Bethune opening second campus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious: why all the hate on this school? So they had 6 students three years ago from MD. I'm not defending that by any means, but I just don't get why there are folks so worked up about it still?

Did you have your child enrolled there and it was awful? Do you live across the street and they're awful neighbors?

We're taxpayers, and we're sick of funding mediocre charter schools. If they were doing fantastic things for kids with our money, then great. But if it's just more of the same, then why not put that money toward making the public schools better?

And if they're bilking our money to pay for PreK for people from MD, that's particularly infuriating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious: why all the hate on this school? So they had 6 students three years ago from MD. I'm not defending that by any means, but I just don't get why there are folks so worked up about it still?

Did you have your child enrolled there and it was awful? Do you live across the street and they're awful neighbors?

We're taxpayers, and we're sick of funding mediocre charter schools. If they were doing fantastic things for kids with our money, then great. But if it's just more of the same, then why not put that money toward making the public schools better?

And if they're bilking our money to pay for PreK for people from MD, that's particularly infuriating.

But why THIS particular school? There are many, many mediocre to poor charter schools in DC, and plenty of crappy DCPS schools as well. Bethune is somewhere in the middle of Tier 2, so there are lots worse that are being funded.

Residency violations are extremely annoying, but they are found all over DC. Bethune has a higher percentage of nearby neighbors attending now than ever.

http://www.dcpcsb.org/school-profiles-and-pmf-tiers

[Anonymous]

Because it's the topic of the thread? Because they don't want it near them?

[Anonymous]

It's because it's so blatant honestly. They found 6 cheaters but I'm guessing 15 of the others passed the grandma/grandpa address test but don't actually live in DC.

But whatever, you're right they're not the only ones doing this. They can't manage the wait list properly and we've heard from numerous PPs now that they're clearly either grossly inept or working it to their liking, then they should be forced into the common lottery. Period. It's a combination of all of the above PLUS it's a great building when highly successful charters are being forced into gross city buildings with no outdoor space. Does that answer your question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's because it's so blatant honestly. They found 6 cheaters but I'm guessing 15 of the others passed the grandma/grandpa address test but don't actually live in DC.

But whatever, you're right they're not the only ones doing this. They can't manage the wait list properly and we've heard from numerous PPs now that they're clearly either grossly inept or working it to their liking, then they should be forced into the common lottery. Period. It's a combination of all of the above PLUS it's a great building when highly successful charters are being forced into gross city buildings with no outdoor space. Does that answer your question?

Well we now know that you are desirous of the building for your charter, but how do you define highly successful charter? I am a NP, BTW.

[Anonymous]

Nice how you bolded that one sentence and ignored the rest of the statement about them being completely incompetent (or flat out breaking the law) when it comes to managing residency fraud or following wait-list requirements.

I would consider "highly successful" charters to be those that are lauded, follow the rules, and produce results. Many of which are spoken about on this board and that have to take their students to public playgrounds or don't have the space to accommodate the hundreds of children on their wait lists, which they follow under the common lottery. Unlike Bethune.

What's in it for you PP? Are you at the school?

Very happy at my DCPS BTW.

[Anonymous]

Lauded by who?

[Anonymous]

Again. You're real selective when you critique, the whole rule-following, results-producing component is ignored. Don't ask the question if you really just want to pick apart the answer and bash me for selective components of it.

[Anonymous]

I contacted OSSE and let them know I had questions about the waitlist process at Bethune. I encourage anyone else here to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nice how you bolded that one sentence and ignored the rest of the statement about them being completely incompetent (or flat out breaking the law) when it comes to managing residency fraud or following wait-list requirements.

I would consider "highly successful" charters to be those that are lauded, follow the rules, and produce results. Many of which are spoken about on this board and that have to take their students to public playgrounds or don't have the space to accommodate the hundreds of children on their wait lists, which they follow under the common lottery. Unlike Bethune.

What's in it for you PP? Are you at the school?

Very happy at my DCPS BTW.

PP you responded to and just getting back to DCUM and this nonsense. Nope. My kid is not at Bethune. My kid was at one of the schools that is often lauded about on these boards. And yet I still moved him because it was not as great as many of you cream about. There is nothing in it for me, but how do you define lauded? Who are the judges for determining success? What are the standards? I agree that Bethune and all the other schools including the Stokes and Lambs should be apart of the common lottery. But so many of them are not. They should be forced, but only the charter board can make that demand and not OSSE. Are you accusing all the schools that are not members of the common lottery as cheats, or are you selective in your accusations? How would you know about Bethune's competencies if you have not been privy to the inner-workings of the school, or had/have children in attendance? Do you know the demographics of the school? How do you define success for a high farm population? In regards to the school's failure to follow the rules, you should send all evidence to both OSSE and PCSB. Otherwise, you come across as someone who has a personal ax to grind against the school spinning defaming accusations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again. You're real selective when you critique, the whole rule-following, results-producing component is ignored. Don't ask the question if you really just want to pick apart the answer and bash me for selective components of it.

And yet you still cannot answer the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nice how you bolded that one sentence and ignored the rest of the statement about them being completely incompetent (or flat out breaking the law) when it comes to managing residency fraud or following wait-list requirements.

I would consider "highly successful" charters to be those that are lauded, follow the rules, and produce results. Many of which are spoken about on this board and that have to take their students to public playgrounds or don't have the space to accommodate the hundreds of children on their wait lists, which they follow under the common lottery. Unlike Bethune.

What's in it for you PP? Are you at the school?

Very happy at my DCPS BTW.

PP you responded to and just getting back to DCUM and this nonsense. Nope. My kid is not at Bethune. My kid was at one of the schools that is often lauded about on these boards. And yet I still moved him because it was not as great as many of you cream about. There is nothing in it for me, but how do you define lauded? Who are the judges for determining success? What are the standards? I agree that Bethune and all the other schools including the Stokes and Lambs should be apart of the common lottery. But so many of them are not. They should be forced, but only the charter board can make that demand and not OSSE. Are you accusing all the schools that are not members of the common lottery as cheats, or are you selective in your accusations? How would you know about Bethune's competencies if you have not been privy to the inner-workings of the school, or had/have children in attendance? Do you know the demographics of the school? How do you define success for a high farm population? In regards to the school's failure to follow the rules, you should send all evidence to both OSSE and PCSB. Otherwise, you come across as someone who has a personal ax to grind against the school spinning defaming accusations.

What's nonsense about it? You're accusing me of having ulterior motives, when I don't, yet you're offended when I assume you're at Bethune? To address your questions: I can't agree or understand any justification that ANY charter school excludes itself from the common lottery. You're either equitable, and fair, and TRULY a lottery school, or you aren't. I'm not accusing them of cheating, I simply don't understand their justification. And when you say "many" - it's not "many, it's a handful, and those schools should be audited and forced to account for how they worked their wait lists.

Now, Bethune has an ACTUAL PROVEN TRACK RECORD of residency fraud, and we have half a dozen PPs on this thread saying that their personal experiences don't seem to align with a fair process. Evidence of residential fraud, plus common experience of wait list "flubbing" = ineptitude or fraud. I'd give Bethune the right to a trial by jury but that isn't possible through the PCSB, so this is my conclusion.

I'm intimate with the demographics of the school, and I empathize with any school that has to educate children who are literally kicked out of their cars in the morning while mama tosses their backpacks after them as she screams at them to have "a nice fucking day you little brat!" This is a scenario I have actually observed.

I'll tell you what I do know based on the PCSB's data: LESS THAN HALF of the school is proficient in reading and math. That means HALF of the school can't read or write at their grade levels. I don't care if 100% of the school is FARMS. This is unacceptable. This is not going to to lead to your "admiration" or "commendation" on any level, so ergo - Bethune is not a LAUDED school - here, or otherwise. If your only other option is Noyes, where 73% of the school is below-proficient, perhaps you feel great about sending your DC to Bethune, but that doesn't make it a good school.

Now, why is it that you come to defend a school with this sort of track record? Are YOU intimate with it, can you tell us otherwise?