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

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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous] [/quote]

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

As you said, BASIS is not for all kids. [b] Neither is KIPP.[/b]  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 [b]cry racism if any [/b]of them are [b]minority students[/b], 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.

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. [/b] [b]We have no G&T programs in elementary and middle school[/b].  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]

Your DC wouldn't get into TJ so it makes no difference to you if DCPS has a TJ.  I also highly doubt you child would get into one of the GT Centers/Magnets in MoCo either.  You are lucky that BASIS has to take all comers or you wouldn't be there.  Stop hating on the rest of the children and "hoping" that they fail.  Stop making generalizations about if "any" of the "minority" students leave they will cry "racism."  You sound like one of the "ivory tower" people that believed it when their school told them how special they are and if people leave it is because they can't hack it in order to not have to deal with real issues that may have been at the school.  Sometimes people leave because they WANT to or it is not the right fit for them.  You don't have to [u]wish failure [/u]on them.  Maybe the reason your DC loves the school is because he has an IEP and is getting special accommodations that some of these other children, that you are hoping fail, don't get.[/quote]

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