BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Tracking and differentiation are two separate theoretical constructs. In tracking, students do not have access to "higher tracks", but in differentiated instruction, they can be placed in different groups for certain subjects and advance easily when benchmarks are reached. Groups are dynamic, tracking is not.

Actually there is no reason that tracking could not be done the right way with support for students and that would allow them to advance when ready. I think it is impossible for a teacher to fully differentiate for all students when a classroom has students who run the gamut of struggling to advanced learners.

Therefore, I think it is better not to have students who range from struggling to advanced in the same classroom. If we keep them all together, then the teacher will be directing curricula to the lowest common denominator out of necessity. This would not meet all the needs of all students.


What do you propose the Yu Ying do since they have some struggling students? Should this school change their construct just to meet the needs of the struggling students alone???? Seems to me that this is not fair to those who are struggling.

I know this is a Basis thread, and for the life of me I don't know how it became a Yu Ying thread, but I will bite. Placing the children who were falling behind in English in an English only learning environment was understandable. However, denying the children to reentry into the language immersion once they have reached or surpassed their grade level is unacceptable. The school is a language immersion school. I believe that is why most parents selected the school for their children. Otherwise, the children would be better served at an Eaton, Janney, Murch and feed into Deal for middle school. I believe in the fourth and fifth grades even OOB students can get into one of those schools.

[Anonymous]

On a new subject, I'd like to know what sort of extra curriculars BASIS plans to offer. Will there be the normal sorts of activities middle schoolers get involved in, or just the nerdy type? sports teams? music programs? clubs? a competitive math team? chess team? Prep to compete in the national spelling and geography bees?

Will the school raise money to send low-income kids to TAG summer programs, like the sleep-over ones Johns Hopkins runs? My nephew attends a serious astronomy camp for middle schoolers at the U of Arizona, where low-income campers are sponsored by school districts, mainly around LA, and private foundations. I've often wished that DC schools were raising money to enable poor kids to participate in summer programs alongside affluent peers. Mo. Co. and Fairfax will pay for kids to go, even providing them with clothes/gear to "fit it."

This is a ways off, but if the BASIS HS is only going to have a few dozen kids in a class, how well-rounded could the education be? A school without varsity sports? Or enough students, money (a little PTA involving few affluent parents probably couldn't raise much), or free time for students to support many extra-curriculars, a band, an orchestra, school musicals/plays, a student government, student media...? Could most of the kids distinguish themselves outside the classroom, critical to admissions at top colleges, under such circumstances? Independents with small graduating classes (e.g. St. Anselm's in Brookland, graduating around 50 boys) struggle with these issues. Some can't field competitive sports teams, or find the cash for gleaming science and well-stocked libraries. You might be thinking, extra-curriculars would the least of BASIS' problems, but with Ivies admitting so few, achievement outside the classroom is critical.

[Anonymous]

I like these creative qs.

Valid point about a small PTA w/few well-off members (at least when compared to schools in high property value areas, Janney, Murch, Brent and so forth) unlikely to raise much dough.

There is still great reluctance to talk about the downside of professional parents (and heaven forbid, WHITE) seldom sticking around for High School, and the "cherry picking" that could make the difference in changing that. I don't know much about how these charter franchises deal w/funding, suppose BASIS be raising money like crazy for DC. Sustainable external funding could be a tough sell though, with the high serving so few.....

[Anonymous]

Ivy or no Ivy, I know my boy is a all-around kid - interested in many things (the arts, athletics, math, science, writing) and a very strong performer in all of his endeavors. I really struggle with where he should go to MS and HS. I can't afford the private route, couldn't get into Deal, so we're trying something else for MS, and maybe will look at Wilson or Gonzaga for HS. I think BASIS sounds a little too narrow for my so-called child. While he may have tested high, he's not a bookworm, he's a social creature and needs the extracurriculars to thrive.

It will be interesting to watch BASIS though, and I am glad that the bright children of the city who are not affluent at least have an opportunity to get a rigorous education. I hope the school is prepared to mentor those children who may not have a family structure to support their success.

[Anonymous]

"my so-called child." should read so-called gifted child.

Typing to fast.

[Anonymous]

Gonzaga impresses me - they knock themselves out for their boys. I once interviewed an Anacostia kid in foster care there for my Ivy, a terrific student and football player who got into elite colleges left and right. When he couldn't afford to visit the schools, Gonzaga would've paid for his trip north if my alma mater hadn't picked up the tab. Go, Jesuits.

It will be interesting to see how the lack of an Economy of Scale and cram factory concerns play out at Basis. If the school soars like its supporters predict, we haven't heard the last of complaints that it admits too many kids who can't cope, and/or don't want to do the work, when there's no shortage of District kids without rich parents would could and would.

[Anonymous]

Hill dad here. I see BASIS getting off to a flying start. With a Chinatown location, and many Hill parents who aren't turned on by the 2 neighborhood MSchools (with kids in 3rd to 5th grade at Watkins, Brent, Maury, Tyler, Two Rivers) demand will be high. There's a big group of IBs Hill kids heading to ms and their older siblings at Latin spend too much time on the road. But I'm not feeling optistic about the long term prospects, partly based on Latin's lackluster performance past 8th. ANd middle class parents (like the parent looking at Wilson and Gonzaga) don't necessarily want teens trapped in classrooms/at desks as much as BASIS seems to. They want them out at museums, playing sports and music, going to fun summer camps and cultural events, seeking enrichment in a rich urban environment.

[Anonymous]

Rigolous curriculum does not mean lack of sports or extra curricular activities.
I went to school overseas -- 5 different countries until High School. In every country I studied in at least 2 different languages. Emphasis was on academics, yet I was able to do instrumental music, tennis, cooking and sewing after school. All the extra curricular activities were taught at a high level and we really had to work at them or else give up the space for someone was indeed interested.
What I am seeing here is the fact that children waste a lot of time in school, with minimal learning in a maximum span of time. Nurturing creativity, or learning a subject does not mean dragging something for weeks and months, as if there is nothing else children need to be exposed to. I am in such a shock when I compare what my child is learning in the capital of the US to my friends kids', many of them living in developing countries with minimal access to techonology. When people waste time wi th meetings and staff developing and curriculum wri ting and non stop planning, valuable time is wasted.

[Anonymous]

This is true. Basis is following a European model that only does academics at school. Almost all other extracurriculars are done at clubs or other community venues..not at school. So bo, Basis is not big on the extracurriculars and depends heavily on parents to head up any clubs

[Anonymous]

Here’s a list of some after school activities at Basis starting this fall. These are the initial offerings and more options will offered as the school year advances.

Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Boys Running Club, Girls on the Run, Fencing, Chess Club, Art Club, Art History Club, Drama Club, Choir, Robotics, Science Bowl, Quiz Bowl, Jazz Band, Orchestra, History of Storytelling, Toastmasters, Roots and Shoots, Yoga/Acrobatics, Debate Team, Tennis

[Anonymous]

All run by a parent group or aftercare group and not the school, I believe.

[Anonymous]

The school is providing staff for many after-school activities. Also, every teacher offers an hour of after-school academic help. The school is pretty much driving the process of after-school activities at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All run by a parent group or aftercare group and not the school, I believe.

And do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? I don't really care one way or another as long as some of the stuff (doesnt have to be all) my son likes to do is offered after school.

[Anonymous]

No opinion. Just offering as an observation. People should not enter Basis expecting tons of extracurriculars sponsored by the school ala Deal or most typical high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All run by a parent group or aftercare group and not the school, I believe.

And do you think this is a good thing or a bad thing? I don't really care one way or another as long as some of the stuff (doesnt have to be all) my son likes to do is offered after school.

As long as it's been done in a decent way, there's no problem.
My son's current school offers all kinds of activities, but only few of them are conducted properly or led by a competenet person.