Basis Mclean

[Anonymous]

The real question is will Tamara Block Hahdler be there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real question is will Tamara Block Hahdler be there?

BASIS does not retain good teachers in the classroom. They have a policy of promoting teachers into admin roles. They recruit their "subject matter experts" by telling them about all the admin opportunities. Many do not even stay in the classroom a full academic year, but move into admin roles after several months. Ask any parent at Silicon Valley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real question is will Tamara Block Hahdler be there?

BASIS does not retain good teachers in the classroom. They have a policy of promoting teachers into admin roles. They recruit their "subject matter experts" by telling them about all the admin opportunities. Many do not even stay in the classroom a full academic year, but move into admin roles after several months. Ask any parent at Silicon Valley.

More BASIS Independent Silicon Valley parents should read this thread! Two heads of school in less than a year! Two deans leaving replaced by three of the better classroom teachers, now moved to admin! Countless teachers leaving/moving into admin roles of new BASIS school! Would be BASIS parents beware! They will make all kids of promise until they have your money...then too bad! You are on the hook for one full year of tuition no matter how many teachers leave in the middle of a semester!

[Anonymous]

They said they only hire classroom warriors.

[Anonymous]

What are the odds Aiken stays two years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the odds Aiken stays two years?

So far the other two independent school heads have only lasted one year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the odds Aiken stays two years?

So far the other two independent school heads have only lasted one year[/quote

Do they offer tuition insurance if you want to leave if he doesn't stay? What if he doesn't even start the year? He only stayed at Basis DC one year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the odds Aiken stays two years?

So far the other two independent school heads have only lasted one year[/quote

Do they offer tuition insurance if you want to leave if he doesn't stay? What if he doesn't even start the year? He only stayed at Basis DC one year.

Yes they do. Make sure to get the insurance. BISV HOS Hadley Ruggles apparently only lasted a few months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many folks have talked about how teachers should make more money and athletes and movie stars and the like less money.

That's true.

But now that a lifelong educator has come up with a curriculum that's said to be among the world's best, and proves it with student results year after year, is making money from a school network that's educating tens of thousands of children -- he shouldn't make a few hundred thousand dollars?

Why in the world not?

Better him than any number of folks in any number of industries! I wish there were more people like the Blocks, not less!

At least we who send our kids to BASIS schools are getting something for the money we're paying!

-SP (child applying to McLean next year)

Do all Basis students know how much the founders make? Is there indoctrination class? Who is SP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many folks have talked about how teachers should make more money and athletes and movie stars and the like less money.

That's true.

But now that a lifelong educator has come up with a curriculum that's said to be among the world's best, and proves it with student results year after year, is making money from a school network that's educating tens of thousands of children -- he shouldn't make a few hundred thousand dollars?

Why in the world not?

Better him than any number of folks in any number of industries! I wish there were more people like the Blocks, not less!

At least we who send our kids to BASIS schools are getting something for the money we're paying!

-SP (child applying to McLean next year)

Brooklyn person

Do all Basis students know how much the founders make? Is there indoctrination class? Who is SP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many folks have talked about how teachers should make more money and athletes and movie stars and the like less money.

That's true.

But now that a lifelong educator has come up with a curriculum that's said to be among the world's best, and proves it with student results year after year, is making money from a school network that's educating tens of thousands of children -- he shouldn't make a few hundred thousand dollars?

Why in the world not?

Better him than any number of folks in any number of industries! I wish there were more people like the Blocks, not less!

At least we who send our kids to BASIS schools are getting something for the money we're paying!

-SP (child applying to McLean next year)

Do all Basis students know how much the founders make? Is there indoctrination class? Who is SP?

SP-----I don't think the issue is how much the teachers are paid. The criticism, at least from what I understand, is the huge disparity between what BASIS founders are raking in, including the CEO and top level admin, and the teachers. The rapid and chaotic expansion, opening new schools every year before current schools have had time to mature, also seems to be profit driven. And since the rapid growth also means that personelle, admin and teachers, move from school to school, this has a negative impact on teacher retention and provides for a chaotic staffing situation at the schools, with teachers and administrators constantly cycling in and out, to the extent hat during the course of a single semester, teachers and administrators will change.

[Anonymous]

I have applied for my child to attend for more math and science options. It would be helpful if posters had specific information to provide and to back it up with how they know that. If you look at the reviews of BASIS SV and Brooklyn on Google, YELP, and Facebook, the reviews from real parents and students are favorable. So it may not be perfect. It may not work at all, but no need to tear them to pieces. I am sure it is hard to run a charter school with a lottery system, admitting students from a wide variety of abilities and aptitudes. Perhaps they are rapidly expanding because they have investors who have given them the money to do so? (I am speculating.) BTW, the heads of the local private schools make several hundred thousand dollars, but that is not considered distasteful because the schools are non-profit. I have the sense that there are several posters who just hate charter schools and public schools. We all want information. If you dislike charter schools, then it is not about BASIS per se. The for-profit angle is a little unusual, but regular private schools are very small and insular. They are not going to get investors or expand, they just keep building up their own facilities as grand as they can make them. BASIS appears to want to develop a school network, which will ultimately help the students and teachers if they can visit/exchange and teach at other schools in major cities. Finally, the schools here are great, no question, but they are very large (arguably huge) and subject to the whims of politics and funding and have to be everything to everyone. So there is a reason to send your child to private school, even if the public school are great. Some people just dislike private schools and would never consider them. Perhaps a shy child could benefit from the right private school? Anyway, again, I do not have a dog in the fight, just hate to see all the venom.

I do NOT work for BASIS. I do not have any interest in the school other than as a prospective parent. No one asked me to write this. Just trying to provide some perspective.

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids will be attending in the Fall 2016 (8th and 10th). We are all very excited. I am sure there will be a few bumps along the way, but we are ready for the ride. We went to 'Meet the Teacher' function and are very excited for the teachers they have hired so far.

[Anonymous]

I think they are having a hard time with admissions. We received a phone call from what seemed to be a somewhat senior person asking if she could answer any questions because she saw that we signed up for an interest session, but did not attend. For the record, we didn't attend due to some other events that came up that day so she offered to arrange a one on one sit at a time that was convenient for us. This type of outreach just seemed odd to me. We ultimately decided to stay in our K-8 private for another year, but will consider Basis again once they are more established. The woman on the phone did confirm that they will offer summer camps once they get up and running, which might be a good way to check out the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they are having a hard time with admissions. We received a phone call from what seemed to be a somewhat senior person asking if she could answer any questions because she saw that we signed up for an interest session, but did not attend. For the record, we didn't attend due to some other events that came up that day so she offered to arrange a one on one sit at a time that was convenient for us. This type of outreach just seemed odd to me. We ultimately decided to stay in our K-8 private for another year, but will consider Basis again once they are more established. The woman on the phone did confirm that they will offer summer camps once they get up and running, which might be a good way to check out the school.

I think there are many who are too nervous to pull the trigger the first year. However, we have several friends who are enrolled and will attend in the fall so we will have a very good sense for how things are going.

-current k-8 family