How's basis going so far?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1. The lack of honesty also concerns me. We are not alone in being a Brent family that was shot down in the Latin and Deal lotteries, can't afford independents, and won't touch other public schools, DCPS and charter, for lack of order, ability grouping and challenge (like almost all the other high-SES 4th grade Brent families). Maury families will join us on the Hill next year, and Tyler Spanish Immersion families the year after.

Our kid is bright and hard-working, but no math standout, so the Basis curriculum worries me. Drawing inspiration from the Tucson grads, I, for one will propose that a humanities track be created at the next meeting with administrators, even if I'm told like the curriculum or lump it (as I expect). It's Basis or the burbs and we don't want to be pushed out of the District for all we pay in taxes.

Consider adding a voice to the small chorus rejecting 7th grade algebra as a must.

I, for one, think that the founders of BASIS have every right to set the curriculum. That's what the charter law provides. If you would like a charter school with a humanities focus, you are free to start one.

The problem with BASIS isn't really BASIS. The problem is the lack of viable schools with alternative models that forces families to enroll in BASIS even though it is not really the right school for them.

[Anonymous]

What is the big deal about 7th grade algebra? It was the norm where I grew up in Ohio 30+ yrs ago for anyone in the college prep track. The rigorous math curriculum is one of the few things other than location that makes us consider Basis for middle school and staying in DC rather than moving to Fairfax or MoCo (for the G&T math curriculum.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the big deal about 7th grade algebra? It was the norm where I grew up in Ohio 30+ yrs ago for anyone in the college prep track. The rigorous math curriculum is one of the few things other than location that makes us consider Basis for middle school and staying in DC rather than moving to Fairfax or MoCo (for the G&T math curriculum.)

I totally agree. The math books Basis has chosen is very thorough and teaches math in very small incremental steps while constantly re-enforcing previous concepts. Plus, the students do 30 math problems a night which also helps them to master the material. Lastly, tutoring is offered. So I do not think one has to be gifted in math to do well at Basis. Of course, Basis is not for everyone, but neither is any school. That is why it is good to have choices.

[Anonymous]

Oh Lord..Saxon? that 30 problems a night is...problematic. How about odds or evens? Pure volume does not for learning make....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is the big deal about 7th grade algebra? It was the norm where I grew up in Ohio 30+ yrs ago for anyone in the college prep track. The rigorous math curriculum is one of the few things other than location that makes us consider Basis for middle school and staying in DC rather than moving to Fairfax or MoCo (for the G&T math curriculum.)

I totally agree. The math books Basis has chosen is very thorough and teaches math in very small incremental steps while constantly re-enforcing previous concepts. Plus, the students do 30 math problems a night which also helps them to master the material. Lastly, tutoring is offered. So I do not think one has to be gifted in math to do well at Basis. Of course, Basis is not for everyone, but neither is any school. That is why it is good to have choices.

You totally agree because you didn't attend Basis for 8 years. Your kid hasn't even attended for 8 weeks, correct? If a student isn't math gifted, he or she ends up giving up most extra curriculars by high school to keep up with the work load, with inappropriately accelerated math as the straw that breaks the camel's back. If your kid isn't GT math material, don't say you haven't been warned. If Basis DC works like Basic Tuscon has, or the best schools in China for that matter, you won't be seeing many capable and cooperative middle schoolers in high school. It's not a happy environment for the math gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh Lord..Saxon? that 30 problems a night is...problematic. How about odds or evens? Pure volume does not for learning make....

What number of problems is your sweet spot? How much time should someone practice anything? (and it's only 5% of the grade so no harm no foul if the kid can skip it if he/she doesn't need the practice.) And what the heck is wrong with Algebra 1 in 7th grade? Little tykes have very agile brains. Let's trade, I'll give you 3 raisins (x) for two cheerios (y). Oh, you have eight cheerios? and so on.. Start at age four and see if the kid can't get Algebra in 7th grade. It's more fun and feels natural when you grow up with it. Saving algebra up until a kid is "ready" is just nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Stanford guy suggested that I add something.... Also graduated from Tucson.

Watch out. Basis doesn't offer a great education for the gifted. The program becomes a chore even for the math gifted eventually, not because the quantitative work is too difficult, but because creativity and eureka moments are seldom celebrated at what is essentially an Asian style cram school.

We weren't encouraged to enter national sci competitions for high schoolers. The thinking was that doing so would have distracted us from our true calling, AP AP and more AP. You guys are up on Basis because you are a couple months into the lower school experience. By high school, if you are still rolling, you will be singing a different tune.

The school would work better as a bona fide gifted program with separate math/science & humanities tracks. Where screening isn't an option for political reasons, Basis should have the decency to make it clear that around 3/4 of families enrolling won't have children with the smarts, let alone the prep, to enjoy the education in the long-run. You guys can deal with that now, or years from now, without changing that reality. It really bothers some of us grads that Basis has grown imperial without having grown into a great school for gifted kids.

This is an important point, PP, and something we all need to keep in mind about Basis.

To the other PP who keeps mentioning greatschools.org as a site for information on how good Basis is, you do know that greatschools.org is the yelp of schools, right? Hardly a reliable source of reviews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi friend of Stanford Guy. What did you end up doing after high school and what was your reason for staying with Basis since it sounds like you did not really like it. Or, was this something you learned more in retrospect and with more exposure to students from other schools. Thanks.

Friend of Stanford guy about to retire because posters seem to have all the answers two months in and I'm having a crazy week.

Went to Cal Tech and am working on a science PhD.

Yes, I did learn what I'd missed out on after rubbing shoulders with fellow numbers crunching undergrads who not only got better rounded educations, but had transformative experiences competing in national science competitions. I learned that they hadn't taken as many AP exams, but had applied concepts in ways that my classmates and I certainly hadn't.

I stayed at Basis mainly because my parents insisted that I do so, also because I had a physics teacher I adored. I got 5s on BC calc and BC physics and 800 SAT math without being challenged. I don't mean to boast, but math comes so easily to me that Basis sort of loved me, in an unrequited way.

If I could do it over again, I would have applied to the country's best boarding schools looking for financial aid and independent study opportunities. Basis wasn't the best school for me socially or academically.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to Stanford Guy and Friend of Stanford Guy. I appreciate your posts and candor in your experience and also appreciate the views from the parents with more extensive Basis experience who provided their persepective. I am sure others do as well and if you have any other friends with experiences, both plus and minus, some of us are still interested.

[Anonymous]

We did not choose basis for our ES. I must agree with the poster who insists that basis was very clear from the info sessions about their product - no false advertising there I think. We were definitely scared off but not just by the intensity. We witnessed a very tense and weird non-verbal exchange between one of the founders and the now head of school (I think?). Very enthusiastic warm guy who was shut down with a stern glance in no uncertain terms by the founder. We loved him, so to see that disrespectful exchange was enough to weird us out. Seemed really cold. Hopefully it was a one-time thing, but in my experience, such things usually indicate a larger undercurrent of tension. Hope that's not evident to the kids if so! I do wish them the best!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh Lord..Saxon? that 30 problems a night is...problematic. How about odds or evens? Pure volume does not for learning make....

Have you ever seen a Saxon math book? most of the problems are review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh Lord..Saxon? that 30 problems a night is...problematic. How about odds or evens? Pure volume does not for learning make....

Have you ever seen a Saxon math book? most of the problems are review.

Absolutely!

Yesterday, my son finished all 30 of the problems in less than 30 minutes.
I wished the teacher spent a bit more time on each chapter, but the book has 120 chapters, and I understand time is an issue.

However the series is used for homeschooling and there is plenty of material with solutions and explanation parents can purchase for extra practice or reteaching.

BASIS may not be the best, but it seems like a salvation when transferring from schools where structure is practically non existent.

[Anonymous]

I find it astounding that there are several people here criticizing BASIS, even though they themselves clearly did not attend BASIS, clearly do not have children in BASIS, and who really have no real foundation or grounding for their criticisms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it astounding that there are several people here criticizing BASIS, even though they themselves clearly did not attend BASIS, clearly do not have children in BASIS, and who really have no real foundation or grounding for their criticisms.

I find it astounding that there are several people here pooh poohing the critcism of those who graduated from BASIS to attend world-class undergraduate institutions. But at least I get it now - your kid needs to be math gifted to thrive in a BASIS HS, without anybody calling them math gifted, but not overly math gifted. They need to love learning concepts, but not creatively applying them like others applying to first-rate schools lest intellectual curiosity sparks rebellion (particularly on the part of teachers!). My DC probably isn't sitting near enough to the center of the Bell Curve for this. Sheesh, some balance already, these are kids.

[Anonymous]

+1. BASIS sounds tense, not a happy set-up for teens. The best and most experienced teachers surely chafe at structure that sounds like it belongs at a military academy. My favorite middle and high school teachers at Hunter (G/T NYC public school admitting around 7%) were eccentrics who would either have run for the door, or been shown it.