BASIS head of school steps down

[Anonymous]

That PP shows up on every Basis thread with this bizarre theory with no evidence whatsoever. Just scroll past it.

And the last HOS was hired as a mid-year replacement science teacher, who relocated from NYC because her fiancé was transferred here. Hard to imagine how a parent was involved with ‘bringing her’ to the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suppose she developed a conscious.

Uh, “conscience”

[Anonymous]

What a drag that the best BASIS DC head by a long shot is leaving, in October at very short notice. I'm guessing that she simply did too much to humanize the program, making it a lot healthier and happier for the kids in the last several years, than BASIS AZ HQ was OK with.

My guess is that she butted heads with higher ups in the Southwest and realized that she was a square peg in a round hole with better things to do than carry on. She's enormously capable, high energy, smart, caring - another high octane program will snatch her up soon enough.

How many HOS is that in 11 years - 7? Not exactly a happy story.

What's your come back basis Boosters, she was a poor leader? No loss? Yea, right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a drag that the best BASIS DC head by a long shot is leaving, in October at very short notice. I'm guessing that she simply did too much to humanize the program, making it a lot healthier and happier for the kids in the last several years, than BASIS AZ HQ was OK with.

My guess is that she butted heads with higher ups in the Southwest and realized that she was a square peg in a round hole with better things to do than carry on. She's enormously capable, high energy, smart, caring - another high octane program will snatch her up soon enough.

How many HOS is that in 11 years - 7? Not exactly a happy story.

What's your come back basis Boosters, she was a poor leader? No loss? Yea, right.

I think she was the 5th HOS but I may have forgotten one. DC started there in 6th and graduated last spring.

It is a really big loss. Her laving mid-year is really the biggest shock to me. She knows how disruptive that would be -- lived it as a teacher -- so assume this was either not her call or a decision she didn't take lightly.

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing that she's been fighting with Arizona over funding and budgetary issues. That's happened with other heads who soon left the BASIS system.

There's still far too much turnover of teachers, and too much preferential treatment of the Arizona campuses in HQ budget allocations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a drag that the best BASIS DC head by a long shot is leaving, in October at very short notice. I'm guessing that she simply did too much to humanize the program, making it a lot healthier and happier for the kids in the last several years, than BASIS AZ HQ was OK with.

My guess is that she butted heads with higher ups in the Southwest and realized that she was a square peg in a round hole with better things to do than carry on. She's enormously capable, high energy, smart, caring - another high octane program will snatch her up soon enough.

How many HOS is that in 11 years - 7? Not exactly a happy story.

What's your come back basis Boosters, she was a poor leader? No loss? Yea, right.

I think she was the 5th HOS but I may have forgotten one. DC started there in 6th and graduated last spring.

It is a really big loss. Her laving mid-year is really the biggest shock to me. She knows how disruptive that would be -- lived it as a teacher -- so assume this was either not her call or a decision she didn't take lightly.

You did forget one, there have been six. Too many, absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a drag that the best BASIS DC head by a long shot is leaving, in October at very short notice. I'm guessing that she simply did too much to humanize the program, making it a lot healthier and happier for the kids in the last several years, than BASIS AZ HQ was OK with.

My guess is that she butted heads with higher ups in the Southwest and realized that she was a square peg in a round hole with better things to do than carry on. She's enormously capable, high energy, smart, caring - another high octane program will snatch her up soon enough.

How many HOS is that in 11 years - 7? Not exactly a happy story.

What's your come back basis Boosters, she was a poor leader? No loss? Yea, right.

I think she was the 5th HOS but I may have forgotten one. DC started there in 6th and graduated last spring.

It is a really big loss. Her laving mid-year is really the biggest shock to me. She knows how disruptive that would be -- lived it as a teacher -- so assume this was either not her call or a decision she didn't take lightly.

You did forget one, there have been six. Too many, absurd.

Thanks. I appreciate the correction. She is the only one I was sad to see go, and I'm thankful my kid has graduated. It was a good program for them, but the upheaval is exhausting.

I do hope she is ok.

[Anonymous]

I hope she is OK, too. She will be so missed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope she is OK, too. She will be so missed.

+1 She has been terrific and implemented a lot of great ideas. I've found her to be really responsive and thoughtful leader.

We'll really miss her, and hope she is ok. As others have said, I'm surprised by the timing and I'm sure this is not a decision she made lightly.

[Anonymous]

The absolute worst thing about BASIS DC is getting a new principal every couple of years.

If you're a BASIS skeptic, the next time BASIS 7th-12th grade parents rave about the fabulous meticulously planned and implemented academic program, ask them about the principal situation. Why do Heads of School leave on a regular basis? Why does the churn never stop? Is it good for the kids?

Warning: the conversation will likely end fast.

[Anonymous]

Family issue. I believe there is an ailing parent or family member with a complex medical issue that doesn’t have long to be here (six months or so). Lots of estate business to tend to as well. Best of luck to her, family first.

[Anonymous]

OK, but half a dozen heads in 11 years. They all couldn't have had family issues. The BASIS franchise seems to have a great deal of trouble keeping a HOS for more than a few years.

Relatives with kids at a BASIS AZ campus for many years report that their program is the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OK, but half a dozen heads in 11 years. They all couldn't have had family issues. The BASIS franchise seems to have a great deal of trouble keeping a HOS for more than a few years.

Relatives with kids at a BASIS AZ campus for many years report that their program is the same.

PP you responded to wasn’t defending the track record. This HOS was qualitatively different than the others. Planned to stick around - so this is a shock and. Once ring in a different way.

As for AZ, I think they view HOS as cogs in their wheel that are easily replaced. The DC school is slightly different than the others - ie its Board has negotiated lower fees to Basis.ed. I think they wish they’d never come here frankly.

It just sucks to start over.

[Anonymous]

Should be well are reacting in a different way.’

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a drag that the best BASIS DC head by a long shot is leaving, in October at very short notice. I'm guessing that she simply did too much to humanize the program, making it a lot healthier and happier for the kids in the last several years, than BASIS AZ HQ was OK with.

My guess is that she butted heads with higher ups in the Southwest and realized that she was a square peg in a round hole with better things to do than carry on. She's enormously capable, high energy, smart, caring - another high octane program will snatch her up soon enough.

How many HOS is that in 11 years - 7? Not exactly a happy story.

What's your come back basis Boosters, she was a poor leader? No loss? Yea, right.

I think she was the 5th HOS but I may have forgotten one. DC started there in 6th and graduated last spring.

It is a really big loss. Her laving mid-year is really the biggest shock to me. She knows how disruptive that would be -- lived it as a teacher -- so assume this was either not her call or a decision she didn't take lightly.

You did forget one, there have been six. Too many, absurd.

Basis hasn’t been open 11 years.