Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It really does seem like a good number of the Yu Ying and Basis bashers are private school parents justifying their choices. It gets really old, hearing, "Just you wait and see!" Maybe things will change. Maybe Basis will figure something new out in DC.

I wish only the best for these schools even though we expect to chose other schools for our kids.

However, the Basis boosters saying, "Basis isn't for everyone" also bug me. Because actually it is. Whether it likes it or not.

I'm planning on keeping my ADHD GT kid away from Basis, but believe me there are parents whose kids have way bigger challenges than mine who are at Basis right now. And it is the legal duty of the school to serve them. The school's very survival depends on this.

"Basis isn't for everyone" isn't about Basis.

Face it, most of the charters aren't for everyone. Latin isn't a good fit for lots of students, immersion schools like Yu Ying or Mundo Verde aren't for everyone, Options is for troubled kids, St. Colettas is for disabled kids, and so on. DCPS isn't a good fit for lots of students, either - which is precisely why so many charters have popped up, they are serving more specialized demand. So if it "bugs you" and you are going to question Basis on that score, then frankly you have to question every single school in the city on that same premise.

+1

Anonymous wrote:It really does seem like a good number of the Yu Ying and Basis bashers are private school parents justifying their choices. It gets really old, hearing, "Just you wait and see!" Maybe things will change. Maybe Basis will figure something new out in DC.

I wish only the best for these schools even though we expect to chose other schools for our kids.

However, the Basis boosters saying, "Basis isn't for everyone" also bug me. Because actually it is. Whether it likes it or not.

I'm planning on keeping my ADHD GT kid away from Basis, but believe me there are parents whose kids have way bigger challenges than mine who are at Basis right now. And it is the legal duty of the school to serve them. The school's very survival depends on this.

"Basis isn't for everyone" isn't about Basis.

Face it, most of the charters aren't for everyone. Latin isn't a good fit for lots of students, immersion schools like Yu Ying or Mundo Verde aren't for everyone, Options is for troubled kids, St. Colettas is for disabled kids, and so on. DCPS isn't a good fit for lots of students, either - which is precisely why so many charters have popped up, they are serving more specialized demand. So if it "bugs you" and you are going to question Basis on that score, then frankly you have to question every single school in the city on that same premise.

Basis is just the kind of school my ADHD GT child needs. My DC loves his all of his classes. This has been the 1st time in a long time, that my DC is exicted to share what he learned in school. And I no longer have to supplement work at home.Way to go Basis!

It really does seem like a good number of the Yu Ying and Basis bashers are private school parents justifying their choices. It gets really old, hearing, "Just you wait and see!" Maybe things will change. Maybe Basis will figure something new out in DC.

I wish only the best for these schools even though we expect to chose other schools for our kids.

However, the Basis boosters saying, "Basis isn't for everyone" also bug me. Because actually it is. Whether it likes it or not.

I'm planning on keeping my ADHD GT kid away from Basis, but believe me there are parents whose kids have way bigger challenges than mine who are at Basis right now. And it is the legal duty of the school to serve them. The school's very survival depends on this.

Keep patting yourself on the back for not choosing Basis. So you have no connection to Basis but feel the need to bash it and predict that it will "fail" for what purpose other than justifying your own reasoning for not sending your kid there. Whoopdidooo!

Keep patting yourself on the back for not choosing Basis. So you have no connection to Basis but feel the need to bash it and predict that it will "fail" for what purpose other than justifying your own reasoning for not sending your kid there. Whoopdidooo!

Anonymous wrote:Your description of kids who don't pass the comps as 'slow' sounds kind of haughty but I guess what you mean is 'underperforming for various reasons'.

Nope. I mean slow academicallly, however it sounds. I certainly don't mean gifted low-SES/AA kids.

My older kid is slow at music and art, and probably couldn't be taught to fix a car to save her life. She doesn't shine at sports, dance or drama either. But she's a star academically, particularly at math. At Sidwell, she's in math class exclusively with other math whizzes, like her cousins in Fairfax MS G/T programs. At Latin, a good quarter of the kids in her classes lacked basic skills, keeping her back. Latin just started teaching 7th grade algebra when she probably could have handled the subject in 6th (or so her Johns Hopkins summer CTY math instructors told us).

We decided not to enroll DC2 at Basis out of concern that too many slow kids would keep him back, too. We met other parents who admitted that their kids didn't even test proficient on the 4th grade DC-CAS, let alone advanced, although they went to decent DCPS schools, and grew concerned. He's staying in his WotP ES for now, and then we'll probably move to MoCo because we can't afford privates for two. Some of the Basis slow kids will surely go on to make millions, I just don't want them in class with my kid. Yes, I know Basis tracks for math.

I don't believe that Basis will fail many kids, at least not after summer school/try number 2. They alone decide what a pass is. Buyer beware.

Wow! Basis has explicitly said that they will not pass kids on who fail the comp. exams. The controversy would come if they DID pass them on to the next grade. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on 'slow' kids. I think what you mean is, kids who have not yet mastered the material, and that would more likely be kids who can't or won't focus. The material is not being taught at an unusually fast pace but kids do need to pay attention and do the homework. That can be a challenge with the wrong teacher or a distractable kid. It's my belief that distraction of various kinds are what has kept DC schools low-performing. Schools where kids are allowed to be noisy, schools that allow a smart=uncool attitude to prevail, schools that don't clamp down on use of electronics or tardiness or kids cutting class, and so on and so on, are bound to be, well, DC Public Schools.
Your description of kids who don't pass the comps as 'slow' sounds kind of haughty but I guess what you mean is 'underperforming for various reasons'.

Anonymous wrote:You are being rather naive if you think we are at the point where dcps/city government cares one iota if all of us wanting selective admissionns simply shove off. They have bigger fish to fry: like kids who can't read it do math at all.

There are strong signs that this is changing, like Kaya Henderson talking to the press in June about how much she needs upper-middle-class families to stay in the system to "raise all boats". I agree that if and only if more well-heeled taxpayers, particularly AA ones, clamor for selective ES and MS admissions, DC may see NYC and Meto area suburban quality middle and high school programs emerge eventually.

We pulled our highly capable older child out of Latin after 8th for a private because too many of the other students were behind our kid academically, there was almost no ability grouping, and we want her on track to have a shot at cracking our Ivy. Can't see how Basis will be any different - the school can let slow kids, most of whom will be AA but certainly not all, pass those end of year exams to avoid controversy, and surely will. Great. You're a troll and a basher on these threads for pointing out/predicting the obvious.

You are being rather naive if you think we are at the point where dcps/city government cares one iota if all of us wanting selective admissionns simply shove off. They have bigger fish to fry: like kids who can't read it do math at all.

Anonymous wrote:You guys blasting parents for seeing Basis as a great opportunity and acting like we are idiots for not seeing the benefits of a selective admission type program are missing one important fact: THERE ARE NO SELECTIVE ADMISSION PUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON DC. And the political situation is such that there may NEVER be.
So given this reality, Basis, Washington Latin etc. That require parents to opt in to a very rigorous program are the next best thing. No pie in the sky. Just kids who need decent middle schools TODAY.

The political situation certainly won't support selective admissions ES or MS programs, or highly selective HS programs for that matter (Banneker, Wilson academis and SWW don't make the grade), if parents of the most academic kids who cannot afford privates but stay in the city continue to take the open lottery-admissions-as-best dogma sitting down.

By claiming ad nauseum that the results will be on a par with the those of the country's best selective admissions schools and surburban charters (yes, Basis AZ), parents become a small part of the problem. Wait a year, or ten, for proof if you like.

Decent middle schools, yes, stellar, impossible under this paradigm - just look at the HS middle class exodus from Latin and Wilson, and the absence of white students at Banneker. If more parents were to admit that a quality deficit will emerge at the HS level yet again, and ask DC politicians for public school programs on a par with the best in NYC and the burbs until they got them, the pushback wouldn't manifest itself on these boards as it does.

20:23 - Basis lays out its vision, which is one of science, math, classics - taught with rigor and assessed via comprehensive exams. They don't try to be all things to all people, and will not be a good fit for every student, and they are completely up front about all of this. In that regard, they are no different than Latin or any of the other charters that cater to a specific vision. It's up to parents and students to do their research on the different school choices and to choose accordingly, based on what's best for their student.

You guys blasting parents for seeing Basis as a great opportunity and acting like we are idiots for not seeing the benefits of a selective admission type program are missing one important fact: THERE ARE NO SELECTIVE ADMISSION PUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON DC. And the political situation is such that there may NEVER be.

So given this reality, Basis, Washington Latin etc. That require parents to opt in to a very rigorous program are the next best thing. No pie in the sky. Just kids who need decent middle schools TODAY.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
23:47, you can't possibly say BASIS doesn't "bait and switch" after less than a week of school. Actually, you can't affirm anything positive about BASIS at this time, so knock off your spin and let people engage in an open dialogue about BASIS as their experience unfolds.

You have absolutely no proof to assert whether there is a "story to be told" or if BASIS is at all what DC schoolchildren need.

The evidence simply isn't there to say BASIS is a good model in DC.


LOL! Take a look in the mirror.

You can't possibly say that BASIS WILL "bait and switch" after less than a week of school (as was suggested above with the "intention of culling" and "used as fodder" suggestions). And actually, you can't affirm anything negative about BASIS at this time, so knock off your own spin.

Maybe you have trouble reading, PP. I never said anything negative about BASIS. The only one posting nonsense claims is you.

Sure you did. You suggested that BASIS is just using children as fodder, you implied they would change their game, and basically that BASIS is not what they represent themselves to be. That's all extremely negative commentary, and it's statements you are making without any way to back any of them up. It's right here the thread for anyone to see, there's no denying it.

Super great points 14:21.

You wait, most of the Basis boosters will have fallen by the wayside before 12th - without selective admissions, thoughtfully done, the writing is on the wall for great attrition at Basis before and during HS, or, at a minimum, a law suit-generating second track, a la Yu Ying.

Parents who were never on the path to Bronx Science, or one of the other highly competitive HS programs in the country, do lack experience with selective admissions ES and MS programs. So they're happy to buy into pie in the sky thinking, assuaging their white/high-SES guilt via buying into open lottery admissions as the route to the success high-end charters like Basis and Latin.

No dice, but your view will still be a hard sell. If you lack funds for privates, I'd head to the outer burbs, where they speak your language of logic and pragmatism, fluently.