Reply to BASIS DCPCSB to open two PK3-5 campuses

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How is BASIS different from DC Prep?[/quote]

Exactly or KIPP. It's one thing to turn up the heat on middle schoolers, but Kindergarteners? Really? This model will probably backfire on a number of kids by sucking the fun out of school. [/quote]

Doesn't BASIS already have this model in Arizona?  How is it working there?[/quote]

Schools are fully subscribed and their[b] test scores[/b] seem pretty strong. But they've only been in the[b] K-4 [/b]game for about 3 years.[/quote]

Are test scores really the only thing that matter for kids ages 5-9? If your answer is "Yes," or "Test scores aren't the only thing, but they're the most important thing for this age group," then are you actually a parent? It's hard for me to believe that parents would want this for their children, but I suppose Basis is counting on this option seeming preferable to some or the poorest-managed DCPS schools.

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Actually, if you look at the classical education model, mastery of grammar (building blocks of every subject) is essential. Testing, done well, is a very good tool. I agree that NO kid should advance without mastery of foundations. Why are we so test averse? I am currently homeschooling my 4th grader. He is tested daily (on spelling, English grammar, math facts, history facts...) and commits pretty much everything I teach him to memory. BUT it is not stressful to him. Today, he had to memorize a pronoun chart (subject, object, possessive, reflexive...). He said it was FUN. He's already halfway through Saxon 76. NO stress. Plays golf, plays soccer, plays board games, plays Pokemon, oil paints, plays piano, and TESTS TESTS TESTS. And gets a good night's sleep, and goes on dates with mom and dad, and has great friends. The thing that people worry about is SHAME, I think, that kids are advancing at different levels. The problem is that everyone judges everyone. Testing, done well, is not harmful at all. Judging, however, is.  The key for a school that tests a lot is to also build up a child's understand of what it means to make progress instead of shooting for perfection. That understanding has to be cultivated both at home and in school in order for a child to be healthy. I am not arguing that Basis is going to do this well. I am saying that I disagree with all the parents out there who are anti-testing. Testing is best when done daily. You only need to know a limited set of foundational facts between 1st and 4th grade, completely do-able, every school ought to be providing this for their kids. Basis model is amazing because it TRULY is no child left behind in a sense that this model allows nobody to slip through the cracks missing any key concepts. Is is a gift for every child to have gone through school actually having the strong foundation of education. You can't build a house if foundations have cracks. [/quote]

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