BASIS charter expansion is up for public comment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's always shocking to me that we allow for-profit education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit.

The organization which accepts taxpayer dollars is is a non-profit, but the school is managed by the for-profit Basis Educational Group LLC, which is paid for the operation of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above is right. When I switched my kid from BASIS to an Arlington public ms for 8th grade last year (my ex lives in VA) I realized that I'd been drinking the BASIS Kool-Aid for years. Kid wasn't considered advanced in Arlington, other than for science, although he'd always made 90s Club. In fact, his "intensified" (honors) humanities classes were tougher than any he'd taken at BASIS and he's able to study the language we speak at home at an advanced level in ms. He's also able to play in an advance band at school, so no more running around in search of appropriate language or music inputs.

I guess your kid wasn't advanced.

Next.

Different poster. If 90s Club isn't advanced, why are you pinning this on the kid? Oh I get it, poster above has touched a nerve. Feeling insecure about the supposedly super duper BASIS curriculum and instruction? You should be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

LOL. Most parents aren't stupid like you. They know how not to list BASIS if they know it won't work for their kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

You're not wrong. The weirdest part is where middle school kids jam on physics then, whoops. Hang it up, kids. They only teach 1 of the 4 AP Physics by the end. But hey, now they can jam on dead-ended elementary school physics, too.

[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:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

LOL. Most parents aren't stupid like you. They know how not to list BASIS if they know it won't work for their kid.

The stupid parent here has a not-so-stupid kid who did great at BASIS academically. She washed out on weak ECs, poor school spirit, teachers with weak classroom management skills and crazy teacher turnover anyway. We thought BASIS was the perfect fit. You tell us where we went wrong. She needed their elementary school to get in the mode of school offering little in the way of joy of learning six years earlier?

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised by the number of people who sent their kid to BASIS and seemingly had no idea what their kid was in for. The building is a prison with no fields. The crazy curriculum is openly shared. The lack of gym, etc., is obvious. Why would you have lotteried there in the first place? Were you dumb? Did you really not have a Plan B if you couldn't get into Latin? What kind of idiots are you people?

[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:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

LOL. Most parents aren't stupid like you. They know how not to list BASIS if they know it won't work for their kid.

The stupid parent here has a not-so-stupid kid who did great at BASIS academically. She washed out on weak ECs, poor school spirit, teachers with weak classroom management skills and crazy teacher turnover anyway. We thought BASIS was the perfect fit. You tell us where we went wrong. She needed their elementary school to get in the mode of school offering little in the way of joy of learning six years earlier?

You went wrong by not finding out these things in the first place. They've been obvious for years, and any family that has gone to BASIS could have told you this. Didn't you talk to a single family before applying in the lottery??

[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:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

LOL. Most parents aren't stupid like you. They know how not to list BASIS if they know it won't work for their kid.

I actually think most UMC parents think their little Johnny is brilliant at 4. They will apply to BASIS way before they have any idea if it’s the right fit. I have seen delusional parent after delusional parent shocked to find out Johnny was behind in 1st or 2nd grade in reading. I think it’s also just too early to know for most kids (excluding true outliers either way) whether they will be well served by a super advanced curriculum. I think for BASIS to fill its current niche well, it makes way more sense to have kids enter in 5th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

First of all, Deal would like a word. Second, DC is an educational race to the bottom. You can get the same core “advanced” classes, plus more, at any decent suburban middle/high school, including more advanced and more diverse math and science. I say this as the parent of two “distinguished honor roll” BASIS kids, before you accuse me of being bitter because my kids couldn’t hack it. BASIS is “advanced” compared to most DCPS because DCPS is a dumpster fire. But it’s no more advanced than any solid middle/high school.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

LOL. Most parents aren't stupid like you. They know how not to list BASIS if they know it won't work for their kid.

The stupid parent here has a not-so-stupid kid who did great at BASIS academically. She washed out on weak ECs, poor school spirit, teachers with weak classroom management skills and crazy teacher turnover anyway. We thought BASIS was the perfect fit. You tell us where we went wrong. She needed their elementary school to get in the mode of school offering little in the way of joy of learning six years earlier?

You went wrong by not finding out these things in the first place. They've been obvious for years, and any family that has gone to BASIS could have told you this. Didn't you talk to a single family before applying in the lottery??

Most parents don't do any research before doing the lottery. They just list the Latins and then BASIS, praying that they'll get into Latin, because they really have no alternate plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

First of all, Deal would like a word. Second, DC is an educational race to the bottom. You can get the same core “advanced” classes, plus more, at any decent suburban middle/high school, including more advanced and more diverse math and science. I say this as the parent of two “distinguished honor roll” BASIS kids, before you accuse me of being bitter because my kids couldn’t hack it. BASIS is “advanced” compared to most DCPS because DCPS is a dumpster fire. But it’s no more advanced than any solid middle/high school.

My friend's kid is at Deal. That school really is a dumpster fire. The fights, the attitude -- she comes home with stories every day and it's shocking. We're moving to the burbs for MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's always shocking to me that we allow for-profit education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit.

The organization which accepts taxpayer dollars is is a non-profit, but the school is managed by the for-profit Basis Educational Group LLC, which is paid for the operation of the school.

OK, so then education at BASIS DC is nonprofit, as I said. Who cares that they outsource teacher and admin salaries and some other expenses to a for-profit entity? If a public school contracts with a for-profit entity to provide food services, is that a problem for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

Sounds like your kid washed out. Sad.

Where is the snowflake now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Above is right. When I switched my kid from BASIS to an Arlington public ms for 8th grade last year (my ex lives in VA) I realized that I'd been drinking the BASIS Kool-Aid for years. Kid wasn't considered advanced in Arlington, other than for science, although he'd always made 90s Club. In fact, his "intensified" (honors) humanities classes were tougher than any he'd taken at BASIS and he's able to study the language we speak at home at an advanced level in ms. He's also able to play in an advance band at school, so no more running around in search of appropriate language or music inputs.

Arlington Community High School has a graduation rate of 53%.

Sounds great in the burbs!