Reply to BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]In today's economy, that may be a smarter road forward than some Ivies (!), though of course it is always nice to have the option to turn an Ivy down.[/b]

It all sounds nice, but common sense dictates that students accepted at Ivies, admitting not even 10% of applicants, rarely turn them all down.   In today's economy, if you are a student whose parents don't earn six figures, it may be smarter (just maybe) to attend an Ivy where you pay little or no tuition than to attend a state school or private liberal arts college where you emerge tens of thousands of dollars in debt.  While teaching at the U of MD in College Park, a common destination for the new Latin class, this year I was troubled to discover how many of the low and moderate income kids I was teaching were about to emerge owing $50,000 or more just in Stafford Loans.  Most Ivies are now giving families earning 4 or 5 figures a full ride, or very close, not the case when I attended 20 years ago.

The ES TAG and rigorous academic middle school magnets deficit is clearly croaking top students at the best public high schools in the city.  Almost to a kid, they can't compete with Mo. Co. and Fairfax kids who've come up through such programs - far too much challenge is poured on at the very end in the form of honors/AP classes.   When I look at the list of schools the Latin kids were admitted to in 2011 (more power to the school for publishing it, which doesn't seem to happen in DCPS) I see a very long way to go before Ivies, MITs and military academies make the list.   Charter schools like Latin that want to be all things to all comers, however well intentioned, do end up shortchanging their best students.  The "bells and whistles" at Blair aren't bells and whistles, they're what top kids need and deserve.

This small class has done very well considering that all the 'top students' left this class.  They chose to leave due to growing pains of the school (see other threads--this is ancient history) and due to growing skittish about being in an 'untested' school.  If you compared this senior class to comparable students at other schools, you'd probably find they did exceedingly well in terms of transitioning to college with some financial support.  As more 'top students' take the leap and stay at Latin (which is the trend), you will see different college admissions.  If you have experience in higher education you would probably be the first to admit that students should go to schools where they will find success and can move on to professional life.  In that sense, Latin has done well by these students.

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