The Flogging of Basis

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The flogging of BASIS will continue until morale improves on DCUM.

The only reason I keep engaging on these threads, as a BASIS parent, is so that the parents of kids who would really benefit from a BASIS education don't get discouraged.

BTW -- the person who told me to send my kid to BASIS instead of our DCPS middle school was a DCPS middle school teacher, once I told her some details about my kid. We had every intention of sticking with DCPS until that conversation, but she was very unequivocal that he would be more challenged and better prepared for high school coming out of BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The flogging of BASIS will continue until morale improves on DCUM.

The only reason I keep engaging on these threads, as a BASIS parent, is so that the parents of kids who would really benefit from a BASIS education don't get discouraged.

BTW -- the person who told me to send my kid to BASIS instead of our DCPS middle school was a DCPS middle school teacher, once I told her some details about my kid. We had every intention of sticking with DCPS until that conversation, but she was very unequivocal that he would be more challenged and better prepared for high school coming out of BASIS.

But clearly the anonymous Basis floggers on DCUM know better than you and your kid’s teacher about what is best for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you explain to us precisely what's required to move from 6th grade into 7th grade at BASIS and then we'll see how "pure lottery" it sounds.

Passing comps is what’s required. 5th grade entry is indeed pure lottery.

So you're admitting that BASIS prevents the weakest students from entering its upper grades, yet you still think it's an apples to apples comparison to compare test scores with other schools? This is the kind of disingenuous behavior that makes people hate BASIS boosters.

Basis is a different model than other schools and of course isn’t an apples to apples comparison. I don’t see the teaches and admin at Basis as “better” or more worthy of admiration versus folks at Eastern or Dunbar.

[Anonymous]

there is a lot of self-selection associated with only having 5th not 6th as an entry year, advertising 90 minutes of daily homework, the emphasis on comprehensive exams starting in 6th grade, and the known attrition model. although cape scores are districtwide pretty bad, there are a lot of kids in the system who could pretty easily score a 4 attending almost anywhere. im sure basis is more challenging from a curriculum standpoint and there is a lot of value for some middle schoolers in being surrounded by smart/motivated peers. but comparisons are difficult to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis is the only public school without social promotion, so it is no surprise that some kids drop out.

Plenty of private schools “counsel out” low performers.

Functionally, it is the same thing.

And that is a decidedly good model for children who had to put up with troubled children all through elementary — a scarring experience. I was floored to discover 1/3 of my child’s 4th grade class SPED, 504/IEP, or some other accommodation, while my child was dismissed as “just fine.” That’s why Basis - for all its faults - is refreshing.

[Anonymous]

Because it’s a public school that costs all taxpayers money. I get some people like it, but the method has a lot of genuine and legitimate critiques - most kids do not work in the system and it’s not a solution for most dcps kids… but we all pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because it’s a public school that costs all taxpayers money. I get some people like it, but the method has a lot of genuine and legitimate critiques - most kids do not work in the system and it’s not a solution for most dcps kids… but we all pay for it.

Most DCPS middle and high schools are failing kids every day and with a ton more resources than Basis consumes $ for $. My tax money goes to support plenty of ed matters (SPED, last chance, adult education, etc) not relevant to my family, but that’s ok precisely because it works for DC families. DC works for a a critical mass of DC families too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it’s a public school that costs all taxpayers money. I get some people like it, but the method has a lot of genuine and legitimate critiques - most kids do not work in the system and it’s not a solution for most dcps kids… but we all pay for it.

Most DCPS middle and high schools are failing kids every day and with a ton more resources than Basis consumes $ for $. My tax money goes to support plenty of ed matters (SPED, last chance, adult education, etc) not relevant to my family, but that’s ok precisely because it works for DC families. DC works for a a critical mass of DC families too.

*Basis works

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis is the only public school without social promotion, so it is no surprise that some kids drop out.

Plenty of private schools “counsel out” low performers.

Functionally, it is the same thing.

And that is a decidedly good model for children who had to put up with troubled children all through elementary — a scarring experience. I was floored to discover 1/3 of my child’s 4th grade class SPED, 504/IEP, or some other accommodation, while my child was dismissed as “just fine.” That’s why Basis - for all its faults - is refreshing.

I don’t want to discredit your comments but why is it any of your business that some of the kids in your child’s class receive accommodations? And how does that mean your child was dismissed? I am trying to take your comment from a place where you aren’t criticizing kids with IEPs/504s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis is the only public school without social promotion, so it is no surprise that some kids drop out.

Plenty of private schools “counsel out” low performers.

Functionally, it is the same thing.

And that is a decidedly good model for children who had to put up with troubled children all through elementary — a scarring experience. I was floored to discover 1/3 of my child’s 4th grade class SPED, 504/IEP, or some other accommodation, while my child was dismissed as “just fine.” That’s why Basis - for all its faults - is refreshing.

Are there kids at BASIS DC with 504s?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis is the only public school without social promotion, so it is no surprise that some kids drop out.

Plenty of private schools “counsel out” low performers.

Functionally, it is the same thing.

And that is a decidedly good model for children who had to put up with troubled children all through elementary — a scarring experience. I was floored to discover 1/3 of my child’s 4th grade class SPED, 504/IEP, or some other accommodation, while my child was dismissed as “just fine.” That’s why Basis - for all its faults - is refreshing.

Wait-- are you saying BASIS doesn't have children with IEPs and 504s? Because that's something BASIS will deny. Are they lying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis is the only public school without social promotion, so it is no surprise that some kids drop out.

Plenty of private schools “counsel out” low performers.

Functionally, it is the same thing.

And that is a decidedly good model for children who had to put up with troubled children all through elementary — a scarring experience. I was floored to discover 1/3 of my child’s 4th grade class SPED, 504/IEP, or some other accommodation, while my child was dismissed as “just fine.” That’s why Basis - for all its faults - is refreshing.

I don’t want to discredit your comments but why is it any of your business that some of the kids in your child’s class receive accommodations? And how does that mean your child was dismissed? I am trying to take your comment from a place where you aren’t criticizing kids with IEPs/504s.

I wish it wasn’t my business, but it made the class practically unmanageable, which of course was my business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because it’s a public school that costs all taxpayers money. I get some people like it, but the method has a lot of genuine and legitimate critiques - most kids do not work in the system and it’s not a solution for most dcps kids… but we all pay for it.

Most DCPS middle and high schools are failing kids every day and with a ton more resources than Basis consumes $ for $. My tax money goes to support plenty of ed matters (SPED, last chance, adult education, etc) not relevant to my family, but that’s ok precisely because it works for DC families. DC works for a a critical mass of DC families too.

*Basis works

No, most kids who start at basis do not finish at basis.

If regular DCPS schools could send away the kids who don't make the testing grade, test scores would dramatically improve and you could say they serve the kids who attend very well, but you couldn't say they serve all kids well.

BASIS is a very specific style of learning that serves some kids well... you could convince me that BASIS-like curriculum should be incorporated into DCPS curriculum for high-performing or math-oriented kids, and of course we could have a disheartening conversation about the inflexibility of DCPS and the failure of DCPS to implement, etc., but that doesn't mean BASIS is a good solution for the vast majority of DCPS kids.

And it's far from the only high-performing charter alternative. Walls seems to successfully serve a wider range of students, outside of the DCPS failed system. (I'm not interested in a Walls vs. Basis debate, my only point is that charters are not inherently bad).

If BASIS didn't have that attrition rate, and was able to lift all students up to high levels of accomplishment that would genuinely be impressive. The extremely high attrition rate just seems to negate the legitimacy of most of BASIS' selling points, and the absolutely heartbreaking trauma that, anecdotally, I've witnessed from close family friends, which appears to be a feature of the system, not a one-off mistake, it just doesn't seem worthy of my taxpayer dollars. If parents make the decision they want BASIS style teaching, seems like the BASIS in VA should be your option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis is the only public school without social promotion, so it is no surprise that some kids drop out.

Plenty of private schools “counsel out” low performers.

Functionally, it is the same thing.

And that is a decidedly good model for children who had to put up with troubled children all through elementary — a scarring experience. I was floored to discover 1/3 of my child’s 4th grade class SPED, 504/IEP, or some other accommodation, while my child was dismissed as “just fine.” That’s why Basis - for all its faults - is refreshing.

Wait-- are you saying BASIS doesn't have children with IEPs and 504s? Because that's something BASIS will deny. Are they lying?

I’ll let Basis address that, as it’s not my business. Suffice to say that, unlike my kids’ elementary, Basis isn’t a special ed center with a school as a mere appendage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis is the only public school without social promotion, so it is no surprise that some kids drop out.

Plenty of private schools “counsel out” low performers.

Functionally, it is the same thing.

And that is a decidedly good model for children who had to put up with troubled children all through elementary — a scarring experience. I was floored to discover 1/3 of my child’s 4th grade class SPED, 504/IEP, or some other accommodation, while my child was dismissed as “just fine.” That’s why Basis - for all its faults - is refreshing.

Wait-- are you saying BASIS doesn't have children with IEPs and 504s? Because that's something BASIS will deny. Are they lying?

I’ll let Basis address that, as it’s not my business. Suffice to say that, unlike my kids’ elementary, Basis isn’t a special ed center with a school as a mere appendage.

But you still think an apples to apples CAPE score comparison is fair?