Last night the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) held their last review panel for charter school applications.
Speaking passionately for the BASIS DC charter application was Mary Siddall, founder of America’s Future Foundation, mother and chair of the committee to Bring a BASIS School to D.C., along with Marc Tucker, the President of the National Center on Education and the Economy, and David Hedgepeth, DCPS parent and lawyer, who waged a spirited challenge to D.C. Council Member Mary Cheh’s (D-Ward 3) re-election last November.
Marc Tucker’s opening comments let the numbers speak for themselves. The BASIS school in Tucson is ranked 6th among all U.S. high schools, with their students far out-testing similar students in Arizona.
The four pillars of the program are “a rigorous curriculum, student accountability, knowledgeable and effective teachers, and equal access to all interested students through open enrollment.” In order to complete BASIS DC students will have to take a minimum of eight College Board-sponsored Advanced Placement courses (paid for by the school) which factor into the students final grades.
The charter school plans to coordinate with organizations currently in DC, including For the Love of Children, who will provide the support needed to prepare students for BASIS.
Single father, Robert Davis stood up to give his support for BASIS DC, telling us that his son Miles wants to go to MIT. Davis has struggled to find the best education for his son in DC given their limited budget and is convinced that BASIS will provide the rigour necessary for his son to succeed.
Also there supporting BASIS DC were Robert Compton, global education filmmaker; Nick Fleege, BASIS teacher; Mali Parke, DC parent and family coach; and A. Graham Down, President Emeritus at the Center for Basic Education.
With the support and enthusiasm behind BASIS DC, I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the District if the PCSB approves their application.
