Anonymous
Post 05/23/2013 22:17     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
I just don't understand all the vitriol for BASIS. Veterans of DCPS know the curriculum and instruction offered at even the best elementary schools is a watered down and remedial version of what is found in MCPS and/or FCPS.

The vast majority of kids coming out of DCPS high schools either don't go to college or attend college and never finish. BASIS is actually giving students a chance to succeed. They will have the skills and content background to do well in college.

But, you have to work at BASIS. And you have to attend school. Another huge problem with DCPS is attendance rates of students. Far too many students miss 20 plus days at school every year. How can you pass a middle or high school math course when you miss more than 10% of the instructional days?

So if kids want to work hard and come to school everyday, they will succeed. If they don't, they won't. And no one can fault BASIS for that.
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2013 22:03     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Regarding the whining about "attrition rate", is anyone ever going to be HONEST about how many DCPS students finish out the year? I hear from several teachers in DCPS high schools that in many cases half to two thirds of their students don't make it to the end of just ONE year. And, they are instructed to just mark them "absent" as though they just were out sick that day instead of the reality that they quit coming altogether part way through the school year.

Regarding attrition rates, you don't have a whole lot of credibility given a.) BASIS DC doesn't even have an upper school let alone attrition rates to speak of for said upper school and b.) the attrition situation at other DC public schools is absolutely atrocious, far worse than what BASIS is ostensibly criticized for.
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2013 20:51     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Anonymous wrote:"As the school has been open for less than a year, there is no performance data on the school. There is, however, some troubling early data that leads staff to recommend not increasing the school’s enrollment ceiling at this time. This includes high levels of mid-year withdrawals and low levels of special education students. The school has also been non-compliant in responding to certain PCSB data requests, including a City Council request for salary information." - Public Charter School Board April 2013

http://charteringquality.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2012-2013_Increase_Enrollment_Ceiling_-Basis_PCS_04_05_13_nrd_nls_sdpII.pdf


Does City Council have salary info for all of the other charters and public schools, and if so will they publish it? If not, then it would seem that one charter is being unfairly singled out.
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2013 20:50     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Anonymous wrote:"And ultimately it was a BASIS student who won the national competition beating out 50,000 other candidates"

- You're implying this kid won becuase they went to BASIS....keeping dreaming!!!

BASIS barely got started this year. Unless the school has given these kids some magical turbo intelligence potion, these kids won because of their prior education. Who are you trying to kid?


No, that was countering the FUD and nonsense continually being spread about BASIS only being about "test prep" and not actually having any focus on liberal arts - obviously not true since students are being encouraged to do writing and outside reading.

Pick and choose the disinformation you want to spread more wisely, lest you stop looking like a fool.
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2013 20:43     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Deconstructing The Legend of BASIS Charter Schools.

http://dianeravitch.net/2013/05/05/deconstructing-the-legend-of-basis-charter-schools/
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2013 20:39     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
"As the school has been open for less than a year, there is no performance data on the school. There is, however, some troubling early data that leads staff to recommend not increasing the school’s enrollment ceiling at this time. This includes high levels of mid-year withdrawals and low levels of special education students. The school has also been non-compliant in responding to certain PCSB data requests, including a City Council request for salary information." - Public Charter School Board April 2013

http://charteringquality.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2012-2013_Increase_Enrollment_Ceiling_-Basis_PCS_04_05_13_nrd_nls_sdpII.pdf
Anonymous
Post 05/23/2013 20:32     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
"And ultimately it was a BASIS student who won the national competition beating out 50,000 other candidates"

- You're implying this kid won becuase they went to BASIS....keeping dreaming!!!

BASIS barely got started this year. Unless the school has given these kids some magical turbo intelligence potion, these kids won because of their prior education. Who are you trying to kid?
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2013 21:39     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Let's remember the PCSB unanimously rejected BASIS for expansion and for reasons like not meeting the needs of all kids. How can an entire board miss the "fact" that BASIS goes above and I love It ? No question about it


BASIS had a lot of support Day 1 and even before. I can't remember a school generating so much enthusiasm as BASIS did in DC. But they really weren't what they appeared to be....and we're all now realizing this. They're at most a mediocre school who's been clever enough to cherry pick students to maintain their stats. In some respects they're amongst the worst in DC or else the board would not have granted expansion requests to so many other schools. I give BASIS DC a (D-). I would not recommend this school to anyone.


I totally agree. BASIS is a test prep school selling itself as a "broad liberal arts" curriculum. There is nothing wrong with a charter being a test prep school- Many in DC are doing quite well (KIPP, Achievement Prep, etc.). However, my issue is with BASIS selling itself as having a broad liberal arts curriculum when in fact they are spending a significant amount of time prepping students for DC-CAS- a very weak measure of mastery in a "broad liberal arts" curriculum.


That's comical. They spent only a few minutes here and there on DC-CAS over the course of a few weeks. Far less than most DC schools that work on it for months. If anything, from what I've heard, they did not take the DC-CAS seriously at all. But, it's yet to be seen how they did. They aren't "test prep" and in fact spend very little time on "test prep" - instead they offer a very robust curriculum that negates the need for "test prep". And as for "liberal arts" the proof is in the pudding, several BASIS students ended up as DC finalists on the Library of Congress "Letters About Literature" contest, beating out the top schools in the area, including Sidwell Friends and others that submitted. And ultimately it was a BASIS student who won the national competition beating out 50,000 other candidates.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2013 20:52     Subject: Re:BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Basis is a great school and I want my daughter in it
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2013 20:50     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Anonymous wrote:
Let's remember the PCSB unanimously rejected BASIS for expansion and for reasons like not meeting the needs of all kids. How can an entire board miss the "fact" that BASIS goes above and I love It ? No question about it


BASIS had a lot of support Day 1 and even before. I can't remember a school generating so much enthusiasm as BASIS did in DC. But they really weren't what they appeared to be....and we're all now realizing this. They're at most a mediocre school who's been clever enough to cherry pick students to maintain their stats. In some respects they're amongst the worst in DC or else the board would not have granted expansion requests to so many other schools. I give BASIS DC a (D-). I would not recommend this school to anyone.


I totally agree. BASIS is a test prep school selling itself as a "broad liberal arts" curriculum. There is nothing wrong with a charter being a test prep school- Many in DC are doing quite well (KIPP, Achievement Prep, etc.). However, my issue is with BASIS selling itself as having a broad liberal arts curriculum when in fact they are spending a significant amount of time prepping students for DC-CAS- a very weak measure of mastery in a "broad liberal arts" curriculum.
Anonymous
Post 04/22/2013 18:50     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
What BASIS?: Nepotism and aggrandizement in charters?



http://cloakinginequity.com/2013/04/19/what-basis-nepotism-and-aggrandizement-in-charters/
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2013 17:51     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Anonymous wrote:You're interpreting an insinuation that you know almost nothing about DC charter schools with an attack on corporations?

You might want to rethink your defense of BASIS--had you been a student there, they would have started trying to force you out your first week there.


Was that actually intended to be a coherent post?

Anonymous
Post 04/21/2013 17:00     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
You're interpreting an insinuation that you know almost nothing about DC charter schools with an attack on corporations?

You might want to rethink your defense of BASIS--had you been a student there, they would have started trying to force you out your first week there.
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2013 14:28     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Anonymous wrote:So you can't say anything about charters in DC, and your only example of a successful corporate-tied charter is one without operations in DC, MD or VA?

So how's the weather in Arizona today?


Nexus Academy is in DC, they have been working as part of Connections Academy (which is meanwhile also currently opening a school under the Connections Academy name in Columbia MD), and there are no doubt many others in DC that also have corporate ties. But again, what difference does it make if it's in DC or New York or Alabama or whatever? And no I don't know how the weather is in Arizona but it's cool but sunny here in DC, taking my kid back out to enjoy the day for a bit, though you are of course welcome to stay inside and carry on about how you hate corporations and free enterprise.
Anonymous
Post 04/21/2013 14:10     Subject: BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
Anonymous wrote:So you can't say anything about charters in DC, and your only example of a successful corporate-tied charter is one without operations in DC, MD or VA?

So how's the weather in Arizona today?


Are you saying that all that is corporate- tied is bad??? For-profit does not always mean bad. On the flip side non-profit does not always mean good. Only someone who wants all business to be state run would equate for-profit ventures as bad. Much of American is built on free enterprise and I am glad for it. Otherwise, we would be living in a communist state like North Korea which has little in the way of basic amenities and rights like food, electricity, and freedom. This by the way is from a screaming, liberal, Democrat who wholeheartedly supports President Obama. I do however believe in radical school choice so that parents have the freedom to choose the schooling that best meets their child's needs. Having only one option, especially a failing option like DCPS, does not afford parents any freedom at all.