BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No gym, stage, library, grass, language instruction before 8th grade. No instrumental music program, serious sports or arts. High, chronic teacher turnover. Weak leadership and v. uneven ms instruction in core subjects. All course work done by the end of jr year in HS. These aren’t minor weaknesses. Families with the dough for private high schools leave.

For me, it’s also that BASIS doesn’t make any effort to really solve for their terrible facilities space. They could be taking the kids regularly outside to the national mall, which is just a couple blocks away. But I can count on one hand how many times they have taken my kid outside in 1.5 years. Teachers regularly promise it as a “carrot” in an effort to bribe kids into good behavior, but then take it away day after day.

There is so much toxic behavior toward the students by admins and staff. I don’t know that I’m going to be able to stomach the head of school crowing about BASIS test scores for another however many years (knowing my own child is working his butt off to contribute to those stats) while simultaneously ignoring the way members of his staff treat students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No gym, stage, library, grass, language instruction before 8th grade. No instrumental music program, serious sports or arts. High, chronic teacher turnover. Weak leadership and v. uneven ms instruction in core subjects. All course work done by the end of jr year in HS. These aren’t minor weaknesses. Families with the dough for private high schools leave.

Sure, but if you're leaving in middle school for a worse DCPS public or charter, that's not why you're leaving -- you're leaving because the coursework was too much too soon.

Not necessarily true. The parents I know who chose BASIS because they saw it as a good school which they initially defined as great test scores, rigorous expectations (they valued their kids having AP in the middle grades) and what they deemed a high performing cohort of kids. They realized their kids could do well elsewhere but have more access to other types of schools offerings (arts in particular). They didn't think of the school they chose as "worse" though -- the test scores were good but not as good as BASIS. How are you defining a "worse DCPS public or charter"?

Substantially worse test scores, behavioral problems, and/or opportunities for acceleration. I'm not talking about Deal, Hardy, or Latin. But if you're leaving for a school where virtually none of the kids are testing at grade level, I don't think it's for access to a broader variety of middle school options. Especially if you're leaving after 6th or 7th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No gym, stage, library, grass, language instruction before 8th grade. No instrumental music program, serious sports or arts. High, chronic teacher turnover. Weak leadership and v. uneven ms instruction in core subjects. All course work done by the end of jr year in HS. These aren’t minor weaknesses. Families with the dough for private high schools leave.

Sure, but if you're leaving in middle school for a worse DCPS public or charter, that's not why you're leaving -- you're leaving because the coursework was too much too soon.

Not necessarily true. The parents I know who chose BASIS because they saw it as a good school which they initially defined as great test scores, rigorous expectations (they valued their kids having AP in the middle grades) and what they deemed a high performing cohort of kids. They realized their kids could do well elsewhere but have more access to other types of schools offerings (arts in particular). They didn't think of the school they chose as "worse" though -- the test scores were good but not as good as BASIS. How are you defining a "worse DCPS public or charter"?

Substantially worse test scores, behavioral problems, and/or opportunities for acceleration. I'm not talking about Deal, Hardy, or Latin. But if you're leaving for a school where virtually none of the kids are testing at grade level, I don't think it's for access to a broader variety of middle school options. Especially if you're leaving after 6th or 7th.

Worse test scores for who? I would be totally comfortable sending my kid to a middle-of-the-road DCPS school, like Stuart Hobson or MacArthur or SWWFS, where the upper limit is still high, over BASIS.

[Anonymous]

*macfarland

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No gym, stage, library, grass, language instruction before 8th grade. No instrumental music program, serious sports or arts. High, chronic teacher turnover. Weak leadership and v. uneven ms instruction in core subjects. All course work done by the end of jr year in HS. These aren’t minor weaknesses. Families with the dough for private high schools leave.

Sure, but if you're leaving in middle school for a worse DCPS public or charter, that's not why you're leaving -- you're leaving because the coursework was too much too soon.

Not necessarily true. The parents I know who chose BASIS because they saw it as a good school which they initially defined as great test scores, rigorous expectations (they valued their kids having AP in the middle grades) and what they deemed a high performing cohort of kids. They realized their kids could do well elsewhere but have more access to other types of schools offerings (arts in particular). They didn't think of the school they chose as "worse" though -- the test scores were good but not as good as BASIS. How are you defining a "worse DCPS public or charter"?

Substantially worse test scores, behavioral problems, and/or opportunities for acceleration. I'm not talking about Deal, Hardy, or Latin. But if you're leaving for a school where virtually none of the kids are testing at grade level, I don't think it's for access to a broader variety of middle school options. Especially if you're leaving after 6th or 7th.

Worse test scores for who? I would be totally comfortable sending my kid to a middle-of-the-road DCPS school, like Stuart Hobson or MacArthur or SWWFS, where the upper limit is still high, over BASIS.

There are substantially worse schools that kids are transferring into from BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is pretty telling how many posters are saying they left BASIS...for private.

What is it telling?

Tells us the issue isn't BASIS as much as it is the options in DC. It is one thing to say you moved on from BASIS to another DCPS or charter school and explain your reasons. Quite another to say why BASIS wasn't a good school and then explain that nothing was and you paid for private. I think it also instructive as to the type of parents BASIS attracts. Lots of 2 parent households with grad degrees and very academically minded. If you sent your kid to BASIS expecting Sidwell or private school, the issue isn't BASIS, it is you and your misguided expectations.

If Bowser turned every MS into Alice Deal like she promised to do, most people wouldn't send their kids to private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because BASIS isn't actually that great. High teacher turnover, inexperienced teachers, few sports and activities, and way too much time devoted to testing rather than learning. 5th and 6th are big shuffle years in the system, 7th and 8h aren't, and by 9th when people have other options, a lot of families have figured out that BASIS is a school they are happy to exit.

This x100, especially on the teaching quality. We are a current middle school family, where our child has gotten straight As for all the years they have been enrolled. But while there are a couple of great teachers, most have been just ok and several have been absolutely appalling. In fact, the 6th and 7th grade physics teacher just got fired after months of parent complaints and the administration acknowledging he was failing in both instruction and classroom management. The head of school had tried to tell the parents that we shouldn’t worry because he was being mentored by other teachers in the BASIS network, but whatever mentoring he was getting wasn’t doing anything. Now they have a bunch of teachers trying to cover his classes — the kids were already behind on the curriculum (which gets tested in the mid year pre comps and end of year comp exams) and this will only make it worse.

Similarly, they had to hire a 5th grade math teacher last minute last year - and they picked one who didn’t seem to have any educational experience and wasn’t a good teacher. shocking no one, this year the 6th grade class was evaluated to be behind on math (leading to a bunch of extra homework assignments as the administration apparently feels that will magically fix the problem of a year’s worth of subpar instruction).

Those are just the most egregious examples. But overall the teaching quality is not up to par, especially for a school that talks such a big game about the quality and rigor of its academics. We will not be returning next year.

Don’t forget the 6th grade math teacher last year who was repeatedly late coming back from lunch leaving the kids locked out of their classroom. The 7th grade kids are way behind in math this year too.

That said BASIS is better than our other choices. Our family is not wealthy and doesn’t have funds to move or pay for private.

[Anonymous]

Nonsense. Any middle class DC family can afford to move to the MD or VA burbs. You stay at BASIS because you want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because BASIS isn't actually that great. High teacher turnover, inexperienced teachers, few sports and activities, and way too much time devoted to testing rather than learning. 5th and 6th are big shuffle years in the system, 7th and 8h aren't, and by 9th when people have other options, a lot of families have figured out that BASIS is a school they are happy to exit.

This x100, especially on the teaching quality. We are a current middle school family, where our child has gotten straight As for all the years they have been enrolled. But while there are a couple of great teachers, most have been just ok and several have been absolutely appalling. In fact, the 6th and 7th grade physics teacher just got fired after months of parent complaints and the administration acknowledging he was failing in both instruction and classroom management. The head of school had tried to tell the parents that we shouldn’t worry because he was being mentored by other teachers in the BASIS network, but whatever mentoring he was getting wasn’t doing anything. Now they have a bunch of teachers trying to cover his classes — the kids were already behind on the curriculum (which gets tested in the mid year pre comps and end of year comp exams) and this will only make it worse.

Similarly, they had to hire a 5th grade math teacher last minute last year - and they picked one who didn’t seem to have any educational experience and wasn’t a good teacher. shocking no one, this year the 6th grade class was evaluated to be behind on math (leading to a bunch of extra homework assignments as the administration apparently feels that will magically fix the problem of a year’s worth of subpar instruction).

Those are just the most egregious examples. But overall the teaching quality is not up to par, especially for a school that talks such a big game about the quality and rigor of its academics. We will not be returning next year.

Don’t forget the 6th grade math teacher last year who was repeatedly late coming back from lunch leaving the kids locked out of their classroom. The 7th grade kids are way behind in math this year too.

That said BASIS is better than our other choices. Our family is not wealthy and doesn’t have funds to move or pay for private.

My 7th grader isn't behind in math. She used Khan Academy to catch up on what was missed in 6th grade, the same way she's done since 3rd grade when the pandemic messed everything up. Unfortunately, this generation of kids needs to take learning in their own hands because teaching is messed up everywhere and kids are either years behind or have giant gaps because of the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because BASIS isn't actually that great. High teacher turnover, inexperienced teachers, few sports and activities, and way too much time devoted to testing rather than learning. 5th and 6th are big shuffle years in the system, 7th and 8h aren't, and by 9th when people have other options, a lot of families have figured out that BASIS is a school they are happy to exit.

This x100, especially on the teaching quality. We are a current middle school family, where our child has gotten straight As for all the years they have been enrolled. But while there are a couple of great teachers, most have been just ok and several have been absolutely appalling. In fact, the 6th and 7th grade physics teacher just got fired after months of parent complaints and the administration acknowledging he was failing in both instruction and classroom management. The head of school had tried to tell the parents that we shouldn’t worry because he was being mentored by other teachers in the BASIS network, but whatever mentoring he was getting wasn’t doing anything. Now they have a bunch of teachers trying to cover his classes — the kids were already behind on the curriculum (which gets tested in the mid year pre comps and end of year comp exams) and this will only make it worse.

Similarly, they had to hire a 5th grade math teacher last minute last year - and they picked one who didn’t seem to have any educational experience and wasn’t a good teacher. shocking no one, this year the 6th grade class was evaluated to be behind on math (leading to a bunch of extra homework assignments as the administration apparently feels that will magically fix the problem of a year’s worth of subpar instruction).

Those are just the most egregious examples. But overall the teaching quality is not up to par, especially for a school that talks such a big game about the quality and rigor of its academics. We will not be returning next year.

Don’t forget the 6th grade math teacher last year who was repeatedly late coming back from lunch leaving the kids locked out of their classroom. The 7th grade kids are way behind in math this year too.

That said BASIS is better than our other choices. Our family is not wealthy and doesn’t have funds to move or pay for private.

My 7th grader isn't behind in math. She used Khan Academy to catch up on what was missed in 6th grade, the same way she's done since 3rd grade when the pandemic messed everything up. Unfortunately, this generation of kids needs to take learning in their own hands because teaching is messed up everywhere and kids are either years behind or have giant gaps because of the pandemic.

Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because BASIS isn't actually that great. High teacher turnover, inexperienced teachers, few sports and activities, and way too much time devoted to testing rather than learning. 5th and 6th are big shuffle years in the system, 7th and 8h aren't, and by 9th when people have other options, a lot of families have figured out that BASIS is a school they are happy to exit.

This x100, especially on the teaching quality. We are a current middle school family, where our child has gotten straight As for all the years they have been enrolled. But while there are a couple of great teachers, most have been just ok and several have been absolutely appalling. In fact, the 6th and 7th grade physics teacher just got fired after months of parent complaints and the administration acknowledging he was failing in both instruction and classroom management. The head of school had tried to tell the parents that we shouldn’t worry because he was being mentored by other teachers in the BASIS network, but whatever mentoring he was getting wasn’t doing anything. Now they have a bunch of teachers trying to cover his classes — the kids were already behind on the curriculum (which gets tested in the mid year pre comps and end of year comp exams) and this will only make it worse.

Similarly, they had to hire a 5th grade math teacher last minute last year - and they picked one who didn’t seem to have any educational experience and wasn’t a good teacher. shocking no one, this year the 6th grade class was evaluated to be behind on math (leading to a bunch of extra homework assignments as the administration apparently feels that will magically fix the problem of a year’s worth of subpar instruction).

Those are just the most egregious examples. But overall the teaching quality is not up to par, especially for a school that talks such a big game about the quality and rigor of its academics. We will not be returning next year.

Don’t forget the 6th grade math teacher last year who was repeatedly late coming back from lunch leaving the kids locked out of their classroom. The 7th grade kids are way behind in math this year too.

That said BASIS is better than our other choices. Our family is not wealthy and doesn’t have funds to move or pay for private.

My 7th grader isn't behind in math. She used Khan Academy to catch up on what was missed in 6th grade, the same way she's done since 3rd grade when the pandemic messed everything up. Unfortunately, this generation of kids needs to take learning in their own hands because teaching is messed up everywhere and kids are either years behind or have giant gaps because of the pandemic.

no. i mean, your kid can use Khan Academy, but a school is required to teach, and many schools do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No gym, stage, library, grass, language instruction before 8th grade. No instrumental music program, serious sports or arts. High, chronic teacher turnover. Weak leadership and v. uneven ms instruction in core subjects. All course work done by the end of jr year in HS. These aren’t minor weaknesses. Families with the dough for private high schools leave.

It may be lacking all of those things but it also doesn’t have major fights, gang activity, sexual assaults, fentanyl overdoses. For being in the middle of DC, it’s pretty calm and safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No gym, stage, library, grass, language instruction before 8th grade. No instrumental music program, serious sports or arts. High, chronic teacher turnover. Weak leadership and v. uneven ms instruction in core subjects. All course work done by the end of jr year in HS. These aren’t minor weaknesses. Families with the dough for private high schools leave.

It may be lacking all of those things but it also doesn’t have major fights, gang activity, sexual assaults, fentanyl overdoses. For being in the middle of DC, it’s pretty calm and safe.

Enjoy that at-risk set aside.

[Anonymous]

It’s hard to say how much the at-risk set aside will make a difference. Latin has already been offering it and it seems it’s not gaining much traction. Also, BASIS doesn’t seem to be the ideal school for at-risk students after what I’ve observed about the ideal household for BASIS students, so even if at-risk students start off at BASIS, it’s hard to know if they will fare well enough to continue. But I don’t mean for this line of discussion to derail this particular post because at this point the attrition at the school has nothing to do with having an at-risk preference.

For the PP who suggested moving to the suburbs isn’t costly, the current interest rates make it very costly and many families don’t want to move so far into the suburbs where it’s more affordable due to commutes (and the higher feeling of isolation that goes with living further away).

There isn’t a single person at BASIS who doesn’t wish for a better facility and that would really solve a lot of the shortcomings that people have identified that theirs students seek in a high school experience. But people have different tolerances for different weaknesses at a school and for some people it seems supplementing extra-curriculars outside of school is easier than supplementing academics.

For the PP who mentioned doing additional work outside of school, I haven’t gotten the impression that’s common at BASIS. Families at other schools have to make up for the lack of learning taking place during the school day and it’s hard to imagine spending free time that way. Lots of trade offs for sure. By the time high school comes around, priorities may be more obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s hard to say how much the at-risk set aside will make a difference. Latin has already been offering it and it seems it’s not gaining much traction. Also, BASIS doesn’t seem to be the ideal school for at-risk students after what I’ve observed about the ideal household for BASIS students, so even if at-risk students start off at BASIS, it’s hard to know if they will fare well enough to continue. But I don’t mean for this line of discussion to derail this particular post because at this point the attrition at the school has nothing to do with having an at-risk preference.

For the PP who suggested moving to the suburbs isn’t costly, the current interest rates make it very costly and many families don’t want to move so far into the suburbs where it’s more affordable due to commutes (and the higher feeling of isolation that goes with living further away).

There isn’t a single person at BASIS who doesn’t wish for a better facility and that would really solve a lot of the shortcomings that people have identified that theirs students seek in a high school experience. But people have different tolerances for different weaknesses at a school and for some people it seems supplementing extra-curriculars outside of school is easier than supplementing academics.

For the PP who mentioned doing additional work outside of school, I haven’t gotten the impression that’s common at BASIS. Families at other schools have to make up for the lack of learning taking place during the school day and it’s hard to imagine spending free time that way. Lots of trade offs for sure. By the time high school comes around, priorities may be more obvious.

Many, many people don’t understand that the key intake year for Basis and Latin is 5th grade. You assume that this common knowledge is widely understood. Its not.