New QSRs up for Bridges, Harmony, (Old) DOAR

[Anonymous]

I know people here like to blast charters, but I appreciate the QSRs that the Charter Board presents. It looks like Bridges, Harmony and DC Arts and Prep (the old "Doar") have new ones up. Bridges is fine... the other two... just take a look.

http://www.dcpcsb.org/report/qualitative-school-reviews

[Anonymous]

Thanks OP.

I agree; the QSRs are one of the best pieces of data available on charter schools.

[Anonymous]

Ouch. Bye bye, Harmony. Hope Langley is ready to handle an influx of kids Harmony has so poorly served.

[Anonymous]

What kind of scores indicate the school will be shut down?

[Anonymous]

City Arts... wow.

"Some classrooms, primarily in the early elementary grades, were marked by
observable instructional engagement and procedures. In others there was noticeable
hostility between students and teachers, no clear procedures, and little to no observable
instruction. Likewise, in some observations students were cognitively challenged in welldesigned
learning tasks. In others no learning occurred. "

[Anonymous]

My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

They get charters to operate for 5 years. Going through a QSR is part of the process of renewal - or revocation. PMF matters too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

They are both up for charter review this year (which is why a QSR happened)-- my guess is those charters will be pulled.
Let's do QSRs for DCPS too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

They get charters to operate for 5 years. Going through a QSR is part of the process of renewal - or revocation. PMF matters too.

Five years seems like a lot, frankly, for an established charter operator like Harmony. Apparently Harmony is successful in other places, they're not some rookie group of parents. Established schools from elsewhere should be held to a higher standard. Because what excuse do they have? Declining enrollment, declining test scores, should have pulled the plug after 4 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

They are both up for charter review this year (which is why a QSR happened)-- my guess is those charters will be pulled.
Let's do QSRs for DCPS too

I'm all for it, I think that would be really helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

I was beyond horrified the other day when I spent a couple of hours in a Tier 1 charter (not one that gets any mention on DCUM). I'm dying to see what their QSR says when it comes out. As part of my visit, I sat in on an IEP meeting. It was awful: lots of buzzwords, little substance. And some of their discipline/accountability practices are just ridiculous. And when the parent called them out a few times on things, like the fact that on paper her kid is on X reading level but she (and I) have never seen him read one single word...they had no explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

I was beyond horrified the other day when I spent a couple of hours in a Tier 1 charter (not one that gets any mention on DCUM). I'm dying to see what their QSR says when it comes out. As part of my visit, I sat in on an IEP meeting. It was awful: lots of buzzwords, little substance. And some of their discipline/accountability practices are just ridiculous. And when the parent called them out a few times on things, like the fact that on paper her kid is on X reading level but she (and I) have never seen him read one single word...they had no explanation.

Any school that's been open more than a couple years has a QSR. Look it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

I was beyond horrified the other day when I spent a couple of hours in a Tier 1 charter (not one that gets any mention on DCUM). I'm dying to see what their QSR says when it comes out. As part of my visit, I sat in on an IEP meeting. It was awful: lots of buzzwords, little substance. And some of their discipline/accountability practices are just ridiculous. And when the parent called them out a few times on things, like the fact that on paper her kid is on X reading level but she (and I) have never seen him read one single word...they had no explanation.

Any school that's been open more than a couple years has a QSR. Look it up.

It's only been open for a couple (2 or 3) years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My god. Seriously why do we have to put up with these crappy charters? At what point does the charter board pull the plug? Five years of Harmony is five years too many, and I don't even know what to say about this ongoing Doar drama that has plagued Edgewood for far too long.

I was beyond horrified the other day when I spent a couple of hours in a Tier 1 charter (not one that gets any mention on DCUM). I'm dying to see what their QSR says when it comes out. As part of my visit, I sat in on an IEP meeting. It was awful: lots of buzzwords, little substance. And some of their discipline/accountability practices are just ridiculous. And when the parent called them out a few times on things, like the fact that on paper her kid is on X reading level but she (and I) have never seen him read one single word...they had no explanation.

Any school that's been open more than a couple years has a QSR. Look it up.

It's only been open for a couple (2 or 3) years.

Rocketship?

[Anonymous]

I don't get how this works. So the QSR observer (unknown to the teacher) -- an adult who presumably has a clipboard or similar--- comes to a classroom to observe. And teachers don't shape up? How dumb can they be??

"...In another observation the teacher repeatedly
threatened to “rip up” student work. Another
teacher threatened to “scream and holler” at
students and characterized him/herself as “one
against thirty,” in apparent opposition to the
students.
In one particularly unsettling observation the
teacher suspended students on the spot, saying,
“I’m allowed to suspend twenty students this year,
who is next?” Students who were put out of the
classroom were crying in ISS immediately after,
indicating that they were hurt."