Why don’t more parents send their kids to Basis McLean?

[Anonymous]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the plan for the two MS and HS directors to work with EL and Primary this year? So the school currently has zero directors? Or are there other directors for those divisions? This is concerning…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t the plan for the two MS and HS directors to work with EL and Primary this year? So the school currently has zero directors? Or are there other directors for those divisions? This is concerning…

You are correct. They are penny pinching. Instead of hiring directors with appropriate backgrounds and expertise they asked the high school director to take on early learning (because that makes sense) and the middle school director to take on primary, which he also had no experience with.

Both left which meant no directors. They’ve now promoted the high school and early learning deans to director roles out of desperation.

This means, no dean for early learning. No director for primary. No director or dean for middle. No dean for high school.

[Anonymous]

One of the best chemistry teachers started at another school today. He was at BIM from the start and another BASIS school out of state before that.

This is like watching large chunks of masonry crumble off a building,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:someone is posting that 25–30% of BIM teachers just quit for this school year. It's not clear if this is true. But even if it is, Basis doesn't value its teachers. What it values, besides making a profit, is the fantasy it's built around its "proven" model based on 2–3 of its charter schools, a model that garners Basis a #1 ranking based on 2 things: AP scores, and % of seniors who are admitted to college. The teachers are just cogs in the Basis machine, pretty easy to replace (and indeed, at every single Basis school, there is a rotating door of teachers and administration -- very few stay very long; the model is DESIGNED to work this way).

I believe they are wrong…25 teachers have not left for the 22-23 school year, I heard it’s about 6. Teachers care about their students besides, anyone that has a job in this world is replaceable! If one is not happy in their job, go find another, it’s that simple.

Did you not see the % sign in the post you quoted? But if that is anywhere close, the number will be much higher than 6. They haven't posted all the openings if the resignations just happened, which seems to be the case.

Regardless, schools trying to fill last-minute teacher vacancies are shopping the dregs of the teacher pool, people who interviewed at several other schools in a very tight labor market and still couldn't get hired. Don't kid yourself that teachers are interchangeable parts. Anyone who thinks that never had to teach themselves.

We won't know the exact extent of this problem until someone provides details. But no school charging $30K+ tuition should be starting classes with holes in their teaching roster. It's irresponsible and incompetent.

Irresponsible and incompetent…Sounds like you can thank the teachers that resigned once they received their last paycheck for thinking of the kids and their colleagues. Completely unprofessional. Best of luck to them and their new school.

Irresponsible is refusing to pay teachers for the work they complete or provide necessary benefits IF the teacher “respectfully” resigns by April 30. If a teacher shares that they are not returning for the next school year, benefits and pay end in early July, leaving faculty, many who may be unmarried, with no health insurance or pay until their contract begins at the new school in August or September. Teachers in the BASIS network are left with no option other than to wait until they are fully paid before resigning. The problem is a greedy corporate culture that does not respect its employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This means, no dean for early learning. No director for primary. No director or dean for middle. No dean for high school.

In addition to all the teaching roles that are unfilled...

The majority of resignations came from the lower school, which has been neglected and left without a director for nearly 2 years. This is what happens when teachers are left with no leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the best chemistry teachers started at another school today. He was at BIM from the start and another BASIS school out of state before that.

This is like watching large chunks of masonry crumble off a building,

Wow, people have lives and change jobs all the time. Clearly a lot of people are always trying to air their grievances and try to convince others how bad stuff is…move on people. You’re wasting too much time, life is too short, be happy that you “got out”. Time to let others figure it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the best chemistry teachers started at another school today. He was at BIM from the start and another BASIS school out of state before that.

This is like watching large chunks of masonry crumble off a building,

Wow, people have lives and change jobs all the time. Clearly a lot of people are always trying to air their grievances and try to convince others how bad stuff is…move on people. You’re wasting too much time, life is too short, be happy that you “got out”. Time to let others figure it.

Anonymous people ordering other anonymous people around is always one of the funniest things to watch on DCUM. I mean, do you actually believe you can step in and magically take control of a dialogue that has spanned 6 years now about BIM?

That's hilarious. People are going to discuss the facts, whatever control freak impulses you can't manage to rein in.

[Anonymous]

The “people change jobs all the time” narrative would be more believable if it weren’t such a large amount of teachers AND administrators all at once. One or two moving away, wanting something different…sure. This is not the same. Call a spade a spade…this is a mass exodus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The “people change jobs all the time” narrative would be more believable if it weren’t such a large amount of teachers AND administrators all at once. One or two moving away, wanting something different…sure. This is not the same. Call a spade a spade…this is a mass exodus.

And right before classes start. Nothing normal about that at all, except BIM keeping up its usual rep for surprise chaos.

[Anonymous]

There were already many departures during the school year. The upper elementary LETs had to cover the missing lower elementary teachers - leaving some grades with an LET covering 40 students. The head of school was serving as the director for the elementary as his side hustle. Turn over of teachers happens / however turnover during the school year where teachers just up and quit mid semester is pretty unusual. It looks like even more have left elementary.

[Anonymous]

I looked at it and don't want my kid going to school where the playground has them breathing in highway air pollution. We didn't choose a house zoned for Stenwood for the same reason.

[Anonymous]

7 openings on the website plus a bunch of "future openings" postings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the best chemistry teachers started at another school today. He was at BIM from the start and another BASIS school out of state before that.

This is like watching large chunks of masonry crumble off a building,

Wow, people have lives and change jobs all the time. Clearly a lot of people are always trying to air their grievances and try to convince others how bad stuff is…move on people. You’re wasting too much time, life is too short, be happy that you “got out”. Time to let others figure it.

Lol, people sure do “have lives and change jobs” exponentially more at BIM than any other school or business. “Disgruntled” former employees and parents of kids who “couldn’t hack it” air their grievances because there is so much bizarre stuff that happens there. When you’ve experienced such a toxic environment, you want to make sure others do not fall into the same trap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7 openings on the website plus a bunch of "future openings" postings.

The directors who resigned are still showing on their website too. That list will grow soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7 openings on the website plus a bunch of "future openings" postings.

The directors who resigned are still showing on their website too. That list will grow soon.

Even though the middle school director is starting back at a public school today, which he left before to go to BASIS.

Voting with your feet.