BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013
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Anonymous
| Also, to claim they need more students because the building is expensive is bogus. They purposely located in an area with high rents because they wanted to attracted high SES students. Look at Sela or YY. They chose to locate in cheaper rent areas, and were confident that despite the commute, they would be able to attract students from all areas of the city. Basis could have located in Ward 4 or 5 - which needs a MS/HS a heck of a lot more than Ward 1/3. |
Anonymous
Yawn. They wanted a location accessible to anyone in the city who wanted to work hard. Basis didn't take the position (that Latin did) that people would suck it up and take on a miserable commute in addition to the demands of the program. |
Anonymous
Latin took the position that any child could achieve, and didn't seek out to socially engineer the demographics. Moreover, they followed the traditional route for charters in terms of facilities - they spent more on academics, less on facilities, built out their program, and then did the expensive facility. Basis deliberately sought out to get a facility, no not accessible to everyone, but accessible to the students they wanted at a price point it seems like they can't afford. Surprising that Basis can't do basic math. 
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Anonymous
| That is a snarky comment about Latin. They did not want to create a "miserable commute" for anyone. They had a list of requirements---which included having playing field space as well as access to major bus lines---and Rudolph was the closest thing to fitting the bill. Basis chose its location with the idea that the National Mall would be its playing field. After 5 years of having to trek its students to Upshur Park for phys ed, or having them stay within the small blacktop courtyard, Latin figured out that having adjacent fields on school grounds for active middle schoolers is a worthy goal. |
Anonymous
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Here is an acid test: what percentage of their students have special needs?
There is no reason that stunents with LDs, ADD/ADHD, high functioning autism/Asperger's, CP, etc. should not be successful in that environment with the proper supports and accommodations. If they are not there at the same level as similar schools, that is highly significant. |
Anonymous
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Latin took the position that any child could achieve, and didn't seek out to socially engineer the demographics. Moreover, they followed the traditional route for charters in terms of facilities - they spent more on academics, less on facilities, built out their program, and then did the expensive facility.
Took the position because it's true that any child could achieve, just not to the standard that some students could if they were permitted to enroll in honors middle school classes. We're fed up with our kid sitting next to those who still struggle with basic skills well into middle school because they went to crappy DCPS elementary schools, and/or aren't all that bright or hard-working. Teachers need to expend too much time and energy helping these kids test proficient. MoCo here we come. |
Anonymous
Latin took the position that any child could achieve, and didn't seek out to socially engineer the demographics. Moreover, they followed the traditional route for charters in terms of facilities - they spent more on academics, less on facilities, built out their program, and then did the expensive facility. Took the position because it's true that any child could achieve, just not to the standard that some students could if they were permitted to enroll in honors middle school classes. We're fed up with our kid sitting next to those who still struggle with basic skills well into middle school because they went to crappy DCPS elementary schools, and/or aren't all that bright or hard-working. Teachers need to expend too much time and energy helping these kids test proficient. MoCo here we come. Good riddance to bad rubbish! |
Anonymous
What on earth are you talking about??? BASIS is located a half block from green line and within 2 to 3 blocks of the red, orange, and blue lines  There are also several bus stops located within a few blocks of BASIS. The to top it off they are centrally located making the school easily accessible to the whole city. Your assertions are baseless.
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Anonymous
I know of multiple students who have special needs who required IEPs at their previous schools and who are doing so fabulously at BASIS that they do not even need an IEP. One of them is mine. Enough with the BASIS bashing
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Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
| Latin is not accessible to most of this city's kids. It's great for high SES Capitol Hill folks who have a dedicated bus for their students. It's fine for other families that have the time and money to drive their kids to school every day. But for the rest of us, it's an unreasonably long commute for middle school kids to make. One of the things that sets Basis apart is its accessibility. Kids from every part of the city can get there via metro. Removing the commuting barrier allows kids and their parents to focus their energy on learning, not logistics. |
Anonymous
That's wonderful to hear! We are also considering BASIS for our DC with an IEP who needs the accelerated math curriculum that only BASIS offers. We would be coming from a DCI feeder and BASIS would be much more convenient commute wise. Very happy to hear BASIS supports kids with IEPs. |
Anonymous
HINT: do not take the word of anon posters on the Internet. Check the actual percentages of students enrolled with IEPs. Names are confidential of course, but total numbers are not - OSSE tracks these numbers by law. Unless PP is a SpEd teacher, she would have no way of knowing for sure who has an IEP, but if they are GOOD IEPs parents (wise ones) have little reason to give one up in the child's first year at a brand new school. That would be very foolhardy. It begs the question if Basis is actually recommending such a move. |
Anonymous
BASIS made no such recommendation to give up DC's IEP. We discussed with them and we, the parents, decided to give it a wait and see for the IEP with no regrets at all. It does not take that long to figure out whether your kid will need an IEP again. It is not foolhardy for a parent to make decisions for a DC whom they know best. Plus, many of us tested the waters with BASIS with the Stars program before the school year began so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect at BASIS. As for the numbers of of students with IEPs, the numbers are not going to include my DC as well as the other special needs BASIS kids whose families decided to give it a wait and see and saw great success for their kids without IEPs. Our family was happy to have DC not need an IEP. |
Anonymous
I forgot to add that those of us who decided to give it a wait and see in regards to an IEP are good parents. Do you not think that we thoroughly investigated the school? Do you not think we thoroughly talked with the school? Do you not think that we have a good idea about the needs of our kids?
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