New Basis DC Head of School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMHO, Basis’ “no exceptions made to the curriculum” policy is a core part of its appeal.

You're conflating rigor with one-size-fits all teaching and learning, which the experts say isn't for the best. The enemies are social promotion and lack of academic tracking/test-in programs in DC public middle schools. I went to middle school in NYC, at Hunter College MS/HS. The Hunter experience was loaded with creative "exceptions," and loads of grads went on to Ivies, MIT, Stanford etc.

FWIW, Hunter didn't let bilingual students opt out of language either, so there's that...

Hunter does now, but the opt out tests are really tough, advanced AP level standard. Not different from MoCo, Fairfax, Arlington.

[Anonymous]

I don’t recall loads of “creative exceptions” from my days at Bronx Science (though I’m fairly removed from current practices). That said, I concur the problem is the lack of test-in options and tracking in DCPS. But that’s not Basis’ fault.

I’d rather my kid attend Hunter. But I’m grateful for Basis as an alternative to our IB DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give us a break, more than one parent has been annoyed by the dumb language policy at BASIS over the years. Rumor had it that the previous HOS was considering offering students more flexibility. She didn't get around that before she ran off.

I don't speak Chinese and I've posted about this issue before. My kids came from a Spanish immersion charter to BASIS. We've tried hard to keep up their language skills but they've lost a lot of ground compared to peers who went on to DCI. It wouldn't kill BASIS to do more for the immersion families.

BASIS had a great Spanish teacher ( from Spain) the first year who was willing to teach advanced Spanish or Spanish for Spanish speakers. She wasn’t allowed to do so and her contract wasn’t renewed. The second year another native speaking teacher was hired who tried to accommodate the advanced level students taking the same class. She was let go of before winter break. Another teacher came and left After a few months and that school year ended with a person who was basically a “warm body”. She was neither fluent in Spanish not had ever been a teacher. She served the school’s purpose though.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I've heard this story before, parts of it anyway. It's shame not to help or encourage kids who arrive with strong skills in major world languages in 5th grade. Language learning isn't efficient when kids' language skills slide for a couple years before they're forced into beginning or too-easy language classes in 7th.

In DC, many UMC families avoid weak DCPS schools EotP by enrolling their kids in immersion charters. I'm told that this seldom happens in the Arizona cities where BASIS began (I have a sibling who's taught Spanish in AZ public schools for a long time). A few new BASIS students arrive fully bilingual in major world languages, but can't read or write these languages well. Their families would like them to learn without their being forced into beginning language classes in 7th grade.

DC families commonly chose BASIS over DCI for many reasons. Appropriate or ambitious language instruction/learning isn't one of them. I can't see that changing under any HOS, not for a long time anyway.