How's basis going so far?

[Anonymous]

"And at its core is simply lacks a soul. The teachers are bitter. The students are fried. There is a heaviness saturating the campus... "

Thanks for posting. It's tempting to go with BASIS, because it's "free." But when I stepped onto our number one pick for private school with my son, I had the exact opposite feeling of what you describe at BASIS.

Tuition will be a heavy cost for us, but in our family, education is #1. That said, good luck BASIS DC. It sounds like you'll need it.

[Anonymous]

To the Tucson poster, I can't say that's been our experience in DC. Yes, there is some acceleration, but it's a balanced approach, it's not "drill and kill". Yes, there are some math drills, but they are interspersed with many other techniques, and in some areas like math, frankly one cannot get away from drills, to improve the fundamentals. Again, remember the 3 P rule for getting good at something. Practice, practice, practice. If students don't know their basic math facts and cannot pull them up quickly on command, then they will be struggling more and more as later work depends on mental math. If they can't first and foremost recall basic rules like PEMDAS they will be getting subsequent problems wrong, and the only way to get there is through some practice.

But that said, it's not all rote memorization either, particularly in other areas like science. There are labs, lectures, exercises, worksheets, critical thinking, exploration and application as well. It's well in balance. You can't just say "OK, kids, go explore" and turn them loose in the jungle without first having given them some good guidance, the tools needed like a map, GPS, machete, training on how to use the tools, et cetera - and also being there to find them and guide them back if they wander off the trail - and BASIS DC from all our experience thus far has been there to do that. They DO do the lab exercises and activities to meaningfully understand science concepts, as an example - in talking to DS, there's a lot more going on in the BASIS science classroom than just what one sees with the flash cards and quizzes that he brings home.

The "Olga Block model" is NOT the "Chinese model" - but it also not out of thin air or a completely untested or unproven model - it is ultimately based on the European model, which has maturity and experience behind it - and we have seen no indication whatsoever of moving to a Chinese-style "drill and kill" approach.

Yes, it's a fast pace, and yes, the kids work hard. No, it's not suited to every kid, no it's not suited to every student. Lacking a soul? Bitter teachers? Haven't seen that either thus far - but I HAVE been to plenty of public schools that had their share of soullessness and bitter teachers. But the beauty of having a diverse collection of charters, publics and privates is that you do have choice. If it's not suited for your child, there are other schools to pick from. Especially in DC where over 40% of students now are in charters. It won't be the magic bullet for every child in DC, but I do think BASIS fills a vital educational gap in DC, and I do believe BASIS has a good, lasting role to serve for many families in DC.

[Anonymous]

Very interesting to weigh the opinions and experiences of a patent I'm Tucson who is experiencing a fully, articulated and mature version if Basis with the observations and opinions who has a younger student in a brand new Basis for all of a month and a half.

Gives me a lot to think about. If I were the dc parent, I think I would spend less time defending the school and more time drawing out the Tucson parent on the very rational ideas on how parents united could avoid the downsides of the mature model down the road.

[Anonymous]

To 7:17

Ultimately, I agree with your core contentions and I wish you guys all the best of luck. BASIS represents a dynamic choice and alternative to a really unappealing public school system (in DC and Tucson).

Drill and Kill, Chinese System, Lacking a Soul, Bitter Teachers of course are extremely negative labels and overstate my position since I remain connected to the school and recognize many strenghts. I think I am using extremes to try (not very well) to communicate what I and my fellow parents see as a basic underlying truth about the nature of the institution. By most objective metrics it is a continuing success story. But I am simply trying to relate the psychological reality of what I would guess to be the majority of the parents and students in the 5th grade. And beyond the hyperbole, it really is only about the wisdom of placing a such cumulative test & content load (which is really what I mean by drill and kill) on an 11 year old and maintaining that pressure through 12th grade. That is all. The community has many many strengths, again primarily because of the self-selecting nature of the parents, kids & teachers - it is a community of people who want to learn and certainly is not for everyone. I don't mean to set off the cream-skimmers by that remark. It is a charter school. Anyone can go.

I guess on my experience I don't see any connection to any version of what might be called the European model, which I think is about as unhelpful ultimately as the Chinese model.

But I do think based on this exchange that each BASIS is its own entity, it will have its own destiny based on the society, the personnel, etc.

Again my only suggestion, and my intention at BASIS Tucson, is to form an organized community of parents to communicate effectively to each other and the administration our concerns (and to be fair they have responded in limited ways even this year by, for example, expressing the intent to reduce the homework load in non-core classes). But I still feel at our campus the only two options right now are like it or lump it, which is basically what we get from the public schools, and I still feel as an private school and ivy-league educated person, that our BASIS is making an unfortunate mistake in taking a good idea (rigor and high expectations) to a suboptimal extreme.

[Anonymous]

our BASIS is making an unfortunate mistake in taking a good idea (rigor and high expectations) to a suboptimal extreme...

which I meant to add is killing us because it could be amazing and there are really no decent public alternatives here so we feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, and that is a really frustrating place to be. We are thinking frankly of homeschooling and/or leaving Tucson as a last resort (only one private school of note in town and we are philosophically opposed to that route)... But that is my waaah moment, and not really of concern to you guys! Again, I wish you the best of luck!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I were the dc parent, I think I would spend less time defending the school and more time drawing out the Tucson parent on the very rational ideas on how parents united could avoid the downsides of the mature model down the road.

Yes, that's why I'm grateful he/she stopped by. I have tons of questions about the differences between the Tuscon and DC model. From conceptual down to detail. For example: new Spanish teacher here for two weeks (she's great!) but apparently 'didn't get the memo' about writing homework on the board and communicating to parents thru the CJ. Does the school mentor these teachers or just toss them into the fray? Also: guidebook says no electronics but in fact they're everywhere. Is that changing in Tuscon too? But big picture, I really wonder about the social aspects too. My private high-school child had time in the day to exchange ideas and hang out just a bit, work together, pop out for some vitamin D sunshine during free period. In Tucson is there a relaxed gathering place, and can kids come and go as they please if they have a free period? The DC Basis has no outdoor space but the National Mall is a few blocks away and there's a lovely park (Navy Memorial) with fountains just a few doors down from the school. But if there's no free time?...I understand lunch passes will go to kids who keep up the academics - looking forward to that but that's all the same lunch crowd every day, no blending of grades.

Is it clique-ish or with social sub-cultures? Is there a drug or alcohol concern at all? and does the school have a policy on off-campus hijinks? As to homework, is it all afternoon into the night? For my private high-school child it often went to (past?) midnight but I'm sure the endless texting dragged it out. How much participation by parents in the Boosters, i.e. is it just a few go-getters or seen as a group most everybody enjoys? What have been the issues around which the Boosters have made a difference in Tucson? So many questions! Grateful for insight on the culture of the school as a community!

[Anonymous]

And finally (I swear) the entire model is predicated upon truly excellent teachers, which BASIS has but not in all classrooms. So we have a competent but not excellent teacher and that is just not cutting the mustard... makes it very frustrating, really impedes overall performance and satisfaction. And that, says Gump, is all I have to say about that!!!!

[Anonymous]

This discussion is the most helpful one I've seen yet! We did not go the basis route for our child, for many of the reasons mentioned in the past few posts. It does seem too extreme to us. However, I do understand those parents who chose basis. The middle school options in Dc are still frustrating. But that situation is improving. Which system/school is likely to achieve a healthy, happy medium sooner? I don't know. But if something has to be sacrificed (if privates and moving are out of the question), I think we'll go with whichever one is least disruptive to our core, safe, touchstone family life. Leaving that intact is probably the best investment we can make in our child's future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"And at its core is simply lacks a soul. The teachers are bitter. The students are fried. There is a heaviness saturating the campus... "

Thanks for posting. It's tempting to go with BASIS, because it's "free." But when I stepped onto our number one pick for private school with my son, I had the exact opposite feeling of what you describe at BASIS.

Tuition will be a heavy cost for us, but in our family, education is #1. That said, good luck BASIS DC. It sounds like you'll need it.

Wow. In our family, education is down in the 20s, below cable TV, but above weekly Chinese take-out. That's why we chose BASIS DC.

DW has been speculating for weeks that many of the negative posts on these BASIS threads are from private school parents who feel the need to justify their decisions. I having been arguing that private school parents have better things to do with their time. I guess she's right.

[Anonymous]

With all due respect pp, I believe it was a tuscon basis parent who made the "lacks soul" comment while trying to describe the overall vibe of that school. The private school pArent was simply responding with his or her own positive feeling about their choice. Hey, we all love our kids and are all fumbling through the education maze that exists here. Easy with the sarcasm please!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"And at its core is simply lacks a soul. The teachers are bitter. The students are fried. There is a heaviness saturating the campus... "

Thanks for posting. It's tempting to go with BASIS, because it's "free." But when I stepped onto our number one pick for private school with my son, I had the exact opposite feeling of what you describe at BASIS.

Tuition will be a heavy cost for us, but in our family, education is #1. That said, good luck BASIS DC. It sounds like you'll need it.

If you are happy with your child being in private, why are you reading this thread? The only time I go to private school threads, is when I want a good laugh.

[Anonymous]

An aside here about public dcps funding per kid vs. charter funding. Does the latter,in basis' case, in luxe the building purchase and retrofit? Keep in mind that d ps' allotment includes rehab of an aging system of buildings. This is a good thing, and certainly needs to go hand in hand with rehab of what happens inside the classroom. But lets compare apples to apples.

[Anonymous]

That's "include" not in luxe!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"And at its core is simply lacks a soul. The teachers are bitter. The students are fried. There is a heaviness saturating the campus... "

Thanks for posting. It's tempting to go with BASIS, because it's "free." But when I stepped onto our number one pick for private school with my son, I had the exact opposite feeling of what you describe at BASIS.

Tuition will be a heavy cost for us, but in our family, education is #1. That said, good luck BASIS DC. It sounds like you'll need it.

Wow. In our family, education is down in the 20s, below cable TV, but above weekly Chinese take-out. That's why we chose BASIS DC.

DW has been speculating for weeks that many of the negative posts on these BASIS threads are from private school parents who feel the need to justify their decisions. I having been arguing that private school parents have better things to do with their time. I guess she's right.

Nice try, not private yet. Still deciding. But the nastiness of the BASIS parents again reinforces what the Tucson parent shared and the general vibe we are getting.

[Anonymous]

Tuition will be a heavy cost for us, but in our family, education is #1. That said, good luck BASIS DC. It sounds like you'll need it.
pp, did you not type this?