Reply to how to address the under enrollment at Brookland Middle School

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's going to take time and consistent outreach by the school.   Plus, it takes financial investment. School budgets are calculated based on enrollment numbers and upward adjustments for ELA and special education students. But, when a school is new and struggling to build enrollment, I really think there has to be additional investment from DCPS. So that the school can add a few more bells and whistles; so that staff can be compensated for after-hours promotion activities; money to fund a community event or two (a fair or festival) that will allow families to check out the school in a casual way; funding for quality after school activities and clubs.

I have to assume that the PTA at Brookland is likely fledging and they aren't raising much money. DCPS has to step in and make up for the lack in fundraising for "extras" if they want Brookland to attract middle class families.

For example, one of the most important tools for a school is their website but in DC, it's every school for themselves. So wealthier schools with more parents with professional degrees and more ability to volunteer have nicer websites, monthly enewsletters and a focus on timely communication. Usually some techie parent has volunteered to run the website or some parent who works in communications has offered to handle the newsletter. But when you have a school that doesn't have the parent volunteer base, it results in limited communications and not-so-great websites. If DCPS wants Brookland to thrive it should give the principal extra money in her budget to hire someone to do the website.

And the most important thing, in my opinion, is having GREAT teachers and allowing prospective families to meet them. The principal should tout her teaching staff. Write up bios for each one and have them on the website. How long have they been teaching? Where did they go to college? Any awards? Why do they teach? What inspires them?[/quote]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but I disagree that these things are all necessary to increase parental interest.  [b]Just look at what BASIS is doing with its middle school.  It has terrible facilities, and very little money.  Yet it offers a desirable program, and people are flocking to it.[/b][/quote]

Huh? Basis is supported by a massive 22-school wide corporation. It can inject funding whenever it needs to.[/quote]

I don't think it's "supported" by the corporation.  In fact I think its the other way around.  Why would a for profit corporation "inject funding" unless they saw a possible return on investment.  [/quote]

BASIS DC, is a DC 501(c)(3) that contracts with BASIS.ed to manage the school. At certain points, BASIS.ed has provided more in 'overhead' type services in DC than in some of the other schools -- e.g. covering the salary of more staff than the DC school on its own could afford, especially before the enrollment reached the full 600. They did it because it was in their own interest to make sure DC succeeded, or at least didn't fail.

BASIS.ed does get an annual payment from BASIS DC (as KIPP's national organization does from its DC schools) but DC pays a lower percentage than do the other schools, because that's how the local Board negotiated the contract.

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