BASIS student, have they left the school?

[Anonymous]

Third, why is it you think success elsewhere means absolutely nothing? They aren't a franchise, they aren't a copy or one-off, they aren't just working off of a piece of paper with a plan on it. Basis DC is run and managed by the exact same people, and they brought several AZ staff to DC to run it. It's not as though they are starting from scratch, they already have seasoned people with experience in making it a success, as they did in AZ. Every time a new Whole Foods opens up, do you sit back skeptically scratching your chin, saying "gee, I'm not convinced they are actually going to sell organic produce?" Doesn't make much sense, but that's what you're doing here.

I abbreviated the quote for clarity. However, in case of doubt, I am the poster you are quoting.

Frankly, you are making no sense. No one said that success elsewhere means absolutely nothing. That would be what we call a wide, sweeping generalization. What was said, exactly, is that success elsewhere does not mean success here. That's it. Pretty simple.

Let's go to your next point. Right after you say they aren't a copy (which is my point. If they aren't a copy, why would you expect the same successes or failures?) you then say that they are run by the same people and therefore we should trust them because they are the same people! Even though they are operating in a totally different city!

Then, hysterically, you bring in a Whole Foods analogy (which really makes me wonder if you get out much).

Let's break this down.

Your argument is something like this. If you go to one WF, you go to them all. Second, you think doubting a fact (does WF sell organic produce or doesn't it?) is somehow equal to judging a school, which is a qualitative question if there ever was one.

Please. Please. Do a better job educating yourself.

[Anonymous]

00:10 here's some clarity and "breaking it down" for you - your repeated insistences of "no track record" to anyone means "no track record" - that's pretty much saying it means nothing - and that's the conclusion any reader has had repeatedly reinforced upon them by you.

And, just as with Whole Foods, 95% of what's in one is the same as the next, i.e. YES there will be organic food, and you can expect certain brands, certain quality of produce and other items, and you pretty much know what most of it will be like going in, with some minor differences in floor/cafe layout and in what's on the shelves on a given day - and the same goes for Basis. What's different is geography and demographics - to which I argue, "what makes DC so different and special"? DC really isn't so different and special - I could go back to the Whole Foods analogy and there it would be "DC is different and Whole Foods will fail because DC residents expect their hot foods to be smothered in Mambo sauce" - and that would be ridiculous, though it's basically a perfect analogy for the kinds of grounds that doubters of new charters have been using in their arguments here on DCUM for years. If you have something more substantial, then here's YET ANOTHER opportunity for you to articulate and explain the SPECIFIC basis for your doubts rather than just saying you have doubts without saying specifically why.

And, again, WHAT is your backup plan where it comes to a PCS or DCPS middle school for your daughter? What do you think would be better?

I'd be a lot less skeptical of you if you didn't keep dodging questions.

[Anonymous]

If I have this right, Basis has something like seven schools in different cities and communities, all having a darn good track record.

That's pretty confidence-inspiring for me. I would bet a few months of my kids education on that. And expect great returns. I pick my kidd schools based on my confidence level in the professionalism and expertise of the adults in charge. Basis seems to have itself mostly together in that regard across the network.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:00:10 here's some clarity and "breaking it down" for you - your repeated insistences of "no track record" to anyone means "no track record" - that's pretty much saying it means nothing - and that's the conclusion any reader has had repeatedly reinforced upon them by you.

And, just as with Whole Foods, 95% of what's in one is the same as the next, i.e. YES there will be organic food, and you can expect certain brands, certain quality of produce and other items, and you pretty much know what most of it will be like going in, with some minor differences in floor/cafe layout and in what's on the shelves on a given day - and the same goes for Basis. What's different is geography and demographics - to which I argue, "what makes DC so different and special"? DC really isn't so different and special - I could go back to the Whole Foods analogy and there it would be "DC is different and Whole Foods will fail because DC residents expect their hot foods to be smothered in Mambo sauce" - and that would be ridiculous, though it's basically a perfect analogy for the kinds of grounds that doubters of new charters have been using in their arguments here on DCUM for years. If you have something more substantial, then here's YET ANOTHER opportunity for you to articulate and explain the SPECIFIC basis for your doubts rather than just saying you have doubts without saying specifically why.

And, again, WHAT is your backup plan where it comes to a PCS or DCPS middle school for your daughter? What do you think would be better?

I'd be a lot less skeptical of you if you didn't keep dodging questions.

+1 on that business analogy... It'd be like when IKEA came to the DMV area, if someone said "I don't know, I just don't think it will work around here, how many people really are into Swedish design, and how many people are into cheapo flat-pack you-assemble furniture? There aren't that many Swedes in the DC area, and Sweden is so different from here, how could it possibly work? Other US stores be damned, their track record there doesn't matter. I'm not into it, myself - so I can't imagine it working for anyone else..." Taking a few narrow bristle hairs from here and there and trying to conflate them into a broad brush. That kind of business logic certainly didn't make IKEA what it is.

Ultimately it goes back to the primal "we fear change" mindset. But whatever. Worst case, it's just another serial anti-charter poster trying to stir up trouble as they've done with YY and all the rest, best case it's someone who still has a few years to go before their child reaches 5th grade, time to see what unfolds and time to make a decision, in which case, just sit back and watch, no need to say "I'm skeptical, I want Basis to be an accountable success" when there are plenty of tiger parents who actually do have kids enrolled, who do have a dog in the fight, and accordingly are holding them to that promise of high academic standards.

[Anonymous]

^ It has to live up to Olga's standards and be accountable to her - and anyone who's met her or who has seen her in action has seen that she is one incredibly serious, involved, motivated and committed tiger mom, herself. That's a big part of why I am sure it will do well.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's like when Home Depot opened in DC. And we were so excited.

And 6 months in, we were calling it "Ghetto Home Depot" and headed back to the Home Depots in the burbs for the stocked, clean and organized stores and the clerks who actually waited on you.

[Anonymous]

^^^^and there it is. This answer is exactly why people don't react well when there is extreme skepticism that a proven model will be successful in DC. I just hope you all aren't actual teachers with that attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ It has to live up to Olga's standards and be accountable to her - and anyone who's met her or who has seen her in action has seen that she is one incredibly serious, involved, motivated and committed tiger mom, herself. That's a big part of why I am sure it will do well.

Does that mean you have actual insight into the local board of trustees, and its relationship to the other schools, and the greater administration?

Or are you just bloviating in support of your cause, booster?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:00:10 here's some clarity and "breaking it down" for you - your repeated insistences of "no track record" to anyone means "no track record" - that's pretty much saying it means nothing - and that's the conclusion any reader has had repeatedly reinforced upon them by you.

And, just as with Whole Foods, 95% of what's in one is the same as the next, i.e. YES there will be organic food, and you can expect certain brands, certain quality of produce and other items, and you pretty much know what most of it will be like going in, with some minor differences in floor/cafe layout and in what's on the shelves on a given day - and the same goes for Basis. What's different is geography and demographics - to which I argue, "what makes DC so different and special"? DC really isn't so different and special - I could go back to the Whole Foods analogy and there it would be "DC is different and Whole Foods will fail because DC residents expect their hot foods to be smothered in Mambo sauce" - and that would be ridiculous, though it's basically a perfect analogy for the kinds of grounds that doubters of new charters have been using in their arguments here on DCUM for years. If you have something more substantial, then here's YET ANOTHER opportunity for you to articulate and explain the SPECIFIC basis for your doubts rather than just saying you have doubts without saying specifically why.

And, again, WHAT is your backup plan where it comes to a PCS or DCPS middle school for your daughter? What do you think would be better?

I'd be a lot less skeptical of you if you didn't keep dodging questions.

+1 on that business analogy... It'd be like when IKEA came to the DMV area, if someone said "I don't know, I just don't think it will work around here, how many people really are into Swedish design, and how many people are into cheapo flat-pack you-assemble furniture? There aren't that many Swedes in the DC area, and Sweden is so different from here, how could it possibly work? Other US stores be damned, their track record there doesn't matter. I'm not into it, myself - so I can't imagine it working for anyone else..." Taking a few narrow bristle hairs from here and there and trying to conflate them into a broad brush. That kind of business logic certainly didn't make IKEA what it is.

Ultimately it goes back to the primal "we fear change" mindset. But whatever. Worst case, it's just another serial anti-charter poster trying to stir up trouble as they've done with YY and all the rest, best case it's someone who still has a few years to go before their child reaches 5th grade, time to see what unfolds and time to make a decision, in which case, just sit back and watch, no need to say "I'm skeptical, I want Basis to be an accountable success" when there are plenty of tiger parents who actually do have kids enrolled, who do have a dog in the fight, and accordingly are holding them to that promise of high academic standards.

This analogy is ridiculous. We're talking about students not widgets. Did you even pass your Business 101 class?

[Anonymous]

Well, seems that rebuttal torqued someone.

Even more nonsubstantive, highly speculative protests. At least it's pretty obvious from the responses that this is just more trolling by the same old anti-charter shill(s) - in which case the best course of action is to just ignore them.

LOL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ It has to live up to Olga's standards and be accountable to her - and anyone who's met her or who has seen her in action has seen that she is one incredibly serious, involved, motivated and committed tiger mom, herself. That's a big part of why I am sure it will do well.

Does that mean you have actual insight into the local board of trustees, and its relationship to the other schools, and the greater administration?

Or are you just bloviating in support of your cause, booster?

Now THAT is bloviating. If you don't know how things are being run, if you think they are taking their marching orders on how to run Basis from "other schools" et cetera, then you are truly clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:00:10 here's some clarity and "breaking it down" for you - your repeated insistences of "no track record" to anyone means "no track record" - that's pretty much saying it means nothing - and that's the conclusion any reader has had repeatedly reinforced upon them by you.

And, just as with Whole Foods, 95% of what's in one is the same as the next, i.e. YES there will be organic food, and you can expect certain brands, certain quality of produce and other items, and you pretty much know what most of it will be like going in, with some minor differences in floor/cafe layout and in what's on the shelves on a given day - and the same goes for Basis. What's different is geography and demographics - to which I argue, "what makes DC so different and special"? DC really isn't so different and special - I could go back to the Whole Foods analogy and there it would be "DC is different and Whole Foods will fail because DC residents expect their hot foods to be smothered in Mambo sauce" - and that would be ridiculous, though it's basically a perfect analogy for the kinds of grounds that doubters of new charters have been using in their arguments here on DCUM for years. If you have something more substantial, then here's YET ANOTHER opportunity for you to articulate and explain the SPECIFIC basis for your doubts rather than just saying you have doubts without saying specifically why.

And, again, WHAT is your backup plan where it comes to a PCS or DCPS middle school for your daughter? What do you think would be better?

I'd be a lot less skeptical of you if you didn't keep dodging questions.

+1 on that business analogy... It'd be like when IKEA came to the DMV area, if someone said "I don't know, I just don't think it will work around here, how many people really are into Swedish design, and how many people are into cheapo flat-pack you-assemble furniture? There aren't that many Swedes in the DC area, and Sweden is so different from here, how could it possibly work? Other US stores be damned, their track record there doesn't matter. I'm not into it, myself - so I can't imagine it working for anyone else..." Taking a few narrow bristle hairs from here and there and trying to conflate them into a broad brush. That kind of business logic certainly didn't make IKEA what it is.

Ultimately it goes back to the primal "we fear change" mindset. But whatever. Worst case, it's just another serial anti-charter poster trying to stir up trouble as they've done with YY and all the rest, best case it's someone who still has a few years to go before their child reaches 5th grade, time to see what unfolds and time to make a decision, in which case, just sit back and watch, no need to say "I'm skeptical, I want Basis to be an accountable success" when there are plenty of tiger parents who actually do have kids enrolled, who do have a dog in the fight, and accordingly are holding them to that promise of high academic standards.

This analogy is ridiculous. We're talking about students not widgets. Did you even pass your Business 101 class?

It was not about the "widgets", it was about the MARKET and the CUSTOMERS. Wow, now YOU are showing yourself to be the one with no business know-how.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe it's like when Home Depot opened in DC. And we were so excited.

And 6 months in, we were calling it "Ghetto Home Depot" and headed back to the Home Depots in the burbs for the stocked, clean and organized stores and the clerks who actually waited on you.

Wow, how about you, likening minimum-wage shelf stockers at Home Depot to degreed, professional teachers. Clearly you don't think much of teachers!

[Anonymous]

Weren't teachers being likened to minimum wage Whole Food workers and Ikea workers in the previous ridiculous analogies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weren't teachers being likened to minimum wage Whole Food workers and Ikea workers in the previous ridiculous analogies?

No, the analogies were talking about models, customers and markets - but if it were about the workers as you're trying to insist now, then I'll point out that it clearly doesn't explain why Whole Foods does well in DC - the reason they do well in DC is because of their model and their values where it comes to customer service. Home Depot clearly does not place as much emphasis on those customer service values. Weren't you the one talking about "Business 101" - and shouldn't you therefore know the difference between these things rather than just having them all muddled up as you keep repeatedly demonstrating?