The truth about Basis School DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

This is so helpful for someone who is in-bounds for Deal but has a charter middle school option (not BASIS).

Along those lines, did anyone leave Basis for Hardy and have a similar basis for comparison?

[Anonymous]

A friend of my BDC son transferred to Hardy as an OOB student for 8th grade (now 9th at Wilson).

Commute wasn't shorter in his case. He said classes were easy / he had little to no homework. Switched because he wanted to go to Wilson and finally found a way in as an EOTP resident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

Translation - their children are too brilliant to be with the less brilliant, and “pour it on” to ensure that their precious angels can make it in the Ivy League and avoid a life of being ordinary. I don’t see how in this scenario their lives are any different - same stressed out kids but this time from their parents.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

Translation - their children are too brilliant to be with the less brilliant, and “pour it on” to ensure that their precious angels can make it in the Ivy League and avoid a life of being ordinary. I don’t see how in this scenario their lives are any different - same stressed out kids but this time from their parents.

[Anonymous]

12:21 (and 12:23 with the same exact comment!). Very unhelpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. That hardly connotes 'trashing' and the PP sounds pretty insufferable.

Why even engage?

Another NP. I actually found the reference to deal very helpful as a basis parent. Understanding why someone left and how green the pastures are is very relevant to perspective.

I know 2 in-boundary Deal families who bailed on BASIS for Deal over the summer, one after 6th grade the other after 7th. The parents reported that the commute to BASIS was no longer worth it. They talk about how their family life had gone too far downhill in the face of excessive homework and the hassle of arranging appealing extra curricular activities outside of school.

What they say they don't like about Deal is the crowding, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum that isn't supported at Wilson up the chain, and insufficient humanities challenge, because Deal only tracks for math. They complain about how at Deal, kids who can read at the high school level wind up in the same social studies and English classes as kids who read at an elementary school level. They miss the STEM challenge at BASIS, so find other avenues to pour it on, through school break camps, tutors etc.

These parents don't trash BASIS or Deal - they state the obvious, folks.

Translation - their children are too brilliant to be with the less brilliant, and “pour it on” to ensure that their precious angels can make it in the Ivy League and avoid a life of being ordinary. I don’t see how in this scenario their lives are any different - same stressed out kids but this time from their parents.

Total BS. My kid got stressed out in the upper grades at his DCPS elementary by being bored silly. We'd have gone private or to a more challenging charter if I'd had the chance. We came very close to moving to VA before we got to BASIS. He's not bored, or stressed out, at BASIS.

[Anonymous]

We've decided on Hardy instead of Basis. The science and math are strong at Hardy, issues as noted above comments support our decision.

[Anonymous]

My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

All sounds great til you got to the boyfriend. Seventh grade, did you say?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Your 7th grader goes to bed at 7 pm?!

If that’s really true, when can she possibly go to practice for “swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Your 7th grader goes to bed at 7 pm?!

If that’s really true, when can she possibly go to practice for “swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities”?

My thoughts exactly. And a boyfriend? I hope the whole post is a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Bye bye troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I feel for you. As a veteran suburban middle school teacher and DCPS pre-k parent, quality is more. I’d have the group of concerned parents at BASIS advocate for the quality projects rather than a bunch of busy work. Here are some terms you can use: (1) You want project based learning that cuts across multiple disciplines from which multiple grades can be derived. (2) Socratic Seninar for English literature which allows for students to “dig deeper” and “closely read” to learn a set of skills such as critically thinking for shades of meaning, author’s purpose, context clues, etc.

In my experience many new teachers give more homework but the quality isn’t there. Many newer teachers also have kids teaching themselves the content with that much homework each night. Homework must not be considered "busy work" done at home but rather an essential learning pursuit that will increase in complexity as the student progresses through the grades.

Homework is tailored to students' needs and capacities and will not be unreasonable in amount. Parents can aid in their children's education by creating a positive homework environment, one that encourages the child to do his/her homework while maintaining a positive attitude. But you must advocate for your child if you find the school on the side of error.

With all due respect, PP, you don't seem to be familiar with the BASIS model. They have a very specific way of doing things, and what you describe above ain't it. Anyone who is looking for interdisciplinary project based learning should not choose BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in 7th, finishes homework in about 30 minutes and same with 6th grade last year. She tested into higher math, and was bored in the MD schools when we moved to DC. I really think basis is child dependent and is not for every kid.

We have family dinner (no homework) by 6, DD goes to bed every night by 7, can read in her bed (no homework) until 8, and wakes up at 6. She may do some homework in the morning but there is no stress here.

She also does competitive swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities -- oh, and has a boyfriend.

Your 7th grader goes to bed at 7 pm?!

If that’s really true, when can she possibly go to practice for “swimming, drama, lacrosse, and a bunch of other activities”?

Hard to believe the early bed time. I have a 7th grader at Basis McLean who also does soccer several days/week. Bedtime is more like 10pm after dinner and tween drama.

Homework varies from 20mins to 2 hours depending on how many longer assignments (English/history papers). The math is pretty consistent each night.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if Basis McLean is better run than Basis DC. Current Basis DC parent here and I have been very unimpressed with Garrett’s leadership. Also, there are too many fights and altercations. My kid has witnessed one child smash another child’s face into a locker that resulted in a bloody nose. Another child gave a girl a black eye. Last year the kids spent several anxious hours huddled under desks after a teacher overreacted to two kids verbally insulting one another (at least that’s my understanding). My kid said one of his classmates wet his pants that day. Just awful. They do not have a handle on the behavioral problems there, and I wonder if some of the behavior is stress-induced. The curriculum is super stressful for kids. Garrett does not communicate well with the school community about active measures they are taking to address these issues by articulating school values and vision.