BASIS launching private school in McLean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just don't see how this meets needs in Tysons. If you have 25k for private school why not just put that 25k to a more expensive mortage, play lottery in DC and move into District. Go to basis for free AND get the tax write off on the mortgage. although I would guess that basis VA will be much better academically since its self selecting and DC is all lottery so you get a wider range of academic talent. It will be interesting to watch though. Maybe if there is a huge demand for it VA that might entice some VA folks to move to District to get the school for free?

Because BASIS in DC isn't living up to the founders expectations: they don't want to take any and all comers. They don't like being told its their job to bring kids up to speed. They want families to self-select and that's not in accordance with the law.

My DC loves BDC, but would be thrilled if all the things that would differentiate a public from a private Basis were removed or reduced, like class size, students who spend more time disrupting than contributing to class, and a cramped building, so there are reasons one would pay the $ over moving. Oh, and there's Sean Aiken-our fantastic former HOS who will open the VA school.

[Anonymous]

Basis public schools work because of attrition. Anyone willing to work incredibly hard can succeed. Many kids are not willing to put in the hard work for various reasons (ex. prefer to do sports, music, drama; have to work even harder to catch up because do poor academic preparation.) Those kids unwilling to put in the hard work drop out. If you look at the number of kids who drop out each year it is pretty high. It is good that a school is available to those who want an academically rigorous education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis public schools work because of attrition. Anyone willing to work incredibly hard can succeed. Many kids are not willing to put in the hard work for various reasons (ex. prefer to do sports, music, drama; have to work even harder to catch up because do poor academic preparation.) Those kids unwilling to put in the hard work drop out. If you look at the number of kids who drop out each year it is pretty high. It is good that a school is available to those who want an academically rigorous education.

Yes and no-6th grade continues to be the worse grade/rotating class every year because many of the worst students and troublemakers come back desire failing-there will be kids repeating 6th for the fourth time at Basis this coming school year. That would not happen at a private because no parent would pay for their kid to fail 3 years running..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis public schools work because of attrition. Anyone willing to work incredibly hard can succeed. Many kids are not willing to put in the hard work for various reasons (ex. prefer to do sports, music, drama; have to work even harder to catch up because do poor academic preparation.) Those kids unwilling to put in the hard work drop out. If you look at the number of kids who drop out each year it is pretty high. It is good that a school is available to those who want an academically rigorous education.

Yes and no-6th grade continues to be the worse grade/rotating class every year because many of the worst students and troublemakers come back desire failing-there will be kids repeating 6th for the fourth time at Basis this coming school year. That would not happen at a private because no parent would pay for their kid to fail 3 years running..

And/or a private school could ask them to leave.

[Anonymous]

That is ridiculous to have kids 4 years older in the same class, is that true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis public schools work because of attrition. Anyone willing to work incredibly hard can succeed. Many kids are not willing to put in the hard work for various reasons (ex. prefer to do sports, music, drama; have to work even harder to catch up because do poor academic preparation.) Those kids unwilling to put in the hard work drop out. If you look at the number of kids who drop out each year it is pretty high. It is good that a school is available to those who want an academically rigorous education.

Yes and no-6th grade continues to be the worse grade/rotating class every year because many of the worst students and troublemakers come back desire failing-there will be kids repeating 6th for the fourth time at Basis this coming school year. That would not happen at a private because no parent would pay for their kid to fail 3 years running..

Is this really true? That would mean that a child started BASIS DC in 6th grade when it first opened and is still in 6th grade? While his/her peers are going into 9th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis public schools work because of attrition. Anyone willing to work incredibly hard can succeed. Many kids are not willing to put in the hard work for various reasons (ex. prefer to do sports, music, drama; have to work even harder to catch up because do poor academic preparation.) Those kids unwilling to put in the hard work drop out. If you look at the number of kids who drop out each year it is pretty high. It is good that a school is available to those who want an academically rigorous education.

Yes and no-6th grade continues to be the worse grade/rotating class every year because many of the worst students and troublemakers come back desire failing-there will be kids repeating 6th for the fourth time at Basis this coming school year. That would not happen at a private because no parent would pay for their kid to fail 3 years running..

Is this really true? That would mean that a child started BASIS DC in 6th grade when it first opened and is still in 6th grade? While his/her peers are going into 9th?

Yes. Not many but some kids are in this position. They will not do social promotion. Starting in 6th, to move to the next grade students must have at least a 60% average for all coursework in all classes AND get 60% or better on all comprehensive exams.

The exception is math - if you pass course and exam for everything but your math class you can move to next grade but retake the math.

[Anonymous]

But how is it in the child's best interest to stay in the same grade for four years at the same school? Isn't that a huge downside for the other kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But how is it in the child's best interest to stay in the same grade for four years at the same school? Isn't that a huge downside for the other kids?[/quote

Basis can't kick them out. If they promote them to the next grade they will be even more behind academically which is also not good for the rest of the kids. The parents of these kids havent moved them to a new school for whatever reason.

I honestly don't know what the answer is.

[Anonymous]

I seriously doubt this is true. Our kid has been there 3 years and has not noticed any kid repeating more than once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But how is it in the child's best interest to stay in the same grade for four years at the same school? Isn't that a huge downside for the other kids?

Absolutely, but it's a public charter, so BASIS gives them a packet to work on and retest them at the end of the summer, and if they get a failing grade, they either leave or repeat-the parents choose to keep them, it is not BASIS fault.

Honestly, if you haven't mastered at the very least the sciences each year before moving forward, you can't succeed the next year, and comps are how. They determine that-amazing them half the grade for the year is debatable, insisting every 6th 7th and 8th grader passes science comps before moving forward isn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt this is true. Our kid has been there 3 years and has not noticed any kid repeating more than once.

I heard it straight from the LS dept this past year that we had 3rd year repeaters/kids that had failed at least twice and were doing a 3rd year of 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt this is true. Our kid has been there 3 years and has not noticed any kid repeating more than once.

I heard it straight from the LS dept this past year that we had 3rd year repeaters/kids that had failed at least twice and were doing a 3rd year of 6th.

+1. I heard it from an administrator. But there can't be many kids who are in this position or the Tier ratings / MGP would reflect it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I seriously doubt this is true. Our kid has been there 3 years and has not noticed any kid repeating more than once.

There are a few who have repeated twice.

[Anonymous]

Did these kids repeat all of the content for the entire grade or just a few subjects?