any student who applies within DC boundaries; Including students with special needs. NO cherry-picking or low-hanging fruit allowed. Welcome to the charter world. Access to all who apply!!!!!

The Committee intends to replicate the BASIS Schools model which has proven successful in Arizona, earning its flagship campus, BASIS Tucson, top ten statuses in The Washington Post, US News and Newsweek's rankings of America's Best High Schools.

"Our city has an opportunity to open a school here that will not only get our students up to grade level, but empower them to compete with the best students in the world," says Mary Siddall, Chair of the Committee to bring a BASIS School to DC. Siddall, a DC resident and parent, was committed to bringing a top nationally ranked open enrollment school to Washington, DC. "DC students deserve a world-class educational option," says Siddall, "and BASIS has proven it can deliver."

Fellow DC resident and Vice-Chair of the Committee, Robert Compton, agrees. In 2009 he released Two Million Minutes: The 21st Century Solution, a documentary which showcases BASIS as a solution to American student's poor academic performance compared to their international peers. Compton decided to produce the documentary after visiting BASIS Tucson and BASIS Scottsdale in 2008. "Meeting the schools' founders and understanding their philosophy and meeting the students and being just blown away by what they have achieved intellectually and academically renewed my hope that we can raise our standards in the 21st century."

In early 2012, BASIS DC will begin the registration process for the 2012-13 school year. The school will be an open enrollment charter school which will not require entrance examinations and will not charge tuition. Any student can attend if there is space available; a registration lottery will determine admission if there are more students interested than the school can accommodate.

"Teachers definitely pay attention... if I was messing up in school I would be continuously helped with exactly what I needed to do to catch up... and if I wanted to exceed in something they would give me the steps to exceed in that," says Gabriel Carranza, who graduated from BASIS Tucson in May, "I really firmly believe that because of the fact that I went to this school, I got accepted to Harvard."

2011 BASIS graduates were also accepted to, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Penn, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Duke, Dartmouth, The University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Brown, Cornell, Berkeley, and other top tier colleges and universities. To date, 100 percent of BASIS graduates have been accepted to a 4 year college or university, many entering college as sophomores due to the advanced nature of their academic coursework.

BASIS leaders look forward to similar success in Washington, DC. "No matter a child's economic background, geographic location, culture or ethnicity, a quality education along with hard work provides the opportunity to become successful in life," says Nick Fleege, BASIS Schools' New School Development Director, "we will strive to provide an education of the highest quality to DC students."


BASIS™ is a trademark or registered trademark of BASIS Educational Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Used with permission.

So Mary Siddall and Bob Compton linked up here?

[Anonymous]

Whom do I call at the Public Charter School Board or the District Building to learn more about the school administration/administrator?

[Anonymous]

I wish they didn't try to make it sound like a miracle story in which school transforms behind grad level low income kids into harvard material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish they didn't try to make it sound like a miracle story in which school transforms behind grad level low income kids into harvard material.

What is a better way to tell the story?

[Anonymous]

I thought BASIS in AZ actually had a pretty low percentage of low income kids. What are the stats?

[Anonymous]

How can the rigor of BASIS be a point of contention? Isn't that one area in which DC has a huge deficit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can the rigor of BASIS be a point of contention? Isn't that one area in which DC has a huge deficit?

Let me put it to you this way. Anything "excellent" in DC cannot fit or serve "everyone" and is perceived as taking resources from those who don't have "excellence" and therefore is not permitted to exist at all. No one ever seems to think of growing more excellence, it is always a limited commodity.