Reply to Basis DC just withdrew its request to amend their charter and add elementary school

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Reply to "Basis DC just withdrew its request to amend their charter and add elementary school"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

The board is consistent - they emphasize location and ability to serve special needs, ELL or at-risk students with every charter application. With 74% of DC students qualifying for FARMS, they need to.[/quote]

They may be consistent, but they don't "need to" emphasize these issues and doing so is misguided.  First of all, just because a student qualifies for FARM does not make them a special needs student.  I was a FARM student and benefitted greatly from a rigorous academic program.  It's somewhat insulting to suggest that high percentage of FARM students obviates the need for such programs.  Second, even if this were true, the remaining 26% constitute way more than 10,000 students.   This is a very large population to simply write off.

In any case, I'm not arguing against allowing charters that cater to students with special needs or particular interests or underserved wards, nor is anyone else.  I'm suggesting that the role of the board should be to make more reasonable choices available to parents, not less and not impose their own preconceptions upon potential new charter organizations.  Let the parents decide.[/quote]

I'm the PP and certainly didn't mean to suggest that FARMS = SN. My older child has SN and an IEP and we are not economically at risk so I know that there isn't a single profile. My SN kid has always been above grade level but still has challenges in some areas.

The DC charter law is unique nationally in that each charter is its own LEA, as opposed to a school within a larger school district. That means that every DC charter school must serve all kids, regardless of disabilities on day 1. A new school can't simply assume all the kids will be typically developing and hire specialists or figure it out later if students who enroll need more support. These are public schools are a civil rights issue - it's not going to work to just say let the parents decide.

In 5 years BASIS DC has accrued a poor record on special education. They were found to deny FAPE to 2 students, settled 3 cases and 2 families withdrew before a decision. That doesn't include those that have left because the school wouldn't implement or adhere to the most basic accommodations to students with disabilities. Most students with disabilities are identified between K and 3rd grade -- it's especially incumbent on schools that serve those populations to find and help those students before they fall behind. It's quite fair to ask if they were willing and capable of doing that.

But of course, all of this is speculation. BASIS withdrew the application -- and no one knows why. The school has not shared this news with its current parents yet.

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