How to help child succeed at BASIS

[Anonymous]

I’ve been very impressed by the HOS. And I speak as the parent of a BASIS kid with an IEP.

I also agree that BASIS’ handling of the pandemic and distance learning was extraordinary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

It's impossible to please every family -- but if Basis isn't a good fit for your student, why stay? I wouldn't want my kid at a school where they are unhappy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

I say this as a generally satisfied Basis parent: It's not like there are bunches of other great public/charter options in DC. I don't put much faith in specific rankings, but everyone here knows that most middle and high schools in DC are subpar, and if you're not in district for Wilson, there's the stress and risk of applying for selective schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

I have been really impressed with the new(ish) HOS. He seems on-the-ball and no nonsense - I imagine he doesn't cater to parents' whims - I appreciate that. No two ways about it - BASIS is a tough school! My kid is pretty darn good at math; even so, she consistently puts in the work and has to muster a solid (most days) effort for her good grades. If math/science/ability to focus and get the work done does not come (relatively) easily to your kid, they are going to have a hard time at BASIS. That is just the way it is/the type of school it is. Even so, if your kid is willing to put in hard work, they will learn a lot - but just perhaps not get the As they might like. I think that is okay too!

Spoken like a true MS parent who's gobbled up the franchise's burnout-oriented philosophy of learning hook line and sinker. My kid is ahead of the curve in STEM, BC Calc in 11th grade, straight-A student from the get go, en route to a college admitting in the single digits. Yet we're thrilled to be at the finish line.

No two ways about it, the bullying young new head isn't too sharp. A good education should be about much more than getting As and 5s on a slew of AP exams. We'd have left years ago if we could've afforded a happy private or were willing to move.

The best part about BASIS has been the friendships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

I have been really impressed with the new(ish) HOS. He seems on-the-ball and no nonsense - I imagine he doesn't cater to parents' whims - I appreciate that. No two ways about it - BASIS is a tough school! My kid is pretty darn good at math; even so, she consistently puts in the work and has to muster a solid (most days) effort for her good grades. If math/science/ability to focus and get the work done does not come (relatively) easily to your kid, they are going to have a hard time at BASIS. That is just the way it is/the type of school it is. Even so, if your kid is willing to put in hard work, they will learn a lot - but just perhaps not get the As they might like. I think that is okay too!

Spoken like a true MS parent who's gobbled up the franchise's burnout-oriented philosophy of learning hook line and sinker. My kid is ahead of the curve in STEM, BC Calc in 11th grade, straight-A student from the get go, en route to a college admitting in the single digits. Yet we're thrilled to be at the finish line.

No two ways about it, the bullying young new head isn't too sharp. A good education should be about much more than getting As and 5s on a slew of AP exams. We'd have left years ago if we could've afforded a happy private or were willing to move.

The best part about BASIS has been the friendships.

You knew your kid would have enjoyed a different school and yet were still unwilling to move???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

It's impossible to please every family -- but if Basis isn't a good fit for your student, why stay? I wouldn't want my kid at a school where they are unhappy.

What grade is your kid in? No unhappy weeks or months yet? Patience, you'll get there.

We've got several kids and don't earn big bucks. We're supposed to leave our home and neighborhood of 20 years because our eldest doesn't like BASIS some of the time? We know many parents who ask themselves the same question.

I don't know many BASIS HS families who love the program. That's the job of the MS families. You gut it out because you can't afford a private, didn't get into Latin or Walls, aren't impressed with Banneker (or perhaps comfortable sending your white kid there) and feel like it's not worth moving to the burbs late in the game. Your kid has a good group of friends at school they want to stick with.

Where's the good fit public HS East of Rock Creek for those who don't love BASIS? Tell us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

It's impossible to please every family -- but if Basis isn't a good fit for your student, why stay? I wouldn't want my kid at a school where they are unhappy.

What grade is your kid in? No unhappy weeks or months yet? Patience, you'll get there.

We've got several kids and don't earn big bucks. We're supposed to leave our home and neighborhood of 20 years because our eldest doesn't like BASIS some of the time? We know many parents who ask themselves the same question.

I don't know many BASIS HS families who love the program. That's the job of the MS families. You gut it out because you can't afford a private, didn't get into Latin or Walls, aren't impressed with Banneker (or perhaps comfortable sending your white kid there) and feel like it's not worth moving to the burbs late in the game. Your kid has a good group of friends at school they want to stick with.

Where's the good fit public HS East of Rock Creek for those who don't love BASIS? Tell us.

How about you tell us who you know who has kids who like their school all of the time? No kid is like that. Every kid doesn't like their school some of the time, no matter what school it is, no matter where it is located. You make it seem like this is a problem with BASIS, when it isn't a real problem at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

It's impossible to please every family -- but if Basis isn't a good fit for your student, why stay? I wouldn't want my kid at a school where they are unhappy.

+100 Also love the irony of using the turn of phrase "waxing enthusiastic" to describe people who are happy (a term clearly used sarcastically and in an effort to demean) but apparently their own observations are just "perspectives".

I would respectfully suggest to PPP that is issue here isn't Basis; Basis didn't change while you were there. It seems like a bad fit for you and your kid and instead of sourcing another option you howl at the AZ leadership. How's that working out for PPP?

[Anonymous]

BASIS isn’t a normal school. As has been pointed out, it’s an AP prep tutoring program with able tutors. The fun parts about school are mostly missing, other than the friendships. This point is hard to miss. Give your taxing boosterism a rest already.

[Anonymous]

Exactly.

Inveterate BASIS MS boosters, please report back a few years hence.

[Anonymous]

Reporting in a few years in.

It’s great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It has the structure and educational/administrative resources of an incredibly well run large organization and the feel of a very small school. This was demonstrated a few years back when a principal left mid-year right before the pandemic. The turnover was seemless, with the corporate head of curriculum moving from Arizona for the rest of the year to take over and simultaneously look for a replacement. Then when covid hit, the school didn’t even blink. I’ve compared a lot of experiences, but Basis had the administrative skill to send all the kids home with a week of packets of actually helpful on topic work, switch spring break to the next week to regroup and then seemlessly went remote, not letting either academics or extracurriculars slide. You can knock the place for a lot of things, but the administration is pretty rock solid.

How long have you been at BASIS? Sounds like 1-2 school years. 8 years in for our eldest, I can't agree with most of this.

The current HOS is an asinine as administrator though you may not have noticed this if you haven't brought pressing concerns to him. He's about the WORST we've dealt with, and we've dealt directly with half a dozen.
The one female HOS was the best by a longshot. BASIS' strong suit is far and away the peer group and maybe half of the faculty, not the administration or AZ inputs.

During his tenure, Basis DC was named a blue ribbon school and USN&R ranked it the number one public middle school in DC.

He must be doing something right….

I guess you can’t please everyone.

What's going on here is that BASIS MS parents want to share the joy by waxing enthusiastic based on their experiences. Meanwhile, a few of us who've been on the scene much longer, and aren't raising math proteges, know too much. We've seen a darker side to the program, like consistent harassment of hard-working students admins would like to see gone. We've also contended with a parade of mediocre or bad AZ-trained admins and senior teachers.
Nobody's right or wrong, just different sides of the same coin, different perspectives.

How much does it take for USN&R to rank a DC public MS # 1. No rumbles on the playground that the police have to break up this year? Most students passed PARCC! More than 1/4 of the teachers didn't quit? Goodness, you've won!!

It's impossible to please every family -- but if Basis isn't a good fit for your student, why stay? I wouldn't want my kid at a school where they are unhappy.

What grade is your kid in? No unhappy weeks or months yet? Patience, you'll get there.

We've got several kids and don't earn big bucks. We're supposed to leave our home and neighborhood of 20 years because our eldest doesn't like BASIS some of the time? We know many parents who ask themselves the same question.

I don't know many BASIS HS families who love the program. That's the job of the MS families. You gut it out because you can't afford a private, didn't get into Latin or Walls, aren't impressed with Banneker (or perhaps comfortable sending your white kid there) and feel like it's not worth moving to the burbs late in the game. Your kid has a good group of friends at school they want to stick with.

Where's the good fit public HS East of Rock Creek for those who don't love BASIS? Tell us.

How about you tell us who you know who has kids who like their school all of the time? No kid is like that. Every kid doesn't like their school some of the time, no matter what school it is, no matter where it is located. You make it seem like this is a problem with BASIS, when it isn't a real problem at all.

Yup. Her post blamed Basis for the fact that their kid wasn't happy. Now it seems more her teenager is unhappy because they are a teenager. Everyone with teens in the house can related to this in some way. The dots that aren't connecting are to what degree this is a function of Basis vs teenage malaise. She seems to yearn for Walls or Latin as if that would magically solve the teenage years. I'd also suggest that she might want to take a moment nd appreciate that her kid has a "good group of friends". That's not always the case in HS (or MS).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS isn’t a normal school. As has been pointed out, it’s an AP prep tutoring program with able tutors. The fun parts about school are mostly missing, other than the friendships. This point is hard to miss. Give your taxing boosterism a rest already.

You are reading (and replying) to a thread literally titled "How to help child succeed at BASIS". If anyone's behavior is taxing it is people like you who chime in to complain that people who attend Basis and have insight into Basis are posting about their Basis experience.

You are the kind of DCUM troll who would reply to a thread about "Tell me how to improve my swim times" with observations about how dangerous swimming is and why Chlorine is bad for your skin. And yet somehow your egotism demands that you believe that your input is what was missing from the discussion about improving swim times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exactly.

Inveterate BASIS MS boosters, please report back a few years hence.

My neighbor's kid graduated last year, and their family was very happy overall. They are the one of the big reasons we lotteried into BASIS in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exactly.

Inveterate BASIS MS boosters, please report back a few years hence.

Okay? Things are going great now; if that changes I won't hesitate to send my kid elsewhere.

I feel like the goalposts are always getting moved by the BASIS bashers. A few years ago, when I would positively comment on my kid's 5th grade experience at BASIS, DCUM posters would say "Oh you naive thing, just wait until your kid gets to 7th grade!" Now that my kid is in 7th grade, and having an excellent year/experience, the refrain is, "oh just wait, high school will be terrible . . .. "