BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

I agree with the attrition reasons OP proposed and the others provided in response. I’ll add that it seems to me that whether a student remains for high school may also depend on whether that particular student’s friend group decides to stay from 8th to 9th grade. This is a more powerful factor than some may realize given the school is small and this factor cannot be predicted well in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the attrition reasons OP proposed and the others provided in response. I’ll add that it seems to me that whether a student remains for high school may also depend on whether that particular student’s friend group decides to stay from 8th to 9th grade. This is a more powerful factor than some may realize given the school is small and this factor cannot be predicted well in advance.

+1

I was one of the PPs who noted the school is too small for HS for some and the friend groups are definitely part of that calculus.

[Anonymous]

My straight A student left after 8th because the discipline issues in their cohort.
There was no effort made on admins side to try and improve things - multiple meetings with them and we go nowhere. Classes were boring for my kid because basis drags through so many kids who really cant handle the work load, so they dumb it down, and half the year is spent reviewing things from previous years. She ended up being bored.
In the end we bit the bullet and went private, her 2 good friends went to Walls for similar reasons. Kids who have the means or opportunity tend to leave - the kids who are behind, not stellar in academics and have behavior issues stay, and as the class sizes get smaller, they make up a larger percentage of the class. We were lucky to have the options to get away.

[Anonymous]

We have a child who is excelling at BASIS in 7th, and we are considering leaving.

BASIS is a weird combination of kids who are very smart and kids who really do not want to be there and have constant behavior problems. BASIS inexperienced teachers can really exacerbate those problems. Some of the teachers are great but a lot of teachers seem to be struggling and angry about how difficult their job is. There’s a lot of poor teacher behavior and poor student behavior that would not be tolerated in other school systems. It makes for a learning environment that is very punitive. Add to that the admin who literally do not care about anything other that the BASIS stats and you have a place that you’re not sure you want your kid in for their entire middle and high school career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is a good point...but I'd also recommend--if it's feasible--planning ahead for an exit strategy in case the school doesn't work for your child, so you can leverage some options. DS started in 5th grade, we were grateful for the exit strategy out of his poorly performing charter school. But I also focused on a career shift (more $$) and lined up other aspects of our life so that we could financially manage private if he wanted to leave in 9th (or earlier). And that's what happened--he left for private in 9th. Some classmates joined him--one via financial aid. His parents didn't have the resources to fund private, but did deep research on financial aid possibilities. He had multiple private options come 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is bad advice. She needs to participate in the lottery for 6th grade, even if she isn't sure about staying or going, because it's a year when there's movement in the school system. To keep the option open in case the second semester of 5th grade isn't as good or OP realizes that other people's reasons for leaving apply to her situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My straight A student left after 8th because the discipline issues in their cohort.
There was no effort made on admins side to try and improve things - multiple meetings with them and we go nowhere. Classes were boring for my kid because basis drags through so many kids who really cant handle the work load, so they dumb it down, and half the year is spent reviewing things from previous years. She ended up being bored.
In the end we bit the bullet and went private, her 2 good friends went to Walls for similar reasons. Kids who have the means or opportunity tend to leave - the kids who are behind, not stellar in academics and have behavior issues stay, and as the class sizes get smaller, they make up a larger percentage of the class. We were lucky to have the options to get away.

Which private did you choose?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is bad advice. She needs to participate in the lottery for 6th grade, even if she isn't sure about staying or going, because it's a year when there's movement in the school system. To keep the option open in case the second semester of 5th grade isn't as good or OP realizes that other people's reasons for leaving apply to her situation.

Which lottery schools have more seats open in 6th grade as opposed to other middle school years? Is Latin Cooper still offering 6th grade seats?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is a good point...but I'd also recommend--if it's feasible--planning ahead for an exit strategy in case the school doesn't work for your child, so you can leverage some options. DS started in 5th grade, we were grateful for the exit strategy out of his poorly performing charter school. But I also focused on a career shift (more $$) and lined up other aspects of our life so that we could financially manage private if he wanted to leave in 9th (or earlier). And that's what happened--he left for private in 9th. Some classmates joined him--one via financial aid. His parents didn't have the resources to fund private, but did deep research on financial aid possibilities. He had multiple private options come 9th grade.

Where did your kid end up going?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is bad advice. She needs to participate in the lottery for 6th grade, even if she isn't sure about staying or going, because it's a year when there's movement in the school system. To keep the option open in case the second semester of 5th grade isn't as good or OP realizes that other people's reasons for leaving apply to her situation.

Which lottery schools have more seats open in 6th grade as opposed to other middle school years? Is Latin Cooper still offering 6th grade seats?

Latin Cooper likely will, pending attrition. Since they're moving into the new building I'm not sure of their plans. There are always seats for 6th at Inspired Teaching. Stuart-Hobson makes OOB offers for 6th. Last year, Hardy offered 25 OOB seats initially and also made 47 offers for 6th. Not saying any of those schools are better or worse for OP's child than BASIS is, but if you want to get in to Hardy, 6th is your best chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is bad advice. She needs to participate in the lottery for 6th grade, even if she isn't sure about staying or going, because it's a year when there's movement in the school system. To keep the option open in case the second semester of 5th grade isn't as good or OP realizes that other people's reasons for leaving apply to her situation.

Which lottery schools have more seats open in 6th grade as opposed to other middle school years? Is Latin Cooper still offering 6th grade seats?

Latin Cooper likely will, pending attrition. Since they're moving into the new building I'm not sure of their plans. There are always seats for 6th at Inspired Teaching. Stuart-Hobson makes OOB offers for 6th. Last year, Hardy offered 25 OOB seats initially and also made 47 offers for 6th. Not saying any of those schools are better or worse for OP's child than BASIS is, but if you want to get in to Hardy, 6th is your best chance.

In a PP annoyed with BASIS and I would never leave it for Stuart Hobson, Inspired Teaching or Latin Cooper. The only reason to do that is if your kid is failing out of BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is a good point...but I'd also recommend--if it's feasible--planning ahead for an exit strategy in case the school doesn't work for your child, so you can leverage some options. DS started in 5th grade, we were grateful for the exit strategy out of his poorly performing charter school. But I also focused on a career shift (more $$) and lined up other aspects of our life so that we could financially manage private if he wanted to leave in 9th (or earlier). And that's what happened--he left for private in 9th. Some classmates joined him--one via financial aid. His parents didn't have the resources to fund private, but did deep research on financial aid possibilities. He had multiple private options come 9th grade.

Where did your kid end up going?

Burke

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is bad advice. She needs to participate in the lottery for 6th grade, even if she isn't sure about staying or going, because it's a year when there's movement in the school system. To keep the option open in case the second semester of 5th grade isn't as good or OP realizes that other people's reasons for leaving apply to her situation.

Which lottery schools have more seats open in 6th grade as opposed to other middle school years? Is Latin Cooper still offering 6th grade seats?

Latin Cooper likely will, pending attrition. Since they're moving into the new building I'm not sure of their plans. There are always seats for 6th at Inspired Teaching. Stuart-Hobson makes OOB offers for 6th. Last year, Hardy offered 25 OOB seats initially and also made 47 offers for 6th. Not saying any of those schools are better or worse for OP's child than BASIS is, but if you want to get in to Hardy, 6th is your best chance.

Has Latin Cooper been losing kids after 5th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is bad advice. She needs to participate in the lottery for 6th grade, even if she isn't sure about staying or going, because it's a year when there's movement in the school system. To keep the option open in case the second semester of 5th grade isn't as good or OP realizes that other people's reasons for leaving apply to her situation.

Which lottery schools have more seats open in 6th grade as opposed to other middle school years? Is Latin Cooper still offering 6th grade seats?

Latin Cooper likely will, pending attrition. Since they're moving into the new building I'm not sure of their plans. There are always seats for 6th at Inspired Teaching. Stuart-Hobson makes OOB offers for 6th. Last year, Hardy offered 25 OOB seats initially and also made 47 offers for 6th. Not saying any of those schools are better or worse for OP's child than BASIS is, but if you want to get in to Hardy, 6th is your best chance.

Has Latin Cooper been losing kids after 5th grade?

I don't think they've lost very many, but there's always somebody who moves for whatever reason. Since they are moving into a large new building, it's possible they simply have room for more kids. You'd have to ask at an open house to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

This is bad advice. She needs to participate in the lottery for 6th grade, even if she isn't sure about staying or going, because it's a year when there's movement in the school system. To keep the option open in case the second semester of 5th grade isn't as good or OP realizes that other people's reasons for leaving apply to her situation.

Which lottery schools have more seats open in 6th grade as opposed to other middle school years? Is Latin Cooper still offering 6th grade seats?

Latin Cooper likely will, pending attrition. Since they're moving into the new building I'm not sure of their plans. There are always seats for 6th at Inspired Teaching. Stuart-Hobson makes OOB offers for 6th. Last year, Hardy offered 25 OOB seats initially and also made 47 offers for 6th. Not saying any of those schools are better or worse for OP's child than BASIS is, but if you want to get in to Hardy, 6th is your best chance.

Has Latin Cooper been losing kids after 5th grade?

Yes. BIM is so hard up for students that it made an open offer to everyone in Latin's 5th grade class. It solves BIM's enrollment problem and kicks Latin in the shins in one fell swoop-- genius plan!