Reply to BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013

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[quote=Anonymous]I really feel for PCS leaders -impossible to please everybody. And that's the point I guess.  They may and do take parental feedback into consideration but there are so many different viewpoints.  I've seen KIPP maligned on the same thread where other posters praise it (and from what I have seen, it sounds like it is deserving of all the praise).  Charters are about offering choice to families.  Families can learn about a school, its philosophy, attend an info session and get a good idea if the school works for them.  It sounds like BASIS is exactly what some families are looking for (or are hoping for, nothing is certain until it begins and schools still take time to evolve).  It sounds like for some people BASIS is not the right fit.  What I don't get is posters being so critical of a school for not being the right fit - in their definition.  If we expect our schools to do everything, and it sounds like some people do, we are setting them up for failure.  Not only do we want rigorous basic academics, we want multiple foreign languages, a host of extracurriculars, sports teams, etc. etc.  I've seen in previous posts mention of how many students are needed to support X number of AP courses or foreign language courses.  Certain schools due to size or inclination may not offer what you as a parent believe is most important.  Parents need to prioritize their criteria and go from there.  Hopefully they will find (and get into) a school that meets most of their criteria.  But I think it is unrealistic to expect a school to fulfill all of the criteria.  A school is made up of hundreds of families, many of them with differing criteria.  It is almost impossible to meet everybody's criteria.  Take foreign language.  If you surveyed the parents, you may receive requests for French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Arabic, Latin, etc.  The school is probably not in the position to be able to provide that - is there enough demand to sustain a teacher, even part-time, in all of the languages.  BASIS seems to have come up with a different approach - offering them before and after school.  Some could commend them for coming up with an alternative solution.  Some would criticize them for not being able to incorporate it into the regular schedule.  Some will criticize the cost.  All the critiques are valid but there is no perfect solution.  I wish BASIS all the best.  More choice is better for all in DC, even if there is no direct affiliation to BASIS.  I commend the "boosterism" of BASIS supporters.  A new school needs that and I don't understand why there are so many posters seemingly rooted for it to fail, constantly pointing out that DC is not Tucson, etc.  Do you think BASIS took the decision to start in DC lightly.  They are making a big investment in the building and the DC Executive Head has a long history in the DC charters.  Will there be some bumps in the road?  I'm sure, as seems to be the case with all first-year charters.  As the parent of two children in charters, I'm so impressed by what the admin and teachers have done - creating amazing schools from scratch!  Will BASIS be amazing?  I hope so but of course time will tell. I do know that I have been impressed by their program and I wish them all the best.  I wish more of the negative posters would do the same.[/quote]

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