BASIS wait list

[Anonymous]

Let's not forget everyone admitted to Latin will take the spot. Everyone admitted to DCI will take the spot.

For BASIS, this will not be the case, unless parents know for sure their child will really be catered to.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Amazing how quickly a simple question about BASIS becomes an opportunity for the trollers! I think there will be more wait list movement for 5th grade, though there are definitely more siblings who got preference over prior years. It is still a relatively new school and last year's wait list issues for 6th grade likely reflected those growing pains. As someone with a 6th grader at the school and a son thankfully matched for 5th next year, I hope you get in!

one of PPs here -- not trolling, but genuinely wondering why the scarcity argument has currency. We have an upper ES child in a non-Deal DCPS feeder and right now we consider BASIS somewhat of a fallback option. DC can handle BASIS rigor but we're on the fence on the pedagogical model. There's plenty to both like (advanced academics and high achievement bar) and question (over-emphasis on testing). We have yet to decide but will certainly consider in time along with other options.

I encourage you to reflect on all of your options and to choose BASIS, PP. However, please either commit fully to BASIS or relinquish your spot by May 1. Please don't enroll to have more time to make a decision. There are families on the BASIS wait list who, like you, have other options, but who, unlike you, have a preference for BASIS. Those families will be forced to commit to their fallback option if you hold on to spot you don't really want.

not considering SY15/16, but either way -- why shouldn't someone take the offered space as a fallback and wait to see if other preferable options as ranked in lottery become available? Plenty of people hold their nose and end up USING spots for which they are ambivalent. There are 18 kids currently waitlisted for BASIS for 5th grade -- ALL will be offered seats. There are 84 waitlisted for 6th. That's not particularly high as lottery numbers go -- at Latin there are 154 waitlisted for 5th grade and 175 for 6th grade

I misunderstood your post, PP.

It's hard to argue with doing everything possible when it's in the interests of your child, including holding a spot at a school that you probably won't attend. However, keep in mind that many of families wait listed for 6th grade probably can't wait until a spot opens up in the fall, e.g., they sign a contract for a private school or move to MD or VA over the summer. If enough families enroll and then relinquish their spots over the summer or in the fall, the school ends up with an under-enrolled 6th grade, as it did this year.

That happens to many schools, DCPS and DCPCS alike. Stuart Hobson took a huge hit in 2013 when a bloc of enrolled students took seats at BASIS and left the school scrambling to fill the gap before count day. At the time parents simply exploited a loophole by double enrolling in DCPS and DCPCS without providing notification and were no shows when school began. At least no one can double enroll now, but one can hold out for waitlist options.

And there is probably significant overlap in the wait lists between Latin and Basis and perhaps DCI or Cap City with the same kids on every list. Those numbers are pretty misleading in a way but if all schools ask families who get it via the wait list to commit quickly (post June 1 when the 30 day decision period no longer applies) the inevitable shuffle will be reduced.

[Anonymous]

I was in a meeting for our local school's STEM night and I heard explicit things about how different students are treated differently at BASIS. We were contemplating a move to DC. I do not think it will happen anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in a meeting for our local school's STEM night and I heard explicit things about how different students are treated differently at BASIS. We were contemplating a move to DC. I do not think it will happen anytime soon.

Good idea. Stay away from DC. It's crowded and dangerous. Suburbs are so much better, safer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was in a meeting for our local school's STEM night and I heard explicit things about how different students are treated differently at BASIS. We were contemplating a move to DC. I do not think it will happen anytime soon.

Do you mean how the kids who study hard are rewarded with better grades than the kids who blow off school? What's going on at BASIS is disgraceful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in a meeting for our local school's STEM night and I heard explicit things about how different students are treated differently at BASIS. We were contemplating a move to DC. I do not think it will happen anytime soon.

Do you mean how the kids who study hard are rewarded with better grades than the kids who blow off school? What's going on at BASIS is disgraceful.

Hearing about it every day.... The kids that are doing well are working their butts off, putting in the hours, going over their CJ meticulously every night, studying for tests, and so on. The ones that are struggling, aren't writing assignments in their CJ, aren't getting the work and studying done, are talking in class and not paying attention....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was in a meeting for our local school's STEM night and I heard explicit things about how different students are treated differently at BASIS. We were contemplating a move to DC. I do not think it will happen anytime soon.

Do you mean how the kids who study hard are rewarded with better grades than the kids who blow off school? What's going on at BASIS is disgraceful.

Hearing about it every day.... The kids that are doing well are working their butts off, putting in the hours, going over their CJ meticulously every night, studying for tests, and so on. The ones that are struggling, aren't writing assignments in their CJ, aren't getting the work and studying done, are talking in class and not paying attention....

Agreed-there are a lot of things I am not fond of at BASIS (specific people in admin, many of the one-sided rules int he handbook, the size of the individual classes, comps, etc) but working hard, being careful to make sure you know what you are being tested on and when and going to office hours if you do not understand anything will ensure success. That is not to say every hard worker will like the environment, but they will flourish there academically. And the teachers are DEDICATED-DC is in 6th this year and if I had had DC's science teachers this year, I might have pursued a field in something science related. They "get" middle schoolers and are dynamic in their approaches. It is DEFINITELY not for every kid-for DC, frequent testing builds on the best way DC learns, for others, it causes more stress, and sadly, it's hard to tell which category your 10 or 11 year old will fall into until they've been there for a month or two. I feel that without hesitation, a parent should try BASIS for their hard-working 5th grader, but 6th grade is trickier, since not every 11 year old is ready to deal with comprehensive exams, no matter how smart or hard working they may be.