BASIS Lottery ONLY for 5th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a (mostly content) Basis parent to a current 6th grader it is always very interesting to see the rage that Basis engenders in some parents (of non Basis students and a few former Basis students).

In my experience the math and science instruction has been top notch (this is after coming from Brent, which is no slouch in these departments). English has been a bit perplexing for me, since it has been so heavily focused on grammar, and not much expository writing (but teachers have been very good both 5th and 6th). Social studies/history - the content is great - the teachers vary. Latin has been super solid teaching both years.

Give us a break. We left BASIS last year without "rage" in the mix, which wasn't unusual. We weren't happy that our nearly bilingual Spanish-speaking 6th grader was going to be forced to take beginning Chinese f or years, rather than being permitted to take advanced Spanish in 7th and 8th grades due to "scheduling issues." We were also unhappy with the lack of fresh air, exercise and a decent music or art program, particularly performing arts. And, frankly, we didn't like the dearth of character training and instruction in ethics.

BASIS is a cram school with a one-size fits all curriculum for middle school. Works great for some families, not for others, including some extremely bright, talented and hard-working kids.

I think this is a fair assessment, but there does seem to be a weird ragy response to posts by many people.

That said, I don't understand why parents whose kids are coming from immersion schools come to Basis and then get frustrated that they can't change the curriculum regarding language. I understand how you would want to have them continue studying, but why would you choose basis in the first place?

Any strong college prep program builds assertively on the raw material it gets. If a kid arrives as a Spanish ace, encourage them to shoot for a top score on AP Spanish in 8th grade, just like they're encouraged to take AP calc or World History, is logical. Don't beat up their Spanish by forcing them to study a random 2nd language they're not interested in pursuing. Parents mainly choose BASIS because it''s one of the best several college prep programs in the DC public system. Elite colleges appreciate all kinds of skills in their applicants, not just math, science and writing, but language skills. Not respecting or supporting bilingualism is a sad throwback to an earlier generation, when US schools lagged far behind those in most other rich countries in teaching languages and celebrating bilingualism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a (mostly content) Basis parent to a current 6th grader it is always very interesting to see the rage that Basis engenders in some parents (of non Basis students and a few former Basis students).

In my experience the math and science instruction has been top notch (this is after coming from Brent, which is no slouch in these departments). English has been a bit perplexing for me, since it has been so heavily focused on grammar, and not much expository writing (but teachers have been very good both 5th and 6th). Social studies/history - the content is great - the teachers vary. Latin has been super solid teaching both years.

Give us a break. We left BASIS last year without "rage" in the mix, which wasn't unusual. We weren't happy that our nearly bilingual Spanish-speaking 6th grader was going to be forced to take beginning Chinese f or years, rather than being permitted to take advanced Spanish in 7th and 8th grades due to "scheduling issues." We were also unhappy with the lack of fresh air, exercise and a decent music or art program, particularly performing arts. And, frankly, we didn't like the dearth of character training and instruction in ethics.

BASIS is a cram school with a one-size fits all curriculum for middle school. Works great for some families, not for others, including some extremely bright, talented and hard-working kids.

I think this is a fair assessment, but there does seem to be a weird ragy response to posts by many people.

That said, I don't understand why parents whose kids are coming from immersion schools come to Basis and then get frustrated that they can't change the curriculum regarding language. I understand how you would want to have them continue studying, but why would you choose basis in the first place?

Any strong college prep program builds assertively on the raw material it gets. If a kid arrives as a Spanish ace, encourage them to shoot for a top score on AP Spanish in 8th grade, just like they're encouraged to take AP calc or World History, is logical. Don't beat up their Spanish by forcing them to study a random 2nd language they're not interested in pursuing. Parents mainly choose BASIS because it''s one of the best several college prep programs in the DC public system. Elite colleges appreciate all kinds of skills in their applicants, not just math, science and writing, but language skills. Not respecting or supporting bilingualism is a sad throwback to an earlier generation, when US schools lagged far behind those in most other rich countries in teaching languages and celebrating bilingualism.

And yet it is what it is. Why would you choose it if language was so important to you?

[Anonymous]

PP who left Basis due to its language curriculum policies has posted the same comments repeatedly in this and prior threads.

For someone who has no “rage,” she sure feels the need to vent a lot.

I’m sorry Basis didn’t work out for her family. That said Basis is incredibly transparent about its requirements. There should have been no surprise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is always an exodus of kids from
basis to Deal in 6th grade. My daughter met two friends at Deal who had come from Basis after 5th.

Exodus is not the word you’re looking for unless Deal is again taking OOB students.

https://dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/BASIS-DC-PCS.pdf

These are students inboundary for Deal who did Basis for a year.

I expect a lot of movement next year. I live in a JKLM neighborhood and know a number of families who put their kids in Basis this year for 5th because of Covid (they thought there would be a higher likelihood of Basis being in-person
so they took spots off the waitlist in the summer when they came up). They intend to move their kids to Deal next year.

Many JKLM families play the Deal and Basis lotteries just because they can. They usually take the Latin spots and turn down Basis but this year many took Basis.
I would expect next year's Basis 6th grade to be very small.

Anyone who put their kid in Basis thinking they would be open during COVID never bothered to even drive by the building. Unless the DOH requirement for 6 feet of distance changes, it will be one of the last schools to open its doors for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP who left Basis due to its language curriculum policies has posted the same comments repeatedly in this and prior threads.

For someone who has no “rage,” she sure feels the need to vent a lot.

I’m sorry Basis didn’t work out for her family. That said Basis is incredibly transparent about its requirements. There should have been no surprise.

NP - I agree. The schedules are quite a juggling act for the administration and they are already pretty open to having high school students take as many APs as they do or don't want, take beyond-AP Calculus classes, and outside electives.

I would not expect my DC to lottery in to an immersion school past the beginning years and be brought up to speed in Mandarin or Spanish. If your student is already bilingual, can't you just supplement? We supplement in instrumental music and dance instruction not offered at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

BASIS just isn't great at innovating, as a franchise or a DC campus. BASIS is hardly the only program in which middle school kids can cover chem, bio and physics. Mine currently take on-line science courses through Johns Hopkins CTY and Stanford's on-line middle school program covering roughly the same science content.

Ok, but why should they spend extra resources to bring new kids up to speed - what you propose is setting them up to fail. And they can't select based on what classes a kid has taken before ore not.

They seem comfortable with their set up, so it is what it is.

This is it. They cannot administer an entrance exam, for example. They are transparent about this. To the PPP if you think it's wrongheaded, raise your concerns with the PCSB.

BASIS DC must operate differently than the BASIS charters in other states. They can and do give entrance exams for both math and English for kids entering after 5th. If you don't pass the exam, they'll offer admission for a lower grade instead. My DD joined BASIS in 7th in another state. While she has missed some content in the science courses, she's doing fine so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who left Basis due to its language curriculum policies has posted the same comments repeatedly in this and prior threads.

For someone who has no “rage,” she sure feels the need to vent a lot.

I’m sorry Basis didn’t work out for her family. That said Basis is incredibly transparent about its requirements. There should have been no surprise.

NP - I agree. The schedules are quite a juggling act for the administration and they are already pretty open to having high school students take as many APs as they do or don't want, take beyond-AP Calculus classes, and outside electives.

I would not expect my DC to lottery in to an immersion school past the beginning years and be brought up to speed in Mandarin or Spanish. If your student is already bilingual, can't you just supplement? We supplement in instrumental music and dance instruction not offered at the school.

NP who disagrees. BASIS is lame to lack ambition on language instruction vs. other academic subjects. BS that it's just the one poster, a single current or former parent who feels this way.

Major world languages aren't specialized subjects, like dance or instrumental music, in today's world. BASIS won't leave families alone who don't want beginning language instruction vs. advanced language instruction. They won't let kids take a language block as a study hall or computer software learning session to build advanced skills.

What it boils down to is that BASIS is regimented to a nutty degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
NP who disagrees. BASIS is lame to lack ambition on language instruction vs. other academic subjects. BS that it's just the one poster, a single current or former parent who feels this way.

Major world languages aren't specialized subjects, like dance or instrumental music, in today's world. BASIS won't leave families alone who don't want beginning language instruction vs. advanced language instruction. They won't let kids take a language block as a study hall or computer software learning session to build advanced skills.

What it boils down to is that BASIS is regimented to a nutty degree.

Aside from immersion schools, which middle schools have any advanced language instruction? Most of the local publics only allow kids to take first year language classes in middle school, and they're not going to let a middle schooler go to the high school for AP foreign language.

[Anonymous]

BASIS is fixated on pushing beginning language instruction on middle schoolers versus providing language challenge. It's a 1980s or 90s approach, a blunt instrument. But they're under no pressure to make changes as a Tier 1 DC charter. Best to move on if you care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP who disagrees. BASIS is lame to lack ambition on language instruction vs. other academic subjects. BS that it's just the one poster, a single current or former parent who feels this way.

Major world languages aren't specialized subjects, like dance or instrumental music, in today's world. BASIS won't leave families alone who don't want beginning language instruction vs. advanced language instruction. They won't let kids take a language block as a study hall or computer software learning session to build advanced skills.

What it boils down to is that BASIS is regimented to a nutty degree.

Aside from immersion schools, which middle schools have any advanced language instruction? Most of the local publics only allow kids to take first year language classes in middle school, and they're not going to let a middle schooler go to the high school for AP foreign language.

You're right, it's a problem everywhere in the system, even at the immersion schools. They offer immersion in name only outside the Spanish programs. You just can't do immersion well with a handful of native speakers. MoCo, Fairfax and Arlington are miles ahead.

[Anonymous]

A school that gets a new principal almost ever school year can only do so many things right. BASIS sticks to science instruction as its forte. Nothing more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who left Basis due to its language curriculum policies has posted the same comments repeatedly in this and prior threads.

For someone who has no “rage,” she sure feels the need to vent a lot.

I’m sorry Basis didn’t work out for her family. That said Basis is incredibly transparent about its requirements. There should have been no surprise.

NP - I agree. The schedules are quite a juggling act for the administration and they are already pretty open to having high school students take as many APs as they do or don't want, take beyond-AP Calculus classes, and outside electives.

I would not expect my DC to lottery in to an immersion school past the beginning years and be brought up to speed in Mandarin or Spanish. If your student is already bilingual, can't you just supplement? We supplement in instrumental music and dance instruction not offered at the school.

NP who disagrees. BASIS is lame to lack ambition on language instruction vs. other academic subjects. BS that it's just the one poster, a single current or former parent who feels this way.

Major world languages aren't specialized subjects, like dance or instrumental music, in today's world. BASIS won't leave families alone who don't want beginning language instruction vs. advanced language instruction. They won't let kids take a language block as a study hall or computer software learning session to build advanced skills.

What it boils down to is that BASIS is regimented to a nutty degree.

PP here - BASIS doesn't have a true study hall period, which is what I referenced regarding scheduling. They have an 8:45-4pm schedule with no breaks for middle schoolers other than PE, which is what many parents complain about (see "no outdoor space, etc." comments). They use a shortened break time attached to lunch to do things like mental health education and study skills. There isn't enough air in the schedule for your bilingual child to do this during the school day without missing another one of the required classes.

Again, they ARE regimented. This IS known. WHY expect exceptions for your student?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP who left Basis due to its language curriculum policies has posted the same comments repeatedly in this and prior threads.

For someone who has no “rage,” she sure feels the need to vent a lot.

I’m sorry Basis didn’t work out for her family. That said Basis is incredibly transparent about its requirements. There should have been no surprise.

NP - I agree. The schedules are quite a juggling act for the administration and they are already pretty open to having high school students take as many APs as they do or don't want, take beyond-AP Calculus classes, and outside electives.

I would not expect my DC to lottery in to an immersion school past the beginning years and be brought up to speed in Mandarin or Spanish. If your student is already bilingual, can't you just supplement? We supplement in instrumental music and dance instruction not offered at the school.

NP who disagrees. BASIS is lame to lack ambition on language instruction vs. other academic subjects. BS that it's just the one poster, a single current or former parent who feels this way.

Major world languages aren't specialized subjects, like dance or instrumental music, in today's world. BASIS won't leave families alone who don't want beginning language instruction vs. advanced language instruction. They won't let kids take a language block as a study hall or computer software learning session to build advanced skills.

What it boils down to is that BASIS is regimented to a nutty degree.

It's just regimented in a way you don't like.

I can't imagine why you would ever send your kid there if continuing a language is that important to you.

[Anonymous]

Not the poster you're responding to, but the fact remains that a school can only wrest so much excellence out of one-size-fits-all solutions piled on top of one-size-fits-all solutions

Other than the two MIT admits last year, I haven't been wowed by BASIS college admissions.

Their boot camp style formula for college success only gets them so far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A school that gets a new principal almost ever school year can only do so many things right. BASIS sticks to science instruction as its forte. Nothing more.

+100. This.