Thoughts on DCI, Latin or BASIS
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Anonymous
They do - but schools with less than 25 students in a special category (econ disadvantaged/FARMS, ELL, Special Ed). You can spend some time on the Learndc.org website and find what's public. |
Anonymous
How would you like the teachers to handle the disruptions? |
Anonymous
| Or rather what should the school do with 25% disruptive students? |
Anonymous
| Still curious about what the school is doing to help improve disruptive classrooms. Sounds like some parents don't really care and other parents cared but couldn't do anything about it. I really would like to know what the administration handles discipline problems. Nobody has provided much information. Is that because nothing happens? |
Anonymous
???? I thought there was one art teacher |
Anonymous
Poor writing on my part. I mean the fine arts department, (2 visual art teachers, 1 drama and 1 music) is great. The visual arts curriculum is really strong - aside from the teachers. It was designed/managed by one of the BDC teachers and used throughout the BASIS network. |
Anonymous
And Wilson parents are well aware of the admissions advantage they give their kids by keeping them in public school rather than going to DC privates even if they can afford it - at least for high school. More APs are offered at Wilson, and flourishing in this urban environment which contains a truly diverse population a) allegedly points to grit and b) the really selective schools absolutely CANNOT admit the top 5% from even the top privates in DC (NCS, STA, bla bla bla) and furthermore they love to crow about their rejection rate - so kids who apply ED/EA have the best advantage of anyone. - they need the public school kids for diversity, even if they are white, in DC. Since white kids are actually only 13% of DCPS. Unfortunately most can (and do) accept minority kids from private schools whose SES is in the 1% and claim diversity. But some of the top schools are looking below the surface these days. Not to say there are absolute geographic quotas per state/city, but even if you have the best class ever at a top private in DC you just cannot take all of them. They are looking for geographic, racial, ethnic, economic, public v private, and special types of diversity (think not only NCAA but violinists, and homeless kids and kids from foster care, etc) In sum, there is absolutely no way to guarantee a child admission to a top college anymore if you think that means an Ivy or HYP. They all look at building a class, in addition to the qualities of specific candidates. We don't think that getting our kids into HYP is necessarily what we want - you match the kid with the school, and there are probably at least 100 schools that we would be happy with our kids going to - as long as they are not taught by graduate students. Kind of nixes Harvard for us, but you should choose the best HS for your child, the same way you collaboratively choose a college or university. signed, Ivy graduate whose siblings, cousins, parents, uncles and aunts, grandparents, etc ALL went to HYP from private schools, who is fully aware that the game has changed, and is opting for Wilson not only for the edge in admissions but the overall experience there, and absolutely not because of the money. [/b][/b]Parents, please think of the match between each individual kid and each college because it matters. [b] I think that is what Washington Latin is doing, and I admire them for it. And realize that because the admission of any one child is ultimately arbitrary, that putting pressure on your child is unhealthy. BASIS may be unhealthy. Look at the suicide clusters in the two public schools Palo Alto (2009 and 2014/2015) As shown by DC CAS scores and the SES breakdown of the population in the MS at Latin, and the fact that more kids are staying for HS, in 5 years or less, my prediction is that you will see a completely different list of college matriculations at Latin, not based solely on finances. I do wish they would stop making kids take two years of Algebra I and have them double up on Alg II and Geometry in 9th. Insane. |
Anonymous
Re phones at BASIS - kids find a way, and there is rampant cheating - even on the comps in MS. Former HOS admitted it and shrugged shoulders. Fact is BASIS knows but they have a pyramid model - they lose over half their kids between 8th grade and HS. Last year they lost over half of the academically "advanced" kids from 8th grade, and many others are staying for a year because at Wilson you cannot take APs in 9th grade. Re disruption - it is incredible, and they make no attempt to sort out kids. Even when you have 14 Algebra I students in 5th grade (automatically put in the same section, and half a section on their own), they made NO effort in 6th to give this half section a group of well behaved kids in 6th grade either in their section or in their Algebra II class. We are really truly discouraged. Re discipline at BASIS - it is punitive beyond belief. They actually seem to think that peer pressure will work when there are at least 3 types of kids - the well behaved and grade wise successful, the well behaved but academically struggling, and the badly behaved. There are at least some white kids who fit into the latter category. But they need the 5th through 8th continued attendance to financially sustain them, so they accept misbehavior, cheating on the comps, whatever, before HS - but they do punish them. Imagine an academically exceptional kid, slated to do AP Calculus AB in 8th grade, being treated like a criminal. Right now they are losing the kids they intended to keep - probably because of the one fits all discipline model - treating these kids academically as adults (no ability to supervise) vs Washington Latin where parents can check - and mistreating generally well behaved kids which really creates an environment that is not conducive to intellectual development or a desire to stay through high school. Neither is putting the 5th grade Algebra I kids in with kids who have failed Algebra I and are in 7th grade a good idea. Obviously I have been there... buyer beware - they expect 40% attrition between 8th and 9th grade, but those were supposed to be the kids who were not "college oriented, or wanted a broader high school experience." The highest performing kid in 8th grade left last year, and I don't get the impression the parents of that kid were particularly happy with the decision. But I get it. And I accepted, albeit reluctantly, the decision that my kid made as well - not to go to HS at BASIS DC. I anticipate that my younger kid will make the same decision - we have had 4 Heads of School in 4 years, and we only had two decent ones and they are both gone. |
Anonymous
| Thanks 21:37 for sharing |
Anonymous
No, it's because no one treats postings citing "25% disruptive behavior" as credible. Note this poster never cites a source for their obviously arbitrary percentage. We understand this is a disappointed poster who is making up statistics to incite others. DCI has a very successful Restorative Justice program which has led it to have the lowest suspension and expulsion rates in DC. Thank god. Zero Tolerance models, followed by most secondary schools, is antiquated, unsuccessful at changing behavior, and fuels the School to Prison pipeline. |
Anonymous
DCI parent here and mom of kid who has had his share of behavior issues. Using the Restoritive Justice model he's figured out what is and isn't acceptable. This had carried into home life as well. This school year he's a different kid. Happy, engaged, making good choices. I may have some gripes about DCI but their discipline model is NOT one of them. |
Anonymous
Thanks for this info, DCI parent! DCI feeder parent here and parent to kid with ADHD, mild dyslexia, and some other issues. This leads to behavior issues sometimes (especially with a frustrating task), but overall doing great with supports in place at DCI feeder. Restorative justice is a good model. Here is some info for those not familiar w/ it. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/restorative-justice-resources-matt-davis |
Anonymous
Oo here. DCI has great Sped Ed |
Anonymous
faculty can change. Despite this curriculum my child had an absolutely crappy Drama teacher who has since left, but it scared us so much we did not let our 2nd kid sign up for drama There is only one art teacher, she is great, she was recruited straight out of Corcoran by the first art teacher (also great) who has become the Assistant Dean of Students and was going to teach some kind of AP art course this year but there was not enough interest the teacher who teaches the recorder is out of this world fantastic as well (although all of our ears suffered until my kid got it right....) |
Anonymous
The BASIS discipline model sucks and it is the worst thing about the school and why we left after 8th grade. And even in 8th grade, we had disruptive kids who the teachers could not control and did not want to let the admin know about it But when you have disruptive kids, punishing all of them (and even affecting their frigging PE grade) does not work really disruptive kids are absolutely immune to peer pressure so why should everyone get silent lunches? |