Walls vs BASIS thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at Walls for 9th and happy. DD has friends who are at BASIS and deeply unhappy about the social issues there. Sounds like small school, smaller cohort every year, less chances to change your friend group and find your people. If you have your people already, then leaving BASIS for Walls might not make sense.

Only a handful of BASIS 8th graders don't continue to 9th grade. It has probably been around 5 or 6 for the last couple of years. A few go to Walls and some to private. So, yes, most kids opt to stay with their people.

[Anonymous]

After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

[Anonymous]

PP you are entitled to your opinion but one thing I don’t think you can claim is college admissions is poor. The senior class has done really well this year.

-Walls teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP you are entitled to your opinion but one thing I don’t think you can claim is college admissions is poor. The senior class has done really well this year.

-Walls teacher

+100
My son is a senior at Walls and he and many of his friends have done great with college admissions.
They have done way better than I was expecting.
My son has a terrific counselor. Most of his teachers have been pretty good to very good although I agree that French was a disaster.
Not sure if it has improved or not. I don’t understand the negative post about Walls at all. Our experience has been mostly positive

[Anonymous]

Can someone post or link to where Walls students are going this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone post or link to where Walls students are going this year?

There is an Instagram account where students can choose to post the school they will be attending. But there isn’t a comprehensive list until graduation when the program lists all schools students will be attending.

[Anonymous]

Remember many students just heard back from regular decision schools this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

So what sort of schools did your kids go to for college, PP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

Boy does this post make this current parent of a BASIS 8th grader trying to decide nervous . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

Boy does this post make this current parent of a BASIS 8th grader trying to decide nervous . . .

-10. This post is a hot mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

Boy does this post make this current parent of a BASIS 8th grader trying to decide nervous . . .

Talk to Walls parents in real life, PP. You'll get a better sense of what's going on than on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

Boy does this post make this current parent of a BASIS 8th grader trying to decide nervous . . .

Why? This is one parent who seems to really dislike everything about the school. Who cares what GW professors think of Walls’ freshmen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

Boy does this post make this current parent of a BASIS 8th grader trying to decide nervous . . .

Talk to Walls parents in real life, PP. You'll get a better sense of what's going on than on DCUM.

Problem is, some of us dont know any!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

Why is it that most people says a school has gone downhill when their kids are done? The Walls kids really don't care for the privileged GW kids either. Most feel they are just clueless especially on the train

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After three kids at Walls, I and sad to agree it is going downhill. Teacher quality is wildly mixed, kids are left to fend for themselves in several classes. Students keep the same English teacher for the first two years (unless there is a schedule problem or the teacher does not want to keep the kid/parent) and one of the Eng teachers can make anyone hate reading. Good teachers are retiring or leaving. French went completely without teacher for a while last year or the year before. One counselor is so incredibly toe-the-line-with-absolutely-minimal-work that they basically gave no help for college apps but made it their business to keep multiple kids - not just ours - from taking extra math/science courses even when schedules permitted and kids were bored in class. Colleges basically shrugged when Walls was mentioned, were NOT impressed. Music is . . . lifeless. Scheduling remains a mystery for weeks and weeks into the spring semester until BAM it's time to choose classes with varying levels of guidance. Couple history classes were okay, one English, a math or two. Office is often bombarded with entitled parents, including during this admission cycle. ugh. Even the weekly newsletters used to be more informative, and included regularly updated scholarship links, etc. Now it's recycled nothing burgers every week, or last-minute updates on things. Or "encourage your student to come to school on time". Every week. I would say the pandemic really took its toll but a lot of these things started before that. Office staff is very friendly once you know them and once some teachers know and trust you (after 3 kids) then they are nicer to you AND your kids but it takes a while. Not all teachers but certainly some. Which is a waste of kids' time. As are Senior Project and Internship - holy moly those are really bad.

We are just holding on through this last portion because we have no other option. Would not do again. Makes me sad.

Can't speak to Basis. Good luck with your decision

oh, and the GW options? The "dual degree" thing is kind of dumb. SWW students can only select from a small number of GW classes, most of which are community-college level. Which, on the one hand, is fair bec they are HS teens not full undergrads. "GW Exposure" one pre-pandemic year only meant a summer course online and not in a good way, and this was a music and discussion-based class. this was pre-zoom so the discussions were . . . yikes. The accepted list is bo-ring, doesn't always fit with the SWW schedule of required classes, and does not in fact impress colleges much. SWW would do better to spend their energy improving their own classes. Or giving their students better guidance on being better neighbors/guests on the GW campus. The rep for snotty Walls kids has even made it to neighborhood chats and GW professors' ears - embarrassing. (I know that can't be ALL walls kids but it's enough of them, and it didn't used to be this way)

Boy does this post make this current parent of a BASIS 8th grader trying to decide nervous . . .

Talk to Walls parents in real life, PP. You'll get a better sense of what's going on than on DCUM.

Problem is, some of us dont know any!

Look up the school athletic schedule and go to a game. Chat up a few parents there to get some views on the school.