BASIS DC precomps and comps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's just not going to happen. BASIS parents simply can't raise money without admins calling the shots on how it's spent. Impossible. If BASIS admins don't care for your family and want you gone before high school, they have their ways of making you miserable. This is an old story.

The bolded is one heck of an accusation. Are you suggesting that BASIS says, "Look, teacher hours are available but there is only a certain amount of support we can or will provide to your struggling student. If your kid struggles with our curriculum it will only get worse. Know that and realize her Bs and Cs may become Cs and Ds. Choose accordingly." Or are you suggesting somehow they are targeting kids by giving them unfair and unearned grades? The former is brutal, but fine with me. I have two kids; one is at BASIS and one not. The one not at BASIS would get crushed so I didn't put him in that situation. I have never seen anyone accuse BASIS of targeting students with unfair or unearned grades. Not even baseless accusations on DCUM where BS flows freely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like other posters say, comps really aren't that big of deal -- it's just learning a different way to study. Once you've got that, it's pretty easy. My kid has done them and hasn't lost any joy in learning.

So good to hear. It is sad that students at all other schools are not held accountable and there's no consequence for failing a class. Students move to the next grade no matter what.

What's funny is watching BASIS get roundly thrashed for comps and academic accountability while those same poster chime in on other threads lamenting the lack of rigor, differentiation and advanced coursework at DCPS schools. Those people honestly cannot see how those two things are in any way at odds.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don't what you're alluding to. Please explain.

I can tell you that there's growing concern in the hs parent community about inter-connected issues: inadequate teacher pay, what looks like a higher drop off rate to Walls than in the past, unimpressive hs ecs as compared to ms ecs and this year's somewhat disappointing admissions results.

In the last few years, hs parents grew accustomed to seeing ivy admits, mainly for Yale, Harvard and Princeton. It's not lost on us that Walls and JR had ivy successes this year, and not just for low SES minority applicants or recruited athletes (mostly from the JR crew team).

We wouldn't be as concerned if the head of school didn't blow off our concerns as a general rule. Some of us, particularly those with hs students with ms sibs, are hoping that he leaves. He's much more interested in the ms than the hs, which has become a problem.

The DC Budget includes $ that can only be spent on increasing teacher pay.

Odd post. If you were actually a BASIS parent you'd know that they are going to start matching DCPS pay scale. So either you are another troll or so disengaged that seems like we should dismiss what you have to say. Also, # of BASIS kids matriculating to Walls is down, not up.

There are certainly things about BASIS I would improve. I prefer to focus on reality. But hey, you do you.

NP. OK, but where are you getting up-to-the-minute status on the # of BASIS 8th Graders heading to Walls this year? We're under the impression that more are leaving for Walls this year than last, but then we're not looking at...data.

I'll believe BASIS matching DCPS pay scale and benefits for long serving teachers if that happens. The evidence suggests that BASIS can't afford/sustain staff outlays on that level. Come on, matching DCPS starting salaries is one thing. A DC charter keeping older teachers on what DCPS pays them is another.

You might want to calling posters names when their carefully observed impressions of BASIS are different than yours.

So, to summarize, the school publicly says they are going to match DCPS and you "don't believe it"? You go on to say that facts are the same as impressions as long as the facts don't comport with your impressions? There is no point in having discussions with people like you. Why not just reply FAKE NEWS.

The more I read DCUM, the more I realize the DC liberals who predominate parrot MAGA "logic".

I'm not the poster you're responding to but am a BASIS parent (heading into the high school). I also see problems with BASIS announcing that they're planning to match DCPS salaries because DC charters don't get the same per student outlays as DCPS. Their outlays are at least 15% lower across the board.

Now that BASIS is going to BASIS starts paying young teachers like DCPS, something's gotta give eventually. To my knowledge, BASIS DC doesn't have a strong track record of fundraising to draw in private grants to top up its public funding. There's concern in the parent community that what's going to happen once teachers salaries match DCPS is that parents are going to have to make up the difference to avoid cuts to ECs and other forms of enrichment. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Some of us don't know what to believe. Yea, we've embraced MAGA logic for sure.

Human capital expenditures need to be funded with committed dollars. No school can or would sign contracts without budgetary commitments. They can't and won't sign contracts with the hope of making up a shortfalls later. That's why the fundraised dollars aren't distributed as bonuses until end of year when they know how much funding they have.

Sorry if the MAGA line hit close to home. When you express hardened, ill informed opinions based on fears not grounded in laws, finance and feels a lot like the the Orange Monster's peeps.

You don't have to come off as an arrogant jackass to make valid points. Some of us have been at BASIS long enough to doubt that positive change is coming. Granted, the budgetary commitments have been made to improve teachers pay significantly. We've heard this from admins, no orange monsters involved. But since the school has essentially been run on a shoestring budget since the get go, PPs are shrewd to predict that the result will invariably involve painful cuts elsewhere. On balance, better teachers pay may not improve the BASIS student experience overall. Be careful what you wish for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come on, anybody who's been at BASIS for 6, 7, 8 years knows what's being alluded to here. BASIS picks it horses early on, the math stars, kids with a good shot of cracking Ivies, MIT etc. Other students aren't treated as well over time. Their parents aren't inclined to rock the boat. That's the reality.

Yes, it is the only way to create a gifted school within the system. The school can’t screen beforehand. It is up to the parents to determine if it will be a good fit for the kid. If it isn’t, it isn’t. But of course this should be communicated clearly and humanely as early as possible. In the end though, if the parents can’t see that it is a bad fit for the kid, the kid suffers longer. This is a school for a certain type of kid. Please just accept that and stop complaining that your kid would do better in a different system and get that kid in a different system asap. Fully neglectful to keep a kid there if it isn’t the right fit, and unfortunately there are a lot of parents who refuse to accept their responsibility to choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come on, anybody who's been at BASIS for 6, 7, 8 years knows what's being alluded to here. BASIS picks it horses early on, the math stars, kids with a good shot of cracking Ivies, MIT etc. Other students aren't treated as well over time. Their parents aren't inclined to rock the boat. That's the reality.

Yes, it is the only way to create a gifted school within the system. The school can’t screen beforehand. It is up to the parents to determine if it will be a good fit for the kid. If it isn’t, it isn’t. But of course this should be communicated clearly and humanely as early as possible. In the end though, if the parents can’t see that it is a bad fit for the kid, the kid suffers longer. This is a school for a certain type of kid. Please just accept that and stop complaining that your kid would do better in a different system and get that kid in a different system asap. Fully neglectful to keep a kid there if it isn’t the right fit, and unfortunately there are a lot of parents who refuse to accept their responsibility to choose.

The parents of which you speak keep their kids at BASIS because their IB schools have entire classes below grade level. What they are demanding is that BASIS be at or above grade level, but not too far above that they feel like they are being forced out. If only the school would adjust precisely to their needs and modulate downward to their preference all would be well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. What belief boils down to in the matter of better teacher pay is your confidence in the management. If you’ve soured on the HoS, like we have, time to leave.

No disagreement. I view it like any other relationship. If I don't trust my spouse I need to exit the relationship. It is unproductive and disingenuous to ask them to change their behavior or otherwise if I don't care what they do. Doing so is merely an immature way for me to express my anger. It isn't productive and isn't healthy for me or my spouse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come on, anybody who's been at BASIS for 6, 7, 8 years knows what's being alluded to here. BASIS picks it horses early on, the math stars, kids with a good shot of cracking Ivies, MIT etc. Other students aren't treated as well over time. Their parents aren't inclined to rock the boat. That's the reality.

No, they don't "pick" anyone.

Some kids thrive, some kids don't. Most of the kids who don't leave.

If you don't think your kid can hack the curriculum, don't send your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come on, anybody who's been at BASIS for 6, 7, 8 years knows what's being alluded to here. BASIS picks it horses early on, the math stars, kids with a good shot of cracking Ivies, MIT etc. Other students aren't treated as well over time. Their parents aren't inclined to rock the boat. That's the reality.

No, they don't "pick" anyone.

Some kids thrive, some kids don't. Most of the kids who don't leave.

If you don't think your kid can hack the curriculum, don't send your kid.

And if you made the wrong choice in the first instance, fix the mistake as soon as possible. Don’t keep banging your head (or more accurately, your kids head) to prove a point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Come on, anybody who's been at BASIS for 6, 7, 8 years knows what's being alluded to here. BASIS picks it horses early on, the math stars, kids with a good shot of cracking Ivies, MIT etc. Other students aren't treated as well over time. Their parents aren't inclined to rock the boat. That's the reality.

Yes, it is the only way to create a gifted school within the system. The school can’t screen beforehand. It is up to the parents to determine if it will be a good fit for the kid. If it isn’t, it isn’t. But of course this should be communicated clearly and humanely as early as possible. In the end though, if the parents can’t see that it is a bad fit for the kid, the kid suffers longer. This is a school for a certain type of kid. Please just accept that and stop complaining that your kid would do better in a different system and get that kid in a different system asap. Fully neglectful to keep a kid there if it isn’t the right fit, and unfortunately there are a lot of parents who refuse to accept their responsibility to choose.

The parents of which you speak keep their kids at BASIS because their IB schools have entire classes below grade level. What they are demanding is that BASIS be at or above grade level, but not too far above that they feel like they are being forced out. If only the school would adjust precisely to their needs and modulate downward to their preference all would be well.

The problem would be easily avoided if Basis were permitted to apply a test screen on the front end. I get that many families are in tough spot given their IB alternatives, but the idea that it should “adjust” even slightly downward for the families that affirmatively choose
the school is just wrong. Now - if I were in control of Basis, I might move to a bit of a Basis-lite model, but with full knowledge that it effectively shortchanges a critical mass of high-fliers. We don’t really have choices, so much as trade offs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's just not going to happen. BASIS parents simply can't raise money without admins calling the shots on how it's spent. Impossible. If BASIS admins don't care for your family and want you gone before high school, they have their ways of making you miserable. This is an old story.

The bolded is one heck of an accusation. Are you suggesting that BASIS says, "Look, teacher hours are available but there is only a certain amount of support we can or will provide to your struggling student. If your kid struggles with our curriculum it will only get worse. Know that and realize her Bs and Cs may become Cs and Ds. Choose accordingly." Or are you suggesting somehow they are targeting kids by giving them unfair and unearned grades? The former is brutal, but fine with me. I have two kids; one is at BASIS and one not. The one not at BASIS would get crushed so I didn't put him in that situation. I have never seen anyone accuse BASIS of targeting students with unfair or unearned grades. Not even baseless accusations on DCUM where BS flows freely.

PP unrelated to these quotes. I read it as one of two things: 1. threat by anonymous admin who doesn't have better parent management strategies than posting here; 2. booster or anon admin trying to give chronically shitty and thoughtless behavior the appearance of Macchiavelianism.

[Anonymous]

Why do you folks insist on personalizing factual statements about the way the school operates, insistently interpreting them as whining on the part of parents whose ms kids must be academic stragglers at BASIS? It's knee-jerk claptrap.

My oldest happens to be one of the math stars, on track for calc in 9th. Yet I'm not crazy about the way BASIS is run. I'm tired of am often toxic parent culture and dog-eat-dog mentality along with clueless, domineering admins. To my knowledge, we're one of the few families leaving for a private from 8th. We're lucky enough to have the resources to depart on good form. You guys go at altogether the wrong target: fellow parents with legit concerns.

[Anonymous]

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you folks insist on personalizing factual statements about the way the school operates, insistently interpreting them as whining on the part of parents whose ms kids must be academic stragglers at BASIS? It's knee-jerk claptrap.

My oldest happens to be one of the math stars, on track for calc in 9th. Yet I'm not crazy about the way BASIS is run. I'm tired of am often toxic parent culture and dog-eat-dog mentality along with clueless, domineering admins. To my knowledge, we're one of the few families leaving for a private from 8th. We're lucky enough to have the resources to depart on good form. You guys go at altogether the wrong target: fellow parents with legit concerns.

So do you! Your criticism of the parents ("often toxic and dog-eat-dog") is way harsher than your criticism of the admin ("clueless, domineering")!

[Anonymous]

Glad you are finding a happy solution for your family. Not sure why you need to throw daggers at happy families on the way out.

[Anonymous]

To be fair, the 8th grade cohort is rumored to not be great. I think they hit covid at a bad time. I could see dispersion as better than concentration if those were my kids.