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][quote=Anonymous]

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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Your argument effectively means that there can never be a charter school providing a very academically demanding curriculum because there will be some (not all) SN students who will never do well in this environment and the inability to serve "all kids regardless of disabilities on day 1" is a disqualifier.  Perhaps you are stating this in absolute terms to make a point, but it precludes many other types of potentially very valuable charter schools.

That would be really unfortunate.  I am just starting to assess the landscape of available options without a bias towards accommodation (we are expecting our first, and have no idea whether they will be SN or not) and I can easily see that there is a massive shortage of schools with the type of curriculum BASIS is able to provide and a huge surplus of emphasis on schools providing SN support.  It seems to be the single most important criteria, followed by location in poor underserved communities.  I think a lot of the hostility towards BASIS is unfair and unwarranted.  No school can be all things to all students, but there are many parents and students who believe that BASIS does an amazing job for their needs.  No student is required to go to BASIS, so it's existence forces nothing on anyway, it is just an additional choice.

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Not even a parent yet already an expert in schools.

Hint: google IDEA. [/quote]

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