Anonymous wrote:

I recently met people who have never Mary, just have heard about her and somehow have a negative opinion of her.
She is a mover and shaker. She wants good teachers for her kids and believes that all children can really thrive in public schools. She has the drive and passion and makes things happe.
So many administrators are all talk but no action, wasting students' time, and hating parents who catch the lies and want "real" results.

Then why not nurture her new school instead of leaving to expand her brand. That doesn't make sense. She needs BASIS to be successful in DC. One would think she would stick around to ensure that success.

Seems to me that with as much as there is at stake, not to mention her own kids attending, you can be assured that she will indeed be doing everything she can to ensure BASIS will be successful in DC, regardless of her new position and role with the organization.

I recently met people who have never Mary, just have heard about her and somehow have a negative opinion of her.
She is a mover and shaker. She wants good teachers for her kids and believes that all children can really thrive in public schools. She has the drive and passion and makes things happe.
So many administrators are all talk but no action, wasting students' time, and hating parents who catch the lies and want "real" results.

Then why not nurture her new school instead of leaving to expand her brand. That doesn't make sense. She needs BASIS to be successful in DC. One would think she would stick around to ensure that success.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP not rumors. 17:57 is right on. Rhee was an immature moron and Siddall idolized her. Also Mary is not very nice. To anyone

Such a fabrication!

She can be very nice.
As for what happened at Ross, she definitely had a reason to do so -- maybe i would not have done (or be able to do what she did), but few of the teachers were such pure excuses for educators (unfortunately a couple are still there, playing with kids' futures).

I know this first hand because we both had children in the same classroom.

+1

In the times I've met her, she's never been anything but pleasant.

Sounds to me like those complaining are likely the sub-par performers that drove her to start a charter in the first place.

It's not sock puppeting.

Do you truly believe that there aren't at least two people on these boards who question Mary's methods?

Regardless of what Mary did/didn't do at Ross, I would have felt better about BASIS in DC if I knew she would stick it out for at least the first year. Leadership turnover or loss of founders can sometimes torpedo a startup. BASIS experience in AZ aside, the DC school is still a startup. Bringing in too many leaders who know BASIS, but don't know DC and the competitive school market could be a problem. BASIS as a charter management organization is not like KIPP. Their model has yet to be replicated in an inner-city setting. DC is the guinea pig.

Sigh. Didn't mean to vent so much, but Mary put so much into recruiting, it feels like kind of a letdown to those of us who were sold on BASIS in DC to see her jump into a national role. Yes, just like Michelle Rhee cut and ran to national level. Not that I'm bitter or anything?

Separate question. Why does BASIS think Mary's experience with opening one charter in the EASIEST place to do it would be relevant to expansion into charter-hostile territory in the rest of the country?

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the administrator of this forum would out sock-puppeting. Afraid there's more than one of us out there...

For what it's worth, he'd only out it if it came to his attention. If you suspect sock-puppeting, click on the "report" button next to a maybe-puppeted post, and ask him to investigate. Or post a question in Website Feedback.

Shockingly, the admins read only a tiny percentage of all the wisdom that gets posted on DCUM.

I'm sure the administrator of this forum would out sock-puppeting. Afraid there's more than one of us out there...

Anonymous wrote:PP not rumors. 17:57 is right on. Rhee was an immature moron and Siddall idolized her. Also Mary is not very nice. To anyone

Such a fabrication!

She can be very nice.
As for what happened at Ross, she definitely had a reason to do so -- maybe i would not have done (or be able to do what she did), but few of the teachers were such pure excuses for educators (unfortunately a couple are still there, playing with kids' futures).

I know this first hand because we both had children in the same classroom.

Anonymous wrote:PP not rumors. 17:57 is right on. Rhee was an immature moron and Siddall idolized her. Also Mary is not very nice. To anyone

Sock, meet Puppet. Oh, never mind - I see you are already acquainted.

PP not rumors. 17:57 is right on. Rhee was an immature moron and Siddall idolized her. Also Mary is not very nice. To anyone

Anonymous wrote:I heard she bulldozed her way through the faculty at Ross.

As for the mover shaker and the belief part, she sounds a lot like Rhee. All action, no experience and no thought processes.

Hopefully she can leave DC and cash out, just like Michelle.

Seems to me the rumor mill's batting average is worse than toddler tee-ball around here.

I heard she bulldozed her way through the faculty at Ross.

As for the mover shaker and the belief part, she sounds a lot like Rhee. All action, no experience and no thought processes.

Hopefully she can leave DC and cash out, just like Michelle.

Anonymous wrote:As for "quick explanations" I would point at the wild speculative confabulations about what and why at 7/22 22:05 and 7/22 22:25, and now at 18:06.

We get it, you don't like Mary.

No need to invent stuff.

+1
I recently met people who have never Mary, just have heard about her and somehow have a negative opinion of her.
She is a mover and shaker. She wants good teachers for her kids and believes that all children can really thrive in public schools. She has the drive and passion and makes things happe.
So many administrators are all talk but no action, wasting students' time, and hating parents who catch the lies and want "real" results.