BASIS DC will seek to expand to include K to 4th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got the critical flexibility and support we needed to pursue post AP language, performance music and STEM competition success (involving some travel on school days) from SJC. At BASIS, when we would ask admins for a little flexibility in middle school and 9th grade the answer was invariably, no. Too many barriers for our kid to stand out in college admissions down the road.

Sounds like private school was the right choice for you. It’s harder for a public school to violate policies like you were asking. TBH, except for post AP language, for the others I would have just done it and waited for someone to tell me no. As long as your kid keeps up in class and you don’t push absences past 10 days or whatever, there’s a lot you can get away with.

Um, not in Fairfax, MoCo or Arlington, not in well-run suburban systems aiming high in college admissions. The open-minded former BASIS HoS would have worked with you. This guy wears his insecurities on his sleeve by controlling whatever he can. Glad you could afford to leave to stay on track for an Ivy.

The current HOH is a big reason we are leaving for Private for HS. He makes no changes, blows off parent concerns, does nothing to try and control classroom behavior. My child has gotten excellent grades - and honestly if Basis followed through on the curriculum as it was designed (as opposed to being months behind the AZ campuses), she would really thrive more and maybe we would stay. But the teaching quality has been hit or miss, admin is clueless and prides themselves on dragging along kids who are in over their heads and probably shouldn't be at Basis rather than being an environment where advanced children can thrive.

We could have written this post. We're fed up with rowdy middle school classes. My sibling has teens at the original Arizona campus and their school is simply much better. The campus has good facilities and a serious performing arts program. Teens can play in a first-rate school orchestra. They can take languages past the AP level and advanced humanities classes from 7th grade. A different world.

Are you considering moving to Arizona? If not, what's the relevance of what an AZ school offers? How does that make any more sense than saying, "Boston Latin is better to I'm leaving Walls".

The statement above shouts false equivalency because BASIS isn't a stand-alone school, like BL or Walls. The relevance of what an AZ school offers is that BASIS DC admins, and longtime parents for that matter, constantly claim that BASIS HQ/AZ policy doesn't permit dramatic upgrades when this is clearly BS. What's true is that the current BASIS DC administration isn't interested in serious performing arts, or languages past the AP level (strongly preferring that kids learn two or three languages at the beginning level), or advanced MS humanities classes. It's also true that toxic DC politics won't support backfilling at BASIS DC while the AZ campuses freely backfill.

PP already pointed out to you that all BASIS campuses have the same curriculum.

Yet you persist in just making the same incoherent arguments over and over again.

[Anonymous]

I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Strawman argument.

No one is saying "all the BASIS campus ... do things the same way."

The point is that ALL BASIS schools have the same basic curriculum. Obviously, electives, capstone (12th grade), etc varies depending on teacher resources, interest, abilities, etc. And teachers teach classes differently.

You say that AZ BASIS schools offer "advanced ms classes" not offered in DC.

Here is a list of middle school classes offered at BASIS Chandler: https://enrollbasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/chandler-curricular-materials.pdf.

Please identify the advanced middle school classes taught in Chandler that are not taught at BASIS DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Interesting. I thought the change to linguistics classes rather than language was BASIS-wide. Are you saying that is a DC thing and other campuses start foreign languages in 5th and continue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got the critical flexibility and support we needed to pursue post AP language, performance music and STEM competition success (involving some travel on school days) from SJC. At BASIS, when we would ask admins for a little flexibility in middle school and 9th grade the answer was invariably, no. Too many barriers for our kid to stand out in college admissions down the road.

Sounds like private school was the right choice for you. It’s harder for a public school to violate policies like you were asking. TBH, except for post AP language, for the others I would have just done it and waited for someone to tell me no. As long as your kid keeps up in class and you don’t push absences past 10 days or whatever, there’s a lot you can get away with.

Um, not in Fairfax, MoCo or Arlington, not in well-run suburban systems aiming high in college admissions. The open-minded former BASIS HoS would have worked with you. This guy wears his insecurities on his sleeve by controlling whatever he can. Glad you could afford to leave to stay on track for an Ivy.

The current HOH is a big reason we are leaving for Private for HS. He makes no changes, blows off parent concerns, does nothing to try and control classroom behavior. My child has gotten excellent grades - and honestly if Basis followed through on the curriculum as it was designed (as opposed to being months behind the AZ campuses), she would really thrive more and maybe we would stay. But the teaching quality has been hit or miss, admin is clueless and prides themselves on dragging along kids who are in over their heads and probably shouldn't be at Basis rather than being an environment where advanced children can thrive.

We could have written this post. We're fed up with rowdy middle school classes. My sibling has teens at the original Arizona campus and their school is simply much better. The campus has good facilities and a serious performing arts program. Teens can play in a first-rate school orchestra. They can take languages past the AP level and advanced humanities classes from 7th grade. A different world.

Are you considering moving to Arizona? If not, what's the relevance of what an AZ school offers? How does that make any more sense than saying, "Boston Latin is better to I'm leaving Walls".

The statement above shouts false equivalency because BASIS isn't a stand-alone school, like BL or Walls. The relevance of what an AZ school offers is that BASIS DC admins, and longtime parents for that matter, constantly claim that BASIS HQ/AZ policy doesn't permit dramatic upgrades when this is clearly BS. What's true is that the current BASIS DC administration isn't interested in serious performing arts, or languages past the AP level (strongly preferring that kids learn two or three languages at the beginning level), or advanced MS humanities classes. It's also true that toxic DC politics won't support backfilling at BASIS DC while the AZ campuses freely backfill.

Can students learn multiple languages at BASIS DC? I thought they had to choose only one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got it, if we consider the HoS a poor leader, after getting to know him over a four-year period, we're unkindly bashing him. The weakness of your argument is that the shoe fits.

The DC LEA arrangement and real estate values aren't at the root of BASIS DC's relative shortcomings.

Hint #1: the building wasn't renovated intelligently. According to my HVAC guy, a basketball court could easily have been created on the roof but BASIS rejected the idea; he was on the crew that redid the building.

Hint #2: previous HoS was a strong leader. The school was happier and more functional during her tenure. I know this because my kids are quite spread out in age.

Isn’t there a height restriction on that building? Or are you talking about an open-air basketball court?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got the critical flexibility and support we needed to pursue post AP language, performance music and STEM competition success (involving some travel on school days) from SJC. At BASIS, when we would ask admins for a little flexibility in middle school and 9th grade the answer was invariably, no. Too many barriers for our kid to stand out in college admissions down the road.

Sounds like private school was the right choice for you. It’s harder for a public school to violate policies like you were asking. TBH, except for post AP language, for the others I would have just done it and waited for someone to tell me no. As long as your kid keeps up in class and you don’t push absences past 10 days or whatever, there’s a lot you can get away with.

Um, not in Fairfax, MoCo or Arlington, not in well-run suburban systems aiming high in college admissions. The open-minded former BASIS HoS would have worked with you. This guy wears his insecurities on his sleeve by controlling whatever he can. Glad you could afford to leave to stay on track for an Ivy.

The current HOH is a big reason we are leaving for Private for HS. He makes no changes, blows off parent concerns, does nothing to try and control classroom behavior. My child has gotten excellent grades - and honestly if Basis followed through on the curriculum as it was designed (as opposed to being months behind the AZ campuses), she would really thrive more and maybe we would stay. But the teaching quality has been hit or miss, admin is clueless and prides themselves on dragging along kids who are in over their heads and probably shouldn't be at Basis rather than being an environment where advanced children can thrive.

We could have written this post. We're fed up with rowdy middle school classes. My sibling has teens at the original Arizona campus and their school is simply much better. The campus has good facilities and a serious performing arts program. Teens can play in a first-rate school orchestra. They can take languages past the AP level and advanced humanities classes from 7th grade. A different world.

Are you considering moving to Arizona? If not, what's the relevance of what an AZ school offers? How does that make any more sense than saying, "Boston Latin is better to I'm leaving Walls".

The statement above shouts false equivalency because BASIS isn't a stand-alone school, like BL or Walls. The relevance of what an AZ school offers is that BASIS DC admins, and longtime parents for that matter, constantly claim that BASIS HQ/AZ policy doesn't permit dramatic upgrades when this is clearly BS. What's true is that the current BASIS DC administration isn't interested in serious performing arts, or languages past the AP level (strongly preferring that kids learn two or three languages at the beginning level), or advanced MS humanities classes. It's also true that toxic DC politics won't support backfilling at BASIS DC while the AZ campuses freely backfill.

How can you have serious performing arts without an auditorium? Are you saying the current BASIS DC admin is responsible for this state of affairs, and not the central office? Who chose, renovated, and paid for the current building? BASIS DC, or the central office?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Interesting. I thought the change to linguistics classes rather than language was BASIS-wide. Are you saying that is a DC thing and other campuses start foreign languages in 5th and continue?

I only know what I was told and shown when I visited AZ campuses. Those BASIS branches, established in the 90s, were clearly offering challenge and enrichment that BASIS DC doesn't, in a variety of ways. One of the campuses supports an after-school language program subsidized by the parent organization catering to advanced students. The other campus offered academic electives at the ms level that we don't have, e.g. detective forensics, instrumental music lessons and collecting oral histories. My impression was that the leadership (board, HoS, parent organization) of these campuses was far dynamic than ours, drawing in grants, raising money, creating hands-on learning opportunities for particularly enthusiastic and able students. Middle schoolers were competing in academic competitions at the city and state levels. On paper, the ms classes might have been the same, but the experience for the kids seemed much richer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got it, if we consider the HoS a poor leader, after getting to know him over a four-year period, we're unkindly bashing him. The weakness of your argument is that the shoe fits.

The DC LEA arrangement and real estate values aren't at the root of BASIS DC's relative shortcomings.

Hint #1: the building wasn't renovated intelligently. According to my HVAC guy, a basketball court could easily have been created on the roof but BASIS rejected the idea; he was on the crew that redid the building.

Hint #2: previous HoS was a strong leader. The school was happier and more functional during her tenure. I know this because my kids are quite spread out in age.

Isn’t there a height restriction on that building? Or are you talking about an open-air basketball court?

Open air court. They're common enough on school buildings in NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Interesting. I thought the change to linguistics classes rather than language was BASIS-wide. Are you saying that is a DC thing and other campuses start foreign languages in 5th and continue?

I only know what I was told and shown when I visited AZ campuses. Those BASIS branches, established in the 90s, were clearly offering challenge and enrichment that BASIS DC doesn't, in a variety of ways. One of the campuses supports an after-school language program subsidized by the parent organization catering to advanced students. The other campus offered academic electives at the ms level that we don't have, e.g. detective forensics, instrumental music lessons and collecting oral histories. My impression was that the leadership (board, HoS, parent organization) of these campuses was far dynamic than ours, drawing in grants, raising money, creating hands-on learning opportunities for particularly enthusiastic and able students. Middle schoolers were competing in academic competitions at the city and state levels. On paper, the ms classes might have been the same, but the experience for the kids seemed much richer.

DC has had middle schoolers competing in, and winning, academic competitions at the national level. The opportunities are there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Interesting. I thought the change to linguistics classes rather than language was BASIS-wide. Are you saying that is a DC thing and other campuses start foreign languages in 5th and continue?

I only know what I was told and shown when I visited AZ campuses. Those BASIS branches, established in the 90s, were clearly offering challenge and enrichment that BASIS DC doesn't, in a variety of ways. One of the campuses supports an after-school language program subsidized by the parent organization catering to advanced students. The other campus offered academic electives at the ms level that we don't have, e.g. detective forensics, instrumental music lessons and collecting oral histories. My impression was that the leadership (board, HoS, parent organization) of these campuses was far dynamic than ours, drawing in grants, raising money, creating hands-on learning opportunities for particularly enthusiastic and able students. Middle schoolers were competing in academic competitions at the city and state levels. On paper, the ms classes might have been the same, but the experience for the kids seemed much richer.

DC has had middle schoolers competing in, and winning, academic competitions at the national level. The opportunities are there.

Looks like the parents need to step up. Why haven't DC parents organized and made things happen?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Interesting. I thought the change to linguistics classes rather than language was BASIS-wide. Are you saying that is a DC thing and other campuses start foreign languages in 5th and continue?

I only know what I was told and shown when I visited AZ campuses. Those BASIS branches, established in the 90s, were clearly offering challenge and enrichment that BASIS DC doesn't, in a variety of ways. One of the campuses supports an after-school language program subsidized by the parent organization catering to advanced students. The other campus offered academic electives at the ms level that we don't have, e.g. detective forensics, instrumental music lessons and collecting oral histories. My impression was that the leadership (board, HoS, parent organization) of these campuses was far dynamic than ours, drawing in grants, raising money, creating hands-on learning opportunities for particularly enthusiastic and able students. Middle schoolers were competing in academic competitions at the city and state levels. On paper, the ms classes might have been the same, but the experience for the kids seemed much richer.

Are the AZ campuses in office buildings like DC? Because that is problem number one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Interesting. I thought the change to linguistics classes rather than language was BASIS-wide. Are you saying that is a DC thing and other campuses start foreign languages in 5th and continue?

I only know what I was told and shown when I visited AZ campuses. Those BASIS branches, established in the 90s, were clearly offering challenge and enrichment that BASIS DC doesn't, in a variety of ways. One of the campuses supports an after-school language program subsidized by the parent organization catering to advanced students. The other campus offered academic electives at the ms level that we don't have, e.g. detective forensics, instrumental music lessons and collecting oral histories. My impression was that the leadership (board, HoS, parent organization) of these campuses was far dynamic than ours, drawing in grants, raising money, creating hands-on learning opportunities for particularly enthusiastic and able students. Middle schoolers were competing in academic competitions at the city and state levels. On paper, the ms classes might have been the same, but the experience for the kids seemed much richer.

DC has had middle schoolers competing in, and winning, academic competitions at the national level. The opportunities are there.

Looks like the parents need to step up. Why haven't DC parents organized and made things happen?

You mean BASIS DC parents? As far as I can tell, mainly because the school hasn't had strong or stable leadership, unless you count the current HoS (in his 4th year). There were at least 8 heads in 13 years before his time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not the pp you're slamming. I'm a ms parent who can tell you that all the BASIS campuses don't do things the same way despite having the same curriculum. The way the curriculum is implemented varies. We visited a couple AZ campuses last year when considering a move to the Phoenix area. At these campuses, we observed advanced ms classes in session, not just for math, like here in DC, but for humanities subjects and foreign languages. We also observed hs classes that aren't offered in DC.

Have you visited AZ campuses? Let me guess, no, yet you persist in insisting that what happens at our DC campus is what happens at the other campuses.

Interesting. I thought the change to linguistics classes rather than language was BASIS-wide. Are you saying that is a DC thing and other campuses start foreign languages in 5th and continue?

I only know what I was told and shown when I visited AZ campuses. Those BASIS branches, established in the 90s, were clearly offering challenge and enrichment that BASIS DC doesn't, in a variety of ways. One of the campuses supports an after-school language program subsidized by the parent organization catering to advanced students. The other campus offered academic electives at the ms level that we don't have, e.g. detective forensics, instrumental music lessons and collecting oral histories. My impression was that the leadership (board, HoS, parent organization) of these campuses was far dynamic than ours, drawing in grants, raising money, creating hands-on learning opportunities for particularly enthusiastic and able students. Middle schoolers were competing in academic competitions at the city and state levels. On paper, the ms classes might have been the same, but the experience for the kids seemed much richer.

Are the AZ campuses in office buildings like DC? Because that is problem number one.

The AZ campuses I visited looked nothing like the DC building. They had playing fields, nice media centers/libraries, gyms, stages and an abundance of natural light inside.

[Anonymous]

And now this thread has finally come full circle and back on point. The future K-4 building is hopefully a long overdue opportunity to provide much needed amenities to the current middle/high school.