How's basis going so far?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are they doing with the chronically disruptive?

In my kid's 5th grade class, telling them to behave and counting the months or years until they go. It's DC Charter after all, not a suburban GT program, sigh.

[Anonymous]

Most disruptive kid collected by head of school, back in class a bit later. But many were acting out apparently. Don't know long term plan but they def. need a plan.

[Anonymous]

For the earlier posters, what's the source of the disruption? Are the problem kids working on grade-level but just posing disciplinary problems, or is this because they're behind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most disruptive kid collected by head of school, back in class a bit later. But many were acting out apparently. Don't know long term plan but they def. need a plan.

I'm shocked, just shocked that a bunch of "content experts" don't have classroom management skills.

[Anonymous]

Was thinking the same. They need rockstar teaching skills to pull off this ambitious plan.

[Anonymous]

Our 5th grader reports very little disruptive behavior in his classes - disruptors are dealt with quickly and are sent out of the class.

[Anonymous]

15:39 here. Was saying 'don't know their plan'. Probably have one. Some of their content experts rock the discipline as well according to my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are they doing with the chronically disruptive?

In my kid's 5th grade class, telling them to behave and counting the months or years until they go. It's DC Charter after all, not a suburban GT program, sigh.

Midterm grades just went home. Parents of disruptive and failing kids (perhaps one a subset of the other) will start being called in. My hope is that parents who don't want to parent will find going in for these meetings to be enough of a hassle that they'll pull these kids out.

[Anonymous]

Awesome. Right back to DCPS. And you can declare charters a success!

What a load of crap.

I want my money back. This charter thing is a rip off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Awesome. Right back to DCPS. And you can declare charters a success!

What a load of crap.

I want my money back. This charter thing is a rip off.

No, PP, it is DCPS that is the rip off. DCPS gets twice as much per student as DC charters do. If you really want to save money, you should help to dismantle DCPS.

Disruptive middle schoolers do not value the educational opportunities they are being afforded. Not only do they squander their own opportunities, but they squander the opportunities of their classmates, the vast majority of whom are eager to learn.

It is well known that BASIS offers a rigorous college prep curriculum. Simply put, BASIS is is not the appropriate school for a child who cannot be reasonably expected to attend a four-year college and perhaps grad school. The parents of these kids enroll them in BASIS for lack of better options. Their IB DCPS middle schools are so terrible that any school that is a) safe and b) offers some opportunity to learn is a better choice.

The fault here lies not with BASIS, but with DCPS for not offering middle schools that meet the needs of these kids. Perhaps the fault lies with the greater DC community, especially education activists, for not founding more charter schools to meet the needs of these children.

Given DC's strong charter law, why isn't middle school a buyer's market in DC? Why doesn't DC have a charter trade school, where kids can prepare to become electricians, contractors, plumbers, auto mechanics, computer technicians, etc? Why aren't there charter schools eager to take the kids who can't cut it at BASIS? After all, they are worth $12 thousand each, and their families have demonstrated a willingness to abandon DCPS. Why didn't they woo those families back in March and convince them not to enroll in BASIS in the first place?

Charters aren't the problem, PP. They are the solution.

[Anonymous]

I heard something about kids having Saturday school now? But I heard it from a kid so maybe was just exaggerating? Apparently to shore up weaknesses so I guess stronger kids don't have to go.

[Anonymous]

DC does have a charter trade school, it's called Booker T. Washington. There may be others that I'm not aware of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC does have a charter trade school, it's called Booker T. Washington. There may be others that I'm not aware of.

Thanks for posting, PP. I did not know about Washington.

From it's home page, it specializes in the construction and building trades. Do you now how successful it is? What is the retention rate? What percentage of graduates find jobs?

Are there any other charter trade schools in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:39 here. Was saying 'don't know their plan'. Probably have one. Some of their content experts rock the discipline as well according to my kid.

Hearing from my kid that they have a whole system for getting the kids attention, and defined levels of escalation if the disruptors don't respond or if they are repeat offenders.

[Anonymous]

There's Hospitality High.