OK, I will start this thread - Sela

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The board detailed their plan to address the leadership staffing issues. The board indicated that they will be hiring a third party search firm to hire for two positions. While not finalized, the board said that they are leaning toward hiring a Head of School (for academics) and a Head of Operations (administrative type duties). They plan to fill these positions around July.

The board reported on their successful fund raising efforts, including obtaining a sizable donation to create a playground. Also discussed were plans to improve communications both within the school and outside the school.

In addition to these items the board addressed other challenges that the school faced and discussed ways that the school can improve.

Both our kids have been accepted, but there is no way we would commit to the school based on the leadership issues the board is facing. I really feel for the school because short of a miracle, I wonder what hard evidence they could present new families that choosing Sela is the right decision. Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig? July is not a solution -- and this is best case, more realistic is August.... maybe into the next school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The board detailed their plan to address the leadership staffing issues. The board indicated that they will be hiring a third party search firm to hire for two positions. While not finalized, the board said that they are leaning toward hiring a Head of School (for academics) and a Head of Operations (administrative type duties). They plan to fill these positions around July.

The board reported on their successful fund raising efforts, including obtaining a sizable donation to create a playground. Also discussed were plans to improve communications both within the school and outside the school.

In addition to these items the board addressed other challenges that the school faced and discussed ways that the school can improve.

Both our kids have been accepted, but there is no way we would commit to the school based on the leadership issues the board is facing. I really feel for the school because short of a miracle, I wonder what hard evidence they could present new families that choosing Sela is the right decision. Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig? July is not a solution -- and this is best case, more realistic is August.... maybe into the next school.

"July is not a solution" - Actually, it is a perfectly viable solution given that the ED only just recently resigned (personal reasons). Beyond that, the current school staff have been fantastic over the last year and that alone gives me continued confidence in the school.

"Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig?" Well, my child attends Sela and is very happy. I believe that sometimes to achieve ones goals, such as finding the right educational path for a child, it is necessary to take measured calculated risks. Obviously Sela is a new school and is going through some growing pains (such as the administrative turnover), but that is to be expected of any new organization. If you research any of the language immersion schools that are currently demonstrating success, you will find that they experienced similar issues during the first few years.

A new school is not right for everyone, but my family has had a positive experience with Sela, as have many others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The board detailed their plan to address the leadership staffing issues. The board indicated that they will be hiring a third party search firm to hire for two positions. While not finalized, the board said that they are leaning toward hiring a Head of School (for academics) and a Head of Operations (administrative type duties). They plan to fill these positions around July.

The board reported on their successful fund raising efforts, including obtaining a sizable donation to create a playground. Also discussed were plans to improve communications both within the school and outside the school.

In addition to these items the board addressed other challenges that the school faced and discussed ways that the school can improve.

Both our kids have been accepted, but there is no way we would commit to the school based on the leadership issues the board is facing. I really feel for the school because short of a miracle, I wonder what hard evidence they could present new families that choosing Sela is the right decision. Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig? July is not a solution -- and this is best case, more realistic is August.... maybe into the next school.

"July is not a solution" - Actually, it is a perfectly viable solution given that the ED only just recently resigned (personal reasons). Beyond that, the current school staff have been fantastic over the last year and that alone gives me continued confidence in the school.

"Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig?" Well, my child attends Sela and is very happy. I believe that sometimes to achieve ones goals, such as finding the right educational path for a child, it is necessary to take measured calculated risks. Obviously Sela is a new school and is going through some growing pains (such as the administrative turnover), but that is to be expected of any new organization. If you research any of the language immersion schools that are currently demonstrating success, you will find that they experienced similar issues during the first few years.

A new school is not right for everyone, but my family has had a positive experience with Sela, as have many others.

Could you elaborate? Which immersion school had similar upheavals their first year like having no principal and the ED resigning after their first yr?

[Anonymous]

Shining Stars' ED and Principal just resigned a couple weeks ago. It happens - actually having someone start over the summer makes perfect sense, because all of the good candidates are probably too honorable to quit their current schools in the middle of the year. Sela's ED is resigning because he is adopting a baby and wants to be a stay at home dad, not because of anything at the school. And he is committed to staying on until the new head of school starts - so there will be a smooth transition. He worked there for two years - which is respectable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The board detailed their plan to address the leadership staffing issues. The board indicated that they will be hiring a third party search firm to hire for two positions. While not finalized, the board said that they are leaning toward hiring a Head of School (for academics) and a Head of Operations (administrative type duties). They plan to fill these positions around July.

The board reported on their successful fund raising efforts, including obtaining a sizable donation to create a playground. Also discussed were plans to improve communications both within the school and outside the school.

In addition to these items the board addressed other challenges that the school faced and discussed ways that the school can improve.

Both our kids have been accepted, but there is no way we would commit to the school based on the leadership issues the board is facing. I really feel for the school because short of a miracle, I wonder what hard evidence they could present new families that choosing Sela is the right decision. Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig? July is not a solution -- and this is best case, more realistic is August.... maybe into the next school.

"July is not a solution" - Actually, it is a perfectly viable solution given that the ED only just recently resigned (personal reasons). Beyond that, the current school staff have been fantastic over the last year and that alone gives me continued confidence in the school.

"Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig?" Well, my child attends Sela and is very happy. I believe that sometimes to achieve ones goals, such as finding the right educational path for a child, it is necessary to take measured calculated risks. Obviously Sela is a new school and is going through some growing pains (such as the administrative turnover), but that is to be expected of any new organization. If you research any of the language immersion schools that are currently demonstrating success, you will find that they experienced similar issues during the first few years.

A new school is not right for everyone, but my family has had a positive experience with Sela, as have many others.

Could you elaborate? Which immersion school had similar upheavals their first year like having no principal and the ED resigning after their first yr?

Sure - Yu Ying is a great example - established in 2008, their principal resigned in 2009. Around the same time they also experienced turnover with some pre-k teachers. You can find this information on the DCUM forms - http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/58488.page#428560

"To Yu Ying Parents 07/01/2009 17:32 The principal has also just resigned (due to family issues) which is a negative. A founder/board member will be pinch-hitting and she's great but Charter schools really needs strong leadership to get through the first few years. The preK teacher turnover was a a bit disruptive but the school handled it very well IMO and that teacher was my least favorite so I wasn't that sorry to see her go."

[Anonymous]

Any family that sends their child to a new school/charter is putting their kid on the plate as a guinea pig...

[Anonymous]

Comparing a Hebrew immersion school to Chinese, Spanish and French immersion is really stretching it. DC needs a Hebrew immersion school as much as it needs a Dutch, Icelandic, Korean, Romanian.... Schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shining Stars' ED and Principal just resigned a couple weeks ago. It happens - actually having someone start over the summer makes perfect sense, because all of the good candidates are probably too honorable to quit their current schools in the middle of the year. Sela's ED is resigning because he is adopting a baby and wants to be a stay at home dad, not because of anything at the school. And he is committed to staying on until the new head of school starts - so there will be a smooth transition. He worked there for two years - which is respectable.

Just because it also happened at SS doesn't make it okay. The people at Shining Stars aren't talking on DCUM but anyone interested in the school ought to be just as concerned about SS as they are about Sela.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The board detailed their plan to address the leadership staffing issues. The board indicated that they will be hiring a third party search firm to hire for two positions. While not finalized, the board said that they are leaning toward hiring a Head of School (for academics) and a Head of Operations (administrative type duties). They plan to fill these positions around July.

The board reported on their successful fund raising efforts, including obtaining a sizable donation to create a playground. Also discussed were plans to improve communications both within the school and outside the school.

In addition to these items the board addressed other challenges that the school faced and discussed ways that the school can improve.

Both our kids have been accepted, but there is no way we would commit to the school based on the leadership issues the board is facing. I really feel for the school because short of a miracle, I wonder what hard evidence they could present new families that choosing Sela is the right decision. Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig? July is not a solution -- and this is best case, more realistic is August.... maybe into the next school.

"July is not a solution" - Actually, it is a perfectly viable solution given that the ED only just recently resigned (personal reasons). Beyond that, the current school staff have been fantastic over the last year and that alone gives me continued confidence in the school.

"Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig?" Well, my child attends Sela and is very happy. I believe that sometimes to achieve ones goals, such as finding the right educational path for a child, it is necessary to take measured calculated risks. Obviously Sela is a new school and is going through some growing pains (such as the administrative turnover), but that is to be expected of any new organization. If you research any of the language immersion schools that are currently demonstrating success, you will find that they experienced similar issues during the first few years.

A new school is not right for everyone, but my family has had a positive experience with Sela, as have many others.

Could you elaborate? Which immersion school had similar upheavals their first year like having no principal and the ED resigning after their first yr?

Sure - Yu Ying is a great example - established in 2008, their principal resigned in 2009. Around the same time they also experienced turnover with some pre-k teachers. You can find this information on the DCUM forms - http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/58488.page#428560

"To Yu Ying Parents 07/01/2009 17:32 The principal has also just resigned (due to family issues) which is a negative. A founder/board member will be pinch-hitting and she's great but Charter schools really needs strong leadership to get through the first few years. The preK teacher turnover was a a bit disruptive but the school handled it very well IMO and that teacher was my least favorite so I wasn't that sorry to see her go."

OK, so what is the plan for the summer? Seriously? When I visited there was talk about a summer bridge program which would be great for new families. What is the status of the summer bridge program? We received our package today... no mention whatsoever of the change in leadership, zero. At the very least I expected at least an acknowledgment that they are going through some growing pains...zero -- just enrollment forms.

[Anonymous]

22:03 The board should have seen Dr. Lody leaving coming months in advance to prepare a transition plan. The second year of a charter school and the Ex. Dir leaves for personal reasons? OK, that makes sense but the way it appears is not so rosy. Collaboration between the board and the Ex. Dir could have been presented as a seamless transition and mutual decision between board/Ex. Dir. Now the situation is that the Ex Dir is leaving at the end of the school year and the board is going to hire a third party recruitment firm like everything is normal. Bogus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any family that sends their child to a new school/charter is putting their kid on the plate as a guinea pig...

Ahh, but if you miss the charter's opening year, the chance of ever getting in is very slim unless its opening is rocky.

This year people had a 15% (30 spots, 200 applications) chance to get into Lee. Next year, sibling preferences will cut 1/3 available seats, so a 10% chance, and that is if interest doesn't increase the way it typically does after the first year. 3rd year and every year after unless they open another classroom, you are looking at 8-10 open spots for 200-800 applications. Good lucky with that.

I'd take SELA, which has already gained a year worth of experience. I think it will make it. It might be like shinning stars, a charter that is never "hot" but that people who are actually enrolled adore. While Hebrew and not having a pk3 will always limit its appeal, it has a lot going for it - immersion for the hoards shut out of stokes, MV , yin ying, and Lamb and potential community partners (the JCC?). The fact it can raise money for a playground means someone believes in it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:03 The board should have seen Dr. Lody leaving coming months in advance to prepare a transition plan. The second year of a charter school and the Ex. Dir leaves for personal reasons? OK, that makes sense but the way it appears is not so rosy. Collaboration between the board and the Ex. Dir could have been presented as a seamless transition and mutual decision between board/Ex. Dir. Now the situation is that the Ex Dir is leaving at the end of the school year and the board is going to hire a third party recruitment firm like everything is normal. Bogus.

It sounds like you are not an adoptive parent- but I can tell you from personal experience, you sometimes get zero warning - when you get the "call" that there a little body waiting for you. It can take YEARS and then arrive with little warning. We don't know what conversations the ED and the board had - hiring a search firm, like many other schools do, could be part of their "transition plan." At the meaning they addressed the bridge program and said that they went back and forth over having or not having one, but felt that they wanted to concentrate on getting a new school leader, building the playground out, etc. They also mentioned that a lot of their foreign language teachers (who are fabulous) want to go home for the summer to see family, but that they were committed to building a strong summer program next year. To me, that's fair, particularly, when I have saved money on before and after care all year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:22:03 The board should have seen Dr. Lody leaving coming months in advance to prepare a transition plan. The second year of a charter school and the Ex. Dir leaves for personal reasons? OK, that makes sense but the way it appears is not so rosy. Collaboration between the board and the Ex. Dir could have been presented as a seamless transition and mutual decision between board/Ex. Dir. Now the situation is that the Ex Dir is leaving at the end of the school year and the board is going to hire a third party recruitment firm like everything is normal. Bogus.

It sounds like you are not an adoptive parent- but I can tell you from personal experience, you sometimes get zero warning - when you get the "call" that there a little body waiting for you. It can take YEARS and then arrive with little warning. We don't know what conversations the ED and the board had - hiring a search firm, like many other schools do, could be part of their "transition plan." At the meaning they addressed the bridge program and said that they went back and forth over having or not having one, but felt that they wanted to concentrate on getting a new school leader, building the playground out, etc. They also mentioned that a lot of their foreign language teachers (who are fabulous) want to go home for the summer to see family, but that they were committed to building a strong summer program next year. To me, that's fair, particularly, when I have saved money on before and after care all year.

I sincerely appreciate that you are posting on this thread because you have provided a lot of important information about what is really happening at Sela. As a prospective parent, please convey to the board chair that I would like to hear something from the board directly (website, letter...) about what the next 6 months at Sela looks like. Thanks for the information!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The board detailed their plan to address the leadership staffing issues. The board indicated that they will be hiring a third party search firm to hire for two positions. While not finalized, the board said that they are leaning toward hiring a Head of School (for academics) and a Head of Operations (administrative type duties). They plan to fill these positions around July.

The board reported on their successful fund raising efforts, including obtaining a sizable donation to create a playground. Also discussed were plans to improve communications both within the school and outside the school.

In addition to these items the board addressed other challenges that the school faced and discussed ways that the school can improve.

Both our kids have been accepted, but there is no way we would commit to the school based on the leadership issues the board is facing. I really feel for the school because short of a miracle, I wonder what hard evidence they could present new families that choosing Sela is the right decision. Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig? July is not a solution -- and this is best case, more realistic is August.... maybe into the next school.

"July is not a solution" - Actually, it is a perfectly viable solution given that the ED only just recently resigned (personal reasons). Beyond that, the current school staff have been fantastic over the last year and that alone gives me continued confidence in the school.

"Who in their right mind puts their kid on the plate as a guinea pig?" Well, my child attends Sela and is very happy. I believe that sometimes to achieve ones goals, such as finding the right educational path for a child, it is necessary to take measured calculated risks. Obviously Sela is a new school and is going through some growing pains (such as the administrative turnover), but that is to be expected of any new organization. If you research any of the language immersion schools that are currently demonstrating success, you will find that they experienced similar issues during the first few years.

A new school is not right for everyone, but my family has had a positive experience with Sela, as have many others.

Could you elaborate? Which immersion school had similar upheavals their first year like having no principal and the ED resigning after their first yr?

And also losing at least 2 teachers. And coming under fire by some parents for greatly exaggerating the likelihood it will feed to DCI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:03 The board should have seen Dr. Lody leaving coming months in advance to prepare a transition plan. The second year of a charter school and the Ex. Dir leaves for personal reasons? OK, that makes sense but the way it appears is not so rosy. Collaboration between the board and the Ex. Dir could have been presented as a seamless transition and mutual decision between board/Ex. Dir. Now the situation is that the Ex Dir is leaving at the end of the school year and the board is going to hire a third party recruitment firm like everything is normal. Bogus.

Why are people calling this year Sela's second year? Isn't the year you open considered the first year?