How's basis going so far?

[Anonymous]

"It started out saying "How is Basis so far?". Most of the parents that answered were saying all sorts of things about the low/SES AA and how no one would want to send their child to a school with a majority AA graduating class!"

No, it didn't start out with people saying all sorts of things about low SES AA. It started out with the usual suspect(s) ripping on BASIS with one speculation after another about how kids will burn out and so on, one false premise after another, et cetera. That later led into suggestions of racial bias against low-SES AA kids "because it's too hard" - again, NONE of that coming fro many actual BASIS parent I know of... And no non-AA BASIS parent I have ever talked to gives a damn about what percentage AA the school is.

The (wow, 37 pages now) of this thread has consisted of 5% actual talk about BASIS, and 95% random pot-stirring and troublemaking, and I bet most of it has come from folks who aren't even involved with BASIS, just folks who have their own anti-BASIS agenda.

If anyone's looking for a genuine, serious, and honest discussion of BASIS, this sure isn't the place for it.

[Anonymous]

Not a low SES AA parent but DCUM DC Boards do tend to insult them on a pretty regular basis. The ones that I am most familiar with - Yu Ying, Basis, and Latin - these boards do it pretty regularly. While I'm not comfortable with the tone of the last couple of defensive posts; this is the first time I have actually seen push back so I'm not going to complain. The most comparable I have seen regarding insults on high SES families have been on the Landon MD Board. Even there they mostly attack the country club set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"It started out saying "How is Basis so far?". Most of the parents that answered were saying all sorts of things about the low/SES AA and how no one would want to send their child to a school with a majority AA graduating class!"

No, it didn't start out with people saying all sorts of things about low SES AA. It started out with the usual suspect(s) ripping on BASIS with one speculation after another about how kids will burn out and so on, one false premise after another, et cetera. That later led into suggestions of racial bias against low-SES AA kids "because it's too hard" - again, NONE of that coming fro many actual BASIS parent I know of... And no non-AA BASIS parent I have ever talked to gives a damn about what percentage AA the school is.

The (wow, 37 pages now) of this thread has consisted of 5% actual talk about BASIS, and 95% random pot-stirring and troublemaking, and I bet most of it has come from folks who aren't even involved with BASIS, just folks who have their own anti-BASIS agenda.

If anyone's looking for a genuine, serious, and honest discussion of BASIS, this sure isn't the place for it.

Back to BASIS DC. That place is going to rock in a couple of years, and we will be proud to have been a part of its early years.

[Anonymous]

I wish they'd find a bigger building. In the meantime put down some carpeting or something, it's unbearably loud.

[Anonymous]

"The (wow, 37 pages now) of this thread has consisted of 5% actual talk about BASIS, and 95% random pot-stirring and troublemaking, and I bet most of it has come from folks who aren't even involved with BASIS, just folks who have their own anti-BASIS agenda."

Well, I actually do go to Basis and I can assure you that everything I have stated is true and contrary to your comment, I am not anti-Basis. I love the curriculum and what Basis has to offer. This is the first year and as with any new company, organization etc., there are kinks to work out but I'm not going to sit back and allow most of these parents to state their bias opinions that further contaminate others thoughts about this school based on the students "status" determining how well they are doing or not doing when the reality is that ALL of the students tested, on average, the SAME level. That includes, private, public, charter schools and high/low SES status and these ARE the current Basis students! The mighty blow came when the parents spending their money on those "private" schools quickly found out that their child wasent the GT "class" they thought! This was all before the school was in session. So when their child wasent doing so well, they go on here and talk about how their children were declining due to the low/SES behavior and that is NOT the case coming in the door! The handful of kids that DID do exceptionally well were the homeschool kids!! So say what you like but know what you speaking about and tell the truth don't just jump on the "bashing" band waggon and if anyone else wants to question the fact that this is truth or not.....it's no secret.....call Basis and simply ask. Or if you are too a Basis parent then you already know I'm speaking the truth. I would feel a little cheated too if I found out that my child tested the same as any other average public school kid after I had paid thousands in tuition or broke my neck to get in these "elite" schools but don't go blaming a certain "class" for it!

[Anonymous]

It's gotten to the point where every time I see the phrases "SES" and "AA" on these posts, my B.S. detector almost invariably goes off within seconds with regard to whatever statements follow in connection with it.

[Anonymous]

My kid had a great time at the Halloween dance tonight.

[Anonymous]

The dance was awesome, the children really had a good time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would feel a little cheated too if I found out that my child tested the same as any other average public school kid after I had paid thousands in tuition or broke my neck to get in these "elite" schools but don't go blaming a certain "class" for it!

Whaaaat? Blaming a certain class for what? What do Basis pre-entry test scores have to do with 'blaming a certain "class" for it'. If you're trying to say that all but the home-schooled students entered Basis at grade level, you've gotta be kidding. How did they fill a class of Algebra 1 if that were the case? Any relationship of readiness to income is not causality; it is merely correlation. Causality is the crap schools some of the kids came from. Didn't KIPP already show there's no-causality of income to 'readiness for advancement'?

[Anonymous]

Re: the Halloween dance: heard the kids actually danced. That right there is way better than my junior high dance experience.

[Anonymous]

The party organizers and volunteers did a great job. The kids looked like they were having a terrific time.

[Anonymous]

There was also a fortune teller, a palm reader, and the intro to science teacher (who has a PhD in neuroscience) had a table where students could dissect sheep brains and cow eyeballs. My daughter said "It was the best party ever." We parents had fun too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"The (wow, 37 pages now) of this thread has consisted of 5% actual talk about BASIS, and 95% random pot-stirring and troublemaking, and I bet most of it has come from folks who aren't even involved with BASIS, just folks who have their own anti-BASIS agenda."

Well, I actually do go to Basis and I can assure you that everything I have stated is true and contrary to your comment, I am not anti-Basis. I love the curriculum and what Basis has to offer. This is the first year and as with any new company, organization etc., there are kinks to work out but I'm not going to sit back and allow most of these parents to state their bias opinions that further contaminate others thoughts about this school based on the students "status" determining how well they are doing or not doing when the reality is that ALL of the students tested, on average, the SAME level. That includes, private, public, charter schools and high/low SES status and these ARE the current Basis students! The mighty blow came when the parents spending their money on those "private" schools quickly found out that their child wasent the GT "class" they thought! This was all before the school was in session. So when their child wasent doing so well, they go on here and talk about how their children were declining due to the low/SES behavior and that is NOT the case coming in the door! The handful of kids that DID do exceptionally well were the homeschool kids!! So say what you like but know what you speaking about and tell the truth don't just jump on the "bashing" band waggon and if anyone else wants to question the fact that this is truth or not.....it's no secret.....call Basis and simply ask. Or if you are too a Basis parent then you already know I'm speaking the truth. I would feel a little cheated too if I found out that my child tested the same as any other average public school kid after I had paid thousands in tuition or broke my neck to get in these "elite" schools but don't go blaming a certain "class" for it!

Do you mean that your child goes to BASIS? (You said that you do.)

How do you know that all incoming students tested, in average, at the "same level?" My child took the BASIS tests (although we chose not to send him there), and we received only his scores, not concatenated scores of all incoming students, and certainly not information about average scores for children coming from DCPS vs charter vs private vs homeschooling.

How many BASIS children came directly from private school? I'm guessing that the average number per grade must be in the single digits. Not that BASIS isn't a good option, but it's really not on the radar of private school parents.

[Anonymous]

I've heard differently. It's pretty obvious that not every incoming student tested at the same level - and some incoming students apparently didn't even bother with the test - though they should have, as some who didn't bother probably weren't sufficiently prepared.

[Anonymous]

Again this assertion that everyone tested at the same level. It must be comforting to think so, and certainly one hopes that those starting from behind do catch up.

But as to the placement testing, students who scored high on the first test were immediately given a second test of more advanced material so that math placement could be determined. The placement levels ranged from remedial to advanced (Algebra II).