BASIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

[Anonymous]

As if DCPS is not a top down system?

I mean, the options in DC are few. So unless you are moving, I'd just take BASIS as is for a rigorous education.

Beggars can't be choosers.

[Anonymous]

Beggars? Is that what DC voters are these days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

Ha, truth!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

That nice, but you might want to go in with your eyes open. Warmth and responsiveness to parents isn't BASIS' MO. This is a decidedly top-down franchise, helping explain why each BASIS campus sheds most students between 6th and 12th grades. The rigor doesn't drive families out as much as heavy-handed management, crappy facilities and a learning experience that's unnecessarily dreary (whatever lip service might be paid to broad-minded educational goals). Many parents and students get fed up with being given their marching orders over the years. Parents also dislike a corporate franchise hitting them up for money to top up teachers' pay.

What does bolded even mean in this context? Schools are systems. There is a management hierarchy that goes from Central/BASIS HQ to the Principal/HOS and trickles on down. That is how all schools run. Of all the legitimate criticisms of BASIS one can make, this ain't it.

I legitimately feel sorry for you.

PP wants a independent, stand-alone school that is not part of a system. Why this PP ever applied to BASIS knowing that BASIS doesn't fit that model is a mystery. Sounds like PP didn't research the school beforehand and now wants to blame everyone but herself for the mistake.

Even elite independent prep schools have Trustees, Head of Schools and chains of command. Demanding bitter parents don't get to dictate curriculum or policies there either. PPP's never ending whining about "top down" makes no sense outside of the context of homeschooling.

[Anonymous]

Do you never run out of excuses for bullying BASIS DC leadership? I really liked working for Garrett and left the following school year. It wasn't worth staying on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

I'm trying to be positive! Believe me, I have my eyes open. However... can I hope for the best? The curriculum, on paper, seems like it would really be a good fit for me kid. Certainly better than Cardozo. like, 100x better?

a question for these experienced parents -- we may have the option to feed into SWW Francis Stevens for middle school. Do you think that would be a better experience than BASIS? real question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

I'm trying to be positive! Believe me, I have my eyes open. However... can I hope for the best? The curriculum, on paper, seems like it would really be a good fit for me kid. Certainly better than Cardozo. like, 100x better?

a question for these experienced parents -- we may have the option to feed into SWW Francis Stevens for middle school. Do you think that would be a better experience than BASIS? real question.

Are you kidding? Don’t listen to some anonymous random BASIS hater whose kid washed out.

If you have an academically minded kid BASIS is by far the best option in DC.

-Experienced BASIS parent whose kids are thriving at school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

I'm trying to be positive! Believe me, I have my eyes open. However... can I hope for the best? The curriculum, on paper, seems like it would really be a good fit for me kid. Certainly better than Cardozo. like, 100x better?

a question for these experienced parents -- we may have the option to feed into SWW Francis Stevens for middle school. Do you think that would be a better experience than BASIS? real question.

Are you kidding? Don’t listen to some anonymous random BASIS hater whose kid washed out.

If you have an academically minded kid BASIS is by far the best option in DC.

-Experienced BASIS parent whose kids are thriving at school

+1

DCPS has shockingly low expectations. The grading scale, grading policy, lack of accountability, etc. Lots of kids aren’t learning much in DCPS. Despite their high grades.

[Anonymous]

Don’t kid yourselves. BASIS stinks in other ways. Many.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t kid yourselves. BASIS stinks in other ways. Many.

Methinks you stink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

I'm trying to be positive! Believe me, I have my eyes open. However... can I hope for the best? The curriculum, on paper, seems like it would really be a good fit for me kid. Certainly better than Cardozo. like, 100x better?

a question for these experienced parents -- we may have the option to feed into SWW Francis Stevens for middle school. Do you think that would be a better experience than BASIS? real question.

Are you kidding? Don’t listen to some anonymous random BASIS hater whose kid washed out.

If you have an academically minded kid BASIS is by far the best option in DC.

-Experienced BASIS parent whose kids are thriving at school

…better than Banneker?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

I'm trying to be positive! Believe me, I have my eyes open. However... can I hope for the best? The curriculum, on paper, seems like it would really be a good fit for me kid. Certainly better than Cardozo. like, 100x better?

a question for these experienced parents -- we may have the option to feed into SWW Francis Stevens for middle school. Do you think that would be a better experience than BASIS? real question.

Real talk: the administration at BASIS is absolutely horrible. The current HOS is an ass, and the new HOS is not particularly smart and is very fake. But the cohort of students that your kid will be with (eventually, after the troublemakers drop out) and the curriculum are good. Certainly better than DCPS, which in my experience is a mess. If you have a high tolerance for administrative frustration and baffling decision making, you will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t kid yourselves. BASIS stinks in other ways. Many.

Methinks you stink.

Whatever. See accurate post above about the new administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I personally feel quite confident about the future school leadership. I really appreciate that BASIS generally hires from within the network so “new” people tend to have been at the school (or another BASIS school) for a long time.

We just enrolled, but I liked that the incoming head was already responsive to parents -- they originally had no way for the potential families to see inside the building before enrolling, but enough families asked, and she created 6 shadow days for students in April and an open house for parents as a result. Hugely helpful for our family, and I'm sure she has strengths and weaknesses, but the fact that she was actually responsive is such a good sign. Her emails have also been really warm, and she stresses that she hopes that kids with all kinds of educational goals (art school, Ivy, HBCU) can find a path at BASIS. Good vibes IMO.

Ah, to be a naive 5th grade parent again …

I'm trying to be positive! Believe me, I have my eyes open. However... can I hope for the best? The curriculum, on paper, seems like it would really be a good fit for me kid. Certainly better than Cardozo. like, 100x better?

a question for these experienced parents -- we may have the option to feed into SWW Francis Stevens for middle school. Do you think that would be a better experience than BASIS? real question.

Real talk: the administration at BASIS is absolutely horrible. The current HOS is an ass, and the new HOS is not particularly smart and is very fake. But the cohort of students that your kid will be with (eventually, after the troublemakers drop out) and the curriculum are good. Certainly better than DCPS, which in my experience is a mess. If you have a high tolerance for administrative frustration and baffling decision making, you will be fine.

Your kid also needs high tolerance for running around town pursuing serious ECs, which you pay through the nose for. It also really helps if your kid doesn't mind studying the same stuff year after year--chem, bio, calc--and it's very interested in the arts or speaking languages fluently. Theater, drama, music, drawing, painting, sculpture, graphic design might as well not exist at BASIS.