BASIS under federal investigation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No, that's not what was said. What part of "I don't think who's taking it up is relevant, that's just been a function of who people raised the complaint with" did you not comprehend? The feds were called, and are looking into it. So what? It's their job, it's what they are supposed to do. They would be doing the same if someone had called them about YY, TR, or for that matter DCPS.

All this hype, the "OMG, the feds are investigating" and the flurry of posts sounds desperate, as though someone has an axe to grind or something to gain through destruction. Ultimately, however, for any rational person, the main thing that matters is the outcome, and the best possible outcome is that if there were in fact any deficiencies, that they will be addressed.

Let whatever investigation take its course, and we'll learn more soon enough. Chill out, folks.

How about having the highest DC CAS reading scores among charters and being in the top 10 for math in its first year.

Imagine how well other schools would do if they didn't imement IEPs and put their IEP students in remedial classes.

The flurry of posts is because it has raised to the level of the Feds. That is a level that neither YY or TR has ever gotten to. Personally I find that disturbing. I find it even more amazing than others aren't shocked by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


For reasons I don't quite understand, almost all charters elect to be treated as an LEA for purposes of IDEA.

Well one reason is because then they get a lot of additional money from the government for providing these services. (From one self-proclaimed legal expert to another)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No, that's not what was said. What part of "I don't think who's taking it up is relevant, that's just been a function of who people raised the complaint with" did you not comprehend? The feds were called, and are looking into it. So what? It's their job, it's what they are supposed to do. They would be doing the same if someone had called them about YY, TR, or for that matter DCPS.

All this hype, the "OMG, the feds are investigating" and the flurry of posts sounds desperate, as though someone has an axe to grind or something to gain through destruction. Ultimately, however, for any rational person, the main thing that matters is the outcome, and the best possible outcome is that if there were in fact any deficiencies, that they will be addressed.

Let whatever investigation take its course, and we'll learn more soon enough. Chill out, folks.

How about having the highest DC CAS reading scores among charters and being in the top 10 for math in its first year.

Please be honest and admit that these scores are because of the type of student basis has attracted and not because of any specific teaching they did their first year out. To disprove this, someone would need to provide individual student DC CAS scores from whatever school they were at last Spring and compare them to the most recent scores. Doable, but has it been done?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
No, they aren't. BASIS has chosen to operate as it's own Local Education Authority. That makes them a school district. A small one, for sure, but no smaller than many districts in rural parts of this country. Like those small rural districts BASIS has an obligation to serve all the students who come through it's doors.

That is an important point, PP. Contrary to several inaccurate posts -- one from a self-proclaimed expert -- charter schools choose whether to be treated as an LEA for the purposes of IDEA. In other words, if a charter does not want to be treated as an LEA, it can opt out. The election to be treated as an LEA is usually made in the charter itself.

For reasons I don't quite understand, almost all charters elect to be treated as an LEA for purposes of IDEA. Perhaps they fear that their autonomy will be undermined if they were treated a member school of a "charter school LEA," e.g., they get stuck with the emotional and behavioral problems that another charter school in the "charter school LEA" couldn't handle and strategically classified as special ed.

In any event, if being its own LEA becomes overly burdensome for BASIS, I see no reason why BASIS could not amend its charter to be treated as part of the PCSB LEA.

A.) I don't think it works the way you suggest, of "opting out" - can you name any charter that "opted out"? Can you name any school that's "part of the PCSB LEA"? I cannot. In fact, does your supposed "PCSB LEA" even exist?

B.) Even so, I don't think it means entirely what you think it means. "LEA" only has specific meaning in a few pieces of law.

C.) The charters are not in a vacuum, as sole public school option - they co-exist within the same geographic space as the public school system and with dozens of other charters. The "public school system" is a far larger composite of all of these.

D.) PP's suggestion that rural school districts are "small" is not valid - many rural school districts span hundreds of square miles, geographically far larger than DC and typically with far more students than a typical charter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


For reasons I don't quite understand, almost all charters elect to be treated as an LEA for purposes of IDEA.

Well one reason is because then they get a lot of additional money from the government for providing these services. (From one self-proclaimed legal expert to another)

They don't get anywhere near as much money to spend on SN students as DCPS. There are many DCPS special needs students being chauffeured out of state to private specialty schools to the tune of $50,000 and up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, that's not what was said. What part of "I don't think who's taking it up is relevant, that's just been a function of who people raised the complaint with" did you not comprehend? The feds were called, and are looking into it. So what? It's their job, it's what they are supposed to do. They would be doing the same if someone had called them about YY, TR, or for that matter DCPS.

All this hype, the "OMG, the feds are investigating" and the flurry of posts sounds desperate, as though someone has an axe to grind or something to gain through destruction. Ultimately, however, for any rational person, the main thing that matters is the outcome, and the best possible outcome is that if there were in fact any deficiencies, that they will be addressed.

Let whatever investigation take its course, and we'll learn more soon enough. Chill out, folks.

How about having the highest DC CAS reading scores among charters and being in the top 10 for math in its first year.

Imagine how well other schools would do if they didn't imement IEPs and put their IEP students in remedial classes.

The flurry of posts is because it has raised to the level of the Feds. That is a level that neither YY or TR has ever gotten to. Personally I find that disturbing. I find it even more amazing than others aren't shocked by it.

I'm not "shocked", the only thing I find disturbing is the hype around here. My understanding of the situation from our own experience and from talking to other parents is that most SN families had no problems at all, most SN kids did great and are looking forward to returning, and that there were issues with just a few IEPs only being partially met - and that the issue is more about the first-year learning curve on the process and paper chase than anything else - something I'm sure they will have sorted out with the new year, and I know they have already made a lot of changes. As for remedial work, as I understand it, there was just one very small remedial class, maybe a dozen or so kids, mostly NOT special needs - and the kids in that remedial group were really struggling, failing all of their classes and were performing several years behind grade level and needed extra focus on key areas like reading and math.

[Anonymous]

I hope it is not the same investigators who are investigating our Mayor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes now they great. But they had issue that have been resolved.

NP. I agree. In the early years, YY would encourage parents of SN children to send their children to a different school. YY did not want to spend the necessary money for the requisite accommodations. Some parents took the advice, other parents who knew how to fight, fought back. Over the years, I have heard good things about YY has turned it around. Now every thing that I have written is from the word of actual parent(s) and of course playground hearsay. My child does not have a SN or IEP.

Signed

5 years with a child at YY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes now they great. But they had issue that have been resolved.

NP. I agree. In the early years, YY would encourage parents of SN children to send their children to a different school. YY did not want to spend the necessary money for the requisite accommodations. Some parents took the advice, other parents who knew how to fight, fought back. Over the years, I have heard good things about YY has turned it around. Now every thing that I have written is from the word of actual parent(s) and of course playground hearsay. My child does not have a SN or IEP.

Signed

5 years with a child at YY

I have first hand experience, but I have no interest in divulging information other than to agree w/ this PP. In short, the growing pains for special education were horrendous and almost resulted in some very serious problems for the school. A little over a year ago they overhauled and some excellent changes were implemented in their approach, delivery and handling of special ed. The school really turned it around and should be very proud of what they've accomplished in terms of inclusion and support of SN kids.

[Anonymous]

So the Feds came into YY or not? Growing pains are one thing. Feds is another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the Feds came into YY or not? Growing pains are one thing. Feds is another.

Feds never came to YY except when they went to all charter schools as a result of the DCPS diabetes case (which dragged charters into their investigation) and parents/kids were never encouraged to leave. My sped child has been there since the beginning and I came because I got lousy sped in preK at another school. YY has always had excellent sped (although not always excellent support from some parents and haters on this forum)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the Feds came into YY or not? Growing pains are one thing. Feds is another.

Feds never came to YY except when they went to all charter schools as a result of the DCPS diabetes case (which dragged charters into their investigation) and parents/kids were never encouraged to leave. My sped child has been there since the beginning and I came because I got lousy sped in preK at another school. YY has always had excellent sped (although not always excellent support from some parents and haters on this forum)

As history has shown, when the feds are called, they answer the call and show up. This isn't the first time feds have looked at the schools, and historically, no school out there has managed to grow up in this city without having someone investigate them at some point or another.

And as history shows, we have no shortage of haters who are quick to call for an investigation of the schools at a drop of a hat.

But as history has also shown, the mere fact that someone called them up and that they answered the call is not necessarily an indication of wrongdoing.

Nothing to see until the investigation is complete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the Feds came into YY or not? Growing pains are one thing. Feds is another.

Feds never came to YY except when they went to all charter schools as a result of the DCPS diabetes case (which dragged charters into their investigation) and parents/kids were never encouraged to leave. My sped child has been there since the beginning and I came because I got lousy sped in preK at another school. YY has always had excellent sped (although not always excellent support from some parents and haters on this forum)

As history has shown, when the feds are called, they answer the call and show up. This isn't the first time feds have looked at the schools, and historically, no school out there has managed to grow up in this city without having someone investigate them at some point or another.

And as history shows, we have no shortage of haters who are quick to call for an investigation of the schools at a drop of a hat.

But as history has also shown, the mere fact that someone called them up and that they answered the call is not necessarily an indication of wrongdoing.

Nothing to see until the investigation is complete.

Thanks, BASIS booster, for wrapping this discussion up. Sheesh, those haters are *so* annoying. Like we've always said, BASIS is not for everyone. If you don't like it, don't go... Or maybe in light of this IEP investigation, not that there is a problem or anything, we should rethink that internet forum talking point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the Feds came into YY or not? Growing pains are one thing. Feds is another.

DOJ and DOE.

[Anonymous]

NO!!! DOJ came to ALL charters because of the DCPS diabetes case. Who are you that you are casting such aspersions against one of the few charters that have always done sped right? DOE actually gave YY AN AWARD for how well it has done sped!