Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so weird to me that people view Basis as revolutionary in any way. It's essentially what schools were before they were hijacked by watered down grades, social promotion, overuse of screens, and the educational fad of the week. What my kids are receiving at Basis is very similar to the schooling I had in the late 80s. They're learning grammar, reading books, taking notes by hand in a notebook, doing homework, studying, taking tests, and not just receiving As for showing up. If a kid hasn't learned what they need to access the next grade level curriculum, they don't move on to the next grade. It's not a new or fringe approach. It's old-school schooling.

+1. BASIS is very similar to the public program I grew up in. It lacks the quality arts/phys ed program I also had, but I don't think those programs exist in public schools the same way anymore even where I grew up. But as for the academics, it's essentially what I learned at the same time. It's what drew me to the school.

If it’s not that special, the comps are not that hard, and many more kids are capable of the work than are allowed to enroll in upper grades, why does Basis claim to need a test in order to backfill?

This. If BASIS is much like the public programs many of us grew up in, why can't it take in new students in later grades the way traditional public schools always have? Also, I went to a suburban middle and high school in an upper class town and got a good education, but my schools also had remedial students who struggled academically. It had an honors track, a regular track, and a remedial track in most subjects to address this. Even when you only have UMC or rich kids you still have kids with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, or who are just not that academic or engaged. My schools assumed they would have kids like this and handled it. Yet BASIS is not expected to do this and the presumption is that it's impossible to get bright, motivated kids the challenge they need if you also have to work with kids who aren't bright and motivated. Yet all public schools used to do both.

DC crossed this rubicon many years ago. The charter system is horrible. I wish we had quality public schools existed with union teachers, but we are all just surviving the best we can with what we have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so weird to me that people view Basis as revolutionary in any way. It's essentially what schools were before they were hijacked by watered down grades, social promotion, overuse of screens, and the educational fad of the week. What my kids are receiving at Basis is very similar to the schooling I had in the late 80s. They're learning grammar, reading books, taking notes by hand in a notebook, doing homework, studying, taking tests, and not just receiving As for showing up. If a kid hasn't learned what they need to access the next grade level curriculum, they don't move on to the next grade. It's not a new or fringe approach. It's old-school schooling.

+1. BASIS is very similar to the public program I grew up in. It lacks the quality arts/phys ed program I also had, but I don't think those programs exist in public schools the same way anymore even where I grew up. But as for the academics, it's essentially what I learned at the same time. It's what drew me to the school.

If it’s not that special, the comps are not that hard, and many more kids are capable of the work than are allowed to enroll in upper grades, why does Basis claim to need a test in order to backfill?

This. If BASIS is much like the public programs many of us grew up in, why can't it take in new students in later grades the way traditional public schools always have? Also, I went to a suburban middle and high school in an upper class town and got a good education, but my schools also had remedial students who struggled academically. It had an honors track, a regular track, and a remedial track in most subjects to address this. Even when you only have UMC or rich kids you still have kids with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, or who are just not that academic or engaged. My schools assumed they would have kids like this and handled it. Yet BASIS is not expected to do this and the presumption is that it's impossible to get bright, motivated kids the challenge they need if you also have to work with kids who aren't bright and motivated. Yet all public schools used to do both.

By DC law, charters are not allowed to administer admission tests. The schools likely figure it's not worth adding kids in later grades by random lottery when they could potentially be years behind the other kids at the school. That would screw up the school's model and do a disserve to all the kids involved. It's same the reason why bilingual schools don't backfill via lottery either. It would be better for everyone if all schools had aggressive tracking and were able to use admission tests so that different groups of students could get what they need, instead of throwing everyone in the same pot in the name of equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so weird to me that people view Basis as revolutionary in any way. It's essentially what schools were before they were hijacked by watered down grades, social promotion, overuse of screens, and the educational fad of the week. What my kids are receiving at Basis is very similar to the schooling I had in the late 80s. They're learning grammar, reading books, taking notes by hand in a notebook, doing homework, studying, taking tests, and not just receiving As for showing up. If a kid hasn't learned what they need to access the next grade level curriculum, they don't move on to the next grade. It's not a new or fringe approach. It's old-school schooling.

+1. BASIS is very similar to the public program I grew up in. It lacks the quality arts/phys ed program I also had, but I don't think those programs exist in public schools the same way anymore even where I grew up. But as for the academics, it's essentially what I learned at the same time. It's what drew me to the school.

If it’s not that special, the comps are not that hard, and many more kids are capable of the work than are allowed to enroll in upper grades, why does Basis claim to need a test in order to backfill?

This. If BASIS is much like the public programs many of us grew up in, why can't it take in new students in later grades the way traditional public schools always have? Also, I went to a suburban middle and high school in an upper class town and got a good education, but my schools also had remedial students who struggled academically. It had an honors track, a regular track, and a remedial track in most subjects to address this. Even when you only have UMC or rich kids you still have kids with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, or who are just not that academic or engaged. My schools assumed they would have kids like this and handled it. Yet BASIS is not expected to do this and the presumption is that it's impossible to get bright, motivated kids the challenge they need if you also have to work with kids who aren't bright and motivated. Yet all public schools used to do both.

By DC law, charters are not allowed to administer admission tests. The schools likely figure it's not worth adding kids in later grades by random lottery when they could potentially be years behind the other kids at the school. That would screw up the school's model and do a disserve to all the kids involved. It's same the reason why bilingual schools don't backfill via lottery either. It would be better for everyone if all schools had aggressive tracking and were able to use admission tests so that different groups of students could get what they need, instead of throwing everyone in the same pot in the name of equity.

DCI has accepts students off the 7th and 8th grade waitlists every year, and offers seats in 9th grade every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who is reading DCUM lately to research middle school options for the lottery in the spring, these posts are exhausting. The Basis parents seem strangely attached to the fact that the school worked out for their kid. Are you just relieved you don't have to worry about middle school or high school despite living in DC? Why are you so quick to write off the people who have bad experiences there? It's not coming off great. I am still considering Basis for my kid next year but this view into the kinds of parents I might encounter if my kid goes there is giving me pause.

I'm not. I fully recognize that Basis isn't a good fit for many kids for many reasons. I also think school rankings are silly. And it's silly to praise standardized test scores without the full demographic context of a school. Basis boosters who incessantly bring up the rankings or scores are exhausting, and I say this as a generally satisfied Basis parent.

On this thread, at least, the majority of the people bashing Basis have no experience there at all. I'm absolutely going to write off anyone who only did a school tour or read threads like this one, created some imaginary universe where their kid attended Basis and had a bad experience, and then felt the need to post about their bad experiences in their fictional universe.

I'm perplexed as to why people who've never attended Basis are seeking out Basis threads and commenting on the rigor, environment, ECs, etc. when they have no idea what they're talking about. I don't make a point of finding threads for schools my kids have never attended, jumping to a bunch of assumptions, and then heavily criticizing the school. It's truly weird behavior.

Sorry but did you even read the OP remarks, who started this thread??? Basis booster of why the school is so great., blah, blah, blah.

Families at no other school would even start a boosting thread

The majority of people posts a question, they don’t start a post about well our school is so great… Just don’t start these tiring threads, one of many….

The OP is much more of a "boo DCPS" thread than a "yay Basis" one. Only a person who already had an axe to grind with Basis would interpret the OP as a "Basis booster post of why the school is so great, blah blah blah..."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so weird to me that people view Basis as revolutionary in any way. It's essentially what schools were before they were hijacked by watered down grades, social promotion, overuse of screens, and the educational fad of the week. What my kids are receiving at Basis is very similar to the schooling I had in the late 80s. They're learning grammar, reading books, taking notes by hand in a notebook, doing homework, studying, taking tests, and not just receiving As for showing up. If a kid hasn't learned what they need to access the next grade level curriculum, they don't move on to the next grade. It's not a new or fringe approach. It's old-school schooling.

+1. BASIS is very similar to the public program I grew up in. It lacks the quality arts/phys ed program I also had, but I don't think those programs exist in public schools the same way anymore even where I grew up. But as for the academics, it's essentially what I learned at the same time. It's what drew me to the school.

If it’s not that special, the comps are not that hard, and many more kids are capable of the work than are allowed to enroll in upper grades, why does Basis claim to need a test in order to backfill?

This. If BASIS is much like the public programs many of us grew up in, why can't it take in new students in later grades the way traditional public schools always have? Also, I went to a suburban middle and high school in an upper class town and got a good education, but my schools also had remedial students who struggled academically. It had an honors track, a regular track, and a remedial track in most subjects to address this. Even when you only have UMC or rich kids you still have kids with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, or who are just not that academic or engaged. My schools assumed they would have kids like this and handled it. Yet BASIS is not expected to do this and the presumption is that it's impossible to get bright, motivated kids the challenge they need if you also have to work with kids who aren't bright and motivated. Yet all public schools used to do both.

By DC law, charters are not allowed to administer admission tests. The schools likely figure it's not worth adding kids in later grades by random lottery when they could potentially be years behind the other kids at the school. That would screw up the school's model and do a disserve to all the kids involved. It's same the reason why bilingual schools don't backfill via lottery either. It would be better for everyone if all schools had aggressive tracking and were able to use admission tests so that different groups of students could get what they need, instead of throwing everyone in the same pot in the name of equity.

BASIS's attrition problems would be so much worse if they admitted random lottery kids midstream

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so weird to me that people view Basis as revolutionary in any way. It's essentially what schools were before they were hijacked by watered down grades, social promotion, overuse of screens, and the educational fad of the week. What my kids are receiving at Basis is very similar to the schooling I had in the late 80s. They're learning grammar, reading books, taking notes by hand in a notebook, doing homework, studying, taking tests, and not just receiving As for showing up. If a kid hasn't learned what they need to access the next grade level curriculum, they don't move on to the next grade. It's not a new or fringe approach. It's old-school schooling.

+1. BASIS is very similar to the public program I grew up in. It lacks the quality arts/phys ed program I also had, but I don't think those programs exist in public schools the same way anymore even where I grew up. But as for the academics, it's essentially what I learned at the same time. It's what drew me to the school.

If it’s not that special, the comps are not that hard, and many more kids are capable of the work than are allowed to enroll in upper grades, why does Basis claim to need a test in order to backfill?

This. If BASIS is much like the public programs many of us grew up in, why can't it take in new students in later grades the way traditional public schools always have? Also, I went to a suburban middle and high school in an upper class town and got a good education, but my schools also had remedial students who struggled academically. It had an honors track, a regular track, and a remedial track in most subjects to address this. Even when you only have UMC or rich kids you still have kids with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, or who are just not that academic or engaged. My schools assumed they would have kids like this and handled it. Yet BASIS is not expected to do this and the presumption is that it's impossible to get bright, motivated kids the challenge they need if you also have to work with kids who aren't bright and motivated. Yet all public schools used to do both.

By DC law, charters are not allowed to administer admission tests. The schools likely figure it's not worth adding kids in later grades by random lottery when they could potentially be years behind the other kids at the school. That would screw up the school's model and do a disserve to all the kids involved. It's same the reason why bilingual schools don't backfill via lottery either. It would be better for everyone if all schools had aggressive tracking and were able to use admission tests so that different groups of students could get what they need, instead of throwing everyone in the same pot in the name of equity.

BASIS's attrition problems would be so much worse if they admitted random lottery kids midstream

How could they be much worse? They’ve never tried it, have they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's so weird to me that people view Basis as revolutionary in any way. It's essentially what schools were before they were hijacked by watered down grades, social promotion, overuse of screens, and the educational fad of the week. What my kids are receiving at Basis is very similar to the schooling I had in the late 80s. They're learning grammar, reading books, taking notes by hand in a notebook, doing homework, studying, taking tests, and not just receiving As for showing up. If a kid hasn't learned what they need to access the next grade level curriculum, they don't move on to the next grade. It's not a new or fringe approach. It's old-school schooling.

+1. BASIS is very similar to the public program I grew up in. It lacks the quality arts/phys ed program I also had, but I don't think those programs exist in public schools the same way anymore even where I grew up. But as for the academics, it's essentially what I learned at the same time. It's what drew me to the school.

If it’s not that special, the comps are not that hard, and many more kids are capable of the work than are allowed to enroll in upper grades, why does Basis claim to need a test in order to backfill?

This. If BASIS is much like the public programs many of us grew up in, why can't it take in new students in later grades the way traditional public schools always have? Also, I went to a suburban middle and high school in an upper class town and got a good education, but my schools also had remedial students who struggled academically. It had an honors track, a regular track, and a remedial track in most subjects to address this. Even when you only have UMC or rich kids you still have kids with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, or who are just not that academic or engaged. My schools assumed they would have kids like this and handled it. Yet BASIS is not expected to do this and the presumption is that it's impossible to get bright, motivated kids the challenge they need if you also have to work with kids who aren't bright and motivated. Yet all public schools used to do both.

By DC law, charters are not allowed to administer admission tests. The schools likely figure it's not worth adding kids in later grades by random lottery when they could potentially be years behind the other kids at the school. That would screw up the school's model and do a disserve to all the kids involved. It's same the reason why bilingual schools don't backfill via lottery either. It would be better for everyone if all schools had aggressive tracking and were able to use admission tests so that different groups of students could get what they need, instead of throwing everyone in the same pot in the name of equity.

BASIS's attrition problems would be so much worse if they admitted random lottery kids midstream

How could they be much worse? They’ve never tried it, have they?

Classes at Basis are 2-3 grades ahead so a random incoming lottery kid could simply not keep up. That is why they don’t do it.

[Anonymous]

But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

Yes too bad, but still the right choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

This whole tiresome thread has been complaining about BASIS's sky high attrition rate. Why do so many kids leave BASIS? Because it's really demanding. Yet those same people who complain about the attrition rate think their kids should be allowed to parachute into BASIS whenever they want. What makes you think that your kid is going to do any better than the kids who started at BASIS in fifth grade who later left? Probably your kid will do even worse because they would come in very far behind everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

Regular public school from 30-40 years ago was much more advanced than DCPS today. Also, no one has said that no kid coming into higher grade levels via the lottery could handle it. Enough kids couldn’t handle it that it’s not worth backfilling without an entrance test. It stinks for the kids who could handle it, but that’s an issue to take up with the local politicians who set the rules against any placement testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

This whole tiresome thread has been complaining about BASIS's sky high attrition rate. Why do so many kids leave BASIS? Because it's really demanding. Yet those same people who complain about the attrition rate think their kids should be allowed to parachute into BASIS whenever they want. What makes you think that your kid is going to do any better than the kids who started at BASIS in fifth grade who later left? Probably your kid will do even worse because they would come in very far behind everyone else.

This is very narrow view of what's really going on at BASIS academically. We left BASIS for a private that has proved more demanding academically in almost every way. We hear the same story from friends who left BASIS for public school GT and IB Diploma programs in top suburban schools.

At BASIS, if the kids consistently prep hard for quizzes and tests, they do fine academically. At my kid's new school, students must do far more to succeed. They have to work effectively in teams for weeks on end, master public speaking and presentation skills, do field research in teams and cite their sources properly, read more books and do more writing to excel in humanities classes, even do charitable work for the school and take ethnics classes.

In fact, there is no shortage of middle and high school students in DC who could keep up with the BASIS curriculum in any grade. Consider that BASIS only teaches one of the four AP Physics curricula. My kid's school teaches all of them. It's common for students at this school to take AP language exams in 9th or 10th grade, and to score 5s. We never heard of this happening at BASIS.

What's happening is that outside students who could handle the BASIS curriculum from 6th-12th grades, easily, aren't being permitted to enter the school due to the obnoxious political climate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

Regular public school from 30-40 years ago was much more advanced than DCPS today. Also, no one has said that no kid coming into higher grade levels via the lottery could handle it. Enough kids couldn’t handle it that it’s not worth backfilling without an entrance test. It stinks for the kids who could handle it, but that’s an issue to take up with the local politicians who set the rules against any placement testing.

Not every kid in the lottery is coming from DCPS.

Why doesn’t Basis take it up with the charter board?

Because backfilling would be too hard!! Having ESL kids and kids with learning plans is too hard! Leave the hard things to all the other public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

Everyone had the same chance to apply in fifth grade. It's not BASIS's fault you didn't take advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PPs who are Basis parents compare it to their regular public school growing up. It can’t be so very difficult that no kid coming in via the lottery could handle it. It’s too bad no one even gets the chance.

Regular public school from 30-40 years ago was much more advanced than DCPS today. Also, no one has said that no kid coming into higher grade levels via the lottery could handle it. Enough kids couldn’t handle it that it’s not worth backfilling without an entrance test. It stinks for the kids who could handle it, but that’s an issue to take up with the local politicians who set the rules against any placement testing.

Not every kid in the lottery is coming from DCPS.

Why doesn’t Basis take it up with the charter board?

Because backfilling would be too hard!! Having ESL kids and kids with learning plans is too hard! Leave the hard things to all the other public schools.

Take it up with the awful people who run the DC government. They're the ones who've banned admission tests.