BASIS head of school steps down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wish we could FOIA the school?

What information would you request?

[Anonymous]

Not our experience. We left BASIS after MS for a top private but have been disappointed by their cutthroat approach to college counseling.

The school "picks its horses" to apply to various elite colleges. If the school's grim-faced counselors, AP teachers, and admins think that your kid will prove a top contender at a particular school, they won't support their application, at least not zealously.

We've would up hiring a supportive and upbeat independent counselor who's doing a great job, and hasn't cost us an arm and a leg. No results yet, but I'm optimistic. Would selected a different private if I'd known what was in store on the college advising front!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not our experience. We left BASIS after MS for a top private but have been disappointed by their cutthroat approach to college counseling.

The school "picks its horses" to apply to various elite colleges. If the school's grim-faced counselors, AP teachers, and admins think that your kid will prove a top contender at a particular school, they won't support their application, at least not zealously.

We've would up hiring a supportive and upbeat independent counselor who's doing a great job, and hasn't cost us an arm and a leg. No results yet, but I'm optimistic. Would selected a different private if I'd known what was in store on the college advising front!

Would you be willing to say which school?

[Anonymous]

We’re a 5th grade Basis family. When I enrolled I thought we’d like it and that my child would be happy and do well. But I didn’t know we would love it or that my child would positively thrive and delight in everything Basis has to offer, or that the communication from the school would be so thorough.

The loss of the HOS is disappointing and certainly prompts some concern, but our experience has been so solidly spectacular to date that it will take far, far more for us to lose our faith in the school or excitement about our choice.

Signed,
Yet another Capitol Hill parent (in our case, inbound for S-H)

[Anonymous]

Posts from wide-eyed 5th grade BASIS families remind of DCPS posts from Pres3 families.

It goes like this. The child LOVES the place! The child is THRIVING! We're having a SPECTACULAR experience! We're so much more EXCITED about our choice than we ever dreamed we'd be!

Flash forward two or three years without outdoor space, a school library, a proper gym, much in the way of sports teams, the kill and drill of an hour or two of nightly math homework (including lots of repetition and busy work, even for stragglers), not much in the way of hands-on learning, too many teachers leaving, the HOS having having changed a couple more times, etc. etc. and you may have changed your tune, hon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Posts from wide-eyed 5th grade BASIS families remind of DCPS posts from Pres3 families.

It goes like this. The child LOVES the place! The child is THRIVING! We're having a SPECTACULAR experience! We're so much more EXCITED about our choice than we ever dreamed we'd be!

Flash forward two or three years without outdoor space, a school library, a proper gym, much in the way of sports teams, the kill and drill of an hour or two of nightly math homework (including lots of repetition and busy work, even for stragglers), not much in the way of hands-on learning, too many teachers leaving, the HOS having having changed a couple more times, etc. etc. and you may have changed your tune, hon.

I keep reading this criticism of basis wrt no “hands on learning “ - what does this mean? I remember dissecting a feral pig in high school - that was certainly hands on. But other than that - what are folks seeing as lacking?

[Anonymous]

fetal pig ?

[Anonymous]

Yes - fetal, not feral!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posts from wide-eyed 5th grade BASIS families remind of DCPS posts from Pres3 families.

It goes like this. The child LOVES the place! The child is THRIVING! We're having a SPECTACULAR experience! We're so much more EXCITED about our choice than we ever dreamed we'd be!

Flash forward two or three years without outdoor space, a school library, a proper gym, much in the way of sports teams, the kill and drill of an hour or two of nightly math homework (including lots of repetition and busy work, even for stragglers), not much in the way of hands-on learning, too many teachers leaving, the HOS having having changed a couple more times, etc. etc. and you may have changed your tune, hon.

I keep reading this criticism of basis wrt no “hands on learning “ - what does this mean? I remember dissecting a feral pig in high school - that was certainly hands on. But other than that - what are folks seeing as lacking?

Go tour BASIS sometime on a sunny day.

You'll see a good many darkened classrooms where note-taking 11 and 12 year-olds sit watching Power Point presentations of...art work across the street in the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery, etc.

Until the current HOS came on the scene, there was no field trips policy.

[Anonymous]

She's changed a lot about the way BASIS works and will be missed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posts from wide-eyed 5th grade BASIS families remind of DCPS posts from Pres3 families.

It goes like this. The child LOVES the place! The child is THRIVING! We're having a SPECTACULAR experience! We're so much more EXCITED about our choice than we ever dreamed we'd be!

Flash forward two or three years without outdoor space, a school library, a proper gym, much in the way of sports teams, the kill and drill of an hour or two of nightly math homework (including lots of repetition and busy work, even for stragglers), not much in the way of hands-on learning, too many teachers leaving, the HOS having having changed a couple more times, etc. etc. and you may have changed your tune, hon.

I keep reading this criticism of basis wrt no “hands on learning “ - what does this mean? I remember dissecting a feral pig in high school - that was certainly hands on. But other than that - what are folks seeing as lacking?

Go tour BASIS sometime on a sunny day.

You'll see a good many darkened classrooms where note-taking 11 and 12 year-olds sit watching Power Point presentations of...art work across the street in the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery, etc.

Until the current HOS came on the scene, there was no field trips policy.

If it’s works for those kids and their families, what’s it to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posts from wide-eyed 5th grade BASIS families remind of DCPS posts from Pres3 families.

It goes like this. The child LOVES the place! The child is THRIVING! We're having a SPECTACULAR experience! We're so much more EXCITED about our choice than we ever dreamed we'd be!

Flash forward two or three years without outdoor space, a school library, a proper gym, much in the way of sports teams, the kill and drill of an hour or two of nightly math homework (including lots of repetition and busy work, even for stragglers), not much in the way of hands-on learning, too many teachers leaving, the HOS having having changed a couple more times, etc. etc. and you may have changed your tune, hon.

I keep reading this criticism of basis wrt no “hands on learning “ - what does this mean? I remember dissecting a feral pig in high school - that was certainly hands on. But other than that - what are folks seeing as lacking?

Go tour BASIS sometime on a sunny day.

You'll see a good many darkened classrooms where note-taking 11 and 12 year-olds sit watching Power Point presentations of...art work across the street in the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery, etc.

Until the current HOS came on the scene, there was no field trips policy.

I don't think this is a very good example to illustrate your criticism. Although field trips have their place, they are very time consuming, younger kids tend to get rowdy and focused on messing around with their buddies rather than staring intently at a piece of artwork. You cannot teach anywhere close to as much information as you can in a 50 minute class with power points, etc. I see a field trip as a nice capstone to a semester of learning (in class) about various artwork/movements, etc. And frankly better to assign such a task as an out of school requirement (in a small group/with family or friends).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re a 5th grade Basis family. When I enrolled I thought we’d like it and that my child would be happy and do well. But I didn’t know we would love it or that my child would positively thrive and delight in everything Basis has to offer, or that the communication from the school would be so thorough.

The loss of the HOS is disappointing and certainly prompts some concern, but our experience has been so solidly spectacular to date that it will take far, far more for us to lose our faith in the school or excitement about our choice.

Signed,
Yet another Capitol Hill parent (in our case, inbound for S-H)

+1 !! We love the school. So glad all the angry trolls posting on this thread don't go there!

[Anonymous]

No, everybody who criticizes BASIS on DCUM isn't an angry troll. There's a kernel of truth in much of the criticism posted here, helping explain why the current HOS changed so much.

BASIS middle school students traditionally spend a great deal of time sitting in chairs listening to teachers blab on. A largely passive learning experience (read too much outdated pedagogy) with a kill and drill element drives some of us away a year or two in. If you've had children at BASIS for some years, you know that there isn't just a drop-off between 8th and 9th grades, there's a drop-off between 5th and 6th grades. Some families of strong students seek more inspiring middle school pastures. It's not just students who "can't hack it" who leave before HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Posts from wide-eyed 5th grade BASIS families remind of DCPS posts from Pres3 families.

It goes like this. The child LOVES the place! The child is THRIVING! We're having a SPECTACULAR experience! We're so much more EXCITED about our choice than we ever dreamed we'd be!

Flash forward two or three years without outdoor space, a school library, a proper gym, much in the way of sports teams, the kill and drill of an hour or two of nightly math homework (including lots of repetition and busy work, even for stragglers), not much in the way of hands-on learning, too many teachers leaving, the HOS having having changed a couple more times, etc. etc. and you may have changed your tune, hon.

I keep reading this criticism of basis wrt no “hands on learning “ - what does this mean? I remember dissecting a feral pig in high school - that was certainly hands on. But other than that - what are folks seeing as lacking?

Go tour BASIS sometime on a sunny day.

You'll see a good many darkened classrooms where note-taking 11 and 12 year-olds sit watching Power Point presentations of...art work across the street in the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery, etc.

Until the current HOS came on the scene, there was no field trips policy.

If it’s works for those kids and their families, what’s it to you?

Um, we drank the Kool-aid and didn't stay. Wish we'd been more the wiser from the get go.