Spin off question about BASIS

[Anonymous]

I've been to a BASIS information session, and I am very interested in it for my 4th grader. I think my child would love the math and science curriculum, and honestly, the commute to BASIS would be a whole lot shorter and easier than the commute to Latin. I have not yet been to a Latin Open house, but I do have friends with older children who attend the school and really like it so I know a little bit about it. I did put an application in earlier this month for Latin.

So after reading the most recent thread about BASIS, here's my main question...is Latin so different than BASIS in terms of academic rigor and high expectations? Wouldn't families that are attracted to Latin be attracted to BASIS for the same reasons? Again, I know I need to go to a Latin Open House and ask questions, but what happens when a student doesn't do well at Latin? Do they leave? Is the curriculum differentiated/tracked according to ability? Do students take AP exams and how well do they do on them?

[Anonymous]

I am a parent of a Latin student in the lower school. I feel that Latin does offer academic rigor and sets high expectations. The biggest difference I see (with the caveat that I have never visited a Basis school or had a child enrolled in one of the schools) is that Latin does not teach to any sort of standardized test. Personally, I really like that. I feel that the administration and staff really focus on educating their students. My child has a great rapport with most of her teachers. Lots of homework, Algebra starting in 7th grade, thought provoking questions to prepare for socratic seminars, etc. Latin has a lot to offer. I encourage you to check out the open house.

Latin does offer AP exams and does do some differentiation.

http://www.edline.net/pages/Washington_Latin_PCS/Our_Program/Academics/Curriculum

[Anonymous]

Latin is a proven and successful commodity at this point. Basis and it's leadership in DC are not.

[Anonymous]

Latin is proven and successful among it's affluent students. It failed to make AYP, in part because it doesn't do well with ESL students and low-income students.

Let's just be clear on who Latin serves and serves well.

[Anonymous]

....uh...and basis is proven to be successful in DC among....who?

[Anonymous]

Latin was a brand new, unproven commodity just a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

so which side are you on? proven and uneven or unproven and just no record?? I can't want to watch BASIS and it's leader put the money on the line. It will not live up and will finally shut up one of the biggest mean mouths in DC.

[Anonymous]

I really worry about both schools piling homework on my kid. He is really bright and I expect would be able to handle algebra quite early, but he has a learning disability in writing and ADHD both of which we are working with his awesome DCPS elementary to address. He is on grade level or above in everything but writing, and I think we will get there in writing in the next couple years. He's in 3rd grade now.

My husband has said no to Basis because the founder said the children at the school are "classrooms full of workaholics" and he finds that incredibly distasteful and counter to his goals for our kids. I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Basis and I know there will be great families there next year - definitely similar to the families at Latin.

[Anonymous]

In my experience third grade is a huge year for kids -- I had one who was incredibly behind, especially in writing, at the beginning of 3rd and surged ahead by the end. He is a bright kid, but I was really worried. This year, 4th, his teacher told me what a great writer he is. I admit I was kind of shocked given all the struggles he had had. Even though he is doing well now, I still would hesitate putting him in Basis given that he has always lagged behind. I would have less of an issue with Latin though based on what I have observed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really worry about both schools piling homework on my kid. He is really bright and I expect would be able to handle algebra quite early, but he has a learning disability in writing and ADHD both of which we are working with his awesome DCPS elementary to address. He is on grade level or above in everything but writing, and I think we will get there in writing in the next couple years. He's in 3rd grade now.

My husband has said no to Basis because the founder said the children at the school are "classrooms full of workaholics" and he finds that incredibly distasteful and counter to his goals for our kids. I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Basis and I know there will be great families there next year - definitely similar to the families at Latin.

That's hilarious. She's a hick from Arizona who has no idea what urban schooling is about to do to her "model."

The "workaholics" who are about to enter BASIS are the kids from Wards 4, 5, and 6 who are in 5th grade doing math at a 45% proficiency level, at best. Oh, and they're calling their teachers disgusting and uncouth names at that. No middle school in Ward 5? Guess where all those kids who can't even do their multiplication tables are going to enroll! Should be fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That's hilarious. She's a hick from Arizona who has no idea what urban schooling is about to do to her "model."

The "workaholics" who are about to enter BASIS are the kids from Wards 4, 5, and 6 who are in 5th grade doing math at a 45% proficiency level, at best. Oh, and they're calling their teachers disgusting and uncouth names at that. No middle school in Ward 5? Guess where all those kids who can't even do their multiplication tables are going to enroll! Should be fun!

As for "hicks" versus urban, at 1.4 million, Phoenix (with several BASIS schools) has a population more than double Washington DC's 600,000; Tucson (another BASIS site) isn't far behind DC with a population of 520,000.

Arizona has its own issues, to include a huge number of kids who are not native English speakers - I spent a couple of years in the southwest in my youth and the high school I went to had huge issues with Mexican gangs as well, and it's only gotten worse since then.

Seems there's two paths:

Option 1.) they stick to the model, and refuse to compromise where it comes to academics, and the kids who cannot perform to expectations either come up to speed with tons of extra remediation work, while others wash out because they can't keep up with the extra workload that is required of them.

or

Option 2.) they compromise and kowtow to all of the whiners, critics and cynics and end up as yet another failed school like every other failed school in DC - is THAT what you really want?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really worry about both schools piling homework on my kid. He is really bright and I expect would be able to handle algebra quite early, but he has a learning disability in writing and ADHD both of which we are working with his awesome DCPS elementary to address. He is on grade level or above in everything but writing, and I think we will get there in writing in the next couple years. He's in 3rd grade now. My husband has said no to Basis because the founder said the children at the school are "classrooms full of workaholics" and he finds that incredibly distasteful and counter to his goals for our kids. I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Basis and I know there will be great families there next year - definitely similar to the families at Latin.

That's hilarious. She's a hick from Arizona who has no idea what urban schooling is about to do to her "model." The "workaholics" who are about to enter BASIS are the kids from Wards 4, 5, and 6 who are in 5th grade doing math at a 45% proficiency level, at best. Oh, and they're calling their teachers disgusting and uncouth names at that. No middle school in Ward 5? Guess where all those kids who can't even do their multiplication tables are going to enroll! Should be fun!

That’s a lot of enthusiasm for a post at 12:38 am. I disagree with most of what you said, and your schadenfreude is off-putting.

We are considering Basis for our fourth grader, and I’d guess a dozen of her classmates are as well. None are the miscreants you describe, and most are proficient / advanced. Further, we have friends across the city with strong students who are also considering Basis. Part of the reason is that Basis offers something very appealing, and part of it is that there are few viable MS options.

As far as the term “workaholic” goes - there may be better ways to describe the school’s culture and climate, but I think was used as a way to say that Basis students enjoy their work. My kids just spent long hours in the car traveling for the holidays and thoroughly enjoyed doing logic puzzles, math games, reading books and completing their winter break homework – the sort of stuff young workaholics might do. They (actually we) also spent hour after seemingly endless hour listening to the iPod (Tik Tok, Teach Me How to Dougie, Sweet Caroline) and watching DVDs (My Neighbor Totoro, Brady Bunch). My impression of Basis is that my child would enjoy the rigor of school and still have plenty of time to pursue non-academic endeavors. Being a workaholic in school and enjoying life are not mutually exclusive – in fact I’d assert they actually complement each other.

With regard to the school’s founder, she’s from the Czech Republic (not a hick from Arizona). It sounds like a glib (perhaps even an uncouth) assessment to assert she has no idea about urban schooling. Basis has six highly successful schools up and running, and though AZ has a different ethnic make-up than DC, plenty of econ-disadvantaged students excel at Basis. One of their schools is ranked the second best high school in the country – ahead of TJ in Fairfax – and Basis doesn’t selectively enroll its students. They just purchased a six story building in Penn Quarter and will completely gut it and build it to their specifications – they might just have the resources and vision to make it work. They started their teacher hiring process in December – is there a DCPS or another charter doing it this early? I have no idea if they will get their “model” right, but they certainly have as good a shot as anyone else.

There are legitimate reasons to be skeptical of Basis. It may not be a good fit for individual children, and the attrition rate needs to be considered. Charters on the whole may weaken public education in DC over the long run. People may disagree with the ideological perspective of some Basis Board members. But, to my mind, each of these is debatable, and I think many parents of middle school aged children in DC are coming to the conclusion that Basis represents a great option.

But I do agree with your ultimate conclusion, it should be fun!!!!!!! Happy New Year!

[Anonymous]

I went to one of the information sessions and was very impressed by what I heard, especially about hiring teachers who have a degree in the subject they are teaching. In DC and elsewhere (I am in the field of education myself) there is more concentration on methodology than actually knowing the subject. My 7th grader attends one of the better charter schools -- in school, he has not learned any new math concepts these past two years (the methodology in his school is not to push kids but make them explain in details what they are doing). I talked to the teacher and it became obvious to me that math was not her forte. As for language arts/social studies, they have been reading articles about WW II since October. Earlier today my boy had asked the teacher why there has been no mentioning about the use of Radar, only to be told to stick to the subject ...

BASIS promises to hire teachers who know their subject very well, something all parents want for their children.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone esle get an email from Basis stating registration opens on 4th? I went the the website and it said the same thing. Now when I go the the site it says registration opens on the 9th.

[Anonymous]

The email that I got yesterday said that registration was from January 9th through February 10th.