How to help child succeed at BASIS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No denying that the BASIS building is a misery and the program remains hopelessly cash-strapped. A windowless cafeteria with black walls is a poor substitute indeed for a quiet, pleasant little library or media center staffed by a first-rate professional. If you want teens to zealously plug away on the road to the colleges of their dreams, provide them with minimally acceptable school facilities to do so here in the richest country ever to grace the earth.

The building for my HS alma mater, NYC's Hunter College, is very far from ideal, but it's a veritable palace by comparison. At Hunter, we were taught to challenge, to think for ourselves, to value an assertive student government. BASIS DC students are taught to do as they're told.

You sound like you were raised in a cult. Do you speak this way in real life?

[Anonymous]

I attended Bronx Science (back in the day when it was more competitive than Stuyvesant, which was still in its old bldg). In any case, I remember hour-long commutes on the subway (with my T-square!)followed by a long walk past a subway car junkyard. The yard was made of concrete and the only nearby commerce was a truck that sold things like candy bars. I know there was an auditorium as I recall the occasional assembly. I have no memory of a library—I assume it existed but I potentially never entered it. The cafeteria had some windows but was huge and a place of mayhem.

The academics were top notch and the kids were smart (though I don’t recall us constantly challenging things; we were too focused on outdoing each other on the SAT; at least my crowd). In any case, you paint a very romantic view of Hunter.

Anyway, as far as buildings go, I think my kids are better off with their 10-15 minute commutes to BASIS, which has the benefit of being downtown and near the mall. At least to me it’s no worse than I had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No denying that the BASIS building is a misery and the program remains hopelessly cash-strapped. A windowless cafeteria with black walls is a poor substitute indeed for a quiet, pleasant little library or media center staffed by a first-rate professional. If you want teens to zealously plug away on the road to the colleges of their dreams, provide them with minimally acceptable school facilities to do so here in the richest country ever to grace the earth.

The building for my HS alma mater, NYC's Hunter College, is very far from ideal, but it's a veritable palace by comparison. At Hunter, we were taught to challenge, to think for ourselves, to value an assertive student government. BASIS DC students are taught to do as they're told.

You sound like you were raised in a cult. Do you speak this way in real life?

In any case, the main DC library is one block away from the school and contains much more than a school library could contain, and is staffed by a multitude of professionals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No denying that the BASIS building is a misery and the program remains hopelessly cash-strapped. A windowless cafeteria with black walls is a poor substitute indeed for a quiet, pleasant little library or media center staffed by a first-rate professional. If you want teens to zealously plug away on the road to the colleges of their dreams, provide them with minimally acceptable school facilities to do so here in the richest country ever to grace the earth.

The building for my HS alma mater, NYC's Hunter College, is very far from ideal, but it's a veritable palace by comparison. At Hunter, we were taught to challenge, to think for ourselves, to value an assertive student government. BASIS DC students are taught to do as they're told.

You sound like you were raised in a cult. Do you speak this way in real life?

Besides the library, the National Mall is 2 blocks away, with many free museums and open grounds that allow for quiet reflection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis bought the building 10 years ago $14 million. It is super convenient for parents who work downtown and kids who take the bus/metro.

The building is now worth $18-$20 million, so I guess that they made a shrewd investment.

I wonder if this is still true now, in a post-COVID world where offices are begging employees to come back.

In any case, I have a kid at BASIS and I'm on the fence about the school. My kid is happy there but does complain about the building - she wants a bigger gym and more windows and a library (I'm NOT the library poster I swear, and I pointed out to her already we have great libraries right down the street from our house).

That said, my middle school and high school consisted of a large grey, cinderblock building in a suburban town. Many of the classrooms didn't have windows and cafeteria doesn't sick out at all to me. I do remember the library of my elementary school, but I don't recall using the library in middle or high school all that often (we went to the public library a lot). My kid already reads a ton so I'm not that concerned about a lack of a library.

I do wish the school had more windows and green space (what my kid complains about), but I also love the commute. I'm conflicted, but our other options all have their pros and cons as well. We'll keep our kid at BASIS until the cons outweighs the pros but so far, that hasn't happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No denying that the BASIS building is a misery and the program remains hopelessly cash-strapped. A windowless cafeteria with black walls is a poor substitute indeed for a quiet, pleasant little library or media center staffed by a first-rate professional. If you want teens to zealously plug away on the road to the colleges of their dreams, provide them with minimally acceptable school facilities to do so here in the richest country ever to grace the earth.

The building for my HS alma mater, NYC's Hunter College, is very far from ideal, but it's a veritable palace by comparison. At Hunter, we were taught to challenge, to think for ourselves, to value an assertive student government. BASIS DC students are taught to do as they're told.

+1. Like this lyrical post. A high-powered high school w/out a library or student govt is downright creepy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I attended Bronx Science (back in the day when it was more competitive than Stuyvesant, which was still in its old bldg). In any case, I remember hour-long commutes on the subway (with my T-square!)followed by a long walk past a subway car junkyard. The yard was made of concrete and the only nearby commerce was a truck that sold things like candy bars. I know there was an auditorium as I recall the occasional assembly. I have no memory of a library—I assume it existed but I potentially never entered it. The cafeteria had some windows but was huge and a place of mayhem.

The academics were top notch and the kids were smart (though I don’t recall us constantly challenging things; we were too focused on outdoing each other on the SAT; at least my crowd). In any case, you paint a very romantic view of Hunter.

Anyway, as far as buildings go, I think my kids are better off with their 10-15 minute commutes to BASIS, which has the benefit of being downtown and near the mall. At least to me it’s no worse than I had.

I went to Bronx Sci, my spouse to Hunter. We lasted a year at BASIS. Our high schools were 10 times the school BASIS DC is, mainly because the leadership was remarkable. I have an old friend who sends his children to BASIS Scottsdale high school. When we were talking about BASIS recently, he was surprised to learn that BASIS DC doesn't admit after 5th, lacks basic facilities, doesn't support a music program, changes HOS regularly and so forth.

Broxn Sci administrators were real leaders who'd spent decades teaching, versus interchangeable parts in the machine of a national franchise. I benefited from flexibility in the curriculum afforded to me by administrators, such as letting me test out of a language requirement on day 1. They even helped me study the language at an advanced level at a community college on the city's dime. I remember the school library well - the librarians were terrific.

I never really minded my 75-min subway and bus commute to Bronx Sci because I loved the spirit of the place.

[Anonymous]

^^I wasn’t asserting that BASIS is comparable to Bronx Science overall. Just saying that I went to a top NYC magnet that did not leave a lasting impression because of its stellar facilities. The building was fine, but the academics and student body is what mattered.

In any case, unless you say what school you left for, the fact that “your kids didn’t last more than a year” is irrelevant. BASIS is still one of the best public options in DC.

[Anonymous]

“Are what mattered.”

(Apparently I didn’t learn to write in high school.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No denying that the BASIS building is a misery and the program remains hopelessly cash-strapped. A windowless cafeteria with black walls is a poor substitute indeed for a quiet, pleasant little library or media center staffed by a first-rate professional. If you want teens to zealously plug away on the road to the colleges of their dreams, provide them with minimally acceptable school facilities to do so here in the richest country ever to grace the earth.

The building for my HS alma mater, NYC's Hunter College, is very far from ideal, but it's a veritable palace by comparison. At Hunter, we were taught to challenge, to think for ourselves, to value an assertive student government. BASIS DC students are taught to do as they're told.

+1. Like this lyrical post. A high-powered high school w/out a library or student govt is downright creepy!

Stop upvoting your own posts Hunter College cultist.

[Anonymous]

I would like to thank the NY-centric posters for hijacking this already hijacked thread to enlighten us all about the miracle that was NYC public education in the 80s and 90s. It is ever so relevant to the discussion and clearly instructive to a path forward. You are doing the lord's work.

[Anonymous]

Bronx Sci cultist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to thank the NY-centric posters for hijacking this already hijacked thread to enlighten us all about the miracle that was NYC public education in the 80s and 90s. It is ever so relevant to the discussion and clearly instructive to a path forward. You are doing the lord's work.

Perhaps it doesn't hurt for DC public school parents EotP with high ambitions for their children to be reminded of the extent to which they're being shortchanged on occasion.

I thought along these lines when I visited the big BASIS Scottsdale campus last year, when I was in the area for work. The administrators (middle-aged people) organize regular community events, a good many of the students join the program in 7th, 8th or 9th grades, and there's a lovely auditorium used for theatrical and orchestra performances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No denying that the BASIS building is a misery and the program remains hopelessly cash-strapped. A windowless cafeteria with black walls is a poor substitute indeed for a quiet, pleasant little library or media center staffed by a first-rate professional. If you want teens to zealously plug away on the road to the colleges of their dreams, provide them with minimally acceptable school facilities to do so here in the richest country ever to grace the earth.

The building for my HS alma mater, NYC's Hunter College, is very far from ideal, but it's a veritable palace by comparison. At Hunter, we were taught to challenge, to think for ourselves, to value an assertive student government. BASIS DC students are taught to do as they're told.

+1. Like this lyrical post. A high-powered high school w/out a library or student govt is downright creepy!

BASIS has a student government. It is so weird how people who know nothing about the school obsess over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like to thank the NY-centric posters for hijacking this already hijacked thread to enlighten us all about the miracle that was NYC public education in the 80s and 90s. It is ever so relevant to the discussion and clearly instructive to a path forward. You are doing the lord's work.

Perhaps it doesn't hurt for DC public school parents EotP with high ambitions for their children to be reminded of the extent to which they're being shortchanged on occasion.

I thought along these lines when I visited the big BASIS Scottsdale campus last year, when I was in the area for work. The administrators (middle-aged people) organize regular community events, a good many of the students join the program in 7th, 8th or 9th grades, and there's a lovely auditorium used for theatrical and orchestra performances.

Scottsdale pre dates DC by more than a decade and is located in a spread-out suburb. Their study body is half Asian.

Maybe we'll have all this at a DC campus for our grandchildren.