Meeting re BASIS DC wanting to expand to PK-4th
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Anonymous
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Apparently no one on this thread went to the info session last week.
What would be interesting to know is whether they plan on starting up with all grades immediately, pending charter amendment approval. In other cities BASIS has 'grown down' by one grade a year (adding 4th, then 3rd, then 2nd) etc. Given the cost of real estate here if that is feasible or not and they now have experience in other cities with all those grades, so there may be less need to go slow. |
Anonymous
well last year over half the LEAP class (those who were considered academically advanced in 8th grade) chose to LEAVE instead of going to high school at BASIS DC and I don't think they will ever have that many takers who can raise the tide and float all boats. It was more like departing from a sinking ship. Those advanced kids who stayed chose misery and will get into great schools, but how will BASIS DC push out the rest who did not get into Walls and aren't zoned for Wilson? Their first full graduating classes will indeed be interesting... |
Anonymous
She may be unqualified, but at least she is human (unlike some others). She told us we were the perfect family to request a school nurse just as the BASIS DC machine was pushing our kids out for being too sick. We finally quit and left because they were making our kids suffer and, as they know, parents will always ultimately do the right thing for their kids - which we thought was putting them in BASIS DC. And it was right academically, and would have been right in all ways if they did not yet again ignore the law. Insanity. I would be really worried about how they treat kids with undiagnosed special needs (health or LD's) which are most commonly diagnosed in elementary school. I don't think there will be many kids left standing by 5th grade... and I worry about their psyches. It is easier to go from an easy ES to BASIS in 5th where they just say "this is the BASIS way" (assuming you have no physical problems that might mess up their all important schedules). |
Anonymous
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AFTER BASIS DC had to settle with OCR here rather expensively for their conduct towards IEP students the year they opened in DC, this is what they did at their teacher training elsewhere - I guess it really is the BASIS Block Ponzi scheme - but you would think they would stop being so openly arrogant and stupid about it.....
"Hello, I just wanted to share this and see what type of response I can get. I am involved in an on going complaint I filed against BASIS ed. with the Office of Civil Rights for openly stating to myself as well as numerous other educators at their July 2014 teacher training that they DO NOT and WILL NOT modify their curriculum for students with disabilities. Since the OCR accepted and took on my complaint, BASIS has come to a settlement agreement (please be sure to understand that they are not admitting to fault or guilt) with the OCR and have been placed on a series of OCR monitored trainings and changes to their core policies in regard to the no modification policy they trained me on including section 504 and how it relates to special education. My OCR attorney has asked if I would like to start a class action law suit against BASIS, however their needs to be 100 or more families with students that have been discriminated against by BASIS either while enrolled or during the process of enrollment (e.g. being told they will not modify their curriculum for a student). Please email me if you are interested. I will be keeping a running total of interested parties and sending out periodic emails to keep everyone posted as to how many people actually are interested. I will send out an email about every 3-4 weeks. Also, forward my email to anyone that could have possibly had this happen to their child or children. Please lets take a stand against an institution that openly trained employees to refuse modifications to students with disabilities. Best, Deborah Graham dgraham222002@gmail.com" |
Anonymous
Except they learned the hard way that DC is different. As Mr. Aiken, who I think is really the only decent HOS we ever had, said right before he left, he wanted to apologize for one statement he made at the beginning of his time as HOS - declaring that DC was just like AZ. We have more desperation, more poverty, more struggling kids here. They have coped with this in the MS by creating a really strict and punitive environment, which leads many of the best and brightest to leave before high school. I imagine BASIS would find themselves doing the same with an ES. I don't think BASIS should be given permission until they do something about their attrition rate, because Olga Block said the attrition between 8th and 9th in the BASIS model consisted of students who were not "college bound," and here that is definitely NOT the case, we are having atypical attrition (assuming she was telling the truth) so again, DC is different. Until BASIS can stem a little of the profound exodus to Walls and Wilson, and prove to be a viable high school, the Charter Board should not accept what is surely going to be anothery pyramid model, this time in an elementary school. Because BASIS already knows they can refill the ranks in 5th grade. There are quite a few kids who choose BASIS over Deal, at least initially. But what happens at the best BASIS schools does not apply here, because we are not being run like one of the best BASIS schools. |
Anonymous
Indeed it will be interesting. Except for a couple very bright students, the rest are just normal average youths believing they survived BASIS because of their mental ability. Wrong> |
Anonymous
Criticize the school all you want but lay off the kids. It is not appropriate. And there is no way you know them, how bright they are (or aren't) and what their beliefs are. |
Anonymous
Brent fed into both Jefferson and EH between 2009 and the 2012 boundary feeder review, which Tommy Wells arranged. No longer. I don't feel too rosy about it either. |
Anonymous
I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand they should attempt to reach each student, on the other hand YOU don't have to send your kid there., Everyone knows its a tough school and as a parent you need to find the right fit for your kid. Its an accelerated school (and we need more of those in DC quite frankly) so why did expect it be different for your kid? the City does not require you to send your kid to school at Basis. |
Anonymous
With all due respect, I don't think you understand the law on this or the fact that some extraordinarily bright children also have 504s and IEPS. |
Anonymous
Also, NO public school modifies curriculum for students with disabilities (e.g. changes what is required for graduation or 'waters down' classes). Further Common Core standards apply to all students and kids with disabilities are expected to make progress toward them. What schools are required to do under the law are provide accommodations or support, and sometimes modified instruction, that enables students with disabilities to access the curriculum. Year 1 at BASIS was a mess in terms of accommodations, ignorance and paperwork for students with disabilities. I think it was due to incompetence and stupidity -- not a conspiracy theory. Year 2 they then hired a very strong director of special education who advocates tireless and effectively for the kids with learning disabilities and things improved dramatically. She is still there 3 years later. My kid is still there, doing well, we haven't been pushed out and his psyche is fine. We have no complaints about how he's being treated and won't be signing up for any sort of class action lawsuit. |
Anonymous
| BASIS has given my kid and others the supports they need. My kid gets extra time for tests if he feels he needs it as well as a word processor for writing issues. I have also heard of scribes and accomadations for dyslexia and other issues. |
Anonymous
| Yes, child can carry inhaler at basis. Mine does. |
Anonymous
We've had the same good experience at BASIS with our child. |
Anonymous
We are one of the families who had the door shut in our faces before school started, thank goodness. It was definitely deliberate because they simply didn't want to bother with DC. DC is gifted with LD's. Perfectly capable of doing the work but needs understanding of the disability and some accommodations such as being able to take a break. The 2 main people in charge plus a deer-in-the-headlights very inexperienced sped coordinator sat me down and told me they would not be following DC's IEP. They said some things that were clearly violations of IDEA and when I pointed out that they couldn't do that they acknowledged that and shrugged their shoulders. They said if DC took breaks during classes DC would be failed for that grade. I had made it clear that we fully expected to catch DC up at home if it came to that they said that would be impossible and that DC simply couldn't take breaks. Also couldn't leave class 1 minute early as per the IEP to avoid crowds in the hallway. They said they would leave that to the discretion of the individual teachers. Oh, and in advance of this August meeting, I had worked for months speaking with the Arizona sped team who assured me up and down and all around that DC would be a good fit academically and that the accommodations were fine. There were no academic supports in the IEP, just accommodations as noted above. I agree 100% that parents need to think about whether a school is a good fit for their child and clearly I had made a mistake. However, my mistake was not that my DC couldn't handle BASIS academically, but rather than BASIS was blatantly disregarding the federal laws covering children with disabilities. I have heard many many other stories from parents who had similar things happen. Some actually started at the school while others dodged the bullet like we did. I am truly glad that they have gotten their act together regarding SN though I think they still have a LONG way to go. People especially need to understand that many of these kids who supposedly can't hack BASIS academically actually don't have academic needs. I know a kid who needed to use the elevator to avoid severe exhaustion. Kid was refused this accommodation and thus would miss a couple of days at the end of weeks due to immobility from having climbed so many steps. Should the parents only choose schools that are on 1 level when there is a "great" school that's appropriate for the kid that has an elevator that was being presented as available for the child? I reported our interactions to OSSE, the charter board, and Catania but I guess they hadn't figured out how bad it was going to be or something. I know families happily attending BASIS which is great. I also know several who are dying to get out, even when their kids are getting good grades. |