Banneker vs. Walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

I think the huge emphasis on so much homework without producing great results at the expense of everything else such as extracurriculars with spurts, clubs, etc.. is a big negative why many middle class families don’t send their kids to Banneker.

I support homework but with the volume till 1 or 2am in addition to Saturday prep classes. Not for our DC.

If your kid is up till 2am doing homework then you need to reach out to the school to figure out what is wrong. That should not be the case. Clear indication that your kid is not processing and/or able to express their knowledge in a reasonable process or timeline.

This is not intended as a shot at your kid. Just an observation based on the facts you have presented.

I’m the PP you are responding to. Re-read the thread. It’s not my kid. It’s the PP above whose kid is at Banneker who is staying up to 1-2am and going to Saturday prep classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

Ummm, yeah. You are making my point for me, so...thanks? The issues isn't that large amounts of homework are good or bad. Using "too much homework" to explain causation of UMC students not enrolling and/or for failed academic outcomes confuses correlation with causation (cause, you know, DCUM).

Can I guess you are a Basis fan who is so defensive that you can't even take 3 seconds to read what was written before blindly concluding that it was somehow an attack on Basis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

Ummm, yeah. You are making my point for me, so...thanks? The issues isn't that large amounts of homework are good or bad. Using "too much homework" to explain causation of UMC students not enrolling and/or for failed academic outcomes confuses correlation with causation (cause, you know, DCUM).

Can I guess you are a Basis fan who is so defensive that you can't even take 3 seconds to read what was written before blindly concluding that it was somehow an attack on Basis?

Get Banneker to have the same stats as Basis and more middle class families will enroll. If kids are going to grind and just do academics and homework, then parents expect results. Banneker as a whole are not showing these results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

Ummm, yeah. You are making my point for me, so...thanks? The issues isn't that large amounts of homework are good or bad. Using "too much homework" to explain causation of UMC students not enrolling and/or for failed academic outcomes confuses correlation with causation (cause, you know, DCUM).

Can I guess you are a Basis fan who is so defensive that you can't even take 3 seconds to read what was written before blindly concluding that it was somehow an attack on Basis?

Get Banneker to have the same stats as Basis and more middle class families will enroll. If kids are going to grind and just do academics and homework, then parents expect results. Banneker as a whole are not showing these results.

Serious question from someone who cannot grasp why so many DCUM posters spend so much time hating on and worrying about a school they don't send their kids to.

What "results" would you like to see that would change your view?

[Anonymous]

To the poster that said get Banneker to have results like basis then more “middle class families” will apply. Do you mean more white people will apply? There are a lot of middle class black families already there. No one is asking or begging you to apply to Banneker! Lol! Karen’s and their audacity!

[Anonymous]

There are so many schools in DC that are just not successful by any reasonable metric. Meanwhile, you have Banneker, which is doing a perfectly fine job serving a group of students who do not otherwise have great options. They work hard, they do above-average in terms of tests (and far better than average for DC), and unlike with Eastern, there have been no "I found myself totally unprepared for college" stories, which seems like a really good sign, especially given the number of kids it's sending to elite colleges. And if you're worried that they're not well-serving the absolute brightest kids - the mom of the kid with the 1500 SAT scores and 6 AP tests isn't, so maybe those concerns are misplaced.

If you wish it were serving a different group of students, that just seems like you want a different school to exist! Which is fine, but that has nothing to do with Banneker. Why aren't you making this complaint about Walls or McKinley? They are also not the school you wish would exist but doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

I think the huge emphasis on so much homework without producing great results at the expense of everything else such as extracurriculars with spurts, clubs, etc.. is a big negative why many middle class families don’t send their kids to Banneker.

I support homework but with the volume till 1 or 2am in addition to Saturday prep classes. Not for our DC.

If your kid is up till 2am doing homework then you need to reach out to the school to figure out what is wrong. That should not be
the case. Clear indication that your kid is not processing and/or able to express their knowledge in a reasonable process or
timeline.


Same at Walls

This is not intended as a shot at your kid. Just an observation based on the facts you have presented.

[Anonymous]

hey since you all seem likely to have opinions:

How would a Hispanic/White kid do there who came up in not-Deal-not-Wilson DCPS (lots of exposure to Spanish speakers and black DC of various incomes), effortlessly social but not a big joiner, likes sports but isn't very athletic, is academic-minded, reads a lot and tests well, but doesn't work that hard?

At Banneker is my first thought, but Walls too, if you have opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

Ummm, yeah. You are making my point for me, so...thanks? The issues isn't that large amounts of homework are good or bad. Using "too much homework" to explain causation of UMC students not enrolling and/or for failed academic outcomes confuses correlation with causation (cause, you know, DCUM).

Can I guess you are a Basis fan who is so defensive that you can't even take 3 seconds to read what was written before blindly concluding that it was somehow an attack on Basis?

Get Banneker to have the same stats as Basis and more middle class families will enroll. If kids are going to grind and just do academics and homework, then parents expect results. Banneker as a whole are not showing these results.

Then why is Banneker ranked #1, higher than Basis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:hey since you all seem likely to have opinions:

How would a Hispanic/White kid do there who came up in not-Deal-not-Wilson DCPS (lots of exposure to Spanish speakers and black DC of various incomes), effortlessly social but not a big joiner, likes sports but isn't very athletic, is academic-minded, reads a lot and tests well, but doesn't work that hard?

At Banneker is my first thought, but Walls too, if you have opinions.

I'd suggest Walls because of extracurriculars. But he'll work hard at both. We're outside of the Deal/Wilson pyramid as well...starting at Walls in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

Ummm, yeah. You are making my point for me, so...thanks? The issues isn't that large amounts of homework are good or bad. Using "too much homework" to explain causation of UMC students not enrolling and/or for failed academic outcomes confuses correlation with causation (cause, you know, DCUM).

Can I guess you are a Basis fan who is so defensive that you can't even take 3 seconds to read what was written before blindly concluding that it was somehow an attack on Basis?

Get Banneker to have the same stats as Basis and more middle class families will enroll. If kids are going to grind and just do academics and homework, then parents expect results. Banneker as a whole are not showing these results.

Then why is Banneker ranked #1, higher than Basis?

NP. I think it's because US News looks at other factors than just straight test scores, e.g., minority students and the achievement gap. US News gives Banneker a 96.7% Minority Enrollment rating, whereas BASIS is a 53.5%. And my guess is there is no achievement gap at Banneker because it's minority enrollment is so high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

Ummm, yeah. You are making my point for me, so...thanks? The issues isn't that large amounts of homework are good or bad. Using "too much homework" to explain causation of UMC students not enrolling and/or for failed academic outcomes confuses correlation with causation (cause, you know, DCUM).

Can I guess you are a Basis fan who is so defensive that you can't even take 3 seconds to read what was written before blindly concluding that it was somehow an attack on Basis?

Get Banneker to have the same stats as Basis and more middle class families will enroll. If kids are going to grind and just do academics and homework, then parents expect results. Banneker as a whole are not showing these results.

Then why is Banneker ranked #1, higher than Basis?

NP. I think it's because US News looks at other factors than just straight test scores, e.g., minority students and the achievement gap. US News gives Banneker a 96.7% Minority Enrollment rating, whereas BASIS is a 53.5%. And my guess is there is no achievement gap at Banneker because it's minority enrollment is so high.

They look at minority achievement at the school versus minority achievement for the city, actually, which is a little different than the achievement gap. The numbers for Walls and Basis are not bad (ie, those schools are better for minority students than the average DC high school). But Banneker’s number on this metric is phenomenal. (This metric is also hurting Jackson Reed in the rankings.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

If the amount of homework doesn't fit with your approach to school/life balance then by all means you should not send your kid there. That seems logical. For some people lots of homework is something they are looking for in a school. What confuses me is the idea that because something doesn't fit with your perspective it must necessarily be wrong for everyone (to be clear, PP, you didn't say that, many others did).

I'd also argue that the "too much homework as the reason UMC and white people don't choose the school" explanation doesn't track with other available data. For instance, Basis gives tons of homework and it is very popular with white and UMC families.

Look at Basis scores on AP exams compared to Banneker. Compare the SAT scores of the 2 schools. Look at how many AP courses (which typically require more homework) Basis kids takes as compared to Banneker.

Large differences between the 2 schools.

Ummm, yeah. You are making my point for me, so...thanks? The issues isn't that large amounts of homework are good or bad. Using "too much homework" to explain causation of UMC students not enrolling and/or for failed academic outcomes confuses correlation with causation (cause, you know, DCUM).

Can I guess you are a Basis fan who is so defensive that you can't even take 3 seconds to read what was written before blindly concluding that it was somehow an attack on Basis?

Get Banneker to have the same stats as Basis and more middle class families will enroll. If kids are going to grind and just do academics and homework, then parents expect results. Banneker as a whole are not showing these results.

Then why is Banneker ranked #1, higher than Basis?

NP. I think it's because US News looks at other factors than just straight test scores, e.g., minority students and the achievement gap. US News gives Banneker a 96.7% Minority Enrollment rating, whereas BASIS is a 53.5%. And my guess is there is no achievement gap at Banneker because it's minority enrollment is so high.

They look at minority achievement at the school versus minority achievement for the city, actually, which is a little different than the achievement gap. The numbers for Walls and Basis are not bad (ie, those schools are better for minority students than the average DC high school). But Banneker’s number on this metric is phenomenal. (This metric is also hurting Jackson Reed in the rankings.)

[Anonymous]

i think some of the posters a missing the point. some umc black children with very highly educated parents are specifically choosing to attend banneker but similarly-situated dc white families statistically make different choices. its worth looking at why.