BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

Right, BASIS isn't alone. Charters that don't tolerate transparent parent organizations empowered to make their own expenditure decisions aren't for every family seeking academic rigor for strong students. We left BASIS because we didn't care for the spirit of the place and could afford parochial high school. Surprisingly, the new school, run by clergy, offers a much freer environment. If you can't afford to leave BASIS and want to stay in the city, you put up with what you have to.

[Anonymous]

If you want a school that has academic rigor plus happiness, go to Latin.

[Anonymous]

Agree, and we'd have taken a spot at Latin Cooper if we'd had the chance. But Latin wait lists lengthen year on year. In 2022, Latin Cooper had around 75 names on its WL at the start of school. In 2023, more than 250 names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree, and we'd have taken a spot at Latin Cooper if we'd had the chance. But Latin wait lists lengthen year on year. In 2022, Latin Cooper had around 75 names on its WL at the start of school. In 2023, more than 250 names.

Keep applying every year. I know kids that switched from BASIS to Latin in middle school, as well as kids who went to Latin for high school from BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Will do, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want a school that has academic rigor plus happiness, go to Latin.

Based on Latin’s test scores, it’s not that rigorous.

But having experienced BASIS with a high achieving child, I absolutely believe it’s a better environment, so if I had the chance, I would switch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a school that has academic rigor plus happiness, go to Latin.

Based on Latin’s test scores, it’s not that rigorous.

But having experienced BASIS with a high achieving child, I absolutely believe it’s a better environment, so if I had the chance, I would switch.

Agree that Latin is not that rigorous, particularly in math, where there is no differentiation and th highest level they can get to is AB Calc. But it does seem way happier and strong in reading/writing/humanities. We have it in our list, but not Basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want a school that has academic rigor plus happiness, go to Latin.

We tried, twice. Please don't tell people to "go" to Latin - it's a hope and prayer and a lot of luck to get in!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, and we'd have taken a spot at Latin Cooper if we'd had the chance. But Latin wait lists lengthen year on year. In 2022, Latin Cooper had around 75 names on its WL at the start of school. In 2023, more than 250 names.

Keep applying every year. I know kids that switched from BASIS to Latin in middle school, as well as kids who went to Latin for high school from BASIS.

Those that switched in high school had a younger sibling - it's otherwise impossible to switch in high school. Latin Cooper took some sixth and seventh graders this year, but I suspect that number will be 0 now that it's become more sought after.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a school that has academic rigor plus happiness, go to Latin.

Based on Latin’s test scores, it’s not that rigorous.

But having experienced BASIS with a high achieving child, I absolutely believe it’s a better environment, so if I had the chance, I would switch.

Agree that Latin is not that rigorous, particularly in math, where there is no differentiation and th highest level they can get to is AB Calc. But it does seem way happier and strong in reading/writing/humanities. We have it in our list, but not Basis.

Latin gets one or two students into Ivies almost every spring, one to Princeton last year. Latin differentiates far more in math than they did even 5 years ago, and there are ways to take BC Calc senior year. Some of the strongest Latin students still move onto Walls, which also happens at BASIS. Neither Latin nor BASIS does a great job teaching modern languages, certainly not past the AP Level and DCI isn't too hot on STEM or humanities. Pick your poison EotP is you don't want to move or go private.

[Anonymous]

This. The reality is that no DC public middle school is all that great, east of Rock Creek, west of Rock Creek for that matter. Most of the families who leave BASIS and other DC schools leave the system. They move out of the District for better schools or go private. We wish that we’d left BASIS…sooner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right, BASIS isn't alone. Charters that don't tolerate transparent parent organizations empowered to make their own expenditure decisions aren't for every family seeking academic rigor for strong students. We left BASIS because we didn't care for the spirit of the place and could afford parochial high school. Surprisingly, the new school, run by clergy, offers a much freer environment. If you can't afford to leave BASIS and want to stay in the city, you put up with what you have to.

You wanna tell us more about transparency and parental input at a school RUN BY THE CHURCH? You are one special human.

Also, lookey what we have here. Another poster whose thesis appears to to be "BASIS wasn't that good....so we had to go private."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, and we'd have taken a spot at Latin Cooper if we'd had the chance. But Latin wait lists lengthen year on year. In 2022, Latin Cooper had around 75 names on its WL at the start of school. In 2023, more than 250 names.

Keep applying every year. I know kids that switched from BASIS to Latin in middle school, as well as kids who went to Latin for high school from BASIS.

Never heard of anyone switching to Latin from Basis.

What years are you talking about? Is this from 10 years ago or something?

Last year, Basis transfers to DC publics only included Walls, Duke, and Coolidge, which is pretty typical. Latin also lost students to Coolidge too.

10 schools sent kids to Latin for 9th grade, including Deal and Hardy. Zero kids came from Basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Right, BASIS isn't alone. Charters that don't tolerate transparent parent organizations empowered to make their own expenditure decisions aren't for every family seeking academic rigor for strong students. We left BASIS because we didn't care for the spirit of the place and could afford parochial high school. Surprisingly, the new school, run by clergy, offers a much freer environment. If you can't afford to leave BASIS and want to stay in the city, you put up with what you have to.

You wanna tell us more about transparency and parental input at a school RUN BY THE CHURCH? You are one special human.

Also, lookey what we have here. Another poster whose thesis appears to to be "BASIS wasn't that good....so we had to go private."

Why do you get out of trying to invalidate other parents' experiences? The inconvenient truth is that there are a bunch of DC parochial middle and high schools with active PTAs with elected leadership, which the BASIS franchise doesn't permit. There are also parochial schools with heads that aren't clergy with curricula that are far more open and flexible than BASIS'. I've heard this from BASIS families that switched to St. Anselm's, where the graduating class is about the same size as at BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, and we'd have taken a spot at Latin Cooper if we'd had the chance. But Latin wait lists lengthen year on year. In 2022, Latin Cooper had around 75 names on its WL at the start of school. In 2023, more than 250 names.

Keep applying every year. I know kids that switched from BASIS to Latin in middle school, as well as kids who went to Latin for high school from BASIS.

Never heard of anyone switching to Latin from Basis.

What years are you talking about? Is this from 10 years ago or something?

Last year, Basis transfers to DC publics only included Walls, Duke, and Coolidge, which is pretty typical. Latin also lost students to Coolidge too.

10 schools sent kids to Latin for 9th grade, including Deal and Hardy. Zero kids came from Basis.

Exactly. These days, there's no room in Latin's HS for BASIS 8th graders. Some try to go but don't get a spot if they don't have a sibling at Latin.