Basis Charter School - Experience and Insight Requested

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the perspective of certain families it’s fine if Basis is a pit stop on way to privates, Walls, or Banneker: It’s gets you past what could be a completely unviable middle school depending on your zoning. That’s 3-4 more years to assess a high school path, whether that means going private, trying for Walls/Banneker, or even staying at Basis (which does work for a critical mass of students).

This is much better than “striking out” out in the lottery and being forced into (almost) immediate life changes, like moving or applying to/and paying for private school starting in 6th grade. This is the sort of calculus facing most people.

There are more middle school options than there were before, so this idea that you completely strike out is also untrue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loooong post above says little more than the v. short post above it.

BASIS is decent for 5th grade for almost everybody. But the higher you go, the more complicated it gets. We left after middle school not because the work, rigor and testing were stressful.

We were out the door because the curriculum is narrow, the facilities and enrichment weak, the best teachers tend to leave, admins are OT pushy and parents are absurdly disempowered.

On top of all that, the campus (and franchise?) is ridiculously indebted and cash strapped.

They've been running a surplus for years. It's actually something that pisses me off since I'd rather see the money reinvested. The only debt they have is the building. All charter schools have mortgage service. But by all means don't let facts get in the way of your narrative.

P.S. This is "Exhibit A" for why it is useless to try and get info about BASIS on DCUM.

No. The nonprofit runs the school and the for profit, which is heavily leveraged, owns the property, the curriculum etc

Just pull the real estate records if you don’t believe me.

BASIS DC is not a for profit school. BASIS DC is a non-profit. By your logic a charter school school that rents space from a corporation as landlord is essentially a corporation? You are digging deep if the best you can do is faux concern that [GASP] a piece of real estate is leveraged. Also can't help but notice you just pretended you didn't get their finances totally backwards. The financials are public. BASIS DC has run a surplus for several years. We call these "facts".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the perspective of certain families it’s fine if Basis is a pit stop on way to privates, Walls, or Banneker: It’s gets you past what could be a completely unviable middle school depending on your zoning. That’s 3-4 more years to assess a high school path, whether that means going private, trying for Walls/Banneker, or even staying at Basis (which does work for a critical mass of students).

This is much better than “striking out” out in the lottery and being forced into (almost) immediate life changes, like moving or applying to/and paying for private school starting in 6th grade. This is the sort of calculus facing most people.

There are more middle school options than there were before, so this idea that you completely strike out is also untrue.

Subjectively speaking, which is all that matters at the family level, many families feel as if they’ve struck out if they don’t have access to Deal, the Latins, or Basis. It’s of course not objectively true that they have no options beyond those three.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loooong post above says little more than the v. short post above it.

BASIS is decent for 5th grade for almost everybody. But the higher you go, the more complicated it gets. We left after middle school not because the work, rigor and testing were stressful.

We were out the door because the curriculum is narrow, the facilities and enrichment weak, the best teachers tend to leave, admins are OT pushy and parents are absurdly disempowered.

On top of all that, the campus (and franchise?) is ridiculously indebted and cash strapped.

They've been running a surplus for years. It's actually something that pisses me off since I'd rather see the money reinvested. The only debt they have is the building. All charter schools have mortgage service. But by all means don't let facts get in the way of your narrative.

P.S. This is "Exhibit A" for why it is useless to try and get info about BASIS on DCUM.

No. The nonprofit runs the school and the for profit, which is heavily leveraged, owns the property, the curriculum etc

Just pull the real estate records if you don’t believe me.

BASIS DC is not a for profit school. BASIS DC is a non-profit. By your logic a charter school school that rents space from a corporation as landlord is essentially a corporation? You are digging deep if the best you can do is faux concern that [GASP] a piece of real estate is leveraged. Also can't help but notice you just pretended you didn't get their finances totally backwards. The financials are public. BASIS DC has run a surplus for several years. We call these "facts".

The surplus is news to me. You wouldn't know it from the lack of spending on dances, field trips, school events, etc. It would be so helpful if someone could link to the various financials being referenced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What public school in DC has a kiln and teaches pottery?

More than a few. Eliot-Hine is doing Ceramics in Art with 7th and 8th graders right now.

[Anonymous]

PP - I am not saying that EH is better academically, simply answering this question.

At the end of the day, you have to make the BEST choice for your kid based on who they are. This may not be the best choice for your neighbor's kid. This also may not be the same choice you picked for yourself at 10 years old.

[Anonymous]

roughly 1/3 of the kids who match in the 5th grade lottery turn down the seats and the school then typically goes pretty deep into the waitlist to fill those spots. those kids are not all zoned for deal or going to latin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:roughly 1/3 of the kids who match in the 5th grade lottery turn down the seats and the school then typically goes pretty deep into the waitlist to fill those spots. those kids are not all zoned for deal or going to latin.

I’m aware that Basis goes deep into their waitlist, but how does that rebut the point that a critical mass of families view Basis as a decent (if not ideal) way station while they assess plans for high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What public school in DC has a kiln and teaches pottery?

I don't think this is that outlandish. I am an elementary school teacher and our art classroom has a small kiln.

Eastern, Dunbar and Roosevelt have lovely buildings. Of course they are filled with kids who can't score at grade level on CAPE. But by all means let's focus on what matters.

“Can’t” as in incapable? Or can’t as in unable to for a lot of very complex reasons, most of which aren’t the kids fault? This is a real yuck take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What public school in DC has a kiln and teaches pottery?

I don't think this is that outlandish. I am an elementary school teacher and our art classroom has a small kiln.

Eastern, Dunbar and Roosevelt have lovely buildings. Of course they are filled with kids who can't score at grade level on CAPE. But by all means let's focus on what matters.

“Can’t” as in incapable? Or can’t as in unable to for a lot of very complex reasons, most of which aren’t the kids fault? This is a real yuck take.

They are certainly incapable in any way that’s relevant to whether such schools are suitable learning environments for a child at or above grade level. But agree that the reasons for this circumstance are multifaceted (if not necessarily complex) and not primarily the fault of the kids.

[Anonymous]

replace “can’t” with “don’t.” middle school is the weakest link in the city. a lot of people with smart kids who land spots at basis do feel like they should take it. kids who are diligent and good at testing seem to mostly do well there. i have found that people with kids who leave tend to not be super vocal about it because they recognize that the school works reasonably well for some kids even if not really theirs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:replace “can’t” with “don’t.” middle school is the weakest link in the city. a lot of people with smart kids who land spots at basis do feel like they should take it. kids who are diligent and good at testing seem to mostly do well there. i have found that people with kids who leave tend to not be super vocal about it because they recognize that the school works reasonably well for some kids even if not really theirs.

Yes - Basis seems to serve segment of kids well in middle school even if they decamp to elsewhere for high school. Seems fine to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loooong post above says little more than the v. short post above it.

BASIS is decent for 5th grade for almost everybody. But the higher you go, the more complicated it gets. We left after middle school not because the work, rigor and testing were stressful.

We were out the door because the curriculum is narrow, the facilities and enrichment weak, the best teachers tend to leave, admins are OT pushy and parents are absurdly disempowered.

On top of all that, the campus (and franchise?) is ridiculously indebted and cash strapped.

They've been running a surplus for years. It's actually something that pisses me off since I'd rather see the money reinvested. The only debt they have is the building. All charter schools have mortgage service. But by all means don't let facts get in the way of your narrative.

P.S. This is "Exhibit A" for why it is useless to try and get info about BASIS on DCUM.

No. The nonprofit runs the school and the for profit, which is heavily leveraged, owns the property, the curriculum etc

Just pull the real estate records if you don’t believe me.

BASIS DC is not a for profit school. BASIS DC is a non-profit. By your logic a charter school school that rents space from a corporation as landlord is essentially a corporation? You are digging deep if the best you can do is faux concern that [GASP] a piece of real estate is leveraged. Also can't help but notice you just pretended you didn't get their finances totally backwards. The financials are public. BASIS DC has run a surplus for several years. We call these "facts".

The surplus is news to me. You wouldn't know it from the lack of spending on dances, field trips, school events, etc. It would be so helpful if someone could link to the various financials being referenced.

Translation: "I just make up lies about BASIS DC. When I get called out for those lies, I ask people to do my research for me."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:roughly 1/3 of the kids who match in the 5th grade lottery turn down the seats and the school then typically goes pretty deep into the waitlist to fill those spots. those kids are not all zoned for deal or going to latin.

With good reason.

BASIS is not a good choice for kids that are not academically minded and parents should not apply in the lottery or, if admitted, shouldn't send their kids.

[Anonymous]

BASIS isn't a good choice for plenty of "academically minded" kids either. My eldest did fine there on paper, but struggled socially and grew increasingly angry and depressed as middle school progressed. The reality is that BASIS doesn't offer a happy atmosphere for too many of the students, including strong ones.