BASIS charter expansion is up for public comment

[Anonymous]

I’m curious why BASIS elementary will only offer Mandarin? It’s not an immersion program so a regular foreign language class could cover different languages. Also, would elementary students be able to continue learning Mandarin in middle school and not have to start from the beginning again as an 8th grader (as current students do now)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above is right. When I switched my kid from BASIS to an Arlington public ms for 8th grade last year (my ex lives in VA) I realized that I'd been drinking the BASIS Kool-Aid for years. Kid wasn't considered advanced in Arlington, other than for science, although he'd always made 90s Club. In fact, his "intensified" (honors) humanities classes were tougher than any he'd taken at BASIS and he's able to study the language we speak at home at an advanced level in ms. He's also able to play in an advance band at school, so no more running around in search of appropriate language or music inputs.

I guess your kid wasn't advanced.

Next.

Different poster. If 90s Club isn't advanced, why are you pinning this on the kid? Oh I get it, poster above has touched a nerve. Feeling insecure about the supposedly super duper BASIS curriculum and instruction? You should be.

The kid shouldn't be pinned. The mom should be though. She posts this on every BASIS thread, changing the story slightly each time. Ultimately, she has revealed a lot about her poor parenting and it is a blessing for that poor child that her ex now has custody.

[Anonymous]

Because Mandarin is, apart from being super hip, v. difficult to learn. The science indicates that knowledge of Chinese characters young sets the stage for learning tough math and science later on. What's more, it's impressive to be able to say (in a low voice, practically a whisper) "You know, it's amazing, my kindergartener has really taken off with his Mandarin at BASIS." Best of all, the prospect of Mandarin instruction will do a kick-ass job is deterring the names of undesirables who clearly can't handle Mandarin (or tough math or science) from going into the K hat. The YuYing lottery has proven this without a doubt over the years. It's a no brainer, BASIS can hardly go wrong with Mandarin for little kids, even they are likely to surrender their language edge as older kids, while languishing in the polyglot desert of 5th-7th grades at BASIS, and the purgatory of beginning language instruction only in 8th and 9th grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above is right. When I switched my kid from BASIS to an Arlington public ms for 8th grade last year (my ex lives in VA) I realized that I'd been drinking the BASIS Kool-Aid for years. Kid wasn't considered advanced in Arlington, other than for science, although he'd always made 90s Club. In fact, his "intensified" (honors) humanities classes were tougher than any he'd taken at BASIS and he's able to study the language we speak at home at an advanced level in ms. He's also able to play in an advance band at school, so no more running around in search of appropriate language or music inputs.

I guess your kid wasn't advanced.

Next.

Different poster. If 90s Club isn't advanced, why are you pinning this on the kid? Oh I get it, poster above has touched a nerve. Feeling insecure about the supposedly super duper BASIS curriculum and instruction? You should be.

The kid shouldn't be pinned. The mom should be though. She posts this on every BASIS thread, changing the story slightly each time. Ultimately, she has revealed a lot about her poor parenting and it is a blessing for that poor child that her ex now has custody.

Pin whomever you want. I'm far from convinced that BASIS DC is offering rigor beyond what normal suburban middle schools in upscale suburbs deliver. Why do I get the feeling that you post on every BASIS thread slamming anybody who points out this inconvenient truth? Carry on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because Mandarin is, apart from being super hip, v. difficult to learn. The science indicates that knowledge of Chinese characters young sets the stage for learning tough math and science later on. What's more, it's impressive to be able to say (in a low voice, practically a whisper) "You know, it's amazing, my kindergartener has really taken off with his Mandarin at BASIS." Best of all, the prospect of Mandarin instruction will do a kick-ass job is deterring the names of undesirables who clearly can't handle Mandarin (or tough math or science) from going into the K hat. The YuYing lottery has proven this without a doubt over the years. It's a no brainer, BASIS can hardly go wrong with Mandarin for little kids, even they are likely to surrender their language edge as older kids, while languishing in the polyglot desert of 5th-7th grades at BASIS, and the purgatory of beginning language instruction only in 8th and 9th grades.

Well, I have to admit that was amusing.

But here is what the school says:

Mandarin: BASIS DC Primary students begin their second language education as early
as possible, which is developmentally the best time to begin. BASIS chose Mandarin in
part to take advantage of the cognitive benefits of introducing a language so different
in character, intonation, and pronunciation than English. An expert teacher in Mandarin
will create an interactive environment to cultivate students’ appreciation for the
language and culture. The Mandarin SET will introduce the language through songs,
holiday celebrations, writing and reading characters, and learning the different
pronunciations in the language. This early introduction will also provide a foundational
familiarity with Mandarin that will be useful to students choosing it as their foreign
language option in middle and high school at BASIS DC....

The Mandarin, grades 1-3 only, course continues to introduce students to a language
other than English. Students develop listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Our
Mandarin courses involve the use of both Pinyin and Chinese characters. Students also
learn about life and culture in China, sing songs, and make art using their increasing
knowledge of Mandarin. BASIS students are introduced to Mandarin as a complement
to their studies in other disciplines. Given the emphasis on ordering, grouping, and
distinguishing between similarities and differences in character writing and intonation,
Mandarin causes students to stretch their mathematical and logical abilities.

Not sure what the point of teaching Mandarin is is you teach it to K to 3rd and then don’t offer it again until 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

I don't think this is true as I believe there are kids at Walls that take pre-calc as freshmen who are coming from DCPS middle schools.

And note that BASIS kids take two years of calculus so it's not that they're taking math beyond calc as juniors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above is right. When I switched my kid from BASIS to an Arlington public ms for 8th grade last year (my ex lives in VA) I realized that I'd been drinking the BASIS Kool-Aid for years. Kid wasn't considered advanced in Arlington, other than for science, although he'd always made 90s Club. In fact, his "intensified" (honors) humanities classes were tougher than any he'd taken at BASIS and he's able to study the language we speak at home at an advanced level in ms. He's also able to play in an advance band at school, so no more running around in search of appropriate language or music inputs.

I guess your kid wasn't advanced.

Next.

Different poster. If 90s Club isn't advanced, why are you pinning this on the kid? Oh I get it, poster above has touched a nerve. Feeling insecure about the supposedly super duper BASIS curriculum and instruction? You should be.

The kid shouldn't be pinned. The mom should be though. She posts this on every BASIS thread, changing the story slightly each time. Ultimately, she has revealed a lot about her poor parenting and it is a blessing for that poor child that her ex now has custody.

Pin whomever you want. I'm far from convinced that BASIS DC is offering rigor beyond what normal suburban middle schools in upscale suburbs deliver. Why do I get the feeling that you post on every BASIS thread slamming anybody who points out this inconvenient truth? Carry on.

Your "normal suburban middle schools in upscale suburbs" are in some of the richest areas in the country. They are not normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

I don't think this is true as I believe there are kids at Walls that take pre-calc as freshmen who are coming from DCPS middle schools.

And note that BASIS kids take two years of calculus so it's not that they're taking math beyond calc as juniors.

I agree that the high school curriculum is weird. That's part of the reason there is so much attrition between 8th and 9th.

But the middle school curriculum is the most advanced and accelerated that is offered in public school in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above is right. When I switched my kid from BASIS to an Arlington public ms for 8th grade last year (my ex lives in VA) I realized that I'd been drinking the BASIS Kool-Aid for years. Kid wasn't considered advanced in Arlington, other than for science, although he'd always made 90s Club. In fact, his "intensified" (honors) humanities classes were tougher than any he'd taken at BASIS and he's able to study the language we speak at home at an advanced level in ms. He's also able to play in an advance band at school, so no more running around in search of appropriate language or music inputs.

Arlington Community High School has a graduation rate of 53%.

Sounds great in the burbs!

It's an alternative high school for students 16+, including adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

You know how you sound, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

LOL. Most parents aren't stupid like you. They know how not to list BASIS if they know it won't work for their kid.

The stupid parent here has a not-so-stupid kid who did great at BASIS academically. She washed out on weak ECs, poor school spirit, teachers with weak classroom management skills and crazy teacher turnover anyway. We thought BASIS was the perfect fit. You tell us where we went wrong. She needed their elementary school to get in the mode of school offering little in the way of joy of learning six years earlier?

You went wrong by not finding out these things in the first place. They've been obvious for years, and any family that has gone to BASIS could have told you this. Didn't you talk to a single family before applying in the lottery??

Oh, I didn't send my kid to BASIS. You can see that terrible shitshow from a mile away. I'm just bitter because I warned friends who thought it was some kind of magical school for their precious child to get ahead, because one time they read an article in Time magazine that said STEM education was the future, and now all they've got is a seriously discouraged kid who feels like a failure, dislikes school and missed out on all the best parts of childhood/adolescent education.

Okay, I also know someone whose kid struggled all the way through and now attends a state school and is getting a degree in engineering, but they hated every minute of it and have reached the obvious conclusion that they could have attended a state school and earned a degree in engineering by going to any other high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious why BASIS elementary will only offer Mandarin? It’s not an immersion program so a regular foreign language class could cover different languages. Also, would elementary students be able to continue learning Mandarin in middle school and not have to start from the beginning again as an 8th grader (as current students do now)?

It's more for-profit marketing to lure in rube parents who think that Tiger Mom, over-the-top, high-pressure method of forcing kids to take advanced classes too early in their educational career stuff sounds like a good idea... sure, they've never looked into it or done any research into BASIS, but, there's got to be something to it right? Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised by the number of people who sent their kid to BASIS and seemingly had no idea what their kid was in for. The building is a prison with no fields. The crazy curriculum is openly shared. The lack of gym, etc., is obvious. Why would you have lotteried there in the first place? Were you dumb? Did you really not have a Plan B if you couldn't get into Latin? What kind of idiots are you people?

They're not effective teachers and can't produce a happy well-balanced successful kid to save their lives, but as a for-profit they know how to market to rubes—and taxpayer pick up the bill!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

And that's part of the trick -- overload the curriculum, collect the taxpayer dollars, wash out most students since it's not appropriate for the vast majority of kids to be taught at that level at that age, and then spin the massive failure to educate students who taxpayers are footing the bill for, into some bullshit about it being elite. New rubes who think their kids are special and smart sign up, almost certainly to have their kids wash out after a few years of no extra-curriculars and a revolving carousel of teachers.

LOL. Most parents aren't stupid like you. They know how not to list BASIS if they know it won't work for their kid.

The stupid parent here has a not-so-stupid kid who did great at BASIS academically. She washed out on weak ECs, poor school spirit, teachers with weak classroom management skills and crazy teacher turnover anyway. We thought BASIS was the perfect fit. You tell us where we went wrong. She needed their elementary school to get in the mode of school offering little in the way of joy of learning six years earlier?

You went wrong by not finding out these things in the first place. They've been obvious for years, and any family that has gone to BASIS could have told you this. Didn't you talk to a single family before applying in the lottery??

Oh, I didn't send my kid to BASIS. You can see that terrible shitshow from a mile away. I'm just bitter because I warned friends who thought it was some kind of magical school for their precious child to get ahead, because one time they read an article in Time magazine that said STEM education was the future, and now all they've got is a seriously discouraged kid who feels like a failure, dislikes school and missed out on all the best parts of childhood/adolescent education.

Okay, I also know someone whose kid struggled all the way through and now attends a state school and is getting a degree in engineering, but they hated every minute of it and have reached the obvious conclusion that they could have attended a state school and earned a degree in engineering by going to any other high school.

Oh, so you are just a nosy busybody with no history of any direct interaction with the school. I recommend therapy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am all for this, and if they do open I hope I can get my 3rd grader in from the lottery.

Genuine question to this group, especially those who oppose this. If I have an elementary-age kid who is very advanced, and is struggling with boredom at our DCPS school, where do you think I should send them?

I have asked around and don't get the sense that charter schools are any more advanced, so I haven't really bothered to go that route. It feels like maybe our only option is to move to a Wilson feeder, where it sounds like maybe the classes are a bit more advanced just due to the socio-economics of the students. But I'd love to not have to buy a $2 million house just to give my kid a little extra challenge in elementary school. A BASIS elementary feels like a great alternative, and it offers something new for EOTP families. Happy to be told I'm wrong though! Please do tell me what kind of options you'd recommend.

Honest response is to move to Fairfax. If you want to stay in DC and don't want to move to W3, then you need to supplement on your own.

Never happening. This is why I support a BASIS elementary school. I shouldn't have to move my entire family just to get a little extra challenge in upper elementary + middle schools. The city has great school options for early childhood through 2nd grade; and great high school options. There's a huge hole in the middle that needs to be filled. BASIS elementary would be just the start.

Do you hate your kid? If so, send them to BASIS elementary.

Signed,
Current BASIS parent

Say more. are you looking for an out? Do you think it's fine for middle, but bad for elementary?

BASIS hires extremely inexperienced teachers and doesn’t support them. There are a lot of classroom management problems, which leads to a lot of extreme forms of discipline and negativity. It’s absolutely developmentally inappropriate for the children they already have. I can’t imagine them in charge of younger children.

Are you pulling out your kids?

Yes. And for the poster with a “genius” child, my two kids are both at the top of their class. BASIS academics are on par with a normal middle/high school with a solid contingent of UMC families. It’s not an “advanced” program. So if your kid is truly gifted, they at be bored at BASIS.

That is simply not true. The Basis curriculum is objectively more advanced than any other public school in DC. Sure, if your kid is at a selective DC public high school or a big school such as J-R, they can opt for advanced classes but no other public DC middle/high school (and certainly no other 100% lottery school) teaches all kids at the level that Basis does.

Yes. I think it helps to be very specific about this -- middle schoolers learn Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 by the end of 8th grade, and start precalculus in 9th. This is one level beyond the highest level at the DCPS middle schools.

I don't think this is true as I believe there are kids at Walls that take pre-calc as freshmen who are coming from DCPS middle schools.

And note that BASIS kids take two years of calculus so it's not that they're taking math beyond calc as juniors.

There are definitely freshmen at Walls and JR in precalc who did not go to Basis. And I know this is a shock but some of those kids who went to DcPS middle schools are way more advanced in their algebra skills.