Will basis move their waitlist this week or are they done?
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Anonymous
I'm unclear why accommodations for a few kids would "ruin it" for everyone. Can BASIS teachers not handle it? BASIS offers a great many different classes at different levels so what's one or two more? |
Anonymous
| Basis markets itself as a more rigorous alternative to the local public schools. There is no specific focus on at-risk students and they are unlikely to implement a voluntary at-risk lottery preference. I think some of the Arizona schools do not even have a free/reduced cost lunch program. It is tiring to keep going in circles on this point. |
Anonymous
The only point is that BASIS is not an impressive school relative to its demographics, and that comparing BASIS with schools that are different demographically and in their policies is misleading and unhelpful. And that BASIS boosters hate to acknowledge that BASIS is low at-risk on purpose, and they have no explanation for poor retention of Black/AA students. |
Anonymous
The bolded is incorrect. From 5th-8th grade, there is only one instructional level for the entire grade, with the exception of a very few kids who are bumped up for math. Lower level classes are not offered. In the high school level, there are very limited opportunities for different levels. All Basis 7th graders take the same level of English, History, and science classes. Almost all of them are taking Algebra I, with a few kids taking Algebra II or pre-calc. In 9th grade, all kids are taking 2nd year of their foreign language, AP Government, Honors English, some honors science. All kids must at least be in pre-calc. I don't know why you had the idea that Basis offered different classes at different levels, and thus could accommodate remedial classes. They do not do so. |
Anonymous
Not sure why you are wasting your breath with this Basis-hating troll who knows nothing about the school. |
Anonymous
I meant in high school they have different classes. It's odd to me to offer so little differentiation and still claim "rigor". How is it rigorous for the kids who are already above grade level? Also, the idea that having any students below grade level ruin "rigor" for everyone else is odd. I think any student can be held to high expectations of working hard and progressing, even if they begin below grade level. And I don't see why in-room differentiation is so hard for BASIS teachers that they can't do it at all. Lots of schools manage to do it. |
Anonymous
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DC doesn’t allow “tracking” in the traditional sense, seemingly because it leads to racial disparity. So most schools have to put the entire grade at the lowest common denominator for “equity” reasons. BASIS on the other hand treats the entire grade as “honors” and “GT” and makes it clear upfront that everyone is treated in this manner and exactly the same. And that means everyone. And yet they are still accused on here of having a race issue and people are upset that they don’t have remedial classes to address the needs of all learners including at-risk students. All learners (as in grade levels apart) do not belong in the same classroom and in DC unfortunately it means sometimes they don’t belong in the same school altogether. It’s hard to figure out why that makes people so upset. Do all students belong on the same varsity soccer team? Do all students belong in the Washington Ballet? Of course not. Not everything is for everyone.
Why is it okay for the many schools in DC to ignore the needs of higher achieving students but it’s not okay for perhaps the one public school in DC that focuses on those higher achieving kids to not also prioritize remedial education? It’s not its mission and that doesn’t make it morally reprehensible. If the posters on here just want BASIS folks to “qualify” the excellent school test scores by saying it’s somewhat self-selecting who goes and the attrition of poor performing students helps the scores, so be it! It’s a testament to the commitment to holding all students to a high standard and families also having that expectation. But students do leave for all kinds of reasons and go on to different schools, including Black students who leave for reasons that have nothing to do with their race. Please, if you have no intention of going to BASIS, put this energy into benefitting your actual school community! |
Anonymous
I'm super confused by this, though. If everyone takes the same classes in middl school, how does that serve the needs of the highest performing students? You say all learners don't belong in the same classroom, and yet that's what happens at BASIS middle school, right? BASIS has poor retention of Black/AA students. That's simply what the data shows. |
Anonymous
They really don't have different levels in high school. All classes are at Honors/AP levels. Kids have some latitude on how many APs to take, but they can't take any regular level classes. It isn't perfectly rigorous for the gifted kids, but it's better than they're going to get elsewhere in public schools. Some kids can push ahead in math a year or two at Basis. It's great that they don't attempt much in room differentiation. In room differentiation doesn't work well anywhere, and the schools who claim to do it really just ignore the bright kids and focus on the slow ones. The teachers are also expected to teach like 4 different classes wrapped into one, and that doesn't work well for anyone. People like you always seem to want to screw over the bright motivated kids. I honestly don't care whether Basis is impressive relative to its demographics. I care about whether it's a good fit for my kids. Honestly speaking, my kids would pass the standardized tests at any public school. At most of them, they'd be bored out of their minds and not really learning much of anything. At Basis, they're at least somewhat challenged and happy. There's a long list of people who want to attend Basis. There are many people who are happy there. The kids are learning at high levels. People who aren't a good fit for Basis have numerous other free options. I'm not seeing the problem here. |
Anonymous
If other public schools in DC are failing, BASIS must be made to fail as well in the name of “equity.” |
Anonymous
Basis is a true "honors for all" system that doesn't water down the standards. They're pretty upfront that the school is for bright, motivated kids, and they teach the classes accordingly. I have one of the super high performers. He's skipped ahead a couple years in math and took AP Calculus in 8th grade. Middle school science classes were very boring and unchallenging. All of the other classes were at a reasonably appropriate level. No public school is going to serve the needs of the highly gifted. Basis, while not perfect for the very top kids, is still better than you're going to get in any other public school. |
Anonymous
On the contrary, my kids are bright and motivated, which is why BASIS' lack of differentiation is so unappealing. And the meh performance relative to demographics indicates to me that the teaching is nothing special. I don't want to screw over any kids, which is why I think it's cruel to put students to the choice of an embarrassing and developmentally inappropriate retention policy or else going to a probably much worse school. Sorry you don't care about that, but I do. I don't believe for a second that nobody else could have "rigor" if some kids were below grade level, and it speaks very poorly of BASIS that the aren't up to the challenge of managing this. |
Anonymous
| If you don’t like the school, put your bright and motivated kids elsewhere. Stop trying to mess up what is working for everyone else in some weird virtue signaling pointlessness. |
Anonymous
The lack of differentiation is honors for all. You're not going to find any other public schools that differentiate upward beyond an honors track. The instructional level is sufficiently high that most bright, hardworking kids will be fine. FWIW, my kids have experienced both FCPS AAP and Basis. The Basis instructional level was much higher, and my kids were better served at Basis. What do you want for expect for your bright and motivated kids that Basis isn't providing, but other public schools supposedly are? Be specific. |
Anonymous
You think your kid can't handle the work or the pressure of having to pass? We get it, your kid would struggle. What amuses is your use of quotes around "rigor" while admitting you think your kid can't handle it. Seems like your kid is "no bright". P.S. You and your kid are both bad fits for BASIS. Good choice not sending a kid there. Now go find a school that works for your marginal student and stop blaming everyone else for their weak genes. |