Reply to Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]BasisDC seems like an excellent option for advanced kids in middle school on way to a more well-rounded experience in a private high school. And in practice, that seems like a common path.  [/quote]

I wish prospective families would ask specific questions about cost of sports and ECs, field trips, dances, contributions to teacher bonus pool. I think most parents assume no/little costs because of their own MS/HS experience and their elementary school experience. If BASIS sees that these things are important to prospective parents, they're more likely to hear it.

They are deaf when it comes to current families raising it. Because they don't backfill, they have no reason to listen to current parents. Prospective parents have the leverage. And if you're like us, you have an inkling but you don't realize that you are expected to pay for everything! $80 for a field trip to SkyZone[/quote]

Prospective parents don't have leverage because of precisely the issue OP is identifying -- prospective families are desperate for an academically rigorous MS option, and there will always be enough families willing to accept BASIS's limitations in other areas in order to get a spot there. They had 560 applications for 150 seats this year (adding regular and EA lottery results), and that doesn't even include the many families who looked at BASIS and opted out of putting it on the their lottery list precisely because they want a more well-rounded experience for their kid, which is the population of prospective parents most likely to band together and demand something more. Those families instead lotteries for Latin, decided to make do with their DCPS options, or went private. Which is what BASIS wanted them to do.

BTW, a field trip to SkyZone is a weird thing to cite as something you are "expected to pay for." Of course you have to pay for that! When people say they want a more well-rounded program, they aren't talking about field trips to SkyZone. They are talking about strong foreign language programs, maybe with travel exchanges and other immersion opportunities. A strong music program with options for performance in orchestra, ensembles, and marching band. After school athletics supported by school booster programs and access to facilities. Theater and art programs that combine elective classes with after school opportunities for more enrichments and advancement. And so on. Who cares about SkyZone? I want my kid to be able to take AP Calc and be on a school swim team and be able to take jazz ensemble as a for-credit class and have the chance to do a two week trip in Spain with her AP Spanish class.

Which is why we are leaving DC because that doesn't exist here unless you go private and we can't afford the private schools that offer what we want.[/quote]

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