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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]pp here. I mean there are kids who transferred from BASIS to deal who know advanced concepts but lack basic ones.[/quote]

such as?[/quote]

Not the pp, but we are dealing with the same issues.
 We have been at BASIS since the first year.  Geometry being part of the Algebra I and Algebra II, is not being taught well. DS is in preCal, but needs to do take Geometry next year when we transfer from BASIS.[/quote]

Aside from math, which has been explained here - with Saxon, unless you get through the one year Precalc course you have not finished Geometry, it is a textbook that assumes kids will stay, I have only heard of one bad math teacher at Basis.  Math is something they seem to me to do really well.  And really thoroughly.  English?  They teach the grammar, but in 8th grade we are still waiting for a decent teacher to teach writing.  Our younger child has one though.  I don't think you can really "know" advanced concepts without understanding the basic ones.  I think they do a tremendous job of providing the building blocks for Bio, Phys and Chem (and my 8th grader uses a Bunsen burner, so don't start about how we have no science lab).

There is teacher turnover, and teachers are switching back and forth.  One of our best is from Latin, moved the first year and has stayed.  But part of the turnover is Basis fires bad teachers.  If their kids don't do well on the BASIS wide portions of the precomps and comps, they are gone, among other things.  We also have some gems who are awesome teachers and true role models, including an Econ teacher who is a retired lobbyist and is working for free, and many PhD's who pass their knowledge and enthusiasm straight to the kids.  It is not discussion oriented.  It is based on acquiring knowledge and skills, and part of that is memorization but not as much as you would think.

I think the hardest thing to handle is the amount of work, starting in 5th grade.  But another parent said that they did not think their school did such a good job transitioning from being play based to academically oriented, and so it is a kind of good thing that Basis is just Basis all the way through IMO.  It is sad that the amount of work overwhelms some kids, and once you fall behind, even being sick for a week, can really mean tough times ahead.  But I like the constant testing to make sure the kids are really getting what they are being taught, and I like the comps which prepare you for APs and all the other high stakes testing that goes on in high school.  But at the outset, it can absolutely be overwhelming.

OP, Deal will allow your child to go fast enough in math and offer enough science so the trade off is not worth it.  And he will get into a good college if he performs well.  They do try really hard with 5th graders to teach them the system and there are no comps.  So you kind of have a year to figure out whether Basis is the right place for you and your kid.  If we were doing their homework with them or if they were stressed in 6th grade we would leave.  You have figured it out and although it is sad because of his interest in math and science, go to Deal and then apply to McKinley Tech and Banneker (although they are apparently hard core on the homework).

We had one kid who we thought might get stressed out and instead the constant testing has made the kid more relaxed about everything except precomps, comps, and APs, which we took for the first time this year.  But we think they did pretty well on the APs, Basis kids in general seem to do so - I think because the precomps and comps 6th-8th have prepared them to master an entire year's worth of material... And now that our first ones have been taken, the fear is gone, and they were not as impossible as child expected....just like the comps.

But I really think you have no choice, especially because of the self esteem issues.  Adolescence is a very dangerous time for African American boys, and if they are academically oriented and do not get discouraged you have won half the battle.  I am sorry.  Please tell the school you are leaving if you decide not to go til after comps, but call Deal and ask if they would make your boy repeat the year if he failed the class because comps are half of your class grade and it sounds like he might.........  You want to know the answer and if the answer is he would have to repeat a year, that would damage his self esteem even more than trying to adjust at the tail end of a year.  Academically he will probably do fine coming in even now at Deal, especially if they put him back a year in math because of the Geometry.  Just don't let them put him in Geometry, because he probably does not know enough yet to pass the class coming in so late.  Good luck and best wishes.[/quote]

From OP - Thanks so much! Before I read this we had recently done much of what you said.  I appreciate hearing the voice of another Basis parent(s) who see the same challenges we see. We think we have an answer and we thinkit will work out emotionally for him as well as academically. We will see what happens in high school but I am aiming for a private school where I think he can show his talents but also get closer attention and recognition for his abilities. We'll see.[/quote]

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