BASIS charter expansion is up for public comment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a joke. BASIS is “perfect” for no student. Give us a break, enrichment is weak, teacher turnover remains stubbornly high for the location and demograhpic, the facilities are lousy and the admins are lazy jerks. I’ll buy BASIS is adequate or acceptable for many or even most who enroll, not more.

And some dude in Arizona is getting rich off your struggle. For profit education is an abomination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking middle and high school year by year is just too iffy and stressful for many of us. We reach a point where we’re open to school situation that’s a surer bet. My older kid is reserved, doesn’t make friends or manage transitions easily. Our family is burning out on pals and favorite teachers leaving for greener pastures. We’re also tired of the lonely hustle to identify, access and pay for quality ECs that line up with kids’ interests. BASIS is all about making do, which is tiring.

Above sums it up very well. We are already tired of the supplementing outside of school with academics, sports, or EC in elementary.

We want a middle and high school where our kid can get everything he needs above at school academically during the day and stay after school for the sports, clubs, EC. This would be a total game changer and huge increase in quality of life issues for not only us but our child.

No school is perfect but the school choices and situation is so sub par and poor in DC. I love the city but we are seriously considering moving to burbs to get what we need. And before someone says families in the burbs don’t supplement academics or whatever, sure some helicopter parents may to get their child ahead but if in a good pyramid, you don’t need to and the classes can be at appropriate level where your child is. Our friends in burbs don’t supplement and their kids are happy, got well rounded middle/high school experience, and landed fine in college.

Plenty of parents in the burbs and at private schools supplement.

And you will probably have to supplement at most schools if you want to focus on some obscure language or arts area.

And more kids means that some classes are harder to get into. Just because the class is offered doesn’t mean your kid is going to get in.

Maoist parents in the good pyramids in burbs are not supplementing. That’s a myth people like to tell themselves who go to subpar or poorly performing schools. There are 2 main categories of parents who supplement and that is if their kids actually need tutors and help with classes because they can’t hack it otherwise in the top classes or that they are trying to get their kid ahead (helicopter).

No need to focus on any obscure language. Why would you when you have 7 or 8 to choose from in the curriculum?

As to the last sentence, there is a huge cohort of high performing kids so multiple classes of top courses. The issue is not getting into them, it’s being able to handle it and do well among so many smart kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking middle and high school year by year is just too iffy and stressful for many of us. We reach a point where we’re open to school situation that’s a surer bet. My older kid is reserved, doesn’t make friends or manage transitions easily. Our family is burning out on pals and favorite teachers leaving for greener pastures. We’re also tired of the lonely hustle to identify, access and pay for quality ECs that line up with kids’ interests. BASIS is all about making do, which is tiring.

Above sums it up very well. We are already tired of the supplementing outside of school with academics, sports, or EC in elementary.

We want a middle and high school where our kid can get everything he needs above at school academically during the day and stay after school for the sports, clubs, EC. This would be a total game changer and huge increase in quality of life issues for not only us but our child.

No school is perfect but the school choices and situation is so sub par and poor in DC. I love the city but we are seriously considering moving to burbs to get what we need. And before someone says families in the burbs don’t supplement academics or whatever, sure some helicopter parents may to get their child ahead but if in a good pyramid, you don’t need to and the classes can be at appropriate level where your child is. Our friends in burbs don’t supplement and their kids are happy, got well rounded middle/high school experience, and landed fine in college.

Plenty of parents in the burbs and at private schools supplement.

And you will probably have to supplement at most schools if you want to focus on some obscure language or arts area.

And more kids means that some classes are harder to get into. Just because the class is offered doesn’t mean your kid is going to get in.

Maoist parents in the good pyramids in burbs are not supplementing. That’s a myth people like to tell themselves who go to subpar or poorly performing schools. There are 2 main categories of parents who supplement and that is if their kids actually need tutors and help with classes because they can’t hack it otherwise in the top classes or that they are trying to get their kid ahead (helicopter).

No need to focus on any obscure language. Why would you when you have 7 or 8 to choose from in the curriculum?

As to the last sentence, there is a huge cohort of high performing kids so multiple classes of top courses. The issue is not getting into them, it’s being able to handle it and do well among so many smart kids.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

Go back to your Maoist study group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking middle and high school year by year is just too iffy and stressful for many of us. We reach a point where we’re open to school situation that’s a surer bet. My older kid is reserved, doesn’t make friends or manage transitions easily. Our family is burning out on pals and favorite teachers leaving for greener pastures. We’re also tired of the lonely hustle to identify, access and pay for quality ECs that line up with kids’ interests. BASIS is all about making do, which is tiring.

Above sums it up very well. We are already tired of the supplementing outside of school with academics, sports, or EC in elementary.

We want a middle and high school where our kid can get everything he needs above at school academically during the day and stay after school for the sports, clubs, EC. This would be a total game changer and huge increase in quality of life issues for not only us but our child.

No school is perfect but the school choices and situation is so sub par and poor in DC. I love the city but we are seriously considering moving to burbs to get what we need. And before someone says families in the burbs don’t supplement academics or whatever, sure some helicopter parents may to get their child ahead but if in a good pyramid, you don’t need to and the classes can be at appropriate level where your child is. Our friends in burbs don’t supplement and their kids are happy, got well rounded middle/high school experience, and landed fine in college.

Plenty of parents in the burbs and at private schools supplement.

And you will probably have to supplement at most schools if you want to focus on some obscure language or arts area.

And more kids means that some classes are harder to get into. Just because the class is offered doesn’t mean your kid is going to get in.

Maoist parents in the good pyramids in burbs are not supplementing. That’s a myth people like to tell themselves who go to subpar or poorly performing schools. There are 2 main categories of parents who supplement and that is if their kids actually need tutors and help with classes because they can’t hack it otherwise in the top classes or that they are trying to get their kid ahead (helicopter).

No need to focus on any obscure language. Why would you when you have 7 or 8 to choose from in the curriculum?

As to the last sentence, there is a huge cohort of high performing kids so multiple classes of top courses. The issue is not getting into them, it’s being able to handle it and do well among so many smart kids.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

Go back to your Maoist study group.

Why is everyone talking about Mao... for-profit education like BASIS is about as capitalistic as you can get.

[Anonymous]

For profit education is not the problem here. The problem is the inability or unwillingness of DCPS to educate kids. A BASIS elementary school isn’t going to make DCPS schools any better or worse. DCPS will continue its race to the bottom all on its own. At least BASIS gives families a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For profit education is not the problem here. The problem is the inability or unwillingness of DCPS to educate kids. A BASIS elementary school isn’t going to make DCPS schools any better or worse. DCPS will continue its race to the bottom all on its own. At least BASIS gives families a choice.

There are two problems. (1) DCPS and (2) charter schools give parents "options" that are probably not better, but everything thinks they are because they chose it.

BASIS has been looking to locate close to good or getting-better DCPS elementary schools. This is likely to hurt DCPS elementary schools because people will send their kid to BASIS (no matter how inappropriate the BASIS model is for small children), in order to secure a middle school spot.

DCPS has no one to blame but themselves, though. They could easily switch feeder patterns or consolidate schools in places like Capitol Hill in order to have a stronger Deal-like middle school, but they refuse to do anything that might result in better schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For profit education is not the problem here. The problem is the inability or unwillingness of DCPS to educate kids. A BASIS elementary school isn’t going to make DCPS schools any better or worse. DCPS will continue its race to the bottom all on its own. At least BASIS gives families a choice.

Yeah, but if it were non-profit, DCPS could save the money that's being creamed off the top to send to shareholders and expand one of the successful charter schools. Or, in theory, improve the non-charter options.

[Anonymous]

Hearing of issues re: physical safety at Basis. Can anyone speak to how disruptive or violent kids are handled there? I know often publics in DC or MoCo will move the aggressor or victim to another school in the system, obviously Basis doesn't have that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For profit education is not the problem here. The problem is the inability or unwillingness of DCPS to educate kids. A BASIS elementary school isn’t going to make DCPS schools any better or worse. DCPS will continue its race to the bottom all on its own. At least BASIS gives families a choice.

Yeah, but if it were non-profit, DCPS could save the money that's being creamed off the top to send to shareholders and expand one of the successful charter schools. Or, in theory, improve the non-charter options.

You seem clueless.

Let's examine your argument.

KIPP is a charter network with schools in DC, with 7000 students. It is a nonprofit. KIPP DC receives $213 million a year--most of this from DC taxpayers--and spends $1.6 million of this on executive salaries, paying executives $250,000-$350,000/year.

What is DC getting for this money? Let's see: The best KIPP in DC is College Prep. At this school, only 24% of the kids are at grade level in reading, 0% are at grade level in science, and only 2% received a 3 on at least one AP exam.

And somehow you think that this is better than BASIS DC, which is the #1 ranked public middle school in DC and #1 non-selective public high school in DC?

I assume that you are just some weird troll but, if not, you are just ignorant. Go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hearing of issues re: physical safety at Basis. Can anyone speak to how disruptive or violent kids are handled there? I know often publics in DC or MoCo will move the aggressor or victim to another school in the system, obviously Basis doesn't have that option.

Someone else can speak to violence because we have not experienced any of that. Handling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hearing of issues re: physical safety at Basis. Can anyone speak to how disruptive or violent kids are handled there? I know often publics in DC or MoCo will move the aggressor or victim to another school in the system, obviously Basis doesn't have that option.

Someone else can speak to violence because we have not experienced any of that. Handling

Hit send too soon. Handling disruptive kids varies from teacher to teacher. If the teacher is good, the class is generally calm and disruptions are minimal. If you get a teacher who can’t handle the class, it’s generally very chaotic, because the administration does not seem to be able to effectively discipline disruptive students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hearing of issues re: physical safety at Basis. Can anyone speak to how disruptive or violent kids are handled there? I know often publics in DC or MoCo will move the aggressor or victim to another school in the system, obviously Basis doesn't have that option.

Someone else can speak to violence because we have not experienced any of that. Handling

Hit send too soon. Handling disruptive kids varies from teacher to teacher. If the teacher is good, the class is generally calm and disruptions are minimal. If you get a teacher who can’t handle the class, it’s generally very chaotic, because the administration does not seem to be able to effectively discipline disruptive students.

Thanks for this info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For profit education is not the problem here. The problem is the inability or unwillingness of DCPS to educate kids. A BASIS elementary school isn’t going to make DCPS schools any better or worse. DCPS will continue its race to the bottom all on its own. At least BASIS gives families a choice.

Yeah, but if it were non-profit, DCPS could save the money that's being creamed off the top to send to shareholders and expand one of the successful charter schools. Or, in theory, improve the non-charter options.

You seem clueless.

Let's examine your argument.

KIPP is a charter network with schools in DC, with 7000 students. It is a nonprofit. KIPP DC receives $213 million a year--most of this from DC taxpayers--and spends $1.6 million of this on executive salaries, paying executives $250,000-$350,000/year.

What is DC getting for this money? Let's see: The best KIPP in DC is College Prep. At this school, only 24% of the kids are at grade level in reading, 0% are at grade level in science, and only 2% received a 3 on at least one AP exam.

And somehow you think that this is better than BASIS DC, which is the #1 ranked public middle school in DC and #1 non-selective public high school in DC?

I assume that you are just some weird troll but, if not, you are just ignorant. Go away.

Is this thread about KIPP's suitability as a recipient of DC taxpayer dollars? I'd be very happy to join a thread that discuses that failure. Charter schools are, for the most part, total shams. But when a non-profit charter school is mediocre and diverts the money meant for children's education into the pockets of management, it's wrong and there's a variety of remedies. (Let's start another thread and talk about why they're not being used!)

When a for-profit charter school, like BASIS, diverts money meant for children's education into the pockets of management (and shareholders!) it's not wrong, it's the whole point of the operation.

Opposition to for-profit education is not a "weird troll" or "ignorant" position to take—you woudln't send your kid to a for-profit college, why would you send them to a for-profit high school, middle school or even, and this is truly mind-boggling, an elementary school. Profit has no place in education. End of story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why parents don’t hold DCPS accountable for not providing decent MS options outside of Deal.

It's the student body (and parents) not the building. Why don't people get this. If parents aren't serious about education, how do you expect the child to be?

[Anonymous]

If the for profit school gives my child a better education than the non profit school then that for profit school definitely has a place in education. For profit does not equal bad. We accept for profit in so many other spheres of life so why not in education? Or are we happy to condemn our children to suffer the failure of not for profit education because it aligns with our values that profit has no place in education?