Basis DC just withdrew its request to amend their charter and add elementary school

[Anonymous]

There is a ton of demand, and Brent can't meet all of the demand.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Charter advocate and BASIS critic just blogged about the BASIS decision to withdraw its application to expand.

https://parentshaveschoolchoicekidswin.com/2016/11/21/basis-pcs-withdraws-application-to-expand/

One could argue that high achieving, higher income kids are left behind by the traditional school system in DCPS. Unless you can buy a million dollar house in upper NW or Cap Hill for Brent, then your kid is screwed.

Cry me a river. High achieving, high income kids are not at risk of being left behind. They are at a huge advantage academically, and statistically will be JUST FINE even if they are not challenged in school until later. They are not at risk of anything other than boredom and being spoiled rotten.

And, KIPP has proven to be adept at challenging my 99th percentile tester. They differentiate. If you could get past all the black faces, you might like it.

good on you but no thanks. no problem with black or brown faces, just the pedagogical model at KIPP.

What do you know about KIPP? Have you visited? Observed? Or just made a decision based on what DCUMers say about it?

Well familiar with the model and I've done enough research. My 99th% tester doesn't need a drill sergeant or life coach and 'no excuses' is a given.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charter advocate and BASIS critic just blogged about the BASIS decision to withdraw its application to expand.

https://parentshaveschoolchoicekidswin.com/2016/11/21/basis-pcs-withdraws-application-to-expand/

One could argue that high achieving, higher income kids are left behind by the traditional school system in DCPS. Unless you can buy a million dollar house in upper NW or Cap Hill for Brent, then your kid is screwed.

Cry me a river. High achieving, high income kids are not at risk of being left behind. They are at a huge advantage academically, and statistically will be JUST FINE even if they are not challenged in school until later. They are not at risk of anything other than boredom and being spoiled rotten.

And, KIPP has proven to be adept at challenging my 99th percentile tester. They differentiate. If you could get past all the black faces, you might like it.

good on you but no thanks. no problem with black or brown faces, just the pedagogical model at KIPP.

What do you know about KIPP? Have you visited? Observed? Or just made a decision based on what DCUMers say about it?

Not all parents want a "kill and drill" model of education like KIPP. Sure the kids may test well but are they really going to be the creative, initiative taking leaders in the future?

I haven't experienced "Kill and Drill" yet at KIPP (we're in year 5 now, 2nd grade). All the kids are encouraged to think critically, creatively, and problem solve. It's not rote memorization, and never has been. Before you decide it's not for you, look into the curriculum they use. It's rigorous, but there's no drill sergeant.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, PP, you are self-serving.

Plenty of Hill parents share this thought but won't come out and say it. Give us a break, we don't have a Deal, or even a Hardy or Hobson, to keep us in the city.

Plenty of Hill parents are happy that a potentially high quality elementary charter isn't opening, because it increases their already slim chances at lotterying in to Basis? I actually don't think so. Sure people want better middle schools, but I doubt they are rooting for the absence of better options overall. Plus, they could just try lotterying in to the Basis elementary school and get access to middle school that way.

They want to stay in their high performing, walkable neighborhood elementary schools as long as possible and then lottery for Latin or BASIS as families have been able to do for the last 5 years. The chances of getting into BASIS aren't that slim actually (went through virtually all of their 5th grade wait list this year).

Yeah, not buying it that my neighbors are all rejoicing that the Basis elementary is not opening. Anyway, if they are, it's still enourmously self-serving and selfish. (Let me stay in my cute little Brent and let everyone else eat cake! Until middle school, when I DEMAND access to Basis!)

I am a Hill parent relieved at this news for all the reasons stated above. I don't feel guilty about hoping to have a good middle school option in two years when we need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


I am a Hill parent relieved at this news for all the reasons stated above. I don't feel guilty about hoping to have a good middle school option in two years when we need it.

You should feel guilty, that is appalling. For all you know BASIS will have opened another middle school by then and you will have no trouble getting in, or you may receive a job offer that requires you to move somewhere else entirely. A lot of things can happen in two years, denying some other parent an elementary school you won't even use solely on the possibility that it might decrease available space in a middle school in two years is just awful. Be supportive of BASIS and they will open more schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


I am a Hill parent relieved at this news for all the reasons stated above. I don't feel guilty about hoping to have a good middle school option in two years when we need it.

You should feel guilty, that is appalling. For all you know BASIS will have opened another middle school by then and you will have no trouble getting in, or you may receive a job offer that requires you to move somewhere else entirely. A lot of things can happen in two years, denying some other parent an elementary school you won't even use solely on the possibility that it might decrease available space in a middle school in two years is just awful. Be supportive of BASIS and they will open more schools.

No they won't. They have no intention of opening a second middle school in DC. If you read their proposal this would be clear to you.

Their hope was 2 elementary schools feeding one middle / high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No they won't. They have no intention of opening a second middle school in DC. If you read their proposal this would be clear to you.

Their hope was 2 elementary schools feeding one middle / high school.

I read the proposal, my point was more general. They actually did request an increase in the number of middle school slots three years ago and were denied by the board. I believe they have every intention of opening more schools in DC (and other locations) if there is demand and the political climate is accommodating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No they won't. They have no intention of opening a second middle school in DC. If you read their proposal this would be clear to you.

Their hope was 2 elementary schools feeding one middle / high school.

I read the proposal, my point was more general. They actually did request an increase in the number of middle school slots three years ago and were denied by the board. I believe they have every intention of opening more schools in DC (and other locations) if there is demand and the political climate is accommodating.

3 years ago it was because they had horrible attrition and a very expensive mortgage. The Board rightly said that the school's lack of financial planning wasn't a reason to increase the enrollment ceiling.

They are opening BASIS Independent schools at a rapid clip (Manhattan next fall) but have slowed their charter growth significantly. It's much easier when you can pick who enrolls and everyone pays $28,000/year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

They are opening BASIS Independent schools at a rapid clip (Manhattan next fall) but have slowed their charter growth significantly. It's much easier when you can pick who enrolls and everyone pays $28,000/year.

The limiting factor on their ability to open more charters more quickly is certainly not the ability to pick who enrolls, it's navigating the political climate that infects the charter board and parents like the one above who perversely wish to see fewer BASIS schools open so their child has a better chance of enrolling in the one that exists. Of course they can open Independent schools more quickly when all they have to do is assess the demand and move forward.

[Anonymous]

Basis withdrew their application after months of work. Period. No one on the Board stopped them. No DC residents submitted comments or testified against the expansion. Blane Basis,not the 'political' climate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis withdrew their application after months of work. Period. No one on the Board stopped them. No DC residents submitted comments or testified against the expansion. Blane Basis,not the 'political' climate.

Basis seems like the type of school intent on being a success from day 1 and avoiding the growing pains of most new charters. If they had any doubt of getting off to a running start, they would have withdrawn and reapplied another year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis withdrew their application after months of work. Period. No one on the Board stopped them. No DC residents submitted comments or testified against the expansion. Blane Basis,not the 'political' climate.

Basis seems like the type of school intent on being a success from day 1 and avoiding the growing pains of most new charters. If they had any doubt of getting off to a running start, they would have withdrawn and reapplied another year.

I can commend them for this even if I'm not convinced on their model. Rather than being "rejected", recalibrate and focus on a future years. They wouldn't be the first school do to this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis withdrew their application after months of work. Period. No one on the Board stopped them. No DC residents submitted comments or testified against the expansion. Blane Basis,not the 'political' climate.

No one actually knows why they withdrew this application, but your inclination to immediately "blame BASIS" for doing is part of the problem. They probably had good reasons, we don't know what they were yet. We do know the board rejected their last application to expand the middle school, so there is some history and precedent. The comment about a parent who was against BASIS opening more schools in order to have a better chance at their single school was taken directly from said parent's message above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis withdrew their application after months of work. Period. No one on the Board stopped them. No DC residents submitted comments or testified against the expansion. Blane Basis,not the 'political' climate.

not true. I submitted comments and DC's elementary classmate's parent testified in writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis withdrew their application after months of work. Period. No one on the Board stopped them. No DC residents submitted comments or testified against the expansion. Blane Basis,not the 'political' climate.

not true. I submitted comments and DC's elementary classmate's parent testified in writing.

You submitted comments against the expansion because you wanted to preserve "your" lottery spot in the middle school?