BASIS launching private school in McLean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, and we are getting it free.

Well, no. Your taxes pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is apparently a page on the Korean Embassy website about TJ and its admissions policies, written in Korean. Asian students have outnumbered Caucasian students at TJ for many years now.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/as-thomas-jefferson-adds-help-for-poor-english-skills-some-va-parents-fume/2011/03/10/ABK7qVx_story.html

Another very interesting article. Thanks for sharing!

It seems prospective students must come from one of 6 local Fairfax middle schools. So you have 6 middle schools in the area preparing students for TJ. They're great schools, tried and true,and they're FREE! Why would I clamor for Basis again????

SN: Given the stress and suicide rates of many of those overly pressured Korean kids from the goose article, I'd never be pressed to throw my DC into such a rat race. If DC were math/science prodigies that would be one thing. But this ridiculous pressure....I realize a lot of its cultural. I'd just prefer happy individuals who enjoy their lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes but not everyone in FCPS are 1 or more grade levels ahead in math and taking full separate courses in Bio. Chem and Physics each year starting in 6th grade.

So what? They still get into TJ.

Getting into tj and being prepared for it are two different things. Besides, if you look at all the Korean "goose families" there, it is pretty clear that Seoul, not Fairfax is who is preparing/getting kids into TJ, not Fairfax...

One would have to be prepared in order to get into it.

I just dont think Basis will be this great game changer. It's really not needed in the area.

I think that's right, PP. We'll see how it does, but I'm not optimistic about enrollment.

[Anonymous]

I just don't see how this meets needs in Tysons. If you have 25k for private school why not just put that 25k to a more expensive mortage, play lottery in DC and move into District. Go to basis for free AND get the tax write off on the mortgage. although I would guess that basis VA will be much better academically since its self selecting and DC is all lottery so you get a wider range of academic talent. It will be interesting to watch though. Maybe if there is a huge demand for it VA that might entice some VA folks to move to District to get the school for free?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, and we are getting it free.

Looks like BASIS is giving up in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just don't see how this meets needs in Tysons. If you have 25k for private school why not just put that 25k to a more expensive mortage, play lottery in DC and move into District. Go to basis for free AND get the tax write off on the mortgage. although I would guess that basis VA will be much better academically since its self selecting and DC is all lottery so you get a wider range of academic talent. It will be interesting to watch though. Maybe if there is a huge demand for it VA that might entice some VA folks to move to District to get the school for free?

Because BASIS in DC isn't living up to the founders expectations: they don't want to take any and all comers. They don't like being told its their job to bring kids up to speed. They want families to self-select and that's not in accordance with the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is BASIS worth $25K a year? It launches early PreK through 10th grade. Are kids in DC getting a $25K education for free?

I'm just a DC parent looking ahead to middle school, no plans to move to McLean but this seems relevant to DC to me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/basis-a-top-charter-network-launching-private-school-in-virginia/2015/06/23/4a5b1aa6-1917-11e5-93b7-5eddc056ad8a_story.html

The schools in Fairfax, particularly in a wealthy area like McLean, are awesome! Families in Fairfax do not clamor for private schools, so I don't know how successful basis will be or how long it will last. While there are a few private schools in the Fairfax area, most kids go to the public schools- from K-HS.

https://www.google.com/search?q=private+schools+in+fairfax+va&oq=private+schools+in+fairfa&aqs=chrome.0.0l2j69i57j0l3.6320j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don't see how this meets needs in Tysons. If you have 25k for private school why not just put that 25k to a more expensive mortage, play lottery in DC and move into District. Go to basis for free AND get the tax write off on the mortgage. although I would guess that basis VA will be much better academically since its self selecting and DC is all lottery so you get a wider range of academic talent. It will be interesting to watch though. Maybe if there is a huge demand for it VA that might entice some VA folks to move to District to get the school for free?

Because BASIS in DC isn't living up to the founders expectations: they don't want to take any and all comers. They don't like being told its their job to bring kids up to speed. They want families to self-select and that's not in accordance with the law.

That may or may not be the case. But doesn't explain why they have also opened private schools in Brooklyn and Silicon Valley.

[Anonymous]

Clearly they think that rankings like these for their established high schools will attract people who are willing to pay to get it.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/national-rankings?int=974b08

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/04/19/americas-most-challenging-high-schools-national-top-25-list-for-2015/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, and we are getting it free.

Looks like BASIS is giving up in DC.

What do you mean? They aren't closing the Penn Quarter school. They're talking seriously about buying a second building in town to house either the MS or HS, along with opening an ES, within one or two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don't see how this meets needs in Tysons. If you have 25k for private school why not just put that 25k to a more expensive mortage, play lottery in DC and move into District. Go to basis for free AND get the tax write off on the mortgage. although I would guess that basis VA will be much better academically since its self selecting and DC is all lottery so you get a wider range of academic talent. It will be interesting to watch though. Maybe if there is a huge demand for it VA that might entice some VA folks to move to District to get the school for free?

Because BASIS in DC isn't living up to the founders expectations: they don't want to take any and all comers. They don't like being told its their job to bring kids up to speed. They want families to self-select and that's not in accordance with the law.

That may or may not be the case. But doesn't explain why they have also opened private schools in Brooklyn and Silicon Valley.

Their other lottery schools have turned out quite well. They explained to us before they opened in DC that they planned to found private schools in jurisdictions that were hostile to charter schools, like Virginia. Honestly, I never thought the Brooklyn school would be a success. But I think I have been proven wrong. This does not mean that they have given up in DC by any means, they are looking to found a k-4 somewhere soon in DC so that kids are better prepared for 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

is the brooklyn basis school even open yet? i thought it was 2015-16

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is the brooklyn basis school even open yet? i thought it was 2015-16

Opened fall 2014. http://www.basisindependentbrooklyn.com/index.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, and we are getting it free.

Looks like BASIS is giving up in DC.

What do you mean? They aren't closing the Penn Quarter school. They're talking seriously about buying a second building in town to house either the MS or HS, along with opening an ES, within one or two years.

Yep, and if they give up on DC, and yet are Tier 1, publically scoring as well as they are on standardized tests and in academic completions, then heaven help the rest of the public and charters in DC!

[Anonymous]

Are they still planning to open one in MoCo, or hAs that been eclipsedby prep for McLean?