BASIS Equitable Access Preference

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has announced they're doing an equitable access preference. The email makes it sound like they will be admitting equitable access students in ALL GRADES (5-12): "We plan to reserve a certain number of spots for at-risk students entering grades 5-12."

I personally don't love this. Underperforming disruptive students are already a problem at BASIS. BASIS is successful because those students are weeded out. This seems like yet another school that will be ruined in the name of "equity."

It is a public school funded with taxpayer dollars yes?

Your “not loving it” is immaterial.

That's a lazy take. Or are you also in favor of JKLM, Brent and every other DCPS school having to set aside EA seats? I mean, those are publicly funded too, right?

Are they neighborhood schools or magnet/charter schools?

I think you'll find a lot of people are in favor of this. And some DCPS schools do have EA seats already. MacArthur for example. Also, many DCPS schools have self-contained classrooms for students with special needs, which are disproportionately enrolled with EA-eligible students. It's just that the placements aren't done through the regular lottery so you wouldn't see it in the EA data. Would BASIS consider offering any of this special programming? Since they care so much about students with special needs, right?

https://dcps.dc.gov/page/dcps-equitable-access-designated-seats

https://dcpsspecialed.wixsite.com/home/self-contained-feeder-patterns

That's a lot of words. Seems like you want people to believe JKLM, Brent other highly sought after schools participate. I assume you know they don't and thought we wouldn't notice. If you want to do have an honest discussion then lets have it. The DCPS schools opting in for 23-24 ae posted below. Weird, I don't see JKLM, Brent, Deal or JR on the list (MacArthur is and so is SWS-Goding to their credit.) BASIS opts in for 23-24 and somehow that's not good enough?

Barnard Elementary School (neighborhood school)
Garrison Elementary School (neighborhood school)
H.D. Cooke Elementary School (neighborhood school)
Van Ness Elementary School (neighborhood school)
John Lewis (West) Elementary School (neighborhood school)

As I said in an earlier post, if BASIS cured cancer people like you would be here complaining that they didn't cure any other diseases. Or you'd pull apart the press release and say things like, "They may have cured cancer but they didn't want to, and even if they did, they didn't want to cure cancer for poor kids."

You and your people don't actually care about DC school kids or under served populations. It's white guilt and SJW at its finest. I honestly believe you'd prefer no underserved kids get a good education if it meant you could still stand on your soapbox and complain about the kids who didn't. You don't speak for the underserved or AA communities that you think you speak for.

Who are "my people"? I don't speak for anyone myself, and I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything that isn't true. I do believe that discussion of self-contained programs is appropriate in considering service to higher-need students, even if they haven't been identified as "at-risk".

Deal's at-risk percentage is over 10%, so I don't think that's quite the zinger you're looking for. Murch is 9%. Yes, some DCPS schools are low, but they're constrained by in-boundary rights in a way that BASIS is not. They can't just start rejecting IB kids to make more room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has announced they're doing an equitable access preference. The email makes it sound like they will be admitting equitable access students in ALL GRADES (5-12): "We plan to reserve a certain number of spots for at-risk students entering grades 5-12."

I personally don't love this. Underperforming disruptive students are already a problem at BASIS. BASIS is successful because those students are weeded out. This seems like yet another school that will be ruined in the name of "equity."

It is a public school funded with taxpayer dollars yes?

Your “not loving it” is immaterial.

That's a lazy take. Or are you also in favor of JKLM, Brent and every other DCPS school having to set aside EA seats? I mean, those are publicly funded too, right?

Are they neighborhood schools or magnet/charter schools?

I think you'll find a lot of people are in favor of this. And some DCPS schools do have EA seats already. MacArthur for example. Also, many DCPS schools have self-contained classrooms for students with special needs, which are disproportionately enrolled with EA-eligible students. It's just that the placements aren't done through the regular lottery so you wouldn't see it in the EA data. Would BASIS consider offering any of this special programming? Since they care so much about students with special needs, right?

https://dcps.dc.gov/page/dcps-equitable-access-designated-seats

https://dcpsspecialed.wixsite.com/home/self-contained-feeder-patterns

That's a lot of words. Seems like you want people to believe JKLM, Brent other highly sought after schools participate. I assume you know they don't and thought we wouldn't notice. If you want to do have an honest discussion then lets have it. The DCPS schools opting in for 23-24 ae posted below. Weird, I don't see JKLM, Brent, Deal or JR on the list (MacArthur is and so is SWS-Goding to their credit.) BASIS opts in for 23-24 and somehow that's not good enough?

Barnard Elementary School (neighborhood school)
Garrison Elementary School (neighborhood school)
H.D. Cooke Elementary School (neighborhood school)
Van Ness Elementary School (neighborhood school)
John Lewis (West) Elementary School (neighborhood school)

As I said in an earlier post, if BASIS cured cancer people like you would be here complaining that they didn't cure any other diseases. Or you'd pull apart the press release and say things like, "They may have cured cancer but they didn't want to, and even if they did, they didn't want to cure cancer for poor kids."

You and your people don't actually care about DC school kids or under served populations. It's white guilt and SJW at its finest. I honestly believe you'd prefer no underserved kids get a good education if it meant you could still stand on your soapbox and complain about the kids who didn't. You don't speak for the underserved or AA communities that you think you speak for.

Who are "my people"? I don't speak for anyone myself, and I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything that isn't true. I do believe that discussion of self-contained programs is appropriate in considering service to higher-need students, even if they haven't been identified as "at-risk".

Deal's at-risk percentage is over 10%, so I don't think that's quite the zinger you're looking for. Murch is 9%. Yes, some DCPS schools are low, but they're constrained by in-boundary rights in a way that BASIS is not. They can't just start rejecting IB kids to make more room.

They very much could if DC and DCPS decided it was a priority. I guess your world view is that people who don't live in wealthy enclaves should have to support EA kids, but that obligation and responsibility shouldn't fall on W3. Where's all that concern for EA families and the underserved that was front and center a moment ago. Did you misplace it?

The current at risk % is separate and apart from lottery seats. The EA implementation is about trying to guarantee access each year to that population. You conflate those issue and data in an effort to obfuscate.

I don't mind debating education policy with people who are serious and thoughtful about it and their goals. Sadly, you aren't one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It will be great to see BASIS actually supporting and being inclusive of at-risk kids rather than avoiding them and kicking them out at the first opportunity. Who would oppose that in this city?

I oppose it. At risk kids have the same opportunity to lottery into BASIS that everyone else does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has announced they're doing an equitable access preference. The email makes it sound like they will be admitting equitable access students in ALL GRADES (5-12): "We plan to reserve a certain number of spots for at-risk students entering grades 5-12."

I personally don't love this. Underperforming disruptive students are already a problem at BASIS. BASIS is successful because those students are weeded out. This seems like yet another school that will be ruined in the name of "equity."

It is a public school funded with taxpayer dollars yes?

Your “not loving it” is immaterial.

That's a lazy take. Or are you also in favor of JKLM, Brent and every other DCPS school having to set aside EA seats? I mean, those are publicly funded too, right?

Are they neighborhood schools or magnet/charter schools?

I think you'll find a lot of people are in favor of this. And some DCPS schools do have EA seats already. MacArthur for example. Also, many DCPS schools have self-contained classrooms for students with special needs, which are disproportionately enrolled with EA-eligible students. It's just that the placements aren't done through the regular lottery so you wouldn't see it in the EA data. Would BASIS consider offering any of this special programming? Since they care so much about students with special needs, right?

https://dcps.dc.gov/page/dcps-equitable-access-designated-seats

https://dcpsspecialed.wixsite.com/home/self-contained-feeder-patterns

That's a lot of words. Seems like you want people to believe JKLM, Brent other highly sought after schools participate. I assume you know they don't and thought we wouldn't notice. If you want to do have an honest discussion then lets have it. The DCPS schools opting in for 23-24 ae posted below. Weird, I don't see JKLM, Brent, Deal or JR on the list (MacArthur is and so is SWS-Goding to their credit.) BASIS opts in for 23-24 and somehow that's not good enough?

Barnard Elementary School (neighborhood school)
Garrison Elementary School (neighborhood school)
H.D. Cooke Elementary School (neighborhood school)
Van Ness Elementary School (neighborhood school)
John Lewis (West) Elementary School (neighborhood school)

As I said in an earlier post, if BASIS cured cancer people like you would be here complaining that they didn't cure any other diseases. Or you'd pull apart the press release and say things like, "They may have cured cancer but they didn't want to, and even if they did, they didn't want to cure cancer for poor kids."

You and your people don't actually care about DC school kids or under served populations. It's white guilt and SJW at its finest. I honestly believe you'd prefer no underserved kids get a good education if it meant you could still stand on your soapbox and complain about the kids who didn't. You don't speak for the underserved or AA communities that you think you speak for.

Who are "my people"? I don't speak for anyone myself, and I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything that isn't true. I do believe that discussion of self-contained programs is appropriate in considering service to higher-need students, even if they haven't been identified as "at-risk".

Deal's at-risk percentage is over 10%, so I don't think that's quite the zinger you're looking for. Murch is 9%. Yes, some DCPS schools are low, but they're constrained by in-boundary rights in a way that BASIS is not. They can't just start rejecting IB kids to make more room.

They very much could if DC and DCPS decided it was a priority. I guess your world view is that people who don't live in wealthy enclaves should have to support EA kids, but that obligation and responsibility shouldn't fall on W3. Where's all that concern for EA families and the underserved that was front and center a moment ago. Did you misplace it?

The current at risk % is separate and apart from lottery seats. The EA implementation is about trying to guarantee access each year to that population. You conflate those issue and data in an effort to obfuscate.

I don't mind debating education policy with people who are serious and thoughtful about it and their goals. Sadly, you aren't one of them.

Huh? No it isn't separate and apart from lottery seats, it's part of the same lottery. What a weird thing to say. Schools have the option of doing it as a lottery preference or as a separate lottery category-- as discussed here https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/equitable-access-seat-matches-in-dc-common-lottery-for-school-enrollment/

Yes, DCPS could make this change and I hope they do, but it poses logistical challenges that non-by-right schools don't have to deal with. I do not live in W3 and I think in general W3 schools should be made to pull their weight. But I do acknowledge that they, unlike BASIS, do offer self-contained programming and that's something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will be great to see BASIS actually supporting and being inclusive of at-risk kids rather than avoiding them and kicking them out at the first opportunity. Who would oppose that in this city?

I oppose it. At risk kids have the same opportunity to lottery into BASIS that everyone else does.

No, they don’t actually have the same opportunity as everyone else who has a home, parents, food, heat, pencils, etc. That’s how BASIS and so many charters came to have so few at-risk kids in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It will be great to see BASIS actually supporting and being inclusive of at-risk kids rather than avoiding them and kicking them out at the first opportunity. Who would oppose that in this city?

I oppose it. At risk kids have the same opportunity to lottery into BASIS that everyone else does.

No, they don’t actually have the same opportunity as everyone else who has a home, parents, food, heat, pencils, etc. That’s how BASIS and so many charters came to have so few at-risk kids in the first place.

Yes. The letter is clear about the outcome: "Our enrollment rates for students in Ward 7 and Ward 8 have been declining for several years, as have our Special Education enrollment numbers, and our at-risk enrollment rate is one of the lowest in the city."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused, why would BASIS have to be anyone's number one choice? Lots of people match at BASIS because they didn't get into Latin. Is this some sort of requirement to utilize the preference?

I read this as code for “hopefully at-risk applicants will choose Basis because they want specifically the kind of education that Basis offers and not for whatever other reason
“. And I do see that point, at least a little. Our family is firmly within the usual Ward 6 Basis demographic, but Basis was not our first choice. Thanks to the lottery system, it is the school we got, and we recognize that it’s the best of our options. Still, we’ve had real struggles with the fact that Basis offers only one type of experience and that experience is an okay-not-great fit for our particular kid. People who are 100% on board with the Basis model will have an easier time of it, almost by definition. Realistically, that’s even more true for families who might face extra challenges in educational background or daily logistics. (Unlike some of the PPs, I believe there are plenty of smart and serious at-risk kids in DC with the potential to do the work at Basis. And if their parents/guardians are in the lottery, they would have at least some support at home. But realistically most will face some additional challenges in logistics, costs, more frequent changes in living circumstances, or weaker PK-4 education, not to mention dealing with the obvious prejudice by some of the community posting here. Pushing through those challenges will require even more commitment to the belief that Basis is worth it in the long run.)

+1. If BASIS really wants to be supportive, it has to make wholesale changes in the way it does so many things. Example -- BASIS provided transportation for students to a track meet yesterday, but no return transportation after the meet was over. Students/families needed to figure out how to get home themselves. That's hard enough for a not at-risk family to do. How much harder would it be for an at-risk family??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused, why would BASIS have to be anyone's number one choice? Lots of people match at BASIS because they didn't get into Latin. Is this some sort of requirement to utilize the preference?

I read this as code for “hopefully at-risk applicants will choose Basis because they want specifically the kind of education that Basis offers and not for whatever other reason
“. And I do see that point, at least a little. Our family is firmly within the usual Ward 6 Basis demographic, but Basis was not our first choice. Thanks to the lottery system, it is the school we got, and we recognize that it’s the best of our options. Still, we’ve had real struggles with the fact that Basis offers only one type of experience and that experience is an okay-not-great fit for our particular kid. People who are 100% on board with the Basis model will have an easier time of it, almost by definition. Realistically, that’s even more true for families who might face extra challenges in educational background or daily logistics. (Unlike some of the PPs, I believe there are plenty of smart and serious at-risk kids in DC with the potential to do the work at Basis. And if their parents/guardians are in the lottery, they would have at least some support at home. But realistically most will face some additional challenges in logistics, costs, more frequent changes in living circumstances, or weaker PK-4 education, not to mention dealing with the obvious prejudice by some of the community posting here. Pushing through those challenges will require even more commitment to the belief that Basis is worth it in the long run.)

+1. If BASIS really wants to be supportive, it has to make wholesale changes in the way it does so many things. Example -- BASIS provided transportation for students to a track meet yesterday, but no return transportation after the meet was over. Students/families needed to figure out how to get home themselves. That's hard enough for a not at-risk family to do. How much harder would it be for an at-risk family??

Sorry not track -- cross country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has announced they're doing an equitable access preference. The email makes it sound like they will be admitting equitable access students in ALL GRADES (5-12): "We plan to reserve a certain number of spots for at-risk students entering grades 5-12."

I personally don't love this. Underperforming disruptive students are already a problem at BASIS. BASIS is successful because those students are weeded out. This seems like yet another school that will be ruined in the name of "equity."

It would be terrible if a school that operates with public money was actually forced to serve the public.

Charter school parents, especially basis parents, complain about funding inequalities between charters and dcps, but then want their school to only accept the easiest students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused, why would BASIS have to be anyone's number one choice? Lots of people match at BASIS because they didn't get into Latin. Is this some sort of requirement to utilize the preference?

I read this as code for “hopefully at-risk applicants will choose Basis because they want specifically the kind of education that Basis offers and not for whatever other reason
“. And I do see that point, at least a little. Our family is firmly within the usual Ward 6 Basis demographic, but Basis was not our first choice. Thanks to the lottery system, it is the school we got, and we recognize that it’s the best of our options. Still, we’ve had real struggles with the fact that Basis offers only one type of experience and that experience is an okay-not-great fit for our particular kid. People who are 100% on board with the Basis model will have an easier time of it, almost by definition. Realistically, that’s even more true for families who might face extra challenges in educational background or daily logistics. (Unlike some of the PPs, I believe there are plenty of smart and serious at-risk kids in DC with the potential to do the work at Basis. And if their parents/guardians are in the lottery, they would have at least some support at home. But realistically most will face some additional challenges in logistics, costs, more frequent changes in living circumstances, or weaker PK-4 education, not to mention dealing with the obvious prejudice by some of the community posting here. Pushing through those challenges will require even more commitment to the belief that Basis is worth it in the long run.)

+1. If BASIS really wants to be supportive, it has to make wholesale changes in the way it does so many things. Example -- BASIS provided transportation for students to a track meet yesterday, but no return transportation after the meet was over. Students/families needed to figure out how to get home themselves. That's hard enough for a not at-risk family to do. How much harder would it be for an at-risk family??

Stay in your lane. BASIS has a pot of money for these situations. My family has from time to time had to ask for support and they've never once said no. In my years at BASIS every meeting and communication about clubs and trips has been accompanied a request to reach out to the school if you need help. I know of no family they have refused.

Your concern for my family and others like it is purely performative. Stop using pretend concern for people like us to score points. Jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has announced they're doing an equitable access preference. The email makes it sound like they will be admitting equitable access students in ALL GRADES (5-12): "We plan to reserve a certain number of spots for at-risk students entering grades 5-12."

I personally don't love this. Underperforming disruptive students are already a problem at BASIS. BASIS is successful because those students are weeded out. This seems like yet another school that will be ruined in the name of "equity."

It would be terrible if a school that operates with public money was actually forced to serve the public.

Charter school parents, especially basis parents, complain about funding inequalities between charters and dcps, but then want their school to only accept the easiest students.

This is a hollow phrase. Would you argue that Duke Ellington doesn't "serve the public" because it doesn't serve those without artistic inclination and ability? BASIS has a specific curriculum and approach. It isn't for everyone. Not everything has to be for everyone. People like you would have TJ and Bronx Science and Boston Latin lower standards in the name of...equity? No thanks.

Thankfully I think we've passed the point in DC where people like you were believed to speak for most parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It reads like "Don't worry, we'll make sure it's only a few more poors, and we'll make sure they're super desperate to be here!"

Imagine how different this letter would be if they actually wanted to do this. Of course, if they wanted to, they would have done it already.

That's my takeaway as well. They are clear that "this new preference will impact our opening grade level seat size by less than 8% of total seat offers -- meaning a marginal impact to new families submitting applications." They never say the exact number of equitable access seats they will offer -- it could be in the single digits and this is more performative than anything else. Based on the 8% quoted in the email, it's probably around 12.

If it is only 9 seats should they not do it all? Seems like if those 9 kids get a chance they otherwise wouldn't get then it makes a difference to those kids. In a thread filled with dumb takes yours may be the dumbest. Your objection is that they didn't tell you right now how many seats? And also you don't think the number of seats they didn't tell you they would offer is enough seats? The only thing performative here is people like you.

Reading is fundamental -- perhaps you should have gone to a BASIS school or perhaps you are just overly emotional. In any case, I don't object - even if it is performative. I just don't see that 12 kids (or less or even a bit more) are going to ruin the BASIS education as is being said by others throughout this thread.

If that's all it takes to ruin it, it wasn't very good.

You spend a lot of time focusing on something you don't think is very good and didn't want anyway. You are like a kid who doesn't get picked to play on a team and spends the rest of his life claiming he hated baseball anyway and didn't care. To prove this you review the box scores and post commentary about the baseball team and how little you care. It's very strange.

There are multiple people posting on this thread, you know. It's not just me who thinks BASIS isn't very good.

And...? Your point is? You don't have to think it is good. You don't have to send a kid there and you don't have to leave a kid there. I understand people who are pissed that they couldn't access something they wanted. People like you confound me. Why would you spend a single second on something you don't think is good or worthwhile? It doesn't make sense.

Because I think a well-functioning school *system* is worthwhile and good, and I think BASIS is detrimental to the functioning of the system because of the many ways in which it coasts and shirks the harder work while claiming "results".

Couple things:

(1) Putting a word in quotes to impute sarcasm doesn't made facts disappear. BASIS's results are empirically excellent. You can argue self selection and number of other things are at play, but its results are great. Related to that...

(2) That's some Prime A BS you are slinging there bro. If you cared about the "system" you wouldn't be focused exclusively on one of the few schools that gets results; you'd spend your energy on the systemic failures occurring throughout DCPS. Are you seriously arguing that BASIS is destabilizing all of DCPS? Nothing about what you post indicates a concern about the "system".

Your obsession makes no sense. You are very much that kid who spends all his time obsessing over something they pretend not to care about.

1) Those are not actually quotation marks, and they are there for emphasis, not sarcasm.

2) What makes you think I'm focused exclusively on BASIS? There are lots of schools I'm eager to discuss-- any school that I feel is under-performing its demographics, shirking the harder work of the school system, or just generally not as good as people think. No, I do not think BASIS is destabilizing all of DCPS FFS. I think that BASIS is not actually that great, people go there for lack of better options, and that its "results" are not "empirically excellent" relative to demographics. I think that all schools should do a fair share of the more challenging work of a school system, and to allow some to shirk means that other schools have to do disproportionately more. And for BASIS to avoid the difficult parts and then claim to have better results is just in terrible taste. I'm not pretending not to care, I care very much about this.

Bolded is always funny. "Not as good as I think they should be" is what you mean. What you seem to be arguing is that BASIS is failing wealthy white folks. Thank god you are there to speak for those poor people who are being snookered by BASIS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has announced they're doing an equitable access preference. The email makes it sound like they will be admitting equitable access students in ALL GRADES (5-12): "We plan to reserve a certain number of spots for at-risk students entering grades 5-12."

I personally don't love this. Underperforming disruptive students are already a problem at BASIS. BASIS is successful because those students are weeded out. This seems like yet another school that will be ruined in the name of "equity."

It would be terrible if a school that operates with public money was actually forced to serve the public.

Charter school parents, especially basis parents, complain about funding inequalities between charters and dcps, but then want their school to only accept the easiest students.

This is a hollow phrase. Would you argue that Duke Ellington doesn't "serve the public" because it doesn't serve those without artistic inclination and ability? BASIS has a specific curriculum and approach. It isn't for everyone. Not everything has to be for everyone. People like you would have TJ and Bronx Science and Boston Latin lower standards in the name of...equity? No thanks.

Thankfully I think we've passed the point in DC where people like you were believed to speak for most parents.

Ellington is 29% at-risk, and makes no claims to being anything other than a selective high school. It doesn't strut around patting itself on the back for being "pure lottery" while somehow, coincidentally, serving the easiest student body it possibly could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It reads like "Don't worry, we'll make sure it's only a few more poors, and we'll make sure they're super desperate to be here!"

Imagine how different this letter would be if they actually wanted to do this. Of course, if they wanted to, they would have done it already.

That's my takeaway as well. They are clear that "this new preference will impact our opening grade level seat size by less than 8% of total seat offers -- meaning a marginal impact to new families submitting applications." They never say the exact number of equitable access seats they will offer -- it could be in the single digits and this is more performative than anything else. Based on the 8% quoted in the email, it's probably around 12.

If it is only 9 seats should they not do it all? Seems like if those 9 kids get a chance they otherwise wouldn't get then it makes a difference to those kids. In a thread filled with dumb takes yours may be the dumbest. Your objection is that they didn't tell you right now how many seats? And also you don't think the number of seats they didn't tell you they would offer is enough seats? The only thing performative here is people like you.

Reading is fundamental -- perhaps you should have gone to a BASIS school or perhaps you are just overly emotional. In any case, I don't object - even if it is performative. I just don't see that 12 kids (or less or even a bit more) are going to ruin the BASIS education as is being said by others throughout this thread.

If that's all it takes to ruin it, it wasn't very good.

You spend a lot of time focusing on something you don't think is very good and didn't want anyway. You are like a kid who doesn't get picked to play on a team and spends the rest of his life claiming he hated baseball anyway and didn't care. To prove this you review the box scores and post commentary about the baseball team and how little you care. It's very strange.

There are multiple people posting on this thread, you know. It's not just me who thinks BASIS isn't very good.

And...? Your point is? You don't have to think it is good. You don't have to send a kid there and you don't have to leave a kid there. I understand people who are pissed that they couldn't access something they wanted. People like you confound me. Why would you spend a single second on something you don't think is good or worthwhile? It doesn't make sense.

Because I think a well-functioning school *system* is worthwhile and good, and I think BASIS is detrimental to the functioning of the system because of the many ways in which it coasts and shirks the harder work while claiming "results".

Couple things:

(1) Putting a word in quotes to impute sarcasm doesn't made facts disappear. BASIS's results are empirically excellent. You can argue self selection and number of other things are at play, but its results are great. Related to that...

(2) That's some Prime A BS you are slinging there bro. If you cared about the "system" you wouldn't be focused exclusively on one of the few schools that gets results; you'd spend your energy on the systemic failures occurring throughout DCPS. Are you seriously arguing that BASIS is destabilizing all of DCPS? Nothing about what you post indicates a concern about the "system".

Your obsession makes no sense. You are very much that kid who spends all his time obsessing over something they pretend not to care about.

1) Those are not actually quotation marks, and they are there for emphasis, not sarcasm.

2) What makes you think I'm focused exclusively on BASIS? There are lots of schools I'm eager to discuss-- any school that I feel is under-performing its demographics, shirking the harder work of the school system, or just generally not as good as people think. No, I do not think BASIS is destabilizing all of DCPS FFS. I think that BASIS is not actually that great, people go there for lack of better options, and that its "results" are not "empirically excellent" relative to demographics. I think that all schools should do a fair share of the more challenging work of a school system, and to allow some to shirk means that other schools have to do disproportionately more. And for BASIS to avoid the difficult parts and then claim to have better results is just in terrible taste. I'm not pretending not to care, I care very much about this.

Bolded is always funny. "Not as good as I think they should be" is what you mean. What you seem to be arguing is that BASIS is failing wealthy white folks. Thank god you are there to speak for those poor people who are being snookered by BASIS!

Yup that's exactly what I think. And I think a lot of them know it, they just don't have a better option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has announced they're doing an equitable access preference. The email makes it sound like they will be admitting equitable access students in ALL GRADES (5-12): "We plan to reserve a certain number of spots for at-risk students entering grades 5-12."

I personally don't love this. Underperforming disruptive students are already a problem at BASIS. BASIS is successful because those students are weeded out. This seems like yet another school that will be ruined in the name of "equity."

It would be terrible if a school that operates with public money was actually forced to serve the public.

Charter school parents, especially basis parents, complain about funding inequalities between charters and dcps, but then want their school to only accept the easiest students.

This is a hollow phrase. Would you argue that Duke Ellington doesn't "serve the public" because it doesn't serve those without artistic inclination and ability? BASIS has a specific curriculum and approach. It isn't for everyone. Not everything has to be for everyone. People like you would have TJ and Bronx Science and Boston Latin lower standards in the name of...equity? No thanks.

Thankfully I think we've passed the point in DC where people like you were believed to speak for most parents.

You assume at-risk kids aren’t smart enough for BASIS. You don’t want your kids’ school to make even this minimal effort because they may actually admit poor kids.