Anonymous
06/15/2012 14:16
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hype hype HOORAY! Hype hype HOORAY!
I think BASIS will live up to a lot of the hype. Not all of it, but enough.
Considering that even Deal doesn't have the built-in demographic advantages of their flagship Tucson school (which the boosters keep hyping ad nauseum) I don't share your enthusiasm. In fact, it makes me wonder if you share our former Mayor's pharmaceutical addiction.
As a tax-payer, I'll be happy to be proved wrong, but the fantasy DC rival to TJ? I'll wager against that big-time.
From a previous post on the topic of supposed "demographic advantages":
Tucson has been repeatedly portrayed as though it were some wealthy dream demographic.
The fact is, the demographic in Tucson and the other Basis locations are far from perfect.
Tucson and DC make an interesting case study for comparison, since they are nearly the same population, though Tucson is a bit more spread-out, lower population density. DC has 598,391, Tucson has 545,166.
DC does not even remotely have anywhere near the hispanic and non-native English speaking population that Tucson does - Tucson is nearly half hispanic, with a great many for whom Spanish is their primary language. Tucson has more divorcees and single parents than DC does. Tucson has a greater percentage of school-age children, and larger households, but a smaller percentage of working-age adults, and a greater percentage of elderly than DC does. As such, Tucson has more mouths to feed and less to go around coming from the working populace. Median household income for Tucson: $35,565, Median household income for DC is $58,526.
In terms of costs, about the only big thing that stands out is that housing costs are about twice as much in DC as Tucson (but then again, DC salaries are typically double what Tucson salaries are). All other cost-of-living aspects are generally equal, groceries and utilities are slightly higher in DC, but healthcare and other goods and services are slightly higher in Tucson.
More violent crime in DC, commensurate with their respective population densities, but Tucson is by no means not without a significant amount of violent crime and in fact has more burglaries and other types of crimes than DC does. Poverty rates are similar between both cities, 18-20%, but unemployment rates are higher in Tucson.
So no, DC is not Tucson, but in many ways DC actually has more going for it than Tucson does, and so much for that fantasy demographic that the other poster seems to have stuck in his or her head.
Stop it, you hack. Do you think everyone is stupid enough to not understand the cost of living difference between DC and... Tucson?
Face it, Basis in AZ is a suburban paradise school. It might as well be FFX or MoCo. It is nothing like DC. Keep lying to yourself if you like, but every time you try to blow smoke up everyone else's ass, you're going to be met with rejection. Go figure.
Now go eat your peyote buttons with your Tucson friends and keep telling yourself your shit doesn't stink in DC.
Anonymous
06/15/2012 12:42
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Basis is in Chinatown. Why would someone from Upper NW want their child to commute to Chinatown each day? At our school only a few families are making this choice b/c private is too expensive. It seems like a last resort choice for some.
Anonymous
06/15/2012 12:19
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Sorry, 58K$, not 58$.
Anonymous
06/15/2012 12:19
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
If BASIS can find that magic balance of rigor, bringing failing kids up to grade level, and engaging parents of these kids, then they will have a model to be copied in every inner city.
The median household income for DC might be 58$, but if you broke that down by ward, you'd get wildly different figures. That's more important when we talk about "achievement" and "DCPS failing our kids." I'm not sure why people are always looking to the schools to fix what poverty and racism have already stacked against many DC students. Schooling is only a partial fix of the broader problem.
The median household income for DC might be 58$, but if you broke that down by ward, you'd get wildly different figures. That's more important when we talk about "achievement" and "DCPS failing our kids." I'm not sure why people are always looking to the schools to fix what poverty and racism have already stacked against many DC students. Schooling is only a partial fix of the broader problem.
Anonymous
06/15/2012 09:17
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hype hype HOORAY! Hype hype HOORAY!
I think BASIS will live up to a lot of the hype. Not all of it, but enough.
Considering that even Deal doesn't have the built-in demographic advantages of their flagship Tucson school (which the boosters keep hyping ad nauseum) I don't share your enthusiasm. In fact, it makes me wonder if you share our former Mayor's pharmaceutical addiction.
As a tax-payer, I'll be happy to be proved wrong, but the fantasy DC rival to TJ? I'll wager against that big-time.
From a previous post on the topic of supposed "demographic advantages":
Tucson has been repeatedly portrayed as though it were some wealthy dream demographic.
The fact is, the demographic in Tucson and the other Basis locations are far from perfect.
Tucson and DC make an interesting case study for comparison, since they are nearly the same population, though Tucson is a bit more spread-out, lower population density. DC has 598,391, Tucson has 545,166.
DC does not even remotely have anywhere near the hispanic and non-native English speaking population that Tucson does - Tucson is nearly half hispanic, with a great many for whom Spanish is their primary language. Tucson has more divorcees and single parents than DC does. Tucson has a greater percentage of school-age children, and larger households, but a smaller percentage of working-age adults, and a greater percentage of elderly than DC does. As such, Tucson has more mouths to feed and less to go around coming from the working populace. Median household income for Tucson: $35,565, Median household income for DC is $58,526.
In terms of costs, about the only big thing that stands out is that housing costs are about twice as much in DC as Tucson (but then again, DC salaries are typically double what Tucson salaries are). All other cost-of-living aspects are generally equal, groceries and utilities are slightly higher in DC, but healthcare and other goods and services are slightly higher in Tucson.
More violent crime in DC, commensurate with their respective population densities, but Tucson is by no means not without a significant amount of violent crime and in fact has more burglaries and other types of crimes than DC does. Poverty rates are similar between both cities, 18-20%, but unemployment rates are higher in Tucson.
So no, DC is not Tucson, but in many ways DC actually has more going for it than Tucson does, and so much for that fantasy demographic that the other poster seems to have stuck in his or her head.
Anonymous
06/15/2012 07:00
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hype hype HOORAY! Hype hype HOORAY!
I think BASIS will live up to a lot of the hype. Not all of it, but enough.
Considering that even Deal doesn't have the built-in demographic advantages of their flagship Tucson school (which the boosters keep hyping ad nauseum) I don't share your enthusiasm. In fact, it makes me wonder if you share our former Mayor's pharmaceutical addiction.
As a tax-payer, I'll be happy to be proved wrong, but the fantasy DC rival to TJ? I'll wager against that big-time.
+1. I'd also be happy to be proven wrong that, without selective admissions, standards won't be all that high by the AP level. It's one thing for a kid to take a slew of AP classes, another altogether to score the 4s and 5s needed for admission to top colleges as a raft of TJ kids, coming up through Fairfax ES and MS G&T programs, routinely do. I attended a US military academy and want my very bright, disciplined and science-oriented daughter to do the same. We will leave Latin after MS for a parochial school.
Anonymous
06/15/2012 06:52
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Anonymous wrote:"I'm transferring my DC from Latin to BASIS."
I'm thinking of doing the same -- would love to know your reasons. My reasons have to do with the different philosophies and where our particular child needs help. Latin tends to rely on parents to keep things on track. Latin's full of responsible kids and hands-on parents, and so it works well for most. And Latin has great teachers. They are, in fact, phenomenal, inspirational and committed. In order to get parents to backstop the process, the teachers go to great lengths to keep parents informed of what the homework assignments are, and whether the assignments were turned in, so the parents could stay on top of it. It's a lot to ask of these teachers! And guess what, very stressful for parents of smart but disorganized kids.
I wished they had created an ironclad organizational system, taught it to the kids, and reinforced it at school. That is what Basis is offering.
Parent of disorganized kid here. It sounds like the homework is pretty clear, and the planner to write down daily assignments/wiki to check is pretty iron clad. The school presumably is doing its part. You have many options, including creating set homework times/check-ins at home, charts with rewards for getting the job done, or letting your child learn logical consequences now (rather than later). Or a combination. There is no school that is going to be able to do this for you/your child. It's part of the learning curve. Do you think you may be doing too much backstopping versus creating systems at home that will allow your child to take over his/her academic self-management? I know it's hard...been there.
Anonymous
06/14/2012 21:52
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hype hype HOORAY! Hype hype HOORAY!
I think BASIS will live up to a lot of the hype. Not all of it, but enough.
Considering that even Deal doesn't have the built-in demographic advantages of their flagship Tucson school (which the boosters keep hyping ad nauseum) I don't share your enthusiasm. In fact, it makes me wonder if you share our former Mayor's pharmaceutical addiction.
As a tax-payer, I'll be happy to be proved wrong, but the fantasy DC rival to TJ? I'll wager against that big-time.
Anonymous
06/14/2012 21:34
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Anonymous wrote:Hype hype HOORAY! Hype hype HOORAY!
I think BASIS will live up to a lot of the hype. Not all of it, but enough.
Anonymous
06/14/2012 11:47
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Hype hype HOORAY! Hype hype HOORAY!
Anonymous
06/14/2012 11:39
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Anonymous wrote:I saw the part that said they will meet all kids "...where they're AT"...that was inspiring.
Anonymous
06/14/2012 11:37
Subject: Re:BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
Nothing against Basis. I am actually keeping an eye on it, given that it is so close to my house. However, I have a very different perspective on organizational skills taught at Latin. My kid is very organized and he learned the skills in 5th grade at Latin. He keeps a planner and writes down all of his HW assignments. When he misses something or is sick he gets his assignment from the wiki. I never review his HW and really don't know what he is working on (except when he comes to me for help, which is rare). He has made the honor roll or gotten high honors every semester.
Anonymous
06/13/2012 23:38
Subject: BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
"I'm transferring my DC from Latin to BASIS."
I'm thinking of doing the same -- would love to know your reasons. My reasons have to do with the different philosophies and where our particular child needs help. Latin tends to rely on parents to keep things on track. Latin's full of responsible kids and hands-on parents, and so it works well for most. And Latin has great teachers. They are, in fact, phenomenal, inspirational and committed. In order to get parents to backstop the process, the teachers go to great lengths to keep parents informed of what the homework assignments are, and whether the assignments were turned in, so the parents could stay on top of it. It's a lot to ask of these teachers! And guess what, very stressful for parents of smart but disorganized kids.
I wished they had created an ironclad organizational system, taught it to the kids, and reinforced it at school. That is what Basis is offering.
I'm thinking of doing the same -- would love to know your reasons. My reasons have to do with the different philosophies and where our particular child needs help. Latin tends to rely on parents to keep things on track. Latin's full of responsible kids and hands-on parents, and so it works well for most. And Latin has great teachers. They are, in fact, phenomenal, inspirational and committed. In order to get parents to backstop the process, the teachers go to great lengths to keep parents informed of what the homework assignments are, and whether the assignments were turned in, so the parents could stay on top of it. It's a lot to ask of these teachers! And guess what, very stressful for parents of smart but disorganized kids.
I wished they had created an ironclad organizational system, taught it to the kids, and reinforced it at school. That is what Basis is offering.
Anonymous
04/25/2012 09:50
Subject: Re:BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
As a parent of a 3rd grader, I am rooting for BASIS, LATIN, my current K-8 charter. The better the schools get, the less I am likely to move out of the city (although having more space is sooooooooo tempting) 
Anonymous
04/25/2012 09:41
Subject: Re:BASIS DC in THE CURRENT
I am rooting for Latin to continue to be strong, and for BASIS DC to develop into a strong option as well.
DC kids will benefit from having more options for strong academics.
DC kids will benefit from having more options for strong academics.