New Basis DC Head of School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ I’m quite confused by the above poster, as well. Is someone trying to argue that scoring well on language APs is important to gaining admission to Ivy League-level engineering program?? I’m sure it doesn’t hurt. That said, scoring well in advanced science and math probably matters more...

In any case, I think various posters have argued convincingly that Basis is not the right school for families who prioritize advanced language learning in their native tongues and who think the school should facilitate and support such learning.

Agreed that neighboring suburbs (and some privates) do a better job in that area.

I do not know what the PP means either. I do know that there are many kids from BASIS that got into top colleges this year (MIT, Berkeley, Dartmouth, Penn) who ONLY took Latin through AP, and not all of them want to be hard science or engineering majors. College admissions is not that easy to game based on only one factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PS. If BASIS' approach to language learning was intelligent, the most prestigious test-in MS and HS magnet programs around the country would be rushing to copy it, along with top private schools.

They aren't.

I think you are overestimating how much anyone cares about language learning in the US.

I know that of the students who left BASIS mainly over language learning policy is heading to an Ivy League school to study engineering in the fall. We keep in touch with the family. He took an AP language test freshman year in HS and scored a 5. Later on, he took, an International Baccalaureate Diploma language exam (two years past AP) and scored 6/7. It seems that a few Ivy admissions officers care. Yea, maybe nobody else.

I mean, that's great and it seems like BASIS wasn't the right school for him, but it doesn't mean that BASIS is wrong to have a different approach to language. Not every individual school owes you the specific educational model you want for your child. Honestly, I don't see why that's hard to understand. I specifically don't see how it's hard to understand under a school choice model like DC has for better or worse -- the whole point is that different people want different things from schools and so different schools offer different curriculums. FWIW, though I don't agree with it, I actually think your argument that you should be accommodated is better at an IB that some kids have no choice but to go to; there's no world in which a charter school students have to intentionally opt into owes you a different educational model.

[Anonymous]

I just looked up his linkedin ... he's 30 and in law school. Weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ I’m quite confused by the above poster, as well. Is someone trying to argue that scoring well on language APs is important to gaining admission to Ivy League-level engineering program?? I’m sure it doesn’t hurt. That said, scoring well in advanced science and math probably matters more...

In any case, I think various posters have argued convincingly that Basis is not the right school for families who prioritize advanced language learning in their native tongues and who think the school should facilitate and support such learning.

Agreed that neighboring suburbs (and some privates) do a better job in that area.

This is not a difficult one. It's the lack of flexibility and respect for the individual at BASIS in the pursuit of elite college admissions that posters are decrying here. Language learning at BASIS is just one example of that. I think they make a good point. If you don't, you're entitled to your opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just looked up his linkedin ... he's 30 and in law school. Weird.

Definitely not weird for BASIS. Most of the HOS have been in their 30s. At least one was in his 20s. That's the charter model, mostly young teachers and admins who don't mind not being unionized/having job security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ I’m quite confused by the above poster, as well. Is someone trying to argue that scoring well on language APs is important to gaining admission to Ivy League-level engineering program?? I’m sure it doesn’t hurt. That said, scoring well in advanced science and math probably matters more...

In any case, I think various posters have argued convincingly that Basis is not the right school for families who prioritize advanced language learning in their native tongues and who think the school should facilitate and support such learning.

Agreed that neighboring suburbs (and some privates) do a better job in that area.

I do not know what the PP means either. I do know that there are many kids from BASIS that got into top colleges this year (MIT, Berkeley, Dartmouth, Penn) who ONLY took Latin through AP, and not all of them want to be hard science or engineering majors. College admissions is not that easy to game based on only one factor.

There are also many high school seniors who got into top colleges this year around the country who want to be hard science or engineering majors who have achieved outside the STEM field, e.g. in language acquisition at the native or near native speaker level. I don't get why BASIS sees these achievements as being mutually exclusive. The school could easily permit kids with super advanced language skills to study language on sophisticated software programs during language class time. I understand that this approach is commonplace in the burbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PS. If BASIS' approach to language learning was intelligent, the most prestigious test-in MS and HS magnet programs around the country would be rushing to copy it, along with top private schools.

They aren't.

I think you are overestimating how much anyone cares about language learning in the US.

I know that of the students who left BASIS mainly over language learning policy is heading to an Ivy League school to study engineering in the fall. We keep in touch with the family. He took an AP language test freshman year in HS and scored a 5. Later on, he took, an International Baccalaureate Diploma language exam (two years past AP) and scored 6/7. It seems that a few Ivy admissions officers care. Yea, maybe nobody else.

I think this poster is drunk.

This is not the first BASIS thread this person has relayed this story on. I wonder if it is the same parent who used to complain that yu ying doesn’t have a preference for native Cantonese speaker. Very interested in language education, very bothered a city public school did not accommodate.

Totally the same person.

[Anonymous]

Give us a break, more than one parent has been annoyed by the dumb language policy at BASIS over the years. Rumor had it that the previous HOS was considering offering students more flexibility. She didn't get around that before she ran off.

I don't speak Chinese and I've posted about this issue before. My kids came from a Spanish immersion charter to BASIS. We've tried hard to keep up their language skills but they've lost a lot of ground compared to peers who went on to DCI. It wouldn't kill BASIS to do more for the immersion families.

[Anonymous]

IMHO, Basis’ “no exceptions made to the curriculum” policy is a core part of its appeal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give us a break, more than one parent has been annoyed by the dumb language policy at BASIS over the years. Rumor had it that the previous HOS was considering offering students more flexibility. She didn't get around that before she ran off.

I don't speak Chinese and I've posted about this issue before. My kids came from a Spanish immersion charter to BASIS. We've tried hard to keep up their language skills but they've lost a lot of ground compared to peers who went on to DCI. It wouldn't kill BASIS to do more for the immersion families.

So why didn't you continue on at DCI, if Spanish was important to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just looked up his linkedin ... he's 30 and in law school. Weird.

Definitely not weird for BASIS. Most of the HOS have been in their 30s. At least one was in his 20s. That's the charter model, mostly young teachers and admins who don't mind not being unionized/having job security.

So ... nothing to say about someone being a full-time law student (2L is seems), and trying to lead an entire school? smh

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give us a break, more than one parent has been annoyed by the dumb language policy at BASIS over the years. Rumor had it that the previous HOS was considering offering students more flexibility. She didn't get around that before she ran off.

I don't speak Chinese and I've posted about this issue before. My kids came from a Spanish immersion charter to BASIS. We've tried hard to keep up their language skills but they've lost a lot of ground compared to peers who went on to DCI. It wouldn't kill BASIS to do more for the immersion families.

So why didn't you continue on at DCI, if Spanish was important to you?

Several reasons. Commute to DCI was too long, math wasn't challenging enough and too many discipline problems.

At this point, we're looking at VA real estate. BASIS goes downhill for us each year although kid's grades are good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMHO, Basis’ “no exceptions made to the curriculum” policy is a core part of its appeal.

You're conflating rigor with one-size-fits all teaching and learning, which the experts say isn't for the best. The enemies are social promotion and lack of academic tracking/test-in programs in DC public middle schools. I went to middle school in NYC, at Hunter College MS/HS. The Hunter experience was loaded with creative "exceptions," and loads of grads went on to Ivies, MIT, Stanford etc.

[Anonymous]

BINGO. We wouldn't need BASIS BS if the District had a decent school system, like some of the other big cities in this country.

We'd have a variety of good middle schools -- GT, test-in, academically tracked -- led by grown-up principals who stuck around for years

Middle schools would have good facilities. No charters in office buildings. Families not pushed around. Kids' unique academic backgrounds respected and supported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMHO, Basis’ “no exceptions made to the curriculum” policy is a core part of its appeal.

You're conflating rigor with one-size-fits all teaching and learning, which the experts say isn't for the best. The enemies are social promotion and lack of academic tracking/test-in programs in DC public middle schools. I went to middle school in NYC, at Hunter College MS/HS. The Hunter experience was loaded with creative "exceptions," and loads of grads went on to Ivies, MIT, Stanford etc.

FWIW, Hunter didn't let bilingual students opt out of language either, so there's that...