Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BasisDC is only an issue because of broader systemic deficits in DMV education, social, and economic life — deficits that are, in many ways, mirrored nationally.

No it's an issue because the BASIS franchise wasn't started and isn't run by educators. Best practices in education don't concern BASIS. It's also an issue because the management is ridiculously top down across the franchise and DC. No PTAs allowed, non-unionized teachers many young and inexperienced, crappy building, few electives, weak high school ECs, no real performing arts education (zero music). Fine science education and better than average math, I'll give BASIS DC that.

This is it for me and brings us back to the original topic.

I have a 6th grader at BASIS and an elementary schooler. As long as DCPS keeps teaching kids that the continental plates float on water (see the amplify thread), while my older kid is deep into learning biology, chemistry and physics, there is no way that I'm sending my younger kid to DCPS.

I would absolutely have done it if the science and math was stronger at our DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BasisDC is only an issue because of broader systemic deficits in DMV education, social, and economic life — deficits that are, in many ways, mirrored nationally.

No it's an issue because the BASIS franchise wasn't started and isn't run by educators. Best practices in education don't concern BASIS. It's also an issue because the management is ridiculously top down across the franchise and DC. No PTAs allowed, non-unionized teachers many young and inexperienced, crappy building, few electives, weak high school ECs, no real performing arts education (zero music). Fine science education and better than average math, I'll give BASIS DC that.

If DC was rich with UMC-acceptable middle and high school alternatives, Basis (whatever it’s issues) would be a non-factor, perhaps a mere curiosity.

[Anonymous]

This. BASIS is only popular in DC because none of the DCPS middle schools in this city are very good. We have friends who bailed from Deal to stronger suburban middle schools for better teaching, more transparent grading and feedback from teachers, academic tracking across all core subjects/more rigor, advanced languages etc. They say that the difference was night and day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BasisDC is only an issue because of broader systemic deficits in DMV education, social, and economic life — deficits that are, in many ways, mirrored nationally.

No it's an issue because the BASIS franchise wasn't started and isn't run by educators. Best practices in education don't concern BASIS. It's also an issue because the management is ridiculously top down across the franchise and DC. No PTAs allowed, non-unionized teachers many young and inexperienced, crappy building, few electives, weak high school ECs, no real performing arts education (zero music). Fine science education and better than average math, I'll give BASIS DC that.

How many lies can you pack into one long run-on paragraph?

I lost count.

[Anonymous]

Me too but PP isn’t wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This. BASIS is only popular in DC because none of the DCPS middle schools in this city are very good. We have friends who bailed from Deal to stronger suburban middle schools for better teaching, more transparent grading and feedback from teachers, academic tracking across all core subjects/more rigor, advanced languages etc. They say that the difference was night and day.

If it's better for you, then do what you can to move. We stayed in DC because we checked out those schools, and they didn't seem better for us. I think they were once great, but now seem to be coasting on past reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Is moving really a sure thing?

We know families that moved from Ward 6 to MoCo, or Arlington, or Fairfax mainly for schools and seem to regret it. We also know people who paid through the nose to send their kids to the perfect seeming DC privates only to find that their children were miserable at these schools. We even know people who nervously sent a kid who was deeply average at math in ES to BASIS only to discover that the kid liked the program well enough to stay through high school.

I'm no BASIS fan; we only lasted a couple years. But I no longer believe in sure things where adolescents and their schools go.

So true. Sometimes I think we agonize over school choice because it’s easier than grappling with the real challenges of adolescence.

+1. Why is this concept so hard to understand? Pick the school that is best for your kid! For some that will be BASIS, for some it won’t. For some it will work for only middle school, for some it will work all the way through. Deal with it, because that’s what you chose to deal with when you decided to become a parent.

If only you could simply pick. Not in DC, with the lottery system and schools that are basically closed out after fifth or sixth grade, due to limited seats and, in the case of Basis, no backfilling.

And what are you comparing this to? Moving to the suburbs where there is only one public system to choose from? Yes, you can send your kid to the enormous middle and high schools, but I didn't want to send my kids to a school that big.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Is moving really a sure thing?

We know families that moved from Ward 6 to MoCo, or Arlington, or Fairfax mainly for schools and seem to regret it. We also know people who paid through the nose to send their kids to the perfect seeming DC privates only to find that their children were miserable at these schools. We even know people who nervously sent a kid who was deeply average at math in ES to BASIS only to discover that the kid liked the program well enough to stay through high school.

I'm no BASIS fan; we only lasted a couple years. But I no longer believe in sure things where adolescents and their schools go.

So true. Sometimes I think we agonize over school choice because it’s easier than grappling with the real challenges of adolescence.

+1. Why is this concept so hard to understand? Pick the school that is best for your kid! For some that will be BASIS, for some it won’t. For some it will work for only middle school, for some it will work all the way through. Deal with it, because that’s what you chose to deal with when you decided to become a parent.

If only you could simply pick. Not in DC, with the lottery system and schools that are basically closed out after fifth or sixth grade, due to limited seats and, in the case of Basis, no backfilling.

From this thread, most people don't want to send their kid to BASIS anyway, so it should be easy to get a lottery seat if you are one of the few who do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Is moving really a sure thing?

We know families that moved from Ward 6 to MoCo, or Arlington, or Fairfax mainly for schools and seem to regret it. We also know people who paid through the nose to send their kids to the perfect seeming DC privates only to find that their children were miserable at these schools. We even know people who nervously sent a kid who was deeply average at math in ES to BASIS only to discover that the kid liked the program well enough to stay through high school.

I'm no BASIS fan; we only lasted a couple years. But I no longer believe in sure things where adolescents and their schools go.

So true. Sometimes I think we agonize over school choice because it’s easier than grappling with the real challenges of adolescence.

+1. Why is this concept so hard to understand? Pick the school that is best for your kid! For some that will be BASIS, for some it won’t. For some it will work for only middle school, for some it will work all the way through. Deal with it, because that’s what you chose to deal with when you decided to become a parent.

If only you could simply pick. Not in DC, with the lottery system and schools that are basically closed out after fifth or sixth grade, due to limited seats and, in the case of Basis, no backfilling.

From this thread, most people don't want to send their kid to BASIS anyway, so it should be easy to get a lottery seat if you are one of the few who do.

BASIS tends to go deep into their waitlist, so you shouldn't have a problem getting in if you really want to go. Latin now has 2 schools, and does backfill, so you can try for it every year.

[Anonymous]

I'm really interested in Eastern's EPIC program. Has anyone heard more about this?
https://www.easternhighschooldcps.org/ourpages/auto/2020/7/28/55213143/EPIC%20Info%2024-25.pdf?rnd=1704732509155

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Is moving really a sure thing?

We know families that moved from Ward 6 to MoCo, or Arlington, or Fairfax mainly for schools and seem to regret it. We also know people who paid through the nose to send their kids to the perfect seeming DC privates only to find that their children were miserable at these schools. We even know people who nervously sent a kid who was deeply average at math in ES to BASIS only to discover that the kid liked the program well enough to stay through high school.

I'm no BASIS fan; we only lasted a couple years. But I no longer believe in sure things where adolescents and their schools go.

So true. Sometimes I think we agonize over school choice because it’s easier than grappling with the real challenges of adolescence.

+1. Why is this concept so hard to understand? Pick the school that is best for your kid! For some that will be BASIS, for some it won’t. For some it will work for only middle school, for some it will work all the way through. Deal with it, because that’s what you chose to deal with when you decided to become a parent.

If only you could simply pick. Not in DC, with the lottery system and schools that are basically closed out after fifth or sixth grade, due to limited seats and, in the case of Basis, no backfilling.

From this thread, most people don't want to send their kid to BASIS anyway, so it should be easy to get a lottery seat if you are one of the few who do.

At least 50% of kids who lottery for BASIS don't get spots. Also, the lack of backfilling compounds this problem because even though some of the kids who DO get spots later decide it's not for them and leave, if you have bad lottery luck the one year you can enter BASIS (5th) then you will never get a spot there again.

The no backfilling is a major reason BASIS attracts a lot of negative attention on these boards. It's important to understand this. And you can defend the no backfilling policy if you want but if you can't understand why it pisses people off, especially given the level of attrition at BASIS and how miserable that 5th grade lottery is for parents thanks to the near impossibility of getting into Latin or DCI, then you don't understand this conversation. Latin and DCI have lower attrition *and* they backfill. All the acceptable DCPS middle and high schools are required to backfill if they have space. Only BASIS doesn't backfill which means it's the one acceptable MS/HS option in the city that you have exactly one chance at. Of course that is going to result in resentment and criticism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Is moving really a sure thing?

We know families that moved from Ward 6 to MoCo, or Arlington, or Fairfax mainly for schools and seem to regret it. We also know people who paid through the nose to send their kids to the perfect seeming DC privates only to find that their children were miserable at these schools. We even know people who nervously sent a kid who was deeply average at math in ES to BASIS only to discover that the kid liked the program well enough to stay through high school.

I'm no BASIS fan; we only lasted a couple years. But I no longer believe in sure things where adolescents and their schools go.

So true. Sometimes I think we agonize over school choice because it’s easier than grappling with the real challenges of adolescence.

+1. Why is this concept so hard to understand? Pick the school that is best for your kid! For some that will be BASIS, for some it won’t. For some it will work for only middle school, for some it will work all the way through. Deal with it, because that’s what you chose to deal with when you decided to become a parent.

If only you could simply pick. Not in DC, with the lottery system and schools that are basically closed out after fifth or sixth grade, due to limited seats and, in the case of Basis, no backfilling.

From this thread, most people don't want to send their kid to BASIS anyway, so it should be easy to get a lottery seat if you are one of the few who do.

BASIS tends to go deep into their waitlist, so you shouldn't have a problem getting in if you really want to go. Latin now has 2 schools, and does backfill, so you can try for it every year.

I think most, if not all, of the backfill Latin offers go to older siblings of current Latin students, maybe with the exception of 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Is moving really a sure thing?

We know families that moved from Ward 6 to MoCo, or Arlington, or Fairfax mainly for schools and seem to regret it. We also know people who paid through the nose to send their kids to the perfect seeming DC privates only to find that their children were miserable at these schools. We even know people who nervously sent a kid who was deeply average at math in ES to BASIS only to discover that the kid liked the program well enough to stay through high school.

I'm no BASIS fan; we only lasted a couple years. But I no longer believe in sure things where adolescents and their schools go.

So true. Sometimes I think we agonize over school choice because it’s easier than grappling with the real challenges of adolescence.

+1. Why is this concept so hard to understand? Pick the school that is best for your kid! For some that will be BASIS, for some it won’t. For some it will work for only middle school, for some it will work all the way through. Deal with it, because that’s what you chose to deal with when you decided to become a parent.

If only you could simply pick. Not in DC, with the lottery system and schools that are basically closed out after fifth or sixth grade, due to limited seats and, in the case of Basis, no backfilling.

From this thread, most people don't want to send their kid to BASIS anyway, so it should be easy to get a lottery seat if you are one of the few who do.

At least 50% of kids who lottery for BASIS don't get spots. Also, the lack of backfilling compounds this problem because even though some of the kids who DO get spots later decide it's not for them and leave, if you have bad lottery luck the one year you can enter BASIS (5th) then you will never get a spot there again.

The no backfilling is a major reason BASIS attracts a lot of negative attention on these boards. It's important to understand this. And you can defend the no backfilling policy if you want but if you can't understand why it pisses people off, especially given the level of attrition at BASIS and how miserable that 5th grade lottery is for parents thanks to the near impossibility of getting into Latin or DCI, then you don't understand this conversation. Latin and DCI have lower attrition *and* they backfill. All the acceptable DCPS middle and high schools are required to backfill if they have space. Only BASIS doesn't backfill which means it's the one acceptable MS/HS option in the city that you have exactly one chance at. Of course that is going to result in resentment and criticism.

Wait - this is a bit schizophrenic. In this thread, I keep hearing about all the ways that Basis is fundamentally UNacceptable, e.g., lack of flexibility, poor physical plant, sparse extracurriculars, sky high attrition, etc.

If Basis is so awful, who cares about its relatively narrow entry pathway and aversion to backfilling?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Or you can send your child who loves facts and is good at math there, he can make a bunch of sweet, nerdy friends, learn a lot, experience zero bullying, and then end up extremely well prepared for college?

Exactly right.

BASIS kids are laughing as they go to top colleges.

Right, because no other teens in DC public schools go to top colleges.

Signed Parent of BASIS student who left for Walls and went on to an Ivy with sibling who went to DCI and went on to top 5 SLAC. No idea if they went laughing.

This. The justification to send your kids to such a limited and narrow school with the justification to try to get into a decent college is laughable.

And I bet PP’s kid above had a much more enjoyable, enriching, annd well rounded experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bottom line, choose Basis and high chance it will not be a good fit either in middle or high school.

No guarantee of anything and you take your risk, play lottery, try to get into private or move.

Chances of any of the above options gets lower each year. The only sure thing is move.

The end

Is moving really a sure thing?

We know families that moved from Ward 6 to MoCo, or Arlington, or Fairfax mainly for schools and seem to regret it. We also know people who paid through the nose to send their kids to the perfect seeming DC privates only to find that their children were miserable at these schools. We even know people who nervously sent a kid who was deeply average at math in ES to BASIS only to discover that the kid liked the program well enough to stay through high school.

I'm no BASIS fan; we only lasted a couple years. But I no longer believe in sure things where adolescents and their schools go.

So true. Sometimes I think we agonize over school choice because it’s easier than grappling with the real challenges of adolescence.

+1. Why is this concept so hard to understand? Pick the school that is best for your kid! For some that will be BASIS, for some it won’t. For some it will work for only middle school, for some it will work all the way through. Deal with it, because that’s what you chose to deal with when you decided to become a parent.

If only you could simply pick. Not in DC, with the lottery system and schools that are basically closed out after fifth or sixth grade, due to limited seats and, in the case of Basis, no backfilling.

From this thread, most people don't want to send their kid to BASIS anyway, so it should be easy to get a lottery seat if you are one of the few who do.

At least 50% of kids who lottery for BASIS don't get spots. Also, the lack of backfilling compounds this problem because even though some of the kids who DO get spots later decide it's not for them and leave, if you have bad lottery luck the one year you can enter BASIS (5th) then you will never get a spot there again.

The no backfilling is a major reason BASIS attracts a lot of negative attention on these boards. It's important to understand this. And you can defend the no backfilling policy if you want but if you can't understand why it pisses people off, especially given the level of attrition at BASIS and how miserable that 5th grade lottery is for parents thanks to the near impossibility of getting into Latin or DCI, then you don't understand this conversation. Latin and DCI have lower attrition *and* they backfill. All the acceptable DCPS middle and high schools are required to backfill if they have space. Only BASIS doesn't backfill which means it's the one acceptable MS/HS option in the city that you have exactly one chance at. Of course that is going to result in resentment and criticism.

Wait - this is a bit schizophrenic. In this thread, I keep hearing about all the ways that Basis is fundamentally UNacceptable, e.g., lack of flexibility, poor physical plant, sparse extracurriculars, sky high attrition, etc.

If Basis is so awful, who cares about its relatively narrow entry pathway and aversion to backfilling?

Also it is NOT the one acceptable middle/high school in the city.

Many families don’t even entertain Basis as an option due to above and have absolutely no resentment about the backfilling.