BASIS: How was THAT first day?

[Anonymous]

AFter all of the discussion, anyone care to share how the first day at BASIS DC went?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious too actually. BTW, I am a firm believer in cutting ALL charter schools a break for the first 5 years. The kids who are 'pioneers' will have a unique and great experience if the community stays positive, and the kids who swim in their wake will have a different and hopefully great, established experience. I don't love the Basis model, but I hope that within their model and for the fans of that model they have gotten off and running. However, expect and (forgive) some road bumps.

[Anonymous]

Went great! Very disciplined and organized transition from prior experiences, lots of clarity on procedures and expectations, though we still need a few questions answered here and there, looking forward to the school year.

[Anonymous]

Good news.

[Anonymous]

Basis is a breath of fresh air, especially for those children coming from schools with no textbooks, no curriculum or no guide was provided. Many parents and students in our previous school were under the impression that the teacher had just printed out something from the internet at the last moment and handed it out to them.

Here, we already received a syllabus outlining a long range plan for every course and specifying office hours for students and for parents.
It's going to be a tough adjustment at first but it's all worth it.

[Anonymous]

PP, what school did you come from that did not have textbooks or a curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, what school did you come from that did not have textbooks or a curriculum?

Not the PP, but our former school, a highly regarded-highly coveted charter, did not use text books nor did I ever see a standard curriculuum with expectations of what the children were going to learn from year to year. I assume that the teachers used something, but I never saw it.

The one exception to the no textbooks thing was that the school used a vocabulary program that came with a work book.

[Anonymous]

You don't want to name the school?

[Anonymous]

Can't speak for charters but remember that DCPS has only just this year finally (re)defined its Learning Standards. The textbooks that it has relied on, and which are still in circulation, are not aligned with those standards. So teachers should actually be commended for not relying solely on those textbooks but instead pulling in content that truly is aligned with the learning standards and outcomes to be achieved to devise their lesson plans. Affirming that going by a textbook is indicative of the existence of a curriculum is putting the cart before the horse. The curriculum and learning standards come first and the textbook is chosen accordingly. (I hope, and believe, Basis does that.)
This is where you can find DCPS' learning standards by grade level: http://dcps.dc.gov/portal/site/DCPS/menuitem.06de50edb2b17a932c69621014f62010/?vgnextoid=3e7d112f62c32210VgnVCM100000416f0201RCRD&vgnextchannel=22aba12cbf242210VgnVCM100000416f0201RCRD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't want to name the school?

translation: please feed me--i'm a troll.

[Anonymous]

I wrote that and am not a troll. I am interested in learning more about schools. Why is that trolling? Wait. Don't answer because that would be unproductive--unlike the answer to my q, which would be helpful to many parents.

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/why-our-textbooks-dont-work/2012/02/25/gIQAvI16ZR_blog.html

[Anonymous]

Was it a Montessori school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't speak for charters but remember that DCPS has only just this year finally (re)defined its Learning Standards. The textbooks that it has relied on, and which are still in circulation, are not aligned with those standards. So teachers should actually be commended for not relying solely on those textbooks but instead pulling in content that truly is aligned with the learning standards and outcomes to be achieved to devise their lesson plans. Affirming that going by a textbook is indicative of the existence of a curriculum is putting the cart before the horse. The curriculum and learning standards come first and the textbook is chosen accordingly. (I hope, and believe, Basis does that.)
This is where you can find DCPS' learning standards by grade level: http://dcps.dc.gov/portal/site/DCPS/menuitem.06de50edb2b17a932c69621014f62010/?vgnextoid=3e7d112f62c32210VgnVCM100000416f0201RCRD&vgnextchannel=22aba12cbf242210VgnVCM100000416f0201RCRD

What you're saying is very true if done properly. In large schools this is feasible where many teach the same subject. They cooperate together to come up with lesson plans enabling students master every standard.
However, when there is only one teacher per subject for each grade level, it's quite easy to fake it and take the easy way out. It's quite easy to type in something on the internet and come up with some handout or project. I have been in education for quite a while as an admin and as a teacher. There are dedicated teachers and there are those who know how to fake it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wrote that and am not a troll. I am interested in learning more about schools. Why is that trolling? Wait. Don't answer because that would be unproductive--unlike the answer to my q, which would be helpful to many parents.

own it. you're a troll. you can make all the justifications you want, but.....you're a troll.