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

+100.  An informed voice of reason in the wilderness, bless you and your Googling.  As a Chinese immigrant escaping the dreaded Chinese model, I'm going to cheer for the DC Basis parents who dare to challenge it.
[/quote]

Remember that BASIS now in Tucson is really gearing up the Chinese model, but for its first 10 years it was not this way by necessity (to keep enrollment numbers up). DC is Tucson 10 years ago. I'd be interested to compare 5th grade curriculum.

Here we have Math, Science, Geography, English every day, then a mix of Classics, Latin, PE, Art & Music. Math is challenge #1. It is 7th grade pre-algebra taught at an accelerated pace with significant problem sets each night. All classes are test/quiz heavy with an emphasis on rote memorization, multiple choice, etc. School runs from 745 to 3pm and then about 2 hours minimum is required for homework... but the main problem is that even though we struggle just to get the homework done, we also have to help her understand the material. One day learning improper fractions. Got a problem? Go to study hours because tomorrow we are moving on to decimals. In science, here is a flashcard defining gravity. Oh it uses words you don't understand and hasn't been explained? Well, just memorize it because it is going to be on the test. Latin? Well we only have two days a week but we have 2 years curriculum to cover so do your best. (I am not dissing the teachers here, they are doing the best they can, although there are a few weaker teachers and that is just deadly combo given the intense academic nature of each course). Our child is surviving thanks to intensive parental support, but looking at the road ahead we can't see how this is a good game plan to develop a happy, healthy, creative, confident child/scholar.

But in Tucson we really don't like any of our public school alternatives and neither do many of our friends. And that is why BASIS has managed to survive.

Oh another point to mention is that BASIS is really changing now that the focus is on franchising. The owners are making bank on this but to do so they have to have a product they can spore. So everything needs to be centralized and conformed. And the model they have chosen is simply accelerated academics with a focus on AP testing. This is NOT the original BASIS credo, which was to blend rigor with creativity & personal development. I don't think the new model is sustainable, certainly not for the general population, but it will be enough to make them millionaires many times over.

I am interested in hearing how BASIS DC is selling the school, what level of rigor it is imposing from day 1, and what they have said about long term curriculum plans. [/quote]

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