Glad to hear that Blessed Sacrament is open-minded and full of Eureka moments.

But we’ll stick with BASIS.

P.s.: What’s a Eureka moment anyway and how does one measure it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Maybe, but my kid likes his new school much better. He likes having more of a say in what he learns.

Do you have examples of what choices your son was missing, and the ways the rigidity was bothering him at BASIS?

Sorry, I don't. No point in being slammed by BASIS adherents going forward. Suffice it say that we're a bilingual family that's grateful for how our kid's new school values his bilingualism, not the case at BASIS. We didn't care for the BASIS focus on AP test prep, marching in step academically, grade competition and college admissions from the middle school years. There weren't enough Eureka moments for us, not enough emphasis on joy of learning. I've been surprised and pleased by how much more open-minded and, frankly, fun and welcoming, the Blessed Sacrament vibe has been. Good luck to those who stick with BASIS.

Those are all valid things to want from a school. No BASIS parent would quibble. But you chose a school that offers the polar opposite of what you wanted from a school. There was no bait and switch. BASIS does not excel in languages and they are not open to accommodating families that want them to. That goes for bilingual and English only speakers alike. BASIS proudly boasts about the number of AP exams every kid has to take to graduate. You may not think it is useful or a positive thing, but that's how BASIS structures the curriculum.

You remind me of a person who writes a review of a restaurant called "Bob's House of Beef and Meat Products" and complains that the menu was filled with mostly meat options when what you wanted was sushi and farm to table veggie entrees. The issue is not that sushi isn't delicious or that you don't have the right to want those things, but you walked into a restaurant that was all about meat and complained that they didn't change their menu to your tastes. Worse still, then you carry a grudge and loudly complain about how inflexible they were. No introspection or moment of ownership that the poor choice you made may have contributed to the poor outcome.

I'm pleased you found a school that met your needs. Good for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Maybe, but my kid likes his new school much better. He likes having more of a say in what he learns.

Do you have examples of what choices your son was missing, and the ways the rigidity was bothering him at BASIS?

Sorry, I don't. No point in being slammed by BASIS adherents going forward. Suffice it say that we're a bilingual family that's grateful for how our kid's new school values his bilingualism, not the case at BASIS. We didn't care for the BASIS focus on AP test prep, marching in step academically, grade competition and college admissions from the middle school years. There weren't enough Eureka moments for us, not enough emphasis on joy of learning. I've been surprised and pleased by how much more open-minded and, frankly, fun and welcoming, the Blessed Sacrament vibe has been. Good luck to those who stick with BASIS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More like trying to disguise their demographics. BASIS enrolls few poor minority kids by design. Few can handle the curriculum and those who enroll aren’t given the structure or support (e.g intensive remediation and Saturday school like at KIPP) for that to change.

OMFG. Did you just say the quiet part out loud? You really just straight up typed that "few minority kids can handle the curriculum".

And yet, this is true in the District of Columbia as of November, 2022. Borne out by reams of current testing data, rates of drop out, absence statistics, graduation statistics, and importantly all the assessment data collected on younger kids who would form the cohort of a BASIS entry class.

All of the above is batched by race and Hispanic-non Hispanic.

Now if you point is that the curriculum should be tailored to meet DC's poor minority children to "meet them where they are" in 4th grade, then I guess I agree with you. We could do some things that would water down the curriculum so a larger group of DC kids could handle it. But as it exists now? PP was honest and accurate.

Prove me wrong using any data you have.

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

Glad it worked out for you but Blessed Sacrament doesn't seem on par with BASIS DC. Plus you are paying tuition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Maybe, but my kid likes his new school much better. He likes having more of a say in what he learns.

Do you have examples of what choices your son was missing, and the ways the rigidity was bothering him at BASIS?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Maybe, but my kid likes his new school much better. He likes having more of a say in what he learns.

Sounds like he will fit right into Sojourner Truth Montessori middle and high school!

2.6% Scored a 5 on math PARCC. 16.1% scored a 4. 60% of test takers at least one grade level below. I guess that's what happens when you let kids decide what they want to learn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Maybe, but my kid likes his new school much better. He likes having more of a say in what he learns.

Sounds like he will fit right into Sojourner Truth Montessori middle and high school!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Maybe, but my kid likes his new school much better. He likes having more of a say in what he learns.

I have no idea what this means. I am certain, however, that I have a couple of entitled 20 somethings in my office wo grew up with people like you as their parents. They are the ones who think if they don't like an assignment or org structure they should be redesigned more to their liking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

On behalf of Jews, Muslims and atheists...LOLOLOLOLOLOL. Nothing amuses us more than when Christians yada yada past the Jesus part of the curriculum.

I'm an immigrant from India, a Moslem (not a Muslim, thanks). I attended Catholic schools in my country. Most of my classmates weren't Christian. In India, parents' thinking is that Jesus is the least of one's concerns at a school where you can get a first-rate education.

BASIS has its own creed. The franchise peddles the evangelism of its leaders knowing best in all matters pertaining to learning. The program has a strong STEM/vocational orientation which isn't for every family involved.

You pick your poison on education in DC. Even top charters don't really have the resources to provide a well-rounded education and the DCPS programs used by umc families are just OK past primary school.

If I'm ever in India I'll keep that in mind. Of course, anyone who is actually from India knows that truly "public" schools in India (no fee) are for the poorest of the poor. No one of means or with money would attend them. No UMC equivalent family in India would send their kids to one. How do you not know that? Also, I live here. Where we have some excellent public schools. I took issue with people comparing DC schools with those in Boston and elsewhere that are not options in DC. And you want to discuss DC schools vs India? If that was sarcasm or irony, well played!

The fact that you equate a school's "creed" or evangelisms with religion necessarily disqualifies you from participating in any reasonable discussion regarding the horrors of religion. As a Jew I don't really want to hear you tell me that religion isn't a big deal, especially when white nationalism is on the rise. Wars are fought and people die over religion. People were murdered over religion, so, with all due respect, you can take your lecture about how religion and religious persecution are overblow and stick it. If you're really Indian and you don't realize that you are embarrassingly ignorant of the historical realities of your own country!

No one from BASIS has ever asserted on DCUM that it is perfect or could not be improved. No one. Find me a post where any BASIS parent asserts that. That line comes from people like you. The narrative about BASIS being hyper confident or committed to their approach is just weird. There's a difference between saying "this approach is the only one and all schools must adopt it" and "this is the approach we deploy and what you can expect, and if it isn't for you this isn't the school for you." The irony is that people like you accuse BASIS of being evangelical for running their one school like they do, but you do so by telling them how you think BASIS and all schools should be run.

Finally, and for like the 4th time in this thread alone, the question for most parents isn't whether there are private schools or schools outside of DC that are better than DCPS/DCPS schools. The question is what is best for parents and their individual kids based on available options. BASIS an excellent choice for many. Not so much for others. If it isn't for you, don't send your kid there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Maybe, but my kid likes his new school much better. He likes having more of a say in what he learns.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

On behalf of Jews, Muslims and atheists...LOLOLOLOLOLOL. Nothing amuses us more than when Christians yada yada past the Jesus part of the curriculum.

I'm an immigrant from India, a Moslem (not a Muslim, thanks). I attended Catholic schools in my country. Most of my classmates weren't Christian. In India, parents' thinking is that Jesus is the least of one's concerns at a school where you can get a first-rate education.

BASIS has its own creed. The franchise peddles the evangelism of its leaders knowing best in all matters pertaining to learning. The program has a strong STEM/vocational orientation which isn't for every family involved.

You pick your poison on education in DC. Even top charters don't really have the resources to provide a well-rounded education and the DCPS programs used by umc families are just OK past primary school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Controlling? Sounds like this is more about you than your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

What will you do for high school? More parochial?

Keep an open mind. Apply to Walls and Banneker, possibly rent IB for JR. We'll apply to a few parochial schools charging in the low 20s, all we can afford.

We didn't care for the controlling, top down feel of BASIS: the franchise way or the highway. Parochial school has been a breath of fresh air by comparison, although we're protestant and not v. religious. Teachers and administrators are more with-it, meaning better classroom management. The curriculum is richer and more open, with a stronger intellectual bent.

Anonymous wrote:I won't say? Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase NW though we're not Catholic.

12K, worth it for much better humanities instruction, stable faculty, active parent organization, good facilities and electives, language instruction from 4th grade, sports and music programs. STEM not as good, but we can live with that.

On behalf of Jews, Muslims and atheists...LOLOLOLOLOLOL. Nothing amuses us more than when Christians yada yada past the Jesus part of the curriculum.