Basis families: talk to me about the building
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Anonymous
Ech. |
Anonymous
You won't get that on DCUM. Have you seen what happened when someone dared mention their kid was really happy there? The BASIS haters descended and told them they were wrong. If you want to know what it is really like at BASIS ask some of the families you know. Most of us will give you the good and bad and be pretty level headed. DCUM is as good a source for reasoned unbiased opinions (and retorts) as Twitter is for civil discourse. |
Anonymous
I guess thats part of the problem. In real life, I know a handful of families who left BASIS, and I don't know any who stayed. But on the tour, I saw with my own eyes the smiling faces of many high schoolers. I have to say, I didn't see many smiles on middle schoolers. So im trying to figure out whats going on. |
Anonymous
My 5th grader doesn’t smile but it’s not because they are depressed about the building or dislike the school. They actually really like school and are developing some great note taking and study skills. They didn’t smile at their prior school either, despite the larger classrooms and natural light from all the windows. My child toured the building last year before we accepted the lottery spot. They thought I was making too big a deal about the look and feel about the building. They thought the building was fine and they were looking forward to going to a school where everyone was interested in taking advanced classes. Far less disruption and drama with classmates than at prior school. It’s a good fit for my child but my child does not even opt for outdoor lunch when it’s available, which I know is not the case for many others. My child’s only complaint about the building are how crowded the hallways and stairwell gets in between classes and at dismissal. |
Anonymous
Thank you! I do get the sense there is less drama there than at other schools. |
Anonymous
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Sorry if this is repetitive. I didn't have a chance to read all of the posts. My son attended Basis for two grades, 5th (remote until the last term) and 6th (in-person). We decided to switch him to the neighborhood DCPS middle school for 7th grade. The building/environment was nearly the sole reason for the change. My son did well in class and did not have a problem with the workload. Although we decided not to do it, he was recommended for the accelerated Math program. He consistently was in the 90s club (is that right? whatever the second tier honors was).
He's an active and energetic kid and definitely enjoys sports, gaming, etc. more than academics. The building and the lack of outdoor time and recess was killing him. None of his classrooms had windows and the children spent very little time outdoors. His lunch cohort often had "silent lunch" as a punishment for children acting out, which likely exacerbated the issue. And despite promises of going to the mall for activities, gym, and lunch, this rarely happened. He found the physical environment depressing and oppressive. The learning environment and administration compounded the problem. His physical education class was limited by the the tiny multipurpose room and focused on fitness rather than games. His art class focused on art history rather than creation. Midway through the 6th grade, his first in-person year, he began complaining about it all. And by the end, there was no way we could send him back. He dreaded going there even though there were individual teachers, and lots of classmates, that he liked. I had (have) lots of reservations about switching back to DCPS curriculum and putting him a year behind where he would have been at Basis. But, his change in mood is worth it. Yes, there is some chaos. He doesn't mind it and in some ways relishes it. He's doing well and is much happier. He's now having fun at school. I know other families that stayed at Basis and they're happy too. As everyone knows, there are good things about the academic focus. But for at least one energetic and enthusiastic 12 year old, the building and the environment were too much. |
Anonymous
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PP who switched to your inbounds DCPS for 7th grade - I'd be curious to hear how you have found the academics there (this year/for 7th grade)? How do they compare to what your child was learning/exposed to at BASIS?
I have a kid in 8th grade and have just been so impressed with the academics - especially the math and science offerings. And now econ in 8th grade - it is great/legit! FWIW my kid has created some amazing art pieces at BASIS as well. And, if you can gut it out until 8th, the kids love, love off campus lunch. My kid heads with a gaggle of friends to eat lunch at the portrait gallery or the renovated space at MLK every day she has off campus lunch. |
Anonymous
Not the PP, but I'm curious what your thoughts are regarding how deep they are learning. My kid is in middle school, and I've found the classes to be hit or miss. They rarely do hands-on labs. It just feels like a lot of powerpoints. In an English class, the kids read a book but never discussed the book in class! They had multiple choice questions on it on the comps though. My kid has also never had to write an essay - they can tell you all the parts of a sentence, but can't write a formal essay. So, yes, they are taking a lot of advanced classes, but I really question how much they are "learning" versus memorizing. Maybe that comes in high school, but it just feels like so many missed opportunities. My kid is a high achiever fwiw and is getting high grades. She hates the building. |
Anonymous
Great post. We had a similar experience. My kid is much happier on a campus with green space, plenty of natural light, more choice of classes and electives and many opportunities for hands-on learning, w/out the threat of collective punishment at lunchtime. He's much better off even though he's no longer pushed in STEM classes. My take on BASIS is that the middle school students generally aren't as OK with the set-up as parents w/out a good alternative to the program tend to claim. We found the young admins to be intransigent, unwilling to do much of anything to improve the school beyond adding silly theme days and some clubs. The lack of community and parental involvement wasn't for us either. |
Anonymous
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OP, if you're still there, I suggest that you seek out one or two former BASIS families of top students who didn't stay for the high school experience before enrolling if you get a spot.
Before we enrolled, we only spoke to families who loved BASIS without Deal as their IB option, the willingness to move to the burbs, or, apparently, the resources for privates. Not going in with our eyes open came back to bite us. |
Anonymous
By the time they are in 8th grade, they are on their third year of Physics/Chemistry/Biology. Each year loops back and goes further in depth. So in 8th grade the material covered starts looking pretty legit to me - the physics problem sets are absolutely the real deal. Math, the same - serious problem sets testing core concepts. I agree English class has been a bit of a weak point in middle school (so much focus on grammar!) - but at least this year (8), there have been many spirited class discussions on the books they have read, and they are writing essays related to each book. My kid loves the econ teacher, and the materials I have seen are absolutely providing the kids with exposure to key concepts and theories. World history is frustrating since there is no textbook to review/provide a cohesive overview - just masses of packets - but that seems to be the (annoying) trend in all schools these days (the no textbook trend). My kid is a serious/talented artist, and art instruction has been fantastic. All in all, we have more than gotten our money's worth at BASIS DC 
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Anonymous
Last year, only a handful of kids went to Walls or private for 9th grade. That will likely happen again this year. We have a top student in 8th grade and are staying even though we have several other options. The Basis curriculum is great and the school is well-run. However, the teaching can be a uneven. That, of course, happens at other schools as well. We certainly agree that the school is not for everyone. To see if there is a good fit, do your own research and make sure your kid does the shadow day and talks to current students. Good luck! |
Anonymous
The reality is less cheery. More than a quarter of last year's 8th graders students left for whatever reasons, rather than the usual third to 40%. The curriculum just isn't great across the board. It's mediocre for English and foreign languages all the way up. The cramped facility and tight budget don't stretch to much in the way of hands-on STEM work or arts education. There's little engineering tech at BASIS and no research lab (e.g. the marine biology research lab at TJ in Fairfax). To see if the school is a good fit, you basically need two years on a test run, as a couple PPs noted above. A shadow day and talking to current students won't necessarily predict how your kid will handle the learning environment by late 6th or 7th grade. |
Anonymous
OP here! This is very helpful. Thank you! I can see myself having all these same feelings ( regret about losing some aspects the BASIS curriculum but wanting my child to be happier). It's so tough -- it seems like the experience at BASIS gets dramatically better starting in 8th grade, both with the ability to leave campus and the curriculum becoming more about applying knowledge and using creativity. But I just don't know if it's worth the depression of 5th/6th/7th to us. |
Anonymous
| 27 kids in a typical 5th grade classroom? REALLY? that seems like kind of a lot |