BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Bible, no. DC charter law from 1996, yes. The only way a charter school can give address preference is for it to be a conversion of a DCPS. (The first charter school in the city was a DCPS conversion.)

But who makes that law? The Council. Who has expressed interest in doing things differently? A couple of council-members. Hmm, how might that work... Maybe the councilmembers could change the law ?

Naw, crazy talk.

Yes, it is crazy talk. Change the law for one school and you change it for all of them. This means that some of the more desirable charter schools in more expensive neighborhoods could effectively screen out poorer applicants, who would also be disproportionately AA. For example, Washington Latin would become even more wealthy and white relative to its peers. This is not going to happen.

Agreed. What change the law PP doesn't seem to realize is that it would be political suicide to change charter law in any way to make it more like DCPS, i.e. boundary preference. It flies in the face of the spirit and the letter of the law to give preferences by address. It would also give even more incentive for address fraud. You'd have better luck shutting down the OOB lottery than changing what is widely viewed as one of the most charter friendly laws in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^^I believe this person. Basis is a whole different animal than charters we have already seen. Don't know why people can't process that.

I don't think anyone has trouble processing. We're just waiting for a little more than smoke and mirrors before we start doing back-flips in jubilation. What nobody has yet answered is:

What is the plan for taking 5th graders who are performing far below grade level and getting them to succeed in AP classes? BASIS doesn't get to pick and choose its students. The state average for 4th grade (the students who will be entering Middle School) Reading Proficiency is 61% The state average for 4th grade Math Proficiency is 45%.

Does anyone know how Basis convinced the charter school board they could deal with this? Are there meeting transcripts or a revised school charter that got approved. TIA

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous
Yes, it is crazy talk. Change the law for one school and you change it for all of them. This means that some of the more desirable charter schools in more expensive neighborhoods could effectively screen out poorer applicants, who would also be disproportionately AA. For example, Washington Latin would become even more wealthy and white relative to its peers. This is not going to happen.

Agreed. What change the law PP doesn't seem to realize is that it would be political suicide to change charter law in any way to make it more like DCPS, i.e. boundary preference. It flies in the face of the spirit and the letter of the law to give preferences by address. It would also give even more incentive for address fraud. You'd have better luck shutting down the OOB lottery than changing what is widely viewed as one of the most charter friendly laws in the country.

The Council can do whatever it wants. If it wants to make a special exemption for one Ward 5 charter school, it can do that. The Council makes special interest legislation all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What is the plan for taking 5th graders who are performing far below grade level and getting them to succeed in AP classes?

There is no plan, what you describe has likely never been done -- just with a school. Something like that requires tutors, extremely involved parents, highly motivated kids and lots of time -- and good teachers help too.

Schools alone can't make that happen, no matter how much of a different animal they are.

Basis will find ways of discouraging unmotivated parents from choosing it. Word will get out that you have to work hard and a lot of kids won't want to go.

There's a charter now that attracts kids who want to work in hotels and restaurants when they graduate. You can bet kids interested in AP classes are not applying to that school. It will happen in reverse with Basis.

[Anonymous]

And what's wrong with that? That's my big question. If different schools attract different types of kids with different interests or.strengths who cares? Why does an arts magnet school go discussed when a school like basis that might attract kids with an interest or ability in high level academics get a ****storm? What about Howard Charter for Math and Sciences? That attracts a certain kind of.student and I haven't heard a peep of protest. There some serious hypocrisy waiting through the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What is the plan for taking 5th graders who are performing far below grade level and getting them to succeed in AP classes?

There is no plan, what you describe has likely never been done -- just with a school. Something like that requires tutors, extremely involved parents, highly motivated kids and lots of time -- and good teachers help too.

Schools alone can't make that happen, no matter how much of a different animal they are.

Basis will find ways of discouraging unmotivated parents from choosing it. Word will get out that you have to work hard and a lot of kids won't want to go.

There's a charter now that attracts kids who want to work in hotels and restaurants when they graduate. You can bet kids interested in AP classes are not applying to that school. It will happen in reverse with Basis.

What charter school holds itself out as the future provider of hotel and restaurant workers. Just curious.

[Anonymous]

What type of student is attracted to Howard Math and Science charter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What charter school holds itself out as the future provider of hotel and restaurant workers. Just curious.

Hospitality High School: http://www.washingtonhospitality.org/

[Anonymous]

What charter school holds itself out as the future provider of hotel and restaurant workers. Just curious.

Hospitality High

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What type of student is attracted to Howard Math and Science charter?

Ummmm....a student/family interested in a focus on science, technology, engineering and math versus those interested in humanities, classical education, immersion in a second language, performing arts etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^^I believe this person. Basis is a whole different animal than charters we have already seen. Don't know why people can't process that.

I don't think anyone has trouble processing. We're just waiting for a little more than smoke and mirrors before we start doing back-flips in jubilation. What nobody has yet answered is:

What is the plan for taking 5th graders who are performing far below grade level and getting them to succeed in AP classes? BASIS doesn't get to pick and choose its students. The state average for 4th grade (the students who will be entering Middle School) Reading Proficiency is 61% The state average for 4th grade Math Proficiency is 45%.

Does anyone know how Basis convinced the charter school board they could deal with this? Are there meeting transcripts or a revised school charter that got approved. TIA

Mary convinced them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I'm curious how folks think BASIS is going to overcome the facility issue with a magical, new, building. Perhaps they should go after the Franklin School and suck in some super huge donors to pay the $40m it will take to renovate.

What makes you think they don't have huge donors? The Franklin School was only one option and has been taken off the table as others have said here.

Because they're a non-profit which means their financial reporting data is online at Guidestar. They actually had negative revenues around $600K for the most recent year. They're not sitting on a pile of cash that they can send to DC to buy a downtown building.

You do not know what you are talking about.

On the contrary, non-profits have to disclose their financials - it's publicly available information. I repeat, they have no cash reserves for a capital campaign. Look it up.

SuperSchool=BASIS

http://www.solutions4schools.org/school-posting/will-super-school-be-too-much-for-d-c

You will be shocked soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What is the plan for taking 5th graders who are performing far below grade level and getting them to succeed in AP classes?

There is no plan, what you describe has likely never been done -- just with a school. Something like that requires tutors, extremely involved parents, highly motivated kids and lots of time -- and good teachers help too.

Schools alone can't make that happen, no matter how much of a different animal they are.

Basis will find ways of discouraging unmotivated parents from choosing it. Word will get out that you have to work hard and a lot of kids won't want to go.

There's a charter now that attracts kids who want to work in hotels and restaurants when they graduate. You can bet kids interested in AP classes are not applying to that school. It will happen in reverse with Basis.

"The D.C. school will do exhaustive summer preparation for new students from fifth grade on. AP courses will start in ninth grade, perhaps earlier for some. Students will not graduate unless they pass at least six of the three-hour college level AP exams."

http://www.solutions4schools.org/school-posting/will-super-school-be-too-much-for-d-c

[Anonymous]

Mary convinced them.

That quote is just unsettling. What is with the worship?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mary convinced them.

That quote is just unsettling. What is with the worship?

Ask the charter school board members and the staff who were both against and for basis. They will tell you what happened: Mary convinced them. No worship here just a hard fact we now face in DC.