Reply to Could BASIS DC be closed for lower enrollment and higher academic demands?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]An April 15, 2013 class struggle article, "Nation’s best high school may be closed," alludes to the possibility: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/nations-best-high-school-may-be-closed/2013/04/15/4ad3de82-a53d-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_blog.html

I've read many threads on this forum about BASIS DC and have come to a few conclusions (after doing my own research and investigating and realizing the school wasn't a good fit for my son):

1) There are many families who signed on but underestimated the level of homework each night, number and frequency of quizzes and tests, and amount of independence and self discipline their child would need to succeed.
2) Many families chose the school because of its central location in the city and various easy routes to get to the school.
3) Several, if not many, felt their kid who was having difficulty at one school would do better because of the discipline at BASIS.

I think all of these families were disappointed, and anyone else coming to BASIS for these reasons or ignoring item #1, will experience some amount of failure at the school.

There are so many schools in the area, and each parent needs to take a moment to figure out what's the best environment for their child.  Your child will spend 7+ hours in school each day so it makes sense to place him in a place that's suited for him.   From what I've seen and heard from former and current parents, kids who score high academically at their previous schools, or who don't feel challenged and welcome a lot of new content and are able to do a lot of homework and enjoy quizzes and tests to test their retention, will do better at BASIS than other students.  If more folks with kids that are a great fit for BASIS enroll, then the school will have a decent sized class in the upper years, and like-minded students will have many peers to socialize and learn with.

I know parents that have IEP students and those who weren't doing well at their former public school that did miserably at BASIS and have all left.  I know a few parents whose kids did very well at their former school but weren't challenged and needed more and are doing well at BASIS now (A's and B's).  I know of a bright 7th grader who was doing well at his former school but struggles to make As at BASIS and has made no new friends. He's  complained, as many others have, of kids who aren't prepared and that talk loudly through classes and are bullies outside of class.  He'll do 8th grade there and go somewhere else for high school.  I know another bright 7th grader who is doing well but her parents complain of the amount of testing and quizzes.  It's too much for her and them and they will do 8th and leave afterwards.

I don't think BASIS should change its curriculum to keep ALL students there.  I think they should continue to do what they're doing but also bolster support for students that are on the borderline of doing very well in that type of environment.  Also being a first year school, there's a lot to learn for the school, the parents and the students.  A lot of what folks learned too late, I already figured out through the information sessions, and decided on the first day of school that it would not be good choice for our family.  BASIS is not the only school that demands a lot of its students in this area.  There are MANY.  I went to an application-only high school and enjoyed being with students who wanted to learn.  We had 77 kids in our graduating class, and 400 in the school total.  Everyone knew everyone and everyone was friendly and no one felt intimidated for wanting to learn.  I wish there were many more schools like this with smaller class sizes and a strong focus on learning how to think and loving to learn.  [/quote]

I think your quote is thoughtful and well written. To be honest, as a BASIS parent, I hope that some of these very disruptive kids (and while some of them are still there, many have already left of their own volition) will not pass the comprehensive exams now or in the beginning of the year and will leave the school.

As you said, BASIS is not for all kids.  Neither is KIPP.  Both hold students to high standards academically and behaviorally and are willing to take serious action when kids are not adhering to those standards and/or not making any effort to learn, just to distract other students in class.

You are right that BASIS is a new school and is working out all of the problems and this is one problem that I think has yet to be adequately addressed.  So it is possible that your 7th grader who is upset about his/her classmates behaving disruptively will come back next year and they will be gone, and will decide to stay for high school.  And it is possible that the child you mention who has no friends will make some next year.  If they stay another year, if struggling kids go to summer school, anything is possible (I hope).

If not, all of these children whom you describe whose parents are making rational decisions to leave BASIS will undoubtedly see their kids used as more ammunition about how BASIS has such a high attrition rate, and be used to cry racism if any of them are minority students, and be used as examples of BASIS mistreating special ed kids if they happen to have IEPs or 504s.  That is at least a large part of what is happening right now.  BASIS is a majority non-white, non high SES school, and yet people are crying racism.  I think that is extremely unfortunate and unfair.  My child is a minority student with a IEP/504 who loves the school and is getting As and Bs and has made some friends.

[b]You are definitely not a BASIS basher, and I am not much of a BASIS booster, but I do believe that BASIS is meeting a need here for high performing kids (with or without IEPS or 504s) who are willing to do hard work and cannot afford to be in private school or move to Md or Va.  And I think people who want to see BASIS destroyed are not focusing on that.  Why does anyone who does not have a child at BASIS want to see BASIS fail?  I do not get it.[/b]

We have no TJ.  We have no G&T programs in elementary and middle school.  NYC and other major cities do.  DC kids should be able to get that same kind of intense high quality education if they so choose, and BASIS is one of the few if not the only school that provides that to all of its students starting in the fifth grade.  Thank you for your comments.[/quote]

Unfortunately BASIS was started as a charter school subject to current law which means that it accepts all children based upon lottery -- not test scores, motivation, behavior problems (or lack of behavioral problems), neighborhood or SES.  Therefore it is up to BASIS to meet the needs of its current students.  Not just the students who are high achieving or without behavioral problems, but all students who are enrolled.  I think that is where there is frustration with Basis.  If others have to meet the needs of their students then why not Basis?  [/quote]

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