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[quote=Anonymous]The replies by non-BASIS parents crack me up. My actual experience there this past year has been completely different than the descriptions posed by people who haven't had children there. SMH. No it's not for everyone, but it's completely uninformed to say that they don't focus on arts, literature, community, politics, poems, etc.  I actually wish they spent a little less time on the arts, music, and foreign language to be honest. They aren't big on sports, but do have sports teams and many did extremely well this year. But it isn't a school for sports-fanatics.

Just take a look at the curriculum.  Only someone who hasn't looked at the actual required classes could say that it isn't a well rounded program. It is not at all STEM in the sense of TJ  - meaning at the exclusion of a well-rounded liberal arts education. I found the BASIS curriculum to be strong across the board, but simply has good math and a strong science curriculum. They aren't pushing the STEM idea anymore because they realized that people in NoVA think of TJ when you say STEM, and BASIS is not that focused on STEM alone.

I do agree with the poster who said kids need to be self-motivated and hard working. If a kid isn't, then the pace at BASIS would be difficult. And they do not grade on a curve, ever. Kids get Cs, Ds and Fs when that is what they earn. From my experience there last year, and that of most of the parents who I have gotten to know there, it isn't easy, but it isn't a pressure cooker either.

I would not recommend sending a child there with any kind of special needs however. I don't think it's the right curriculum or pace for a child that has those extra struggles like ADD or reading difficulty. It would just make it much harder for a child to keep up the pace.  The school can't be all things to all kids, and I think they most likely won't ever be great at accommodating special learning needs. That's just not their niche.[/quote]

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