BASIS head of school steps down

[Anonymous]

Stuart-Hobson is probably the best one. I would choose it over BASIS but I can see going the other way too.[b]


And if you aren't IB for SH and had a child starting MS in 2015-19? What's EOTP or EPTR DCPS MS should you send your student to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stuart-Hobson is probably the best one. I would choose it over BASIS but I can see going the other way too.[b]


And if you aren't IB for SH and had a child starting MS in 2015-19? What's EOTP or EPTR DCPS MS should you send your student to?

I would not choose any other EOTR DCPS. I might choose Two Rivers or ITS over BASIS depending on my commute and my kid's needs and abilities.

Some people lottery into a Stuart-Hobson feeder for 4th or 5th as a way of getting in.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We're a DCPS 4th grade family EotP. I don't know all that much about BASIS DC, other than that a big cohort from our school's 4th grade dashes there for 5th every year. I'm told that a lot more of our school's 4th graders land at BASIS than return to our school for 5th.

Before stumbling across this thread, I didn't know that BASIS DC has cycled through half a dozen principals in 7 or 8 years!! Big red flag whatever the story is with this head.

Call me crazy but it's an even bigger red flag that families will take on that level of instability for a BASIS education rather than stay in their EOTP school. What is it that families are getting at BASIS that makes them ok with such instaility? Or is what's happening in the classroom and in social interactions with peers so much more important than the impact of a constantly changing Head of School?

I've posted above. Kid graduated last year. Our IB is Coolidge, my DC had some disabilities that required accommodations that SWW wouldn't grant even on the entrance exam (red flag), and didn't want to go to Banneker which had a predominantly female student body.

The HOS mattered to me as a parent. BUT my kid didn't really notice the HOS that much. Their day to day job was to manage and hire and fire teachers, implement the budget, deal with OSSE/PCSB and Arizona. The classes of 2018 and 19 generally LOVED the most recent one because they knew her as their Chemistry teacher, then college counselor (obviously not senior year but there is college advising each year at Basis.

The college counseling program at Basis is, IMO, on par with a private school, and a big reason we stuck around. Two full-time counselors for a HS of about 200-225 students, and a caseload of just 20-30 seniors. Very personalized advice, help with finding a school that is affordable and meets your needs. Finishing all, or virtually all, APs by the end of junior year was a blessing because it left time for college apps and the senior year courses were really interesting and gave a flavor of what college would be like. My kid did the optional capstone senior project, had a good internship experience and did some really interesting individual research. All those things don't change with the HOS - they are baked into the model.

The last head's changes are great, but TBH mostly affected the MS because the HS teachers were already pretty strong, and MS is where they really needed more SEL and heart, for lack of a better word. That stuff came a bit late for my DC but was promising for those who are still there.

Thank you. This is important. People throw stones at BASIS but parents and kids are getting something that they value. Seems like more time should be spent examining how the schools they are leaving should improve rather than tearing down the schools where they are going.

No kids at Basis. But if your options are your middle school EOTP and Basis, I would go with Basis. Much better, higher performing motivated peer group and more rigor classes which becomes increasing more important in middle and high school.

Sure some kids can’t hack it and don’t finish. But others thrive on it and it’s a good fit.

why not just say 'anywhere other than Deal and maybe Hardy?' You'd get push back here but at least that's honest. You including Latin with that broad stroke?

You may be surprised at the level of rigor in some other programs you'd probably never get past holding your nose to visit.

PP is talking about IB DCPS middle schools EOTP and I would say accurate statement. None as rigorous as BASIS, not even close.

I'm new here. What are the highly regarded in-bound middle schools EOTP?

There are not any.

PP never mentioned "inbound" - just EastOfThePark

[Anonymous]

But if you choose Stuart Hobson for MS inboundary what are you going to do for HS if you can't afford private school and your kid fails to test into SWW in 8th grade (a common enough outcome).

If your kid is white (generally no whites at Banneker) and not interested in the performing arts (for Duke Ellington), then what? There really aren't any UMC families at Eastern HS, a failing school by every measure.

BASIS sounds like torture in HS for all but a very small and super nerdy subset that doesn't mind the weak facilities (no library, real gym, stage/auditorium, outdoor space etc) and lack of emphasis on applied/hands-on learning.

The fact that they get a new head almost every school year does nothing to inspire confidence in this parent.

[Anonymous]

PS. These days, you can't choose Stuart Hobson unless you're in-boundary. Their 6th grade is almost full up with in-boundary, they only auction off a handful of spots in 6th grade each spring.

By contrast, BASIS offers a spot to 3/4 of those who put their names in the lottery hat by the start of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But if you choose Stuart Hobson for MS inboundary what are you going to do for HS if you can't afford private school and your kid fails to test into SWW in 8th grade (a common enough outcome).

If your kid is white (generally no whites at Banneker) and not interested in the performing arts (for Duke Ellington), then what? There really aren't any UMC families at Eastern HS, a failing school by every measure.

BASIS sounds like torture in HS for all but a very small and super nerdy subset that doesn't mind the weak facilities (no library, real gym, stage/auditorium, outdoor space etc) and lack of emphasis on applied/hands-on learning.

The fact that they get a new head almost every school year does nothing to inspire confidence in this parent.

Go to Banneker anyway, or McKinley Tech. If I had a 5th grader right now I would be fine with McKinley Tech.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But if you choose Stuart Hobson for MS inboundary what are you going to do for HS if you can't afford private school and your kid fails to test into SWW in 8th grade (a common enough outcome).

If your kid is white (generally no whites at Banneker) and not interested in the performing arts (for Duke Ellington), then what? There really aren't any UMC families at Eastern HS, a failing school by every measure.

BASIS sounds like torture in HS for all but a very small and super nerdy subset that doesn't mind the weak facilities (no library, real gym, stage/auditorium, outdoor space etc) and lack of emphasis on applied/hands-on learning.

The fact that they get a new head almost every school year does nothing to inspire confidence in this parent.

Send your kid to school with--gasp--kids of color? About 40% of kids at Eastern got a 3 or above on the ELA PARCC so there will be several hundred kids there who would be on the same academic level as a kid who fails the Walls test. Even in math, there are over 100 kids on this level so your kid will have a cohort of kids working at grade level. You could lottery/apply to lots of other schools, including Bard, Coolidge Early College, Haynes, Cap City, DCI (3 lottery slots right there), McKinley Tech, WLA. Eventually, Sojourner Truth will open too.

Or if that's too bold of an idea for you, I guess you'd have to move IB for Wilson or out of DC altogether. The DC government doesn't owe you a school with the right number of white kids for your own personal preference. And they don't owe you a special school that's for kids too mediocre for Walls but not quite as bad as you're afraid of having in your kid's class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But if you choose Stuart Hobson for MS inboundary what are you going to do for HS if you can't afford private school and your kid fails to test into SWW in 8th grade (a common enough outcome).

If your kid is white (generally no whites at Banneker) and not interested in the performing arts (for Duke Ellington), then what? There really aren't any UMC families at Eastern HS, a failing school by every measure.

BASIS sounds like torture in HS for all but a very small and super nerdy subset that doesn't mind the weak facilities (no library, real gym, stage/auditorium, outdoor space etc) and lack of emphasis on applied/hands-on learning.

The fact that they get a new head almost every school year does nothing to inspire confidence in this parent.

Send your kid to school with--gasp--kids of color? About 40% of kids at Eastern got a 3 or above on the ELA PARCC so there will be several hundred kids there who would be on the same academic level as a kid who fails the Walls test. Even in math, there are over 100 kids on this level so your kid will have a cohort of kids working at grade level. You could lottery/apply to lots of other schools, including Bard, Coolidge Early College, Haynes, Cap City, DCI (3 lottery slots right there), McKinley Tech, WLA. Eventually, Sojourner Truth will open too.

Or if that's too bold of an idea for you, I guess you'd have to move IB for Wilson or out of DC altogether. The DC government doesn't owe you a school with the right number of white kids for your own personal preference. And they don't owe you a special school that's for kids too mediocre for Walls but not quite as bad as you're afraid of having in your kid's class.

+1000000.

[Anonymous]

If I had a 5th grader with 3s and 4s right now I would not rule out Eastern, at least giving it a try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But if you choose Stuart Hobson for MS inboundary what are you going to do for HS if you can't afford private school and your kid fails to test into SWW in 8th grade (a common enough outcome).

If your kid is white (generally no whites at Banneker) and not interested in the performing arts (for Duke Ellington), then what? There really aren't any UMC families at Eastern HS, a failing school by every measure.

BASIS sounds like torture in HS for all but a very small and super nerdy subset that doesn't mind the weak facilities (no library, real gym, stage/auditorium, outdoor space etc) and lack of emphasis on applied/hands-on learning.

The fact that they get a new head almost every school year does nothing to inspire confidence in this parent.

Send your kid to school with--gasp--kids of color? About 40% of kids at Eastern got a 3 or above on the ELA PARCC so there will be several hundred kids there who would be on the same academic level as a kid who fails the Walls test. Even in math, there are over 100 kids on this level so your kid will have a cohort of kids working at grade level. You could lottery/apply to lots of other schools, including Bard, Coolidge Early College, Haynes, Cap City, DCI (3 lottery slots right there), McKinley Tech, WLA. Eventually, Sojourner Truth will open too.

Or if that's too bold of an idea for you, I guess you'd have to move IB for Wilson or out of DC altogether. The DC government doesn't owe you a school with the right number of white kids for your own personal preference. And they don't owe you a special school that's for kids too mediocre for Walls but not quite as bad as you're afraid of having in your kid's class.

+1000000.

Easy to plus 100000 when you're not the one sending your kid to crappy Eastern. Do it and we'll take you seriously. No skin in the game? Shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I had a 5th grader with 3s and 4s right now I would not rule out Eastern, at least giving it a try.

You've been to talk to admins at Eastern?

They're brainless wonders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But if you choose Stuart Hobson for MS inboundary what are you going to do for HS if you can't afford private school and your kid fails to test into SWW in 8th grade (a common enough outcome).

If your kid is white (generally no whites at Banneker) and not interested in the performing arts (for Duke Ellington), then what? There really aren't any UMC families at Eastern HS, a failing school by every measure.

BASIS sounds like torture in HS for all but a very small and super nerdy subset that doesn't mind the weak facilities (no library, real gym, stage/auditorium, outdoor space etc) and lack of emphasis on applied/hands-on learning.

The fact that they get a new head almost every school year does nothing to inspire confidence in this parent.

Send your kid to school with--gasp--kids of color? About 40% of kids at Eastern got a 3 or above on the ELA PARCC so there will be several hundred kids there who would be on the same academic level as a kid who fails the Walls test. Even in math, there are over 100 kids on this level so your kid will have a cohort of kids working at grade level. You could lottery/apply to lots of other schools, including Bard, Coolidge Early College, Haynes, Cap City, DCI (3 lottery slots right there), McKinley Tech, WLA. Eventually, Sojourner Truth will open too.

Or if that's too bold of an idea for you, I guess you'd have to move IB for Wilson or out of DC altogether. The DC government doesn't owe you a school with the right number of white kids for your own personal preference. And they don't owe you a special school that's for kids too mediocre for Walls but not quite as bad as you're afraid of having in your kid's class.

+1000000.

Easy to plus 100000 when you're not the one sending your kid to crappy Eastern. Do it and we'll take you seriously. No skin in the game? Shut up.

PP's kid is not advanced. There is no right to a special school for kids who are on grade level and just don't want to be one of a few white kids. Go to McKinley Tech.

Wih the Banneker expansion, it is likely to become more racially diverse and easier to get into anyway.

[Anonymous]

There are hundreds of kids at Eastern with equal or greater academic skills than PP's kid. There's no reason to think he or she will be shortchanged by attending school there. If anything, it might help for college admissions at places where few Eastern kids apply. PP can pay for help with college essays and SAT tutoring (or force her kid to do Kahn Academy and practice tests from library books).

Or if PP wants a school with more medium-scoring white kids, there are parts of MoCo, Frederick, Charles, Anne Arundel, Fairfax (even further-out PG) counties where such schools exist, commutes are doable, and rent or mortgage are probably cheaper than what PP currently pays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But if you choose Stuart Hobson for MS inboundary what are you going to do for HS if you can't afford private school and your kid fails to test into SWW in 8th grade (a common enough outcome).

If your kid is white (generally no whites at Banneker) and not interested in the performing arts (for Duke Ellington), then what? There really aren't any UMC families at Eastern HS, a failing school by every measure.

BASIS sounds like torture in HS for all but a very small and super nerdy subset that doesn't mind the weak facilities (no library, real gym, stage/auditorium, outdoor space etc) and lack of emphasis on applied/hands-on learning.

The fact that they get a new head almost every school year does nothing to inspire confidence in this parent.

Send your kid to school with--gasp--kids of color? About 40% of kids at Eastern got a 3 or above on the ELA PARCC so there will be several hundred kids there who would be on the same academic level as a kid who fails the Walls test. Even in math, there are over 100 kids on this level so your kid will have a cohort of kids working at grade level. You could lottery/apply to lots of other schools, including Bard, Coolidge Early College, Haynes, Cap City, DCI (3 lottery slots right there), McKinley Tech, WLA. Eventually, Sojourner Truth will open too.

Or if that's too bold of an idea for you, I guess you'd have to move IB for Wilson or out of DC altogether. The DC government doesn't owe you a school with the right number of white kids for your own personal preference. And they don't owe you a special school that's for kids too mediocre for Walls but not quite as bad as you're afraid of having in your kid's class.

Are you kidding me about Eastern? You realize that a 4 for PARCC scores is grade level right? Last year only 18% students in ELA got a 4 and only 4% in Math. PARCC 3 is terrible and below grade level and even with that it’s only 38% in ELA and 15% in math. So the remaining difference from 100% is way below grade level, i.e the overwhelmingly majority of the school. It’s abysmal.

The only reason DCPS lists 3 and 4 as measures for PARCC is because many schools have no 5’s at all. Their criteria is very low because the students are so poor performing. The parameter really should be 4 (grade level) and 5 (exceeding grade level).

[Anonymous]

These high school kids scoring 1 and 2”s are probably reading at 4th or 5th grade level at best.