New BASIS discussion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis DC has already stated they are lowering their standards for DC. Enough said.

The standards will be lowered for grades 6,7 and 8 for the first few years since the bulk of the new students have not had the preparation of a student who starts in 5th grade.

For instance, most 8th graders will not have taken Algebra in 7th grade, as would be the case for a student starting Basis in 5th grade. Another example is that few in the entering 6th grade class will have taken Latin in 5th grade. After a few years most students in 8th grade will have gone through 5,6 and 7th at Basis and can be expected to meet normal Basis standards.

This is the typical way it is done at new Basis schools in Arizona and not a DC only policy. From the Arizona website...

"NEW SCHOOLS NOTE: During their first several years in operation, new BASIS Schools will implement modified course requirements for students in grades 6 and higher."

found at the bottom of https://www.basisschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=399

[Anonymous]

Who is actually enrolled this year at BASIS? I could not find on their website, and I realize it's a tad early, but I'm still curious.

If one of you could point me to the pie chart that breaks this down, that would be great! ie, Ward, FARMS, race, gender, anything

[Anonymous]

8:47, not trying to conflict but just trying to confront this issue about testing students but not testing or licensing teachers who are responsible for the outcome.

Also not questioning the merits of testing but when it is being viewed as the "best thing since slice bread" and why hasn't DCPS invested, is insulting.

I would be skeptical of any school who would waive the licensing requirement in a profession that is respected for having such credentials. Would you respect a hospital who would waive the licensing of their doctors?

Let's see you need a driver's license to legally drive, you need a license to practice medicine and you need a license to legally barber. Yet, you don't need a teacher's license to educate children in a rigorous setting.

Another guinea-pig experiment for AAs. If it is shiney and new, it will attract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Passing a test is not a barometer of anyone mastering curriculum. Remember passing final exams and passing a test is quite different. Why hell, we have 16 year olds passing driver's test and how many are hesitant to hand over their car keys to a teenager.

I just have a problem with the BASIS teacher's not being licensed to teach. Hence, they are NOT taking a test to teach but are willing to prepare students to test.

Just wondering what is the so-called "test" in regards of weeding out bad teachers at BASIS?

Teachers not required to have licensure is not at all unique to BASIS. Guess what - the same pretty much applies to ALL of the charters and ALL of the private schools in DC - basically half of the schooling in DC is done in schools that don't require licensure. And ironically, guess who is getting the better results and who is graduating a higher percentage and who is putting more of their graduates into college and good jobs? It's the charters and privates.

[Anonymous]

my favorite part of The Washington Post article was when the sped kid flipped out from frustration, hit a kid in the head, then threw the kid's glasses to the floor, and ran out of the classroom and had to be chased by the ONE esl/sped teacher the school hired. Wonder how the other sped and ESL kids were getting serviced then? Better hire some more (certified) specialists and fast, Basis!!!

[Anonymous]

No, the kodak moment for Washpo was to see the student holding the placard with the mis-spelled word for turquoise. Gotta love it!!!

12:34, do you really want to go there in regards to charter, private and public? I think not. Hush.

[Anonymous]

meh.....I don't think my kid could spell turquoise correctly. at least that kid took a spelling risk and stretched!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, the kodak moment for Washpo was to see the student holding the placard with the mis-spelled word for turquoise. Gotta love it!!!

12:34, do you really want to go there in regards to charter, private and public? I think not. Hush.

You DO understand that BASIS hasn't even yet begun their first set of regular classes and as such, the kid that couldn't spell "turquoise" and the kid that hit the other kid are both products of k-4 in DCPS and other DC schools? Not being able to spell "turquoise" and having disciplinary problems represents a failure at DCPS and elsewhere, long before coming to BASIS. It says far more about them than it does about BASIS.

And, "go there?" In terms of the basic facts and figures, we already are there. Nearly half of DC's students are in private schools and charters - and collectively they have lower dropout rates, better performance, and higher college placement rates.

"Go there" as in 3...2...1... we next hear someone play the race card and claim the difference is because they are rich white kids in response to charters and privates as has been done countless times before? Guess what, most of the BASIS students in those WaPo article are AA - so that argument already just went sailing out the window.

[Anonymous]

Alright the BASIS Gang is present and represented on this blog.

17:26, CTFD, it is not all that serious. Sheesh! As for the race card being used, why are you worried? No need to guess what race will be predominantly served by BASIS is because the majority students in this city are AAs. So your point is or was??? As for it sailing out the window. Ok, you're still clueless and now a nautical nuisance. Rich white kids, sure that is a demographic worth acknowledging in the scheme of DCPS free education arena.

If rich white kids are choosing to return to free education then where should the poor black kids go?

[Anonymous]

Consider it a pre-emptive strike, since it's come up again and again and again in threads all over this board.

And no, it's not a "BASIS" thing, I'm not "worried" about it - it's just the usual resident DCUM nutjobs like WordSalad. In this case, the ones who see racism and oppression everywhere they go. Stuck with the hot car on the Metro? Tripped on the curb? Obviously racism and white folks are behind it, and so on.

[Anonymous]

. How many rising fifth graders do you know that can spell Turquoise?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who is actually enrolled this year at BASIS? I could not find on their website, and I realize it's a tad early, but I'm still curious.

If one of you could point me to the pie chart that breaks this down, that would be great! ie, Ward, FARMS, race, gender, anything

From the Wash Post Article this week...

The first Basis D.C. students hail from all eight wards, and 54 percent come from public schools. The student body is diverse, but black students are somewhat underrepresented. They make up 48 percent of the student body, compared with 69 percent in the D.C. school system. So far, the school has enrolled 468 students for grades five to eight and plans to add a grade each year for the four years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is actually enrolled this year at BASIS? I could not find on their website, and I realize it's a tad early, but I'm still curious.

If one of you could point me to the pie chart that breaks this down, that would be great! ie, Ward, FARMS, race, gender, anything

From the Wash Post Article this week...

The first Basis D.C. students hail from all eight wards, and 54 percent come from public schools. The student body is diverse, but black students are somewhat underrepresented. They make up 48 percent of the student body, compared with 69 percent in the D.C. school system. So far, the school has enrolled 468 students for grades five to eight and plans to add a grade each year for the four years.

There aren't really any solid conclusions to draw from that. A lot of parents don't put as much thought into schooling and accordingly, their kids just end up with the status quo, DCPS - and of those who are sending their kids to charters, many parents haven't even heard of Basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:. How many rising fifth graders do you know that can spell Turquoise?

Very few unless they are native French speakers/

[Anonymous]

Oh now we're making excuses for 5th graders having the ability to spell. Awww shucks, that is funny as hell.