BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

No idea what that means, but our ed leaders clearly agree that we could all move, and that we're welcome to. They throw us a bone with bare-bones charters like Latin and BASIS offering more rigor than DCPS middle schools and most high schools. That's it. They won't even consider giving us suburban style middle schools with good facilities, strong arts and sports programs, and academic tracking across core subjects by 8th grade. The problem is political.

[Anonymous]

The people deriding bare-bones charters with terrible facilities and teachers are not mentioning that DC has some gorgeous high schools with awesome facilities and extra-curricular programs. Dunbar is beautiful. Same for Eastern. Gee, what about those schools could be different than what the big bad charters have?

[Anonymous]

So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

[Anonymous]

[img]

Anonymous wrote:So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

So then where did you send your kids to MS?

[Anonymous]

Had a great experience at Eliot-Hine. Academically rigorous, small school population. Not as many ECs for non-sporty types, but a small complaint.

Really impressed with the Eastern HS open house, and what I know from families who go there. They offer a full IB program instead of AP (though they do have 2 AP classes) and all students can take IB classes a la carte if they don’t want to do the IB diploma. They are more invested in IB program than Banneker and strive to make it available to all students which is much more inclusive approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

This is such a dumb phrase. All schools have principals and curriculum set by Central. Same in NoVa as well.

[Anonymous]

Which suburban middle schools ban PTAs, incorporated PAs AND unionized teachers? Um, the BASIS franchise wil not countenance any of them. them. Moreover, the current HoS is far more controlling than the two we dealt with before him.

[Anonymous]

Seems like a good thing.

Maybe that is one reason that BASIS DC is so highly ranked in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

So then where did you send your kids to MS?

LOL. Of course PP won't answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a good thing.

Maybe that is one reason that BASIS DC is so highly ranked in DC.

As they say, proof is in the pudding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had a great experience at Eliot-Hine. Academically rigorous, small school population. Not as many ECs for non-sporty types, but a small complaint.

Really impressed with the Eastern HS open house, and what I know from families who go there. They offer a full IB program instead of AP (though they do have 2 AP classes) and all students can take IB classes a la carte if they don’t want to do the IB diploma. They are more invested in IB program than Banneker and strive to make it available to all students which is much more inclusive approach.

Did you find out why the math scores are so abysmally terrible though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which suburban middle schools ban PTAs, incorporated PAs AND unionized teachers? Um, the BASIS franchise wil not countenance any of them. them. Moreover, the current HoS is far more controlling than the two we dealt with before him.

The two you dealt with before him were let go after one year. You're pining for short-term failed leadership at the same time you lament lack of tenure. Pick a lane!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Had a great experience at Eliot-Hine. Academically rigorous, small school population. Not as many ECs for non-sporty types, but a small complaint.

Really impressed with the Eastern HS open house, and what I know from families who go there. They offer a full IB program instead of AP (though they do have 2 AP classes) and all students can take IB classes a la carte if they don’t want to do the IB diploma. They are more invested in IB program than Banneker and strive to make it available to all students which is much more inclusive approach.

Agreed that Banneker does not make IB available to all but less clear why Eastern is more invested. Other than being available to all, how else is Eastern more invested in IB?

[Anonymous]

Why is IB for all a demonstration of academic commitment? IB, like AP, is not meant for everyone. In the same way varsity sports aren’t meant for everyone either. How well can students score on an IB test when the teachers have a wide range of student abilities in the class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

So then where did you send your kids to MS?

Blessed Sacrament in NW. The tuition isn’t bad, great teachers, strong community, PTA and ECs, good leadership. Not enough diversity and STEM instruction weaker than BASIS but we can live with that.