Middle school options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was only a matter of time before this thread devolved into an argument about BASIS

Seriously. The former Basis parent who shows up on every thread relating to public middle schools was clearly lurking and just had to chime in as per usual. And those who aren’t familiar with this person felt the need to respond on the merits to defend the school unaware that they are just feeding right into it. It’s tiresome.

Just pick a school that works for your family and stop denigrating others’ choices, whether they choose Basis or DCI or Latin or S-H or wherever. Their choices have nothing to do with you or me or anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was only a matter of time before this thread devolved into an argument about BASIS

Seriously. The former Basis parent who shows up on every thread relating to public middle schools was clearly lurking and just had to chime in as per usual. And those who aren’t familiar with this person felt the need to respond on the merits to defend the school unaware that they are just feeding right into it. It’s tiresome.

Just pick a school that works for your family and stop denigrating others’ choices, whether they choose Basis or DCI or Latin or S-H or wherever. Their choices have nothing to do with you or me or anyone else.

No, it was only a matter of time before you chimed in claiming there's a lone BASIS parent posting here who's noticed that the school isn't as wonderful as claimed. Fiction.

Even the best DC public-school programs still aren't that great across the board because the mayor and city council members don't give a hoot if we have access to first-rate schools, particularly at the middle and high school levels.

Wrong. Our school choices have everything to do with all of us with school-age kids living in the District.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was only a matter of time before this thread devolved into an argument about BASIS

Seriously. The former Basis parent who shows up on every thread relating to public middle schools was clearly lurking and just had to chime in as per usual. And those who aren’t familiar with this person felt the need to respond on the merits to defend the school unaware that they are just feeding right into it. It’s tiresome.

Just pick a school that works for your family and stop denigrating others’ choices, whether they choose Basis or DCI or Latin or S-H or wherever. Their choices have nothing to do with you or me or anyone else.

No, it was only a matter of time before you chimed in claiming there's a lone BASIS parent posting here who's noticed that the school isn't as wonderful as claimed. Fiction.

Even the best DC public-school programs still aren't that great across the board because the mayor and city council members don't give a hoot if we have access to first-rate schools, particularly at the middle and high school levels.

Wrong. Our school choices have everything to do with all of us with school-age kids living in the District.

Why would anyone who has decamped for the greener pastures of the suburbs or private still post on this forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was only a matter of time before this thread devolved into an argument about BASIS

Seriously. The former Basis parent who shows up on every thread relating to public middle schools was clearly lurking and just had to chime in as per usual. And those who aren’t familiar with this person felt the need to respond on the merits to defend the school unaware that they are just feeding right into it. It’s tiresome.

Just pick a school that works for your family and stop denigrating others’ choices, whether they choose Basis or DCI or Latin or S-H or wherever. Their choices have nothing to do with you or me or anyone else.

No, it was only a matter of time before you chimed in claiming there's a lone BASIS parent posting here who's noticed that the school isn't as wonderful as claimed. Fiction.

Even the best DC public-school programs still aren't that great across the board because the mayor and city council members don't give a hoot if we have access to first-rate schools, particularly at the middle and high school levels.

Wrong. Our school choices have everything to do with all of us with school-age kids living in the District.

Why would anyone who has decamped for the greener pastures of the suburbs or private still post on this forum?

I always wonder this on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was only a matter of time before this thread devolved into an argument about BASIS

Seriously. The former Basis parent who shows up on every thread relating to public middle schools was clearly lurking and just had to chime in as per usual. And those who aren’t familiar with this person felt the need to respond on the merits to defend the school unaware that they are just feeding right into it. It’s tiresome.

Just pick a school that works for your family and stop denigrating others’ choices, whether they choose Basis or DCI or Latin or S-H or wherever. Their choices have nothing to do with you or me or anyone else.

No, it was only a matter of time before you chimed in claiming there's a lone BASIS parent posting here who's noticed that the school isn't as wonderful as claimed. Fiction.

Even the best DC public-school programs still aren't that great across the board because the mayor and city council members don't give a hoot if we have access to first-rate schools, particularly at the middle and high school levels.

Wrong. Our school choices have everything to do with all of us with school-age kids living in the District.

Why would anyone who has decamped for the greener pastures of the suburbs or private still post on this forum?

I always wonder this on here.

Because we our choices validated by others’ misfortune!

[Anonymous]

Why would anyone who has decamped for the greener pastures of the suburbs or private still post on this forum?

I always wonder this on here.

Because OP asked and it's an open forum. No brainer.

[Anonymous]

I'm a little nervous about asking this based on how conversations about BASIS usually go, but I have a rising 4th grader and need to figure this out, so here it goes:

Would BASIS be a good fit for a kid who tests way above grade level in reading and writing, but either right on target or *just* above grade level in math? It can be a bit hard to ascertain math level because while they have a very good grasp of concepts and have their multiplication tables down, I think there is still room for better fluency with math facts. They are clearly often bored in class, especially when reviewing concepts they already feel very comfortable with.

The only math supplementing we've done is at home Beast Academy workbooks that we allowed them to work through at their own pace and preference in 1st and 2nd. Will do some reinforcement of math facts this summer but nothing else planned.

Could a kid like this do well at BASIS? Would they be challenged in ELA and social studies? Would most of the other kids be far beyond them in math? It's very hard to guess at whether it would be a good fit just based on scores through the middle of 4th, but that's all we will have to go on when the lottery happens.

I think our first choice is Latin but it sounds like that's a total luck of the draw, whereas odds of BASIS are higher. Our IB is E-H but we are at an S-H feeder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little nervous about asking this based on how conversations about BASIS usually go, but I have a rising 4th grader and need to figure this out, so here it goes:

Would BASIS be a good fit for a kid who tests way above grade level in reading and writing, but either right on target or *just* above grade level in math? It can be a bit hard to ascertain math level because while they have a very good grasp of concepts and have their multiplication tables down, I think there is still room for better fluency with math facts. They are clearly often bored in class, especially when reviewing concepts they already feel very comfortable with.

The only math supplementing we've done is at home Beast Academy workbooks that we allowed them to work through at their own pace and preference in 1st and 2nd. Will do some reinforcement of math facts this summer but nothing else planned.

Could a kid like this do well at BASIS? Would they be challenged in ELA and social studies? Would most of the other kids be far beyond them in math? It's very hard to guess at whether it would be a good fit just based on scores through the middle of 4th, but that's all we will have to go on when the lottery happens.

I think our first choice is Latin but it sounds like that's a total luck of the draw, whereas odds of BASIS are higher. Our IB is E-H but we are at an S-H feeder.

The issue with BASIS is that every kid is placed on a very accelerated math track. So the classes cover a lot of ground and kids need to keep up. (Specifically in 5th and 6th at BASIS they have to cover the material that DCPS covers in 5/6/7 and 8th grade math, and then 7th grade covers Algebra 1 and Geometry. And so on.)


It's a lot of material and there is no option to take a slower path. So I would be nervous about putting a kid who is not 90th percentile or above in math there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little nervous about asking this based on how conversations about BASIS usually go, but I have a rising 4th grader and need to figure this out, so here it goes:

Would BASIS be a good fit for a kid who tests way above grade level in reading and writing, but either right on target or *just* above grade level in math? It can be a bit hard to ascertain math level because while they have a very good grasp of concepts and have their multiplication tables down, I think there is still room for better fluency with math facts. They are clearly often bored in class, especially when reviewing concepts they already feel very comfortable with.

The only math supplementing we've done is at home Beast Academy workbooks that we allowed them to work through at their own pace and preference in 1st and 2nd. Will do some reinforcement of math facts this summer but nothing else planned.

Could a kid like this do well at BASIS? Would they be challenged in ELA and social studies? Would most of the other kids be far beyond them in math? It's very hard to guess at whether it would be a good fit just based on scores through the middle of 4th, but that's all we will have to go on when the lottery happens.

I think our first choice is Latin but it sounds like that's a total luck of the draw, whereas odds of BASIS are higher. Our IB is E-H but we are at an S-H feeder.

I think it could be ok if your DC is willing to work hard at math and be tutored. But if that's not appealing to them, SH is a good option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little nervous about asking this based on how conversations about BASIS usually go, but I have a rising 4th grader and need to figure this out, so here it goes:

Would BASIS be a good fit for a kid who tests way above grade level in reading and writing, but either right on target or *just* above grade level in math? It can be a bit hard to ascertain math level because while they have a very good grasp of concepts and have their multiplication tables down, I think there is still room for better fluency with math facts. They are clearly often bored in class, especially when reviewing concepts they already feel very comfortable with.

The only math supplementing we've done is at home Beast Academy workbooks that we allowed them to work through at their own pace and preference in 1st and 2nd. Will do some reinforcement of math facts this summer but nothing else planned.

Could a kid like this do well at BASIS? Would they be challenged in ELA and social studies? Would most of the other kids be far beyond them in math? It's very hard to guess at whether it would be a good fit just based on scores through the middle of 4th, but that's all we will have to go on when the lottery happens.

I think our first choice is Latin but it sounds like that's a total luck of the draw, whereas odds of BASIS are higher. Our IB is E-H but we are at an S-H feeder.

I think it could be ok if your DC is willing to work hard at math and be tutored. But if that's not appealing to them, SH is a good option.

Except that... is it? SH offers no tracking in ELA. So why would it be a good fit for a kid who is testing way above grade level in reading and writing? Do you assume SH would be a "good fit" for any kid who isn't 90th percentile or above in math? What about it makes it a good fit? What does it offer a student like this?

[Anonymous]

Not quite true. SH offers grade level tracking for ELA (a step up from remedial ELA), nothing more. SH doesn't track for science or social studies either (although they occasionally bump 6th and 7th graders up a grade for social studies, like Charles Allen's girl; not sure what happens to the bumped up kids in 8th). DCPS is ridiculous in its zeal to deny appropriate MS humanities and science academic tracking forever.

We rejected SH in-bounds not just because of the dearth of tracking but because we're both East Asian-American and SH is 0-1% Asian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little nervous about asking this based on how conversations about BASIS usually go, but I have a rising 4th grader and need to figure this out, so here it goes:

Would BASIS be a good fit for a kid who tests way above grade level in reading and writing, but either right on target or *just* above grade level in math? It can be a bit hard to ascertain math level because while they have a very good grasp of concepts and have their multiplication tables down, I think there is still room for better fluency with math facts. They are clearly often bored in class, especially when reviewing concepts they already feel very comfortable with.

The only math supplementing we've done is at home Beast Academy workbooks that we allowed them to work through at their own pace and preference in 1st and 2nd. Will do some reinforcement of math facts this summer but nothing else planned.

Could a kid like this do well at BASIS? Would they be challenged in ELA and social studies? Would most of the other kids be far beyond them in math? It's very hard to guess at whether it would be a good fit just based on scores through the middle of 4th, but that's all we will have to go on when the lottery happens.

I think our first choice is Latin but it sounds like that's a total luck of the draw, whereas odds of BASIS are higher. Our IB is E-H but we are at an S-H feeder.

I think it could be ok if your DC is willing to work hard at math and be tutored. But if that's not appealing to them, SH is a good option.

Except that... is it? SH offers no tracking in ELA. So why would it be a good fit for a kid who is testing way above grade level in reading and writing? Do you assume SH would be a "good fit" for any kid who isn't 90th percentile or above in math? What about it makes it a good fit? What does it offer a student like this?

Latin is an excellent fit for the student described.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not quite true. SH offers grade level tracking for ELA (a step up from remedial ELA), nothing more. SH doesn't track for science or social studies either (although they occasionally bump 6th and 7th graders up a grade for social studies, like Charles Allen's girl; not sure what happens to the bumped up kids in 8th). DCPS is ridiculous in its zeal to deny appropriate MS humanities and science academic tracking forever.

We rejected SH in-bounds not just because of the dearth of tracking but because we're both East Asian-American and SH is 0-1% Asian.

There are ways to get quasi-tracking at SH for ELA. First, despite whatever the school's official position is, there are a handful 6th grade kids placed in 7th grade ELA with zero fanfare (a specific one is mentioned in another post). Join drama and your classes are disproportionately drama kids in 7th and 8th because the zero period scheduling ends up lumping them together. Join debate and the coach (who teaches 7th & 8th grade English) will pull your kid into his English section, which is suddenly basically tracked (because of how high the overlap is between kids who do debate and kids who are good at English). There are also other ways to get functional ELA/social studies acceleration outside of class: SH has some kids at National History Day right now, the 40 book challenge, debate, etc.

I fully agree that science is the biggest issue. One of the 6th grade science teachers is incredible, but it's 100% random who gets him.

[Anonymous]

Good info, above, thanks. Ridiculous that the SH tracking isn't definite for English, social studies or science. Very unfair to in-boundary families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good info, above, thanks. Ridiculous that the SH tracking isn't definite for English, social studies or science. Very unfair to in-boundary families.

Exactly - we are not getting the deserved return on our housing investments! Fine to serve the remedial needs of out-of-boundary families, but not at the expense of OUR kids!