New BASIS discussion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...I quickly counted ~15 out of 27 with MS or PhD
5 PhDs plus school director has PhD

Am I the only one who wonders why a PhD would chose to teach at a charter school? The good ones get tenure at a university or go into specialized business enterprises. Why would a PhD of any good quality choose to teach at a brand new charter school? With no guarantee of anything? It's not exactly the path one chooses when pursuing such a degree. What exactly is wrong with these faculty members?

The reasons for wanting to teach at a charter school could be many.

Tenure track at a university is no longer what it's cracked up to be. For one thing, more and more universities don't even put professors on tenure track and instead rely on everyone being adjunct faculty without all the benefits of traditional tenured professorships. Then, there's the mindless push to constantly have their faculty publishing and researching, which might not be a good fit for everyone. The list could go on and on.

Why is it automatically that there's "something wrong" with a Ph.D. who doesn't conform to your narrow preconceived worldview of what a Ph.D. should be?

[Anonymous]

I have a PhD from a top university in Engineering. I do academic research and publish. However, 5-10% of my classmates whom I respected and admired for their research skills declined the traditional route and did everything from patent law to working at a children focused science museum. Its not as unusual as one might think.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PPs. The whole idea of getting tenure is just not a reality now. Makes total sense to me that there would be PhDs at Basis based on what's happening in the job market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:...I quickly counted ~15 out of 27 with MS or PhD
5 PhDs plus school director has PhD

in political science. we'll see......

I guess you didn't read the rest of her bio.

[Anonymous]

My husband has a PhD and assumed he would do the university route. In the meantime, he got a job at a private school and has now been there over a decade. It's much a less stressful position than his friends' university jobs. He is able to work hard and do a good job and also have time to pursue his other interests in his field and have plenty of time for his family. Yes, the money is lower, but so is the stress level and the number of hours worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband has a PhD and assumed he would do the university route. In the meantime, he got a job at a private school and has now been there over a decade. It's much a less stressful position than his friends' university jobs. He is able to work hard and do a good job and also have time to pursue his other interests in his field and have plenty of time for his family. Yes, the money is lower, but so is the stress level and the number of hours worked.

If any public charter school teacher with a PhD thinks that teaching at a new charter will be less stress and less hours than a university position they are sadly mistaken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ So which charter?

sounds like CCPCS to me.

During 2 years, my child met with the ELL teacher 3 times only evn though his IEP clearly states he should have had 3.5 hours per week.

[Anonymous]

I have a brother who is a Ph.D. at a major university, and his biggest frustration has been the constant money chase for research projects, which in addition to stress often leads him to have to split his focus between many different projects, as well as being pushed into projects that aren't really his main research interest or focus. University professorships can be a royal pain for someone whose primary joy is the subject area and a love of teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love the school or hate it, a 41 pg thread is ridiculous. A fresh start is in order. I'll begin:

I love the idea of the school. I'm deeply sceptical though, as the population they're used to educating skews wealthier, with more safe and stable home lives, and more homogeneous than Alice Deal and Washington Latin (nearly identical test scores: one better here, the other better there). At least, their flagship school does.

That, however, isn't the population that will walk through their doors at the end of August. Between the process of getting their "feet wet" in general as a charter school, and figuring out what they are doing specifically to transfer their model from Tucson to DC will consume a lot of energy and be a bumpy ride. (Using the same cookie cutter on two different cookie doughs will yield two very different batches of cookies - like it or not.)

Having said that, I think we need all the high quality MS options we can get, and especially for Capitol Hill families for whom this is easily the most hopeful option. (Waiting for DCPS to provide one is only realistic for those whose future middle-schooler is presently a fetus.) There are a lot of bright and dedicated families that have to seriously consider leaving the District because of the sorry MS situation. Therefore, I'll cheer for them, even though I wouldn't choose them. I'll also cheer for this DCI school/plan/rumor. Of course, I'll reliably cheer for Latin; and am thrilled it was (finally) awarded a DCPS facility. It's depressingly overdue for high-performing charter schools to be given the resources of the facilities and physical plants that privilege DCPS.

What I don't understand is what people think anyone will be able to DO to BASIS if it starts succeeding the way it did in Arizona - weeding out the kids who cannot hack it and therefore becoming successful the way it did in Arizona -ending up with kids who do not represent the demographics of the city, probably primarily white and wealthy. It really does try with the other kids - jumping on them as soon as they think they are in trouble, offering extra academic help, and summer school. Repeating 5th grade once is not stigmatizing - I would do it if I thought my child had a chance the second time around. The fact is fifth grade is just too late for a lot of kids who have not had the good schools and family support up until then....

[Anonymous]

What's there to be so skeptical about? With their experience from Arizona, I'd think they have more substance to work with than the typical new charter to start up in DC. They've been through this stuff already, I'm sure they've learned a lesson or two, and have plenty of resources to draw on in terms of experience.

And, by holding comprehensive exams, those who can't hack it will be weeded out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's there to be so skeptical about? With their experience from Arizona, I'd think they have more substance to work with than the typical new charter to start up in DC. They've been through this stuff already, I'm sure they've learned a lesson or two, and have plenty of resources to draw on in terms of experience.

And, by holding comprehensive exams, those who can't hack it will be weeded out.

are you on drugs? Seriously??? They're a public school and don't get to "weed" anyone out. They must reach and teach ANY student who chooses (or whose parent chooses) for him/her to go there. they have to educate the students they get. dream on if you think it's going to be anything like a private school.......

[Anonymous]

Passing a test is not a barometer of anyone mastering curriculum. Remember passing final exams and passing a test is quite different. Why hell, we have 16 year olds passing driver's test and how many are hesitant to hand over their car keys to a teenager.

I just have a problem with the BASIS teacher's not being licensed to teach. Hence, they are NOT taking a test to teach but are willing to prepare students to test.

Just wondering what is the so-called "test" in regards of weeding out bad teachers at BASIS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's there to be so skeptical about? With their experience from Arizona, I'd think they have more substance to work with than the typical new charter to start up in DC. They've been through this stuff already, I'm sure they've learned a lesson or two, and have plenty of resources to draw on in terms of experience.

And, by holding comprehensive exams, those who can't hack it will be weeded out.

are you on drugs? Seriously??? They're a public school and don't get to "weed" anyone out. They must reach and teach ANY student who chooses (or whose parent chooses) for him/her to go there. they have to educate the students they get. dream on if you think it's going to be anything like a private school.......

I might ask the same of you. The suggestion that they won't teach and educate the students they get is the wrong premise, and apparently you have no idea what is meant by comprehensive exams. Basis WILL teach all who come. BUT that comes with the expectation that the student pass comprehensive exams in order to advance to the next grade. Sure, students could fail their 6th grade comprehensive exam over and over and over again and repeat 6th grade several times but my guess is that that will get old fast and students will either up their game and meet the expectation or go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Passing a test is not a barometer of anyone mastering curriculum. Remember passing final exams and passing a test is quite different. Why hell, we have 16 year olds passing driver's test and how many are hesitant to hand over their car keys to a teenager.

I just have a problem with the BASIS teacher's not being licensed to teach. Hence, they are NOT taking a test to teach but are willing to prepare students to test.

Just wondering what is the so-called "test" in regards of weeding out bad teachers at BASIS?

Your comments seem to be in conflict with each other. At one moment you are questioning the merits of testing as a barometer of mastery, yet meanwhile, I'd point out that licensing of teachers is likewise not a barometer of their ability to teach.

[Anonymous]

Basis DC has already stated they are lowering their standards for DC. Enough said.