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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]The math is advanced because students start earlier and move through relatively quickly[/b] since pretty much everyone is very smart and can handle it. There are various levels but all are advanced compared to public schools. Those that can’t handle it generally leave because they likely can’t handle the rigor in other subject areas either.

Those in the community believe the math teacher left due to the difficult administration. He was professional and didn’t say a lot but it was pretty obvious.

As PPs state there is a lot of turnover including the Physics teacher PhD who walked out a few weeks ago. This puts the AP students in a bad situation. As per other posts there have been several teachers who have quit in the last few months, which is a challenge in the middle of the school year.

The problem is a toxic environment and even if administrators  are telling you the truth you can’t rely on anything you hear because you never know who is going to quit tomorrow or what crazy bomb may dropped from the corporate office.[/quote]

But the above contradicts what someone else wrote upthread about classes only going through AP Calc and no post AP stuff, if so, what math would these early advanced kids take?

Are there enrollment numbers for 9th grade and up? Are there very enough high school kids at the school or do most leave?[/quote]

A few points--
1. A few years ago there were a few exceptional 8th graders who took AP calculus. Every single one of them went to TJ. And they entered the school as 8th graders. So they were already prepared to take calculus in 8th grade before they came to Basis -- i.e., Basis didn't actually get them to that point. They found a school where they could take AP Calc in 8th grade, took it, and then moved on.
2. I don't think they currently have a math instructor who can teach beyond the APs. Happy to be proven wrong. But this is from what faculty have told me.
3. In the past any super advanced math work was done in combined classes or as independent study when possible
4. Basis is fundamentally NOT set up to do much beyond AP math. This is because what they care about the most is AP tests. The AP tests is what guides their curriculum, because it has allowed them to milk the rankings in the charter schools. They do something like "capstones" the senior year, but they also say that the senior year is optional (at least it was before). They don't always offer a math capstone.

[/quote]

That is 200% correct.  The manic AP fetish at BIM also hurts their humanities instruction because class time is devoted 98% to teaching to the AP tests.  Very little room for creativity, deep dive writing, research, or other skills that kids will need in college.  Just cram in the information and watch the BIM kids spit it back out at test time.

BIM is a niche player for narrowminded grinds, parents and students.[/quote]

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