Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

I think the huge emphasis on so much homework without producing great results at the expense of everything else such as extracurriculars with spurts, clubs, etc.. is a big negative why many middle class families don’t send their kids to Banneker.

I support homework but with the volume till 1 or 2am in addition to Saturday prep classes. Not for our DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

I think the huge emphasis on so much homework without producing great results at the expense of everything else such as extracurriculars with spurts, clubs, etc.. is a big negative why many middle class families don’t send their kids to Banneker.

I support homework but with the volume till 1 or 2am in addition to Saturday prep classes. Not for our DC.

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

Anonymous wrote:The homework overkill is my main worry about the school. THAT seems very old school to me. What’s the point of all the homework/busywork if it’s not producing better students?

Anonymous wrote:As has been pointed out, too little too late. That’s why Basis DC tried, and failed, to start an elementary school program.

Anonymous wrote:You post this story again and again. We get it, your kid is a top student, Banneker or no Banneker. Good for him, good for your family, he'll surely go far, at least if he starts getting enough sleep. We also get that most Banneker students aren't like him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the parents of Banneker kids: what type of hw do they get? How many assignments per night? Are the kids stressed out? I have eperiences with Walls and the kids were stressed out. That is what I want to compare. Walls also did not provide good counseling and have a warm atmosphere. But there were positives too, like good college preparation. and a strong group of peers.

My son is junior at Banneker and gets a lot of homework. He usually works until 1:00 or 2:00 am and averages 5 or so assignments each day. The students do get stressed out. But, I can't compare it to other places.

He took the PSAT 8/9 in freshman year, PSAT in sophomore, and PSAT and SAT in junior year. He took a summer SAT prep class at Banneker. He scored a 1500 on his SAT.

He'll take 6 AP classes before he's finished. He scored a 5 on the AP World History exam sophomore year. His AP teachers did a lot of prep work including taking mock exams on Saturdays. He will be in AP calculus next year.

The college counseling isn't much to brag about.

I have been pleased with the school. The teachers are good, believe in the school, and push the students hard.

I'm blown away at how the school is discussed on this website. I'm Black and I straddle two worlds having grown up in DC and attending a white, top 25 universoty. I don't understand the "affirmative action" criticism in this thread. The school doesn't make excuses, sets high expectations for students, and can get students with negative social determinants to good places. Each student must choose IB or an AP track. If more white people applied, there would be more white students.

I'm not saying that it's the best school around. But, if you're considering the school, don't decide based on what you're reading on this website. Look for yourself.

If Banneker is as good as all that, why do you think more whites don't apply, and Asians don't seem to apply at all? Unadulterated racism, poor PR, or a more complicated confluence of factors?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the parents of Banneker kids: what type of hw do they get? How many assignments per night? Are the kids stressed out? I have eperiences with Walls and the kids were stressed out. That is what I want to compare. Walls also did not provide good counseling and have a warm atmosphere. But there were positives too, like good college preparation. and a strong group of peers.

My son is junior at Banneker and gets a lot of homework. He usually works until 1:00 or 2:00 am and averages 5 or so assignments each day. The students do get stressed out. But, I can't compare it to other places.

He took the PSAT 8/9 in freshman year, PSAT in sophomore, and PSAT and SAT in junior year. He took a summer SAT prep class at Banneker. He scored a 1500 on his SAT.

He'll take 6 AP classes before he's finished. He scored a 5 on the AP World History exam sophomore year. His AP teachers did a lot of prep work including taking mock exams on Saturdays. He will be in AP calculus next year.

The college counseling isn't much to brag about.

I have been pleased with the school. The teachers are good, believe in the school, and push the students hard.

I'm blown away at how the school is discussed on this website. I'm Black and I straddle two worlds having grown up in DC and attending a white, top 25 universoty. I don't understand the "affirmative action" criticism in this thread. The school doesn't make excuses, sets high expectations for students, and can get students with negative social determinants to good places. Each student must choose IB or an AP track. If more white people applied, there would be more white students.

I'm not saying that it's the best school around. But, if you're considering the school, don't decide based on what you're reading on this website. Look for yourself.

I don't understand your objections. PPs have pointed out that affirmative action appears to be on its way out, with new help from the Supreme Court. It has been noted that Banneker doesn't seem to be changing it's approach to academic prep, college admissions, or its own admissions. I don't hear criticism as much as reasonable predictions. It's telling that top Banneker students take around 4 AP exams while the strongest minority Basis students take twice that number. Why did the District needed a corporate Arizona charter franchise to step in to provide the most serious college prep to the strongest AA students in the system? Is that criticism, or just a good question?

Nobody should be shocked if this SC comes at affirmative action in 2023 like it's coming at abortion in 2022.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the parents of Banneker kids: what type of hw do they get? How many assignments per night? Are the kids stressed out? I have eperiences with Walls and the kids were stressed out. That is what I want to compare. Walls also did not provide good counseling and have a warm atmosphere. But there were positives too, like good college preparation. and a strong group of peers.

My son is junior at Banneker and gets a lot of homework. He usually works until 1:00 or 2:00 am and averages 5 or so assignments each day. The students do get stressed out. But, I can't compare it to other places.

He took the PSAT 8/9 in freshman year, PSAT in sophomore, and PSAT and SAT in junior year. He took a summer SAT prep class at Banneker. He scored a 1500 on his SAT.

He'll take 6 AP classes before he's finished. He scored a 5 on the AP World History exam sophomore year. His AP teachers did a lot of prep work including taking mock exams on Saturdays. He will be in AP calculus next year.

The college counseling isn't much to brag about.

I have been pleased with the school. The teachers are good, believe in the school, and push the students hard.

I'm blown away at how the school is discussed on this website. I'm Black and I straddle two worlds having grown up in DC and attending a white, top 25 universoty. I don't understand the "affirmative action" criticism in this thread. The school doesn't make excuses, sets high expectations for students, and can get students with negative social determinants to good places. Each student must choose IB or an AP track. If more white people applied, there would be more white students.

I'm not saying that it's the best school around. But, if you're considering the school, don't decide based on what you're reading on this website. Look for yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the parents of Banneker kids: what type of hw do they get? How many assignments per night? Are the kids stressed out? I have eperiences with Walls and the kids were stressed out. That is what I want to compare. Walls also did not provide good counseling and have a warm atmosphere. But there were positives too, like good college preparation. and a strong group of peers.

My son is junior at Banneker and gets a lot of homework. He usually works until 1:00 or 2:00 am and averages 5 or so assignments each day. The students do get stressed out. But, I can't compare it to other places.

He took the PSAT 8/9 in freshman year, PSAT in sophomore, and PSAT and SAT in junior year. He took a summer SAT prep class at Banneker. He scored a 1500 on his SAT.

He'll take 6 AP classes before he's finished. He scored a 5 on the AP World History exam sophomore year. His AP teachers did a lot of prep work including taking mock exams on Saturdays. He will be in AP calculus next year.

The college counseling isn't much to brag about.

I have been pleased with the school. The teachers are good, believe in the school, and push the students hard.

I'm blown away at how the school is discussed on this website. I'm Black and I straddle two worlds having grown up in DC and attending a white, top 25 universoty. I don't understand the "affirmative action" criticism in this thread. The school doesn't make excuses, sets high expectations for students, and can get students with negative social determinants to good places. Each student must choose IB or an AP track. If more white people applied, there would be more white students.

I'm not saying that it's the best school around. But, if you're considering the school, don't decide based on what you're reading on this website. Look for yourself.

Anonymous wrote:The Ivy interviewer began posting these anti-Banneker rants on here back in 2012, when the SAT had three parts and scores were typically given separately for each section. Now that the SAT is two parts again, everyone refers to the cumulative score. She’s not trying to understate the score, she’s just behind the times.