Anonymous
Post 08/31/2012 06:40     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Most of the DCPS schools are not a suitable option for anyone who's looking to have their child get ahead. It used to be that public schools had a variety of offerings, from academic tracks, where things like 7th/8th grade Algebra would not be an issue, to vocational/technical schools where if a kid wasn't into academia, he could at least still get valuable skills for the workplace, and so on. Nowadays, it seems like most of those things aren't even a viable option, yet alone be solidly available. Many coming out of the DCPS system haven't even mastered the basics like reading, writing and basic math. It's all been watered down to the point of not being much more than a glorified daycare, and kids are emerging not ready for much of anything.
Anonymous
Post 08/31/2012 02:24     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
In this day and age, whatever your political leanings, DCPS is not a suitable option for any high profile person's child. Get a grip. We have enough issues in DCPS to deal with without adding secret service and security concerns into the mix. As for parent day traffic back-up, please...
Anonymous
Post 08/31/2012 00:12     Subject: Re:BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Obama's girls attended private schools in Chicago when he was not the president and presumably not under threat.
I don't give a damn where his spoiled girls go to school. I do mind when he forbids poorer families to attend Sidwell (or other private schools) by taking away the vouchers/fellowship program in place and has the gall to make it sound like this decision is for the well-being of all.
Anonymous
Post 08/31/2012 00:04     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In most European countries, a majority of schools are publicly funded, but in the better-performing countries, parents are typically free to choose the schools their children will attend, and as such, the funding follows the students, as opposed to automatically being allocated to schools. Effectively, the schools have to compete for students in order to sustain funding.


In most Asian countries, students have to test-in to selective schools (like Europe) and meet certain measures to attend. Makes the DCCAS look like a cake walk...


DC CAS is a cakewalk. Sickening that so many schools and students still struggle with just the basics.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 23:59     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Janney


re: waitlist - originally expected 400 students, last I heard ~490 registered.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 23:04     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:In most European countries, a majority of schools are publicly funded, but in the better-performing countries, parents are typically free to choose the schools their children will attend, and as such, the funding follows the students, as opposed to automatically being allocated to schools. Effectively, the schools have to compete for students in order to sustain funding.


In most Asian countries, students have to test-in to selective schools (like Europe) and meet certain measures to attend. Makes the DCCAS look like a cake walk...
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 22:56     Subject: Re:BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Amy Carter was absolutely miserable at her school. Politicians should do what is best for their children. Last I heard, Obama wasn't running the DCPS.


Not that it matters all that much, PP, but please provide citations to sources documenting Amy's misery, PP. Be sure that the evidence supports your position that Amy's misery was due to attending a DCPS school, rather than simply, say, being a middle schooler or daughter of the president.

Politicians should align the interests of their children and the interests of their country. What's best for their children should be what's best for their country as well.

Last I heard, Obama appointed Arne Duncan secretary of education. Last I heard, the DC budget and all legislation is subject to congressional approval. Last I heard, democrats control the senate. If the President wanted to run DCPS and the DCPCSB, he could.

According to Harry Truman, passing the buck stops at the White House.

Warren Buffet speaks the truth. If we made private education illegal and assigned every child to a public school by lottery, the public education problem in this country would be solved quickly.


Amy Carter was not allowed outside for recess at Stevens. The secret service felt the playground was too close to the street. If the Obama girls attended a DCPS school (or charter for that matter), it would be a security nightmare. Public schools can't choose their students, they can't allow the secret service access to admissions decisions, there's nothing to stop a terrorist from moving in bounds just to get access to the school. In addition, few public schools in DC have the same kind of setbacks and other security features that Sidwell has.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 22:49     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:Around 20 from Brent.


around 50 from Harvard
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 22:40     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, what difference does it make at this stage? I'll be curious to see who stays stays more than 1 year. It's still puzzling they didn't have a waitlist from all the hype and Mary Siddall's evangelizing. It'll be interesting to see if the BASIS bus stop in Palisades is still around if DC CAS results aren't stellar in 2014.

It's entirely possible there's double and triple counting in the reports above. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who left a desirable school to go there. It would be interesting to see which, if any, of the ward 7 & 8 tier 1 charter schools are losing kids to BASIS.


Of course, DCUM is mainly hearsay. Interesting to me, very few of the schools mentioned are feeders to Deal. Except Eaton. Many of the schools are Cap Hill with folks likely in bounds for SH (Watkins), EH or Jefferson (Brent), and the 2 Rivers kids might likely be from those areas as well. Not surprising. Not statistically meaningful. But interesting to me.


I imagine that it will be a while before BASIS lures many kids away from Deal.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 21:39     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:OP, what difference does it make at this stage? I'll be curious to see who stays stays more than 1 year. It's still puzzling they didn't have a waitlist from all the hype and Mary Siddall's evangelizing. It'll be interesting to see if the BASIS bus stop in Palisades is still around if DC CAS results aren't stellar in 2014.

It's entirely possible there's double and triple counting in the reports above. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who left a desirable school to go there. It would be interesting to see which, if any, of the ward 7 & 8 tier 1 charter schools are losing kids to BASIS.


PP, BASIS does not have a waitlist because they were willing to take all interested families this year. At one of the information sessions Mary said that they would rather go back to the charter board and ask for more spots than resort to a lottery. I don't know if they ultimately had to do so, but I suspect that they did.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 21:25     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:In most European countries, a majority of schools are publicly funded, but in the better-performing countries, parents are typically free to choose the schools their children will attend, and as such, the funding follows the students, as opposed to automatically being allocated to schools. Effectively, the schools have to compete for students in order to sustain funding.


I hadn't considered that, PP. Perhaps Warren Buffet is wrong about the random assignment part. Public schools would probably improve faster if they have to compete for students and funding.

Are the public schools in these countries independently operated or are they operated by the state. In other words, do charters play a role in improving public education in those countries?
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 21:25     Subject: Re:BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Potomac Lighthouse
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 21:24     Subject: Re:BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
DC Prep
Howard Roads
Stokes
Oyster-Adams
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 20:48     Subject: BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:OP, what difference does it make at this stage? I'll be curious to see who stays stays more than 1 year. It's still puzzling they didn't have a waitlist from all the hype and Mary Siddall's evangelizing. It'll be interesting to see if the BASIS bus stop in Palisades is still around if DC CAS results aren't stellar in 2014.

It's entirely possible there's double and triple counting in the reports above. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who left a desirable school to go there. It would be interesting to see which, if any, of the ward 7 & 8 tier 1 charter schools are losing kids to BASIS.


Of course, DCUM is mainly hearsay. Interesting to me, very few of the schools mentioned are feeders to Deal. Except Eaton. Many of the schools are Cap Hill with folks likely in bounds for SH (Watkins), EH or Jefferson (Brent), and the 2 Rivers kids might likely be from those areas as well. Not surprising. Not statistically meaningful. But interesting to me.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2012 20:44     Subject: Re:BASIS students, what school were they in last year?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I heard that the Obama's were considering pulling their daughters from Sidwell.


Quite frankly, the Obama's should send their girls to public school.

Politicians and public officials should be forced to avail themselves of the services they manage -- education, medicine, transportation, etc. The caliber of those services would then improve dramatically overnight.

The elitism of the American ruling class contributes to the dysfunction of our society.

I still have a great deal of respect for President Carter for sending Amy to DCPS.



+1 especially ruling class that don't aggressively support school choice; seems a bit hypocritical to not want for others what you so abundantly have yourself.