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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I really worry about both schools piling homework on my kid.  He is really bright and I expect would be able to handle algebra quite early, but he has a learning disability in writing and ADHD both of which we are working with his awesome DCPS elementary to address.  He is on grade level or above in everything but writing, and I think we will get there in writing in the next couple years.  He's in 3rd grade now.  My husband has said no to Basis because the founder said the children at the school are [b]"classrooms full of workaholics"[/b] and he finds that incredibly distasteful and counter to his goals for our kids.  I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Basis and I know there will be great families there next year - definitely similar to the families at Latin.[/quote]
That's hilarious.  She's a hick from Arizona who has no idea what urban schooling is about to do to her "model."   The "workaholics" who are about to enter BASIS are the kids from Wards 4, 5, and 6 who are in 5th grade doing math at a 45% proficiency level, at best.  Oh, and they're calling their teachers disgusting and uncouth names at that.  No middle school in Ward 5?  Guess where all those kids who can't even do their multiplication tables are going to enroll!  Should be fun!  :)[/quote]
That’s a lot of enthusiasm for a post at 12:38 am.  I disagree with most of what you said, and your schadenfreude is off-putting.

We are considering Basis for our fourth grader, and I’d guess a dozen of her classmates are as well.  None are the miscreants you describe, and most are proficient / advanced.  Further, we have friends across the city with strong students who are also considering Basis.  Part of the reason is that Basis offers something very appealing, and part of it is that there are few viable MS options.

As far as the term “workaholic” goes - there may be better ways to describe the school’s culture and climate, but I think was used as a way to say that Basis students enjoy their work.  My kids just spent long hours in the car traveling for the holidays and thoroughly enjoyed doing logic puzzles, math games, reading books and completing their winter break homework – the sort of stuff young workaholics might do.  They (actually we) also spent hour after seemingly endless hour listening to the iPod (Tik Tok, Teach Me How to Dougie, Sweet Caroline) and watching DVDs (My Neighbor Totoro, Brady Bunch).  My impression of Basis is that my child would enjoy the rigor of school and still have plenty of time to pursue non-academic endeavors.  Being a workaholic in school and enjoying life are not mutually exclusive – in fact I’d assert they actually complement each other.

With regard to the school’s founder, she’s from the Czech Republic (not a hick from Arizona).  It sounds like a glib (perhaps even an uncouth) assessment to assert she has no idea about urban schooling.  Basis has six highly successful schools up and running, and though AZ has a different ethnic make-up than DC, plenty of econ-disadvantaged students excel at Basis.  One of their schools is ranked the second best high school in the country – ahead of TJ in Fairfax – and Basis doesn’t selectively enroll its students.  They just purchased a six story building in Penn Quarter and will completely gut it and build it to their specifications – they might just have the resources and vision to make it work. They started their teacher hiring process in December – is there a DCPS or another charter doing it this early?  I have no idea if they will get their “model” right, but they certainly have as good a shot as anyone else.

There are legitimate reasons to be skeptical of Basis.  It may not be a good fit for individual children, and the attrition rate needs to be considered.  Charters on the whole may weaken public education in DC over the long run.  People may disagree with the ideological perspective of some Basis Board members.  But, to my mind, each of these is debatable, and I think many parents of middle school aged children in DC are coming to the conclusion that Basis represents a great option.

But I do agree with your ultimate conclusion, it should be fun!!!!!!!  Happy New Year!   :-)[/quote]

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