Homework load in 5th and 6th grades at basis dc?

[Anonymous]

Planning to move to VA or go private for an International Baccalaureate HS program which teaches our family's language at a level one or two years past AP.

What I find about DC public schools is that the high needs population in the city, in both traditional schools and the charter sector, motivates school leaders up and down the chain to ooze paternalism, e.g. you have to study a language for years in school, or calculus, or whatever, or you won't be able to ace a slew of AP exams. Total BS.

BASIS assumes that kids starting after 6th grade couldn't handle the science and math curriculum, so none can enter. Nonsense. There are more high-powered public middle schools than BASIS in this Metro area and in other US cities, e.g. the one I attended in NYC (Hunter College Middle School).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Planning to move to VA or go private for an International Baccalaureate HS program which teaches our family's language at a level one or two years past AP.

What I find about DC public schools is that the high needs population in the city, in both traditional schools and the charter sector, motivates school leaders up and down the chain to ooze paternalism, e.g. you have to study a language for years in school, or calculus, or whatever, or you won't be able to ace a slew of AP exams. Total BS.

BASIS assumes that kids starting after 6th grade couldn't handle the science and math curriculum, so none can enter. Nonsense. There are more high-powered public middle schools than BASIS in this Metro area and in other US cities, e.g. the one I attended in NYC (Hunter College Middle School).

You raise some good points.

However, FWIW Hunter College HS today does not allow students to enroll past 7th grade. It also has a rigorous application process, as opposed to a lottery where anyone can enroll regardless of preparation.
https://www.hunterschools.org/high-school/admissions/high-school-admissions

[Anonymous]

7th grade is REALLY different than 5th, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade is REALLY different than 5th, though.

As is a selective enrollment school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Planning to move to VA or go private for an International Baccalaureate HS program which teaches our family's language at a level one or two years past AP.

What I find about DC public schools is that the high needs population in the city, in both traditional schools and the charter sector, motivates school leaders up and down the chain to ooze paternalism, e.g. you have to study a language for years in school, or calculus, or whatever, or you won't be able to ace a slew of AP exams. Total BS.

BASIS assumes that kids starting after 6th grade couldn't handle the science and math curriculum, so none can enter. Nonsense. There are more high-powered public middle schools than BASIS in this Metro area and in other US cities, e.g. the one I attended in NYC (Hunter College Middle School).

Talk about "high needs population" and look no further than the NYC magnets that base admission on a single high stakes test and the supporters who fight tooth and nail and the state level to preserve the status quo, no matter how paltry the number of resulting black and hispanic accepted. Historically black and hispanic students are systematically overlooked and never given the necessary support to seek out and secure these opportunities, no matter how academically capable they may be.

[Anonymous]

All I know is that my child is coming home every single day telling me that she absolutely loves it and is so happy that she switched schools and then goes on an on about everything that they learned that day. Then she tells us when she needs to go in early to make up a test or something, and we are the only ones groaning, not her. From her reports, I think tons of kids would hate it, but I am so happy that she has the opportunity to be there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Planning to move to VA or go private for an International Baccalaureate HS program which teaches our family's language at a level one or two years past AP.

What I find about DC public schools is that the high needs population in the city, in both traditional schools and the charter sector, motivates school leaders up and down the chain to ooze paternalism, e.g. you have to study a language for years in school, or calculus, or whatever, or you won't be able to ace a slew of AP exams. Total BS.

BASIS assumes that kids starting after 6th grade couldn't handle the science and math curriculum, so none can enter. Nonsense. There are more high-powered public middle schools than BASIS in this Metro area and in other US cities, e.g. the one I attended in NYC (Hunter College Middle School).

Talk about "high needs population" and look no further than the NYC magnets that base admission on a single high stakes test and the supporters who fight tooth and nail and the state level to preserve the status quo, no matter how paltry the number of resulting black and hispanic accepted. Historically black and hispanic students are systematically overlooked and never given the necessary support to seek out and secure these opportunities, no matter how academically capable they may be.

You won't hear this lady of color who grew up in a (housing) project criticize her NYC magnet MS or HS. I wasn't "systematically overlooked" - teachers volunteered to knock themselves out to help me prep for admission tests, and I took advantage of free test prep offered by the City. The necessary support mostly comes in the form of adults turning off the TV and making kids read and do some extra math.

What BASIS DC does is worse than what NYC does. They let kids enroll in an advanced program, decide some students can't cut it once they hit 7th or 8th grade (even if they're working hard), relentlessly stress them out, and in so doing, persuade them to bail.

[Anonymous]

I know it's futile to ask for ... but it would be refreshing if the people posting on these threads -- and the ones on other schools -- would be people whose children actually attend, or did attend.

Presumably anyone who is considering enrolling has visited the crappy building and been to an info session, and hopefully had their kid do a shadow day.

The OP, who is probably long gone, was looking for actual feedback on homework in 5th and 6th. No way to know that unless you have been there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Planning to move to VA or go private for an International Baccalaureate HS program which teaches our family's language at a level one or two years past AP.

What I find about DC public schools is that the high needs population in the city, in both traditional schools and the charter sector, motivates school leaders up and down the chain to ooze paternalism, e.g. you have to study a language for years in school, or calculus, or whatever, or you won't be able to ace a slew of AP exams. Total BS.

BASIS assumes that kids starting after 6th grade couldn't handle the science and math curriculum, so none can enter. Nonsense. There are more high-powered public middle schools than BASIS in this Metro area and in other US cities, e.g. the one I attended in NYC (Hunter College Middle School).

Talk about "high needs population" and look no further than the NYC magnets that base admission on a single high stakes test and the supporters who fight tooth and nail and the state level to preserve the status quo, no matter how paltry the number of resulting black and hispanic accepted. Historically black and hispanic students are systematically overlooked and never given the necessary support to seek out and secure these opportunities, no matter how academically capable they may be.

You won't hear this lady of color who grew up in a (housing) project criticize her NYC magnet MS or HS. I wasn't "systematically overlooked" - teachers volunteered to knock themselves out to help me prep for admission tests, and I took advantage of free test prep offered by the City. The necessary support mostly comes in the form of adults turning off the TV and making kids read and do some extra math.

What BASIS DC does is worse than what NYC does. They let kids enroll in an advanced program, decide some students can't cut it once they hit 7th or 8th grade (even if they're working hard), relentlessly stress them out, and in so doing, persuade them to bail.

that's great that it worked for you, but the numbers don't lie. Stuyvesant has 29 black students out of 3300 in freaking NYC.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/nyregion/stuyvesant-high-school-black-students.html

This is the money quote from a current student:

“I have so much trouble believing that of all of the top students in New York City who are able to change the world, and are able to perform the best in this really rigorous environment, that only seven of them are black,”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Planning to move to VA or go private for an International Baccalaureate HS program which teaches our family's language at a level one or two years past AP.

What I find about DC public schools is that the high needs population in the city, in both traditional schools and the charter sector, motivates school leaders up and down the chain to ooze paternalism, e.g. you have to study a language for years in school, or calculus, or whatever, or you won't be able to ace a slew of AP exams. Total BS.

BASIS assumes that kids starting after 6th grade couldn't handle the science and math curriculum, so none can enter. Nonsense. There are more high-powered public middle schools than BASIS in this Metro area and in other US cities, e.g. the one I attended in NYC (Hunter College Middle School).

Talk about "high needs population" and look no further than the NYC magnets that base admission on a single high stakes test and the supporters who fight tooth and nail and the state level to preserve the status quo, no matter how paltry the number of resulting black and hispanic accepted. Historically black and hispanic students are systematically overlooked and never given the necessary support to seek out and secure these opportunities, no matter how academically capable they may be.

You won't hear this lady of color who grew up in a (housing) project criticize her NYC magnet MS or HS. I wasn't "systematically overlooked" - teachers volunteered to knock themselves out to help me prep for admission tests, and I took advantage of free test prep offered by the City. The necessary support mostly comes in the form of adults turning off the TV and making kids read and do some extra math.

What BASIS DC does is worse than what NYC does. They let kids enroll in an advanced program, decide some students can't cut it once they hit 7th or 8th grade (even if they're working hard), relentlessly stress them out, and in so doing, persuade them to bail.

that's great that it worked for you, but the numbers don't lie. Stuyvesant has 29 black students out of 3300 in freaking NYC.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/nyregion/stuyvesant-high-school-black-students.html

This is the money quote from a current student:

“I have so much trouble believing that of all of the top students in New York City who are able to change the world, and are able to perform the best in this really rigorous environment, that only seven of them are black,”

or this one -- 5th grader who got in had never even heard of the school

Venus Nnadi, 18, a Stuyvesant graduate who is a freshman at Harvard, said she remembered when a fifth-grade teacher pulled her aside at her Catholic middle school in Queens Village and encouraged her to consider an elite public school.

Ms. Nnadi, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, had never heard of Stuyvesant, but she bought a test preparation book and started taking practice exams. She thinks often of her classmates who didn’t have the same guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it's futile to ask for ... but it would be refreshing if the people posting on these threads -- and the ones on other schools -- would be people whose children actually attend, or did attend.

Presumably anyone who is considering enrolling has visited the crappy building and been to an info session, and hopefully had their kid do a shadow day.

The OP, who is probably long gone, was looking for actual feedback on homework in 5th and 6th. No way to know that unless you have been there.

BASIS DC doesn't exist in a vacuum, PP. I worked there. I have friends whose children have attended AZ campuses for many years. It's a franchise, with centralized control (e.g. final exams graded in Arizona from 6th-8th grades). A HOS can put his or her stamp on the 5th grade experience, and inject a bit of fun, but that's about it. S/he is a cog in a national machine. Once you know the machine, you know BASIS DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Planning to move to VA or go private for an International Baccalaureate HS program which teaches our family's language at a level one or two years past AP.

What I find about DC public schools is that the high needs population in the city, in both traditional schools and the charter sector, motivates school leaders up and down the chain to ooze paternalism, e.g. you have to study a language for years in school, or calculus, or whatever, or you won't be able to ace a slew of AP exams. Total BS.

BASIS assumes that kids starting after 6th grade couldn't handle the science and math curriculum, so none can enter. Nonsense. There are more high-powered public middle schools than BASIS in this Metro area and in other US cities, e.g. the one I attended in NYC (Hunter College Middle School).

Talk about "high needs population" and look no further than the NYC magnets that base admission on a single high stakes test and the supporters who fight tooth and nail and the state level to preserve the status quo, no matter how paltry the number of resulting black and hispanic accepted. Historically black and hispanic students are systematically overlooked and never given the necessary support to seek out and secure these opportunities, no matter how academically capable they may be.

+1

[Anonymous]

Basis 5th grade parent here.

Honestly, whether Basis is good for your kid depends on your kid. I'm not a huge fan of all the testings, the ugly building or tons of homework. But my DD has handled it very well, is pretty intellectually engaged, has gotten very organized and wants to stay there. I'm not sold on the high school, but it's a good place for now.

Not every child feels the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re inbound for S-H and presently on the Basis waitlist. Our child is self-motivated and excels academically but is prone to stress and anxiety. Anyone care to opine on the better option?

I would choose S-H. If your child is self-motivated and bright, they’ll do fine at S-H, will get what they need academically, will have outdoor space and extracurriculars, and have a more balanced, healthier school experience. The BASIS model is not right or necessary for most kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it does.

We're going with Hobson partly because the principal is fine with letting us home school our child in a very difficult language one of us speaks (not a Romance language). He won't force instruction in another language on us. We appreciate the flexibility and recognition that we've home schooled the child to an advanced level in the language for his age and just want to be left alone to continue. We won't be the first parents in this situation in our fast-changing neighborhood.

I’m rolling my eyes at this. If you want to go to a public school, you should follow the public school curriculum. There might be a new principal by the time your children get there anyway.