“Basis DC: Want the Peer Group, But Not the Boot Camp?”

[Anonymous]

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Former BASIS parent. Competitive academic applications for college admissions are indeed the BASIS fixation from the get go. But from what I can tell, they're not pivoting to adapt to current trends in admissions with much thought or determination, explaining why we left for HS.

Perhaps they aren't adapting to current trends in admissions, but the current results are very good. I recognize that the class size is winnowed down by the time they graduate, but this year's (and past years') admissions have been very good for a small class size.

Yes - it works for a critical mass of kids, which should be a fine result. No one is forced to go. Most middle schools in DC are failing their students in the main. I don’t get the controversy at all, unless folks think a school like Basis shouldn’t exist.

There’s not an IRL controversy, it’s just a DCUM issue. The issue on DCUM is that Basis boosters aren’t content to say “it works for some kids and not others, and that’s ok.” They have to make claims like Basis is the best school, all schools should be like Basis, all kids who don’t go to Basis are doomed to failure, Basis should take over DCPS, etc. People push back on those overblown claims, and then parents feel they need to defend the school that’s actually serving their particular kids pretty well, and round and round we go. But IRL while Basis isn’t the most popular school in DC plenty of kids are enrolling and no one is trying to shut the school down. The controversy is 100% rhetorical.

How can one justify taxpayer dollars going to a school not suited to most DC students?!?! Every school should be at least 70% at-risk, including Basis. If it’s so good, it should be able to educate difficult children. [Of course this is an idiot take.]

Duke Ellington, the arts school, is also publicly funded, but it’s not suitable for children who aren’t interested in the arts. Should it be shut down?

Not a reasonable comparison at all. One has a subject matter relevant selective admission process and the other is a lottery based.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Former BASIS parent. Competitive academic applications for college admissions are indeed the BASIS fixation from the get go. But from what I can tell, they're not pivoting to adapt to current trends in admissions with much thought or determination, explaining why we left for HS.

Perhaps they aren't adapting to current trends in admissions, but the current results are very good. I recognize that the class size is winnowed down by the time they graduate, but this year's (and past years') admissions have been very good for a small class size.

Yes - it works for a critical mass of kids, which should be a fine result. No one is forced to go. Most middle schools in DC are failing their students in the main. I don’t get the controversy at all, unless folks think a school like Basis shouldn’t exist.

There’s not an IRL controversy, it’s just a DCUM issue. The issue on DCUM is that Basis boosters aren’t content to say “it works for some kids and not others, and that’s ok.” They have to make claims like Basis is the best school, all schools should be like Basis, all kids who don’t go to Basis are doomed to failure, Basis should take over DCPS, etc. People push back on those overblown claims, and then parents feel they need to defend the school that’s actually serving their particular kids pretty well, and round and round we go. But IRL while Basis isn’t the most popular school in DC plenty of kids are enrolling and no one is trying to shut the school down. The controversy is 100% rhetorical.

How can one justify taxpayer dollars going to a school not suited to most DC students?!?! Every school should be at least 70% at-risk, including Basis. If it’s so good, it should be able to educate difficult children. [Of course this is an idiot take.]

Duke Ellington, the arts school, is also publicly funded, but it’s not suitable for children who aren’t interested in the arts. Should it be shut down?

No it should not and neither should Basis on “unsuitable” grounds. Like Ellington, Basis serves a sufficient critical mass of DC students. Yes - Ellington has better screens for identifying students for which it is suitable, but Basis’ reputation and info provide families with enough to know whether it’s suitable for their kids and/or worth the trouble of testing it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Former BASIS parent. Competitive academic applications for college admissions are indeed the BASIS fixation from the get go. But from what I can tell, they're not pivoting to adapt to current trends in admissions with much thought or determination, explaining why we left for HS.

Perhaps they aren't adapting to current trends in admissions, but the current results are very good. I recognize that the class size is winnowed down by the time they graduate, but this year's (and past years') admissions have been very good for a small class size.

Yes - it works for a critical mass of kids, which should be a fine result. No one is forced to go. Most middle schools in DC are failing their students in the main. I don’t get the controversy at all, unless folks think a school like Basis shouldn’t exist.

There’s not an IRL controversy, it’s just a DCUM issue. The issue on DCUM is that Basis boosters aren’t content to say “it works for some kids and not others, and that’s ok.” They have to make claims like Basis is the best school, all schools should be like Basis, all kids who don’t go to Basis are doomed to failure, Basis should take over DCPS, etc. People push back on those overblown claims, and then parents feel they need to defend the school that’s actually serving their particular kids pretty well, and round and round we go. But IRL while Basis isn’t the most popular school in DC plenty of kids are enrolling and no one is trying to shut the school down. The controversy is 100% rhetorical.

How can one justify taxpayer dollars going to a school not suited to most DC students?!?! Every school should be at least 70% at-risk, including Basis. If it’s so good, it should be able to educate difficult children. [Of course this is an idiot take.]

Duke Ellington, the arts school, is also publicly funded, but it’s not suitable for children who aren’t interested in the arts. Should it be shut down?

Not a reasonable comparison at all. One has a subject matter relevant selective admission process and the other is a lottery based.

Key distinctions but still quite comparable. In one case, the school screens for suitability, in the other, families screen themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Former BASIS parent. Competitive academic applications for college admissions are indeed the BASIS fixation from the get go. But from what I can tell, they're not pivoting to adapt to current trends in admissions with much thought or determination, explaining why we left for HS.

Perhaps they aren't adapting to current trends in admissions, but the current results are very good. I recognize that the class size is winnowed down by the time they graduate, but this year's (and past years') admissions have been very good for a small class size.

Yes - it works for a critical mass of kids, which should be a fine result. No one is forced to go. Most middle schools in DC are failing their students in the main. I don’t get the controversy at all, unless folks think a school like Basis shouldn’t exist.

There’s not an IRL controversy, it’s just a DCUM issue. The issue on DCUM is that Basis boosters aren’t content to say “it works for some kids and not others, and that’s ok.” They have to make claims like Basis is the best school, all schools should be like Basis, all kids who don’t go to Basis are doomed to failure, Basis should take over DCPS, etc. People push back on those overblown claims, and then parents feel they need to defend the school that’s actually serving their particular kids pretty well, and round and round we go. But IRL while Basis isn’t the most popular school in DC plenty of kids are enrolling and no one is trying to shut the school down. The controversy is 100% rhetorical.

How can one justify taxpayer dollars going to a school not suited to most DC students?!?! Every school should be at least 70% at-risk, including Basis. If it’s so good, it should be able to educate difficult children. [Of course this is an idiot take.]

Duke Ellington, the arts school, is also publicly funded, but it’s not suitable for children who aren’t interested in the arts. Should it be shut down?

Not a reasonable comparison at all. One has a subject matter relevant selective admission process and the other is a lottery based.

Key distinctions but still quite comparable. In one case, the school screens for suitability, in the other, families screen themselves.

Families are also screening themselves from Duke Ellington.

[Anonymous]

Families are perpetually screening themselves from any school all the time- That’s the norm.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, why don't we agree that different kids and families need different things. Let's also agree that different kids and families need some of the same things in a public school, or at least could really use them.

Strong language instruction starting sooner than 8th grade sounds to me like a bona fide need in 21st century America. What else? How about appropriate math acceleration for all students, a decent facility/physical plant, strong ECs and enrichment, serious academics for four years of high school and a well-trained, stable and experienced faculty (preferably one that parents don't need to help pay) and good leadership.

Good luck finding any of that at BASIS DC for your tax dollars.

You'll need to pass that along to neighboring districts like FCPS. With the exception of the handful of kids in immersion, most aren't starting a language until 8th or even 9th grade.

Charter schools aren't intended to be everything for everyone. By their nature, they serve a niche population. If you want strong language instruction and better facilities, you can enroll in a charter that offers those. The people who value strong STEM instruction and have very bright, motivate kids can choose Basis. Everyone wins!

DCI offers language immersion, better facilities, strong STEM instruction, and bright motivated kids. You really do win if you're at DCI.

The chromebooks and the math and science CAPE scores at DCI crossed it off our list.

They have cut back on technology in middle school a lot. Current principal, it was one of the big initiatives when she started.

DCI has the multiple levels of math which can’t be said for any other school EOTP and one of the most advance math tracking with AP Calculus in 10th. Sure, there are kids who are not high performing but that does not matter if there is such extensive tracking options. All kids needs can be met. Same can be said for languages.

Science CAPE scores are lower. This could be improved. They are now offering AP science courses starting in 9th which is a good start.

BTW, I’m in a STEM field and too many parents are focused too early on STEM. Plenty of time for that in college. The people in my field who rise to the top actually are the ones strong in soft skills, writing, and communication. IB curriculum helps to develop these skills.

IMO, DCI offers a much better overall experience in terms of curriculum offerings, EC’s, facilities, and diversity.

You paint quite a rosy picture. I haven’t heard the current DCI families I know singing such high praise. I assume the posters on here who are so quick to label BASIS boosters will be calling you a DCI booster…

Not a booster. Just stating the facts above. I’ve been following the school. No kids at the school.

I know current DCI families and most are happy. It’s not perfect, no school is, but has been on an upward trajectory. If you talk to families with kids who started there 6 years ago compared to 2 years ago, you might get different feedback.

Ok. then how do you know they "cut down on technology a lot?" Parents of 6th graders I've talked to said that Chromebooks are still a big part of the day.

Because technology usage has been addressed by both middle and high school principal if you have ever gone to any of the open houses or visited the school at all.

Middle school principal has specifically started an initiative of less chromes and more paper and pencil.

Many classes have moved to paper and pencil and the kids phones are locked up in class.

If you are looking for no screens, then DCI is not for you or your kid. But it’s a fact that they are aware of the technology usage and actively working on decreasing it and monitoring it. This I think is a good move. It’s all about moderation not elimination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Agree with above. We're not taking our 5th grade spot after talking to admins, who didn't impress us.

We're staying at our charter immersion elementary for 5th grade, come what may, even though our kid is among the best in his cohort at math.

Nothing at BASIS seems worth it to us. We ran through the list. The awful building. The unserious extra curriculars. The ban on language instruction until 8th grade (with only beginning language courses offered in 8th for no good reason). The high teacher turnover. The superficial sounding forced math acceleration.

The "ban" on language instruction?!?!? I am laughing out loud. Just because a school doesn't offer a course, that is not a "ban". Is DCPS "banning" Russian language instruction then? Are all schools "banning" fencing? You are ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Agree with above. We're not taking our 5th grade spot after talking to admins, who didn't impress us.

We're staying at our charter immersion elementary for 5th grade, come what may, even though our kid is among the best in his cohort at math.

Nothing at BASIS seems worth it to us. We ran through the list. The awful building. The unserious extra curriculars. The ban on language instruction until 8th grade (with only beginning language courses offered in 8th for no good reason). The high teacher turnover. The superficial sounding forced math acceleration.

The "ban" on language instruction?!?!? I am laughing out loud. Just because a school doesn't offer a course, that is not a "ban". Is DCPS "banning" Russian language instruction then? Are all schools "banning" fencing? You are ridiculous.

NP. Semantics and I’m not PP above. But I could have written the exact same thing about my child last year who was in 4th at the time. 98% testing in math and high performer at an immersion charter and we also did not play the lottery for Basis due to similar reasons above. I’ll also add the HOS seems awful based on our interaction. Child is heading to DCI in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Agree with above. We're not taking our 5th grade spot after talking to admins, who didn't impress us.

We're staying at our charter immersion elementary for 5th grade, come what may, even though our kid is among the best in his cohort at math.

Nothing at BASIS seems worth it to us. We ran through the list. The awful building. The unserious extra curriculars. The ban on language instruction until 8th grade (with only beginning language courses offered in 8th for no good reason). The high teacher turnover. The superficial sounding forced math acceleration.

The "ban" on language instruction?!?!? I am laughing out loud. Just because a school doesn't offer a course, that is not a "ban". Is DCPS "banning" Russian language instruction then? Are all schools "banning" fencing? You are ridiculous.

NP. Semantics and I’m not PP above. But I could have written the exact same thing about my child last year who was in 4th at the time. 98% testing in math and high performer at an immersion charter and we also did not play the lottery for Basis due to similar reasons above. I’ll also add the HOS seems awful based on our interaction. Child is heading to DCI in the fall.

The old head was kind of awful. The new one is much nicer and the teachers and admins seem happier these days.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Here are five of the best reasons to send your kids to BASIS DC:

1) Exceptional Academic Rigor
BASIS DC is known for its challenging curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and deep subject mastery, starting at an early age. Students often perform several grade levels above national standards.

2) Top College Placement
Graduates from BASIS schools, including BASIS DC, are highly sought after by top universities. The school has a strong track record of sending students to elite colleges like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, and more.

3) Talented, Passionate Teachers
BASIS hires subject experts—many with advanced degrees—to teach, rather than relying only on traditional certification. Their passion and deep knowledge inspire students to love learning.

4) Strong STEM Focus with Balanced Humanities
While BASIS DC offers outstanding STEM programs, it also maintains a strong foundation in literature, history, and the arts, giving students a well-rounded education.

5) Global Reputation and Community
As part of the larger BASIS Charter Schools network, BASIS DC students benefit from a global reputation for excellence, access to international opportunities, and a community of motivated, high-achieving peers.

LOL. Thanks BASIS AI! Ok, here's the truth:

* BASIS does have strong academics, in comparison to DC schools, which are mostly a mess.
* BASIS has a lot of weak teachers and very high teacher turnover. Hiring "subject matter experts" means that their teachers often have zero teaching experience or credentials, and that is a big problem. There have been explosive teacher flameouts every year - mid-year firings, teachers losing their shit, etc. Yes, there are some strong teachers, but they tend to be in the high school. Often, the good teachers switch to admin positions to get out of teaching.
* BASIS college entry isn't that impressive. It's on par with other decent schools.
* "Well balanced humanities" is a joke. Language does not start until 8th. They barely teach kids how to write. Their STEM is very good - lots of science. But the education is not well rounded.

Parents can see the college matches this year for themselves at Instagrams @bdc.2025. I think it's silly how impressive it is -- more than 10 percent of the kids landed at Ivies, and many others at schools like McGill, the Naval academy, etc, that are just as selective. Plus Berkeley, Wesleyan... Go look for yourself.

Language instruction is late, yes. Don't send your kid that if that is your priority. However, they kids seem to do fine on their language APs when the time comes, so they are learning.

They realized writing instruction was lacking, so next year they are adding a writing class to 6th and 7th grade (there already is one in 5th). Taking out linguistics. Give them some credit for adapting!

I don't know if this adaptability is a plus or not. It seems like every graduating class has had a different sequence of classes.

The adaptability is a plus... recognizing that writing was weak and then adding more writing classes seems like an objectively good thing, and a sign that the school can self-critique.

There have been other improvements over the years -- sports participation, for example, has gotten bigger and better every year. Behavior issues seem to have gotten better every year. I think self-selection of students has gotten better as the DC parent community understands the school. They have added more "fun," like a 3-day nature trip for all 5th graders.

This also means that there are some parents with experience at BASIS in the past that is now outdated. And that some of their critiques were true at the time, but might not be true any longer.

True, true. The building got sooo much better! Teachers stopped quitting mid-year. They started letting kids take languages in 6th grade! The built a gym, a media center and playing fields. They stopped requiring 7th grade algrebra. Why, they even set up a wonderful PTA.

People would be more angry if Basis had a decent physical plant. A palatial Basis would be seen as even more inequitable. The crappy building helps in this regard.

BTW - what’s wrong with 7th grade algebra? Some people need it.

What's wrong with requiring 7th grade algebra of all students? You ask because you don't have a kid at BASIS. Most BASIS middle schoolers obviously aren't quite ready for 7th grade algebra. For those who are, including those ready in 5th or 6th grade, fantastic.

My eldest diligently memorized her way through both algebra and geometry at BASIS to survive, only to be forced to take most of her middle school math again at Walls. Most of her middle school pals are in the same boat, retaking BASIS middle school math in high school. They haven't been able to place into higher math after taking placement tests at schools in the burbs, in privates, in DCPS.

Huh. I am surprised to hear this. My student went from BASIS to Walls and took AP Calc BC in 10th and aced the class. So perhaps it is your student rather than BASIS that is the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that their acceleration is sort of crazy. They also invite 5th graders to take pre-algebra over the summer and then get on a hyper-accelerated path that has them taking algebra/geo/algebra 2 in 6th and 7th, pre-calc in 8th, AB calc in 9th and BC Calc in 10th. and then things like multivariable calc and statistics in 11th and 12th.

I'm fighting against every instinct in my body that is in favor of taking every opportunity to say no to this. This is not necessary, right?

Can any experienced BASIS parents tell me if this is worth doing?

I think you need to follow your kid's lead. Do they like math/are good at it? Give it a shot! If not, no, don't do the extra acceleration. I can tell you that my kid really likes math and is very good at it. No genius, but very good. Took calc BC in 10th grade and really didn't have to work very hard to get an A. (Again, not a genius, so took some effort - but not a whole lot of sweat as far as I could tell).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that their acceleration is sort of crazy. They also invite 5th graders to take pre-algebra over the summer and then get on a hyper-accelerated path that has them taking algebra/geo/algebra 2 in 6th and 7th, pre-calc in 8th, AB calc in 9th and BC Calc in 10th. and then things like multivariable calc and statistics in 11th and 12th.

I'm fighting against every instinct in my body that is in favor of taking every opportunity to say no to this. This is not necessary, right?

Can any experienced BASIS parents tell me if this is worth doing?

I think you need to follow your kid's lead. Do they like math/are good at it? Give it a shot! If not, no, don't do the extra acceleration. I can tell you that my kid really likes math and is very good at it. No genius, but very good. Took calc BC in 10th grade and really didn't have to work very hard to get an A. (Again, not a genius, so took some effort - but not a whole lot of sweat as far as I could tell).

He is very good at math and is one of the distinguished honor roll kids, so it felt like a tough decision, but we said no. I want him to relax this summer and their current level of acceleration is more than fine!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that their acceleration is sort of crazy. They also invite 5th graders to take pre-algebra over the summer and then get on a hyper-accelerated path that has them taking algebra/geo/algebra 2 in 6th and 7th, pre-calc in 8th, AB calc in 9th and BC Calc in 10th. and then things like multivariable calc and statistics in 11th and 12th.

I'm fighting against every instinct in my body that is in favor of taking every opportunity to say no to this. This is not necessary, right?

Can any experienced BASIS parents tell me if this is worth doing?

Not a BASIS parent, but I have an undergraduate degree in mathematics, a graduate degree in operations research, and have worked for many years in operations research. The answer is no.

The BASIS sequencing is bizarre to me. Three years of Algebra and Geometry education packed into two years. And then one year of Calculus stretched out over two years. In my opinion it's better to go slower at first to really establish foundational concepts and then speed up as students are able. This does the opposite.

I also see limited value in starting so early. I took multivariate calculus my first semester of college and had no trouble meeting all the course requirements for my mathematics degree and another degree I earned concurrently.

Maybe the argument is more about having a competitive application for college admissions? Can't speak to that one.

I think I the hurry-up-and-wait math curriculum is about trapping the strongest students in the Basis system. The rushed early math means that most kids who leave for high school can’t pass the placement exams required by private high schools, and squeezing three Carnegie units of math into two Carnegie units of class time means that even schools without placement tests (like Walls or J-R) will require students to repeat a course. Kids whose whole identity has become “math acceleration” will refuse to face such hurdles, and thus “choose” to stay at Basis.

Walls no longer requires BASIS students to repeat a math class. They’ll start you at Precalculus if you’ve passed Alg 2/Geometry at BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that their acceleration is sort of crazy. They also invite 5th graders to take pre-algebra over the summer and then get on a hyper-accelerated path that has them taking algebra/geo/algebra 2 in 6th and 7th, pre-calc in 8th, AB calc in 9th and BC Calc in 10th. and then things like multivariable calc and statistics in 11th and 12th.

I'm fighting against every instinct in my body that is in favor of taking every opportunity to say no to this. This is not necessary, right?

Can any experienced BASIS parents tell me if this is worth doing?

I think you need to follow your kid's lead. Do they like math/are good at it? Give it a shot! If not, no, don't do the extra acceleration. I can tell you that my kid really likes math and is very good at it. No genius, but very good. Took calc BC in 10th grade and really didn't have to work very hard to get an A. (Again, not a genius, so took some effort - but not a whole lot of sweat as far as I could tell).

I agree. Think about your kid. My child is finishing BASIS with all As for all of high school. But, the kid isn't a math whiz. Not a dummy, but it just isn't the biggest strength. The kid tested on the border for the advanced class, and we said no way. I haven't regretted it a bit. This is a kid that has chosen AP classes for every elective, very self-motivated, but math isn't the biggest strength, so why push it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that their acceleration is sort of crazy. They also invite 5th graders to take pre-algebra over the summer and then get on a hyper-accelerated path that has them taking algebra/geo/algebra 2 in 6th and 7th, pre-calc in 8th, AB calc in 9th and BC Calc in 10th. and then things like multivariable calc and statistics in 11th and 12th.

I'm fighting against every instinct in my body that is in favor of taking every opportunity to say no to this. This is not necessary, right?

Can any experienced BASIS parents tell me if this is worth doing?

I think you need to follow your kid's lead. Do they like math/are good at it? Give it a shot! If not, no, don't do the extra acceleration. I can tell you that my kid really likes math and is very good at it. No genius, but very good. Took calc BC in 10th grade and really didn't have to work very hard to get an A. (Again, not a genius, so took some effort - but not a whole lot of sweat as far as I could tell).

I agree. Think about your kid. My child is finishing BASIS with all As for all of high school. But, the kid isn't a math whiz. Not a dummy, but it just isn't the biggest strength. The kid tested on the border for the advanced class, and we said no way. I haven't regretted it a bit. This is a kid that has chosen AP classes for every elective, very self-motivated, but math isn't the biggest strength, so why push it?

Perhaps people are pushing it for SAT and better outcome in college admissions?