Reply to BASIS DC will seek to expand to include K to 4th grade

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As the PP mentioned, students with special needs are indeed becoming a focus at BASIS because the school has recognized that it is this group of students which has the highest attrition (as opposed to a group based on race or low SES as people on DCUM seem to assume)[/quote]

No, attrition of students with special needs is exactly what people assume is going on. Attrition on purpose.[/quote]

Or attrition by choice. IDEA does not guarantee As in an accelerated curriculum. If a child’s SN makes it very hard for them to be successful in a rigorous environment then it’s normal that they would switch schools. Plenty of NT kids dislike the demands as well. Basis has to support the kids it has and implement the IEP, [b]but does not have to water down the curriculm.[/b] [/quote]

This is the money phrase. It is in the end what the argument is about. People who complain about high standards don't understand the difference between affording more time, and deciding that the material is too hard. Not the same thing. 
[/quote]

No. It's because more time (which is a nice way of saying retention and forcing them into a classroom of younger kids even if not developmentally appropriate) doesn't necessarily solve anything, and it dramatically increases the long-term chances of the kid dropping out. The answer is more services, not more time.[/quote]

You misunderstood. My reference to "more time" was to untimed testing vs watering down the material covered on the test. The former is a reasonable accommodation. The latter is how DCUM and lots of SJW misinterpret IDEA and other requirements.

You also keep using "developmentally appropriate" as if that's meaningful to anyone but you and your hardened opinion. Why do you care so much about the developmental appropriateness of the kids held back and not about them in classes 2-4 grades above their skills? I find that strange. [/quote]

Because we're talking about an elementary school where the developmental and physical gaps can be really big. If a kid is held back more than once, that's a lot. If it were your kid, would you think this is a good plan? Or would you think the school is unwilling to meet their needs in a manner you consider appropriate? It's fine to say "BASIS isn't to everyone's taste" but to offer parents a choice of leaving or accepting an inappropriate class year placement is effectively pushing them out [/quote]

I'll play. If my kid was to be held back 2x before 4th grade I would realize that the traditional school my kid was in was not going to prepare them to ever be independent or functioning members of society. I would want my kid in a school dedicated to getting them back on track.  [/quote]

But BASIS has an obligation to serve the needs of it's students in good faith. Public charters are not allowed to counsel out.[/quote]

No one disagrees. Where you and I diverge is what it means to serve students in good faith. You seem to think it means watering down until every kid succeeds, and even then promoting anyway. I (and BASIS) think it means providing all available support but insisting that the minimum standard be met. "Counsel out" is a loaded term. If I tell you I think you are not going to succeed and you will not advance until you do, but you are welcome to stay and keep trying, that's being honest with you. I think many of the DC parents spent their entre lives being told how smart and pretty they were, such that they think any criticism or failure is someone else's fault. You've all taken that and cubed it with your own kids. [/quote]

Can you describe to me what kind of student would be well-served by repeating more than one grade in elementary school? What academic or developmental problems does it address?  Or does it create new problems, and hinder the child's development in other ways?[/quote]

Can you describe to me what kind of other students would be well-served by having a disruptive kid 2 grade levels behind in their class for years on end? What academic or developmental needs of the other kids does it address?  Or does it create new problems for the kids who are not 2+ grade levels behind and are capable of behaving in a classroom setting, and hinder all of the other children's academic growth in other ways?

This is the crux of the argument. All outcomes are suboptimal. You seem only to care about negative impact to the problems whereas I am focused on all the other kids who are punished by your approach. Plus, I understand that the kids who suffer from poor classroom management, disruptions and kids 2+ grade levels behind are disproportionately low-SES and POC. You talk a good game about ensuring the best possible education for all kids. My policies actually achieve highest net positive impact. And, yes, some kids suffer, but that's a better choice than making lots of kids suffer.

You also seek to limit this to discussion to ES. The problem with that is at some point those kids enter MS and HS years behind grade level. What do you do then, since you've set them up for failure? I have asked this over and over, but I will ask it again. What value to society and gainful employment does a "graduate" with a 4th grade education have to look forward to?[/quote]

You seem to passionately care about struggling kids in DC, yet strenously resist the actual solution: tracked programs according to needs and ability. Why do you INSIST on destroying programs that are academically challenging in the name of “equity”? Would you be satisfied if BASIS created remedial classrooms and sent all the failing kids there?[/quote]

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