My DC has Asperger's and they knew and encouraged him to apply. He is very smart and is doing very well. Another family that I know (also special needs) left the school.

Anonymous wrote:Long hours of homework and frequent tests do not translate into high expectations. It is survival of the fittest model.

That's a pretty cynical characterization - but even if that's how you want to paint it, it ultimately still beats the lousy "graduate anybody, even if they are illiterate and can't add two and two" model in place at DCPS. Even if a kid washes out of BASIS, he probably will have ended up having gotten much further along in his education than if he were to have gone through DCPS.

Long hours of homework and frequent tests do not translate into high expectations. It is survival of the fittest model.

Anonymous wrote:I heard they "encouraged" a special ed student to leave before classes even started.

I hadn't heard that - but if a special needs student left before classes even started, I have no doubt there was a lot more to the story than just the mere fact that it was about special needs. I know for a fact that there are currently several special needs students doing just fine at BASIS.

Who said anything about students failing in "large numbers" in this thread? Nowhere was that said.

But even if there were "large numbers", that should hardly be unusual or controversial for schools in the District. Consider that there are DCPS schools that only rate 13% proficient on DC-CAS, which means they basically should have over 87% of the students failing - a far cry from just having a handful failing.

There was one student DC knows of from 5th grade class who lhas left. Who knows why? Maybe it was too hard or too overwhelming. Or maybe it was too far away from home and took too long to get to school. Or, maybe the student/family wanted to stay at a neighborhood school with siblings or other relatives.

Anonymous wrote:If the students are failing in large numbers, then, obviously BASIS is failing. Sad to hear it happening so soon. Didn't they just open this year?

We've heard of one, maybe two, students who have left. I think you need more evidence to get "large numbers."

Anonymous wrote:If the students are failing in large numbers, then, obviously BASIS is failing. Sad to hear it happening so soon. Didn't they just open this year?

Or, it is part of the self selection process....

If the students are failing in large numbers, then, obviously BASIS is failing. Sad to hear it happening so soon. Didn't they just open this year?

I wouldn't be surprised.

I heard they "encouraged" a special ed student to leave before classes even started.

Anonymous wrote:This wasn't about teachers, it was about students. I think there may have been one or two students who pulled out because they were overwhelmed. More may follow, I hear there are others at BASIS who are failing.

Ha, this nicely summarizes the difference between charter schools and neighborhood schools. Now, if those students go back to their neighborhood schools and continue to be overwhelmed or struggle, it will be the teachers' fault.

This wasn't about teachers, it was about students. I think there may have been one or two students who pulled out because they were overwhelmed. More may follow, I hear there are others at BASIS who are failing.

Anonymous wrote:DC's 5th grade class at a DCPS school recently had a new student, coming from BASIS. Other transitions?

Strange. The 5th grade teachers are supposed to be the good ones.
I have heard complaints about 7th and 8th grade teachers, especially about one particular teacher.

DC's 5th grade class at a DCPS school recently had a new student, coming from BASIS. Other transitions?