BASIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree, if you go with a DCPS middle school EotP and don't crack Walls or Banneker from 8th grade, you're screwed if you can't afford private school, don't want to move to the burbs and aren't willing to accept Eastern or Dunbar. We know kids with high 8th grade GPAs at Ward 6 middle schools who failed to get into Walls or Banneker, although they work a couple years ahead in math. This didn't happen in the past, before admission to Walls was essentially a lottery. McKinley is still iffy on rigor. These kids would have hit the ground running in 9th grade at BASIS. In fact, they were shut out of BASIS in 4th grade with low WL numbers, despite being math whizzes. The admissions system is really screwed up across the board in DC public schools and very likely to stay that way.

Yes, kids who are a couple of years ahead in math in 8th would do fine at Basis. But as others have pointed out, charters can only admit by lottery, which is your complaint about Walls. So those students would have a similarly low chance of getting into Basis. You want more application high schools where students are admitted based on past academic achievement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree, if you go with a DCPS middle school EotP and don't crack Walls or Banneker from 8th grade, you're screwed if you can't afford private school, don't want to move to the burbs and aren't willing to accept Eastern or Dunbar. We know kids with high 8th grade GPAs at Ward 6 middle schools who failed to get into Walls or Banneker, although they work a couple years ahead in math. This didn't happen in the past, before admission to Walls was essentially a lottery. McKinley is still iffy on rigor. These kids would have hit the ground running in 9th grade at BASIS. In fact, they were shut out of BASIS in 4th grade with low WL numbers, despite being math whizzes. The admissions system is really screwed up across the board in DC public schools and very likely to stay that way.

Maybe we should be pushing DCPS to do a better job at providing an appropriate education for advanced middle schoolers EoTP.

This has been debated and argued for at least the past two decades. The problem isn't the middle schools...it's the high school problem. EoTP has no acceptable high school for advanced learners. DCPS does not give a damn about this and has relied on the charter schools to help fix.

I thought they can apply for SWW/Banneker/McKinley? How many people are actually shut out of all three?

This. There is a subset of people who want rigor for their kids but won't consider McKinley, and a small set who won't consider Banneker.

Honestly I see this changing over the next couple of years. Between the three, and considering all the kids at JR and Macarthur and Latin and Basis and DCI, that's a lot of seats for college bound kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree, if you go with a DCPS middle school EotP and don't crack Walls or Banneker from 8th grade, you're screwed if you can't afford private school, don't want to move to the burbs and aren't willing to accept Eastern or Dunbar. We know kids with high 8th grade GPAs at Ward 6 middle schools who failed to get into Walls or Banneker, although they work a couple years ahead in math. This didn't happen in the past, before admission to Walls was essentially a lottery. McKinley is still iffy on rigor. These kids would have hit the ground running in 9th grade at BASIS. In fact, they were shut out of BASIS in 4th grade with low WL numbers, despite being math whizzes. The admissions system is really screwed up across the board in DC public schools and very likely to stay that way.

I think anyone living in DC with kids in a ward that doesn't have an "acceptable" feeder needs to accept some responsibility for their choices. We bought and established roots in a Ward where we aren't comfortable with the MS and HS. We lost in the lottery multiple times. BUT, we always considered private as a backup. We had a plan B. Are we lucky we can afford private? Hell yes, extremely. But we still have to make compromises with the commute, with the opportunity cost of what we could do with that money instead of school, with friends being all over the city. Do I envy those who won the lottery and don't have to make the same compromises? Yes, a little. Do I sympathize with those who struck out and have to make hard choices? Yes, I do. However, DC has NEVER promised these people an acceptable option. We all know the risks. We all need to be prepared to move or pay if we don't win the lottery.

I’m with you 100% and don’t regret my choices. I got an awesome house with a decent yard on a great street EOTP. What I’m saving on housing, I could put to private but charters have given my family a shot. We need more DCPS programs or more charters or both and we need to make sure that elected officials understand that and make it possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point is a good one. A number of other DC charter schools have successfully applied to modify their charters over the years (generally to open second campuses). BASIS MS/HS hasn't. I'm also not convinced that BASIS wouldn't be permitted to admit qualified HS students these days if they asked for permission to do this. They haven't. I am convinced, as a longtime BASIS parent, that DC doesn't want a larger high school. I'm also convinced they don't want to allow transfers.

It would be more difficult for admins to run the school as they do now if they let in new blood, pesky transfer families. These people could arrive with notions of a PTA, instrumental music lessons, one year of BC calc, up to four AP Physics taught, ditching the required MS linguistics classes, language before 8th grade and so on.

In leafy suburbs of Phoenix, parents have much better school options than in DC. They're not as desperate for a decent MS or HS, not as easily cowed.

Selective admission of students is ILLEGAL for Charters in DC under DC's Charter law. People need to stop spouting nonsense. Yes, they might be able to expand their HS. No, they would not be allowed to admit only qualified students or place them in other than their existing grade level as the Arizona campuses do with backfills/transfers. They cannot work this out with anyone without the law changing.

Nonsense. What is legal could work for BASIS. DC charters can admit students in any grade via an open lottery, then test them for placement once admitted. My eldest was tested for a 5th grade math placement at BASIS. My youngest was tested for placement in a language class at DCI as well as for placement in a math class. Every BASIS student doesn't take classes with classmates from their grade in every class.

This is not true in the way BASIS insists it would have to be, because they are not allowed to place students behind grade level.

They can enroll students in any grade. They can test students for placement AFTER enrollment. However, why should they do anything differently when what they are doing works? Besides, do you really want 16 year old fifth graders in class with 10-11 year old fifth graders?

[Anonymous]

Sadly that’s the reality. It’s unbelievable how much kids learn at BASIS in just a few years as compared to other schools. These kids are taking biology, chemistry and physics for YEARS before they even get to high school. Other schools need not offer this degree of science but a basic advanced program for students who can handle it is long overdue. Find a way to have a GT program within DCPS schools without calling it that name entails too many problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point is a good one. A number of other DC charter schools have successfully applied to modify their charters over the years (generally to open second campuses). BASIS MS/HS hasn't. I'm also not convinced that BASIS wouldn't be permitted to admit qualified HS students these days if they asked for permission to do this. They haven't. I am convinced, as a longtime BASIS parent, that DC doesn't want a larger high school. I'm also convinced they don't want to allow transfers.

It would be more difficult for admins to run the school as they do now if they let in new blood, pesky transfer families. These people could arrive with notions of a PTA, instrumental music lessons, one year of BC calc, up to four AP Physics taught, ditching the required MS linguistics classes, language before 8th grade and so on.

In leafy suburbs of Phoenix, parents have much better school options than in DC. They're not as desperate for a decent MS or HS, not as easily cowed.

Selective admission of students is ILLEGAL for Charters in DC under DC's Charter law. People need to stop spouting nonsense. Yes, they might be able to expand their HS. No, they would not be allowed to admit only qualified students or place them in other than their existing grade level as the Arizona campuses do with backfills/transfers. They cannot work this out with anyone without the law changing.

Nonsense. What is legal could work for BASIS. DC charters can admit students in any grade via an open lottery, then test them for placement once admitted. My eldest was tested for a 5th grade math placement at BASIS. My youngest was tested for placement in a language class at DCI as well as for placement in a math class. Every BASIS student doesn't take classes with classmates from their grade in every class.

This is not true in the way BASIS insists it would have to be, because they are not allowed to place students behind grade level.

They can enroll students in any grade. They can test students for placement AFTER enrollment. However, why should they do anything differently when what they are doing works? Besides, do you really want 16 year old fifth graders in class with 10-11 year old fifth graders?

No, they can't. Charters are not allowed to make admission offers contingent on changing to a grade level other than the one the student lotteried for in DC. It also wouldn't work well in DC's system, because it would be impossible to plan class sizes. The average kid in DC would be placed below grade level at BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sadly that’s the reality. It’s unbelievable how much kids learn at BASIS in just a few years as compared to other schools. These kids are taking biology, chemistry and physics for YEARS before they even get to high school. Other schools need not offer this degree of science but a basic advanced program for students who can handle it is long overdue. Find a way to have a GT program within DCPS schools without calling it that name entails too many problems.

This statement screams to be qualified. Other public schools in DC.

When I moved my straight-A eldest from BASIS after 7th to 8th grade "intensified" core classes at a public school in Arlington, I found that they were only ahead in science. I could do this because my ex, with whom I share custody, lives in VA. The kid was no longer earning As in English, social studies (Geography for HS credit) or math, taking the most advanced math taught at the school. In foreign language, required from 6th grade at the new school, they were only OK because they studied a second language we speak at home. Also, although my kid was considered a star in a reputable DC youth orchestra, they didn't make the cut for the NOVA tri-county MS district band (the competition was loads better, coming off daily band practices at school for years).

It's taken several quarters of hard work, and hiring tutors, for the kid to return to being a straight-A student. You can buy into universal BASIS exceptionalism in the public school universe if it makes you feel good, but it's a fiction that shouldn't be perpetrated here or anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

Middle school is arguably the much bigger problem than high school in DC. Elementary school is largely fine. There are application high schools (even if they have become increasingly competitive). The long waitlists at 5th grade charters and moving kids around to secure a better middle school feed are symptoms of a middle school problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly that’s the reality. It’s unbelievable how much kids learn at BASIS in just a few years as compared to other schools. These kids are taking biology, chemistry and physics for YEARS before they even get to high school. Other schools need not offer this degree of science but a basic advanced program for students who can handle it is long overdue. Find a way to have a GT program within DCPS schools without calling it that name entails too many problems.

This statement screams to be qualified. Other public schools in DC.

When I moved my straight-A eldest from BASIS after 7th to 8th grade "intensified" core classes at a public school in Arlington, I found that they were only ahead in science. I could do this because my ex, with whom I share custody, lives in VA. The kid was no longer earning As in English, social studies (Geography for HS credit) or math, taking the most advanced math taught at the school. In foreign language, required from 6th grade at the new school, they were only OK because they studied a second language we speak at home. Also, although my kid was considered a star in a reputable DC youth orchestra, they didn't make the cut for the NOVA tri-county MS district band (the competition was loads better, coming off daily band practices at school for years).

It's taken several quarters of hard work, and hiring tutors, for the kid to return to being a straight-A student. You can buy into universal BASIS exceptionalism in the public school universe if it makes you feel good, but it's a fiction that shouldn't be perpetrated here or anywhere else.

This surprises me, because we had very much the opposite experience. Hadn’t made it to Youth Orchestra yet, so definitely not a star. Made NOVA tri-county MS district band no problem. Maybe instrument specific (violin?)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly that’s the reality. It’s unbelievable how much kids learn at BASIS in just a few years as compared to other schools. These kids are taking biology, chemistry and physics for YEARS before they even get to high school. Other schools need not offer this degree of science but a basic advanced program for students who can handle it is long overdue. Find a way to have a GT program within DCPS schools without calling it that name entails too many problems.

This statement screams to be qualified. Other public schools in DC.

When I moved my straight-A eldest from BASIS after 7th to 8th grade "intensified" core classes at a public school in Arlington, I found that they were only ahead in science. I could do this because my ex, with whom I share custody, lives in VA. The kid was no longer earning As in English, social studies (Geography for HS credit) or math, taking the most advanced math taught at the school. In foreign language, required from 6th grade at the new school, they were only OK because they studied a second language we speak at home. Also, although my kid was considered a star in a reputable DC youth orchestra, they didn't make the cut for the NOVA tri-county MS district band (the competition was loads better, coming off daily band practices at school for years).

It's taken several quarters of hard work, and hiring tutors, for the kid to return to being a straight-A student. You can buy into universal BASIS exceptionalism in the public school universe if it makes you feel good, but it's a fiction that shouldn't be perpetrated here or anywhere else.

You are generalizing from your particular experience. Just read the Arlington public school threads for all the problems there.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t almost everybody generalizing from their particular experience on DCUM?! Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t almost everybody generalizing from their particular experience on DCUM?! Sheesh.

No, they are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle school is arguably the much bigger problem than high school in DC. Elementary school is largely fine. There are application high schools (even if they have become increasingly competitive). The long waitlists at 5th grade charters and moving kids around to secure a better middle school feed are symptoms of a middle school problem.

The issue with application high schools isn't just that they're competitive, it's that they're random. You have no way to plan, because no matter how bright your kid is, they might not get in anywhere. That puts pressure on the middle school situation because you have to get everything figured out by 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something like 60% of BASIS kids take public transit. You’re probably better off going from NW to BASIS than some of the other metro lines.

That said, I don’t put my own kid on metro, because I think metro is dangerous.

lol what? Metro is not dangerous.

Stop laughing metro is dangerous. Kid has to be smart enough to get appropriate help if someone tries to abduct them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t almost everybody generalizing from their particular experience on DCUM?! Sheesh.

It's fait to call out that poster for generalizing from their particular experience when their post starts with This statement screams to be qualified.