SELA teacher exodus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'll actually close this year too. But even a connection to a "national network of Hebrew immersion schools" cannot invent or create an interested, committed student body from thin air. I seriously wonder what kind of market research (formal or informal) the founders did. There was no reason to think this idea would "take" in DC, and the constant turnover of FAMILIES, and now STAFF should have told the founders that the seed is not growing.

In the 2 years Sela has been open, I've known several families who have attended for some period of time (6 or 7 families). None of them stayed when they had the chance to go somewhere else. That is a huge deal, since they spoke of that being the dynamic among the majority of families.

If a national network is going to keep channeling money to what is obviously a sinking ship, that's their business. I just don't understand what they think the benefit is, and who is it exactly that benefits?

Usually national networks don't give funds to individual member schools. Sometimes the schools have to pay dues to access curriculum resources or training.

If at some point the school gets into trouble making ends meet the PCSB will step in. That's part of what the audits are for.

[Anonymous]

It just seems like a huge waste of taxpayer money not to shut this school down.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]I heard they don't have naps for PK3-4. Is that true? Did anyone ask during any open houses?[/quote]

NP here, that would be great: DC is 3 and doesn't nap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'll actually close this year too. But even a connection to a "national network of Hebrew immersion schools" cannot invent or create an interested, committed student body from thin air. I seriously wonder what kind of market research (formal or informal) the founders did. There was no reason to think this idea would "take" in DC, and the constant turnover of FAMILIES, and now STAFF should have told the founders that the seed is not growing.

In the 2 years Sela has been open, I've known several families who have attended for some period of time (6 or 7 families). None of them stayed when they had the chance to go somewhere else. That is a huge deal, since they spoke of that being the dynamic among the majority of families.

If a national network is going to keep channeling money to what is obviously a sinking ship, that's their business. I just don't understand what they think the benefit is, and who is it exactly that benefits?

Usually national networks don't give funds to individual member schools. Sometimes the schools have to pay dues to access curriculum resources or training.

If at some point the school gets into trouble making ends meet the PCSB will step in. That's part of what the audits are for.

Are you saying PCSB will bail them out? Or what are you saying PCSB will do? If people aren't applying and the most of those that do apply and get in don't stay, why would PCSB do anything to keep a school like that on life support? Who does that benefit and isn't that a waste of public resources?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt they'll actually close this year too. But even a connection to a "national network of Hebrew immersion schools" cannot invent or create an interested, committed student body from thin air. I seriously wonder what kind of market research (formal or informal) the founders did. There was no reason to think this idea would "take" in DC, and the constant turnover of FAMILIES, and now STAFF should have told the founders that the seed is not growing.

In the 2 years Sela has been open, I've known several families who have attended for some period of time (6 or 7 families). None of them stayed when they had the chance to go somewhere else. That is a huge deal, since they spoke of that being the dynamic among the majority of families.

If a national network is going to keep channeling money to what is obviously a sinking ship, that's their business. I just don't understand what they think the benefit is, and who is it exactly that benefits?

Usually national networks don't give funds to individual member schools. Sometimes the schools have to pay dues to access curriculum resources or training.

If at some point the school gets into trouble making ends meet the PCSB will step in. That's part of what the audits are for.

Are you saying PCSB will bail them out? Or what are you saying PCSB will do? If people aren't applying and the most of those that do apply and get in don't stay, why would PCSB do anything to keep a school like that on life support? Who does that benefit and isn't that a waste of public resources?

PCSB will move to revoke their charter if the school is no longer viable financially or educationally. You could check out Sela's 990 and PCSB financial reports (both public documents) to see how much debt they are carrying and what their overhead is.

Should the charter be revoked, I would expect that, like in the case of the Community Academy debacle, the DME might help negotiate something for 'stranded' families.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they can turn the school into a traditional model and offer Hebrew as an language offering instead of immersion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they can turn the school into a traditional model and offer Hebrew as an language offering instead of immersion.

Wouldn't there have to be a "replacement team" ready and willing to jump in and do this? Hard to imagine a team wanting to take on the basic structure of a failed school and try to adapt it to something else. Much more realistic to shut it down completely and let another group of founders start from scratch. And maybe they can try for the same space (if Shining Stars doesn't want it/get the whole building).

[Anonymous]

PCSB will move to revoke their charter if the school is no longer viable financially or educationally. You could check out Sela's 990 and PCSB financial reports (both public documents) to see how much debt they are carrying and what their overhead is.

Should the charter be revoked, I would expect that, like in the case of the Community Academy debacle, the DME might help negotiate something for 'stranded' families.

One issue with the publicly available 990 forms is that they are generally a year old or older. I looked up Sela's 990 and it's dated as of 6/30/2014. It shows a negative balance sheet of over $100,000 in the red, by the way.

PCSB will have access to more recent financial statements.

[Anonymous]

How will they afford the space when the lease with SS expires in 2016 or are they negotiating with SS to allow the to take over more of the building space? Guess they will have to find another school or make nice with Shining Stars.

[Anonymous]

They should move to upper NW

[Anonymous]

My thoughts exactly.

[Anonymous]

Who should move to NW, Sela or Shining Stars? Isn't Shining Stars the only school that's likely to still be open when the lease ends?

[Anonymous]

Thought that NW suggestion was for Sela.

[Anonymous]

SS

[Anonymous]

Sela