Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 15:08     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:130 open slots for 5th grade. MAYBE 10-20 for 6th grade. You do the math and then figure out why people feel the need to apply for 5th grade rather than wait for 6th.


Sure, if Basis is your be all and end all, then taking a shot at it for 5th grade is no-brainer, whether your child is ready or not. However, if you're in the market for any of the good middle school slots, then it's neither a necessary nor a wise strategy. In that case, you need to look at the aggregate supply and demand of the entire "5th going into 6th" middle school market in DC. And that, I argue, is seeing a growth in supply that outpaces the growth in demand. In that case, waiting is a much better bet if you're sitting on the demand side of the market.

So what schools would you specifically consider if you wait until 6th to enroll your child in middle school? (thus, BASIS and Latin are not options.)


Of course Basis and Latin are options at 6th grade, you have to look at your (and everyone else's!!) lottery ticket as a whole (the market as a whole), that's what I'm saying. Unless your preferences are limited to any one particular school, your chances of getting a good spot in middle school are higher when applying for 6th grade than for 5th grade. If you look at the whole market of good slots, the ratio of good slots per applying student is in your favor at 6th grade compared to 5th.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 15:01     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
I can see how a family might pick up and move to another middle school boundary neighborhood if it turned out Basis wasn't the answer they hoped for.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 15:00     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
I am curious, where are the kids going who are leaving Basis? Are these waitlisted kids getting into other charters or DCPS out of boundary schools? Are they moving to MoCo and Arlington? Going back to DCPS schools that offer more support for learning delays? Catholic late admission?
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 14:55     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:130 open slots for 5th grade. MAYBE 10-20 for 6th grade. You do the math and then figure out why people feel the need to apply for 5th grade rather than wait for 6th.


Sure, if Basis is your be all and end all, then taking a shot at it for 5th grade is no-brainer, whether your child is ready or not. However, if you're in the market for any of the good middle school slots, then it's neither a necessary nor a wise strategy. In that case, you need to look at the aggregate supply and demand of the entire "5th going into 6th" middle school market in DC. And that, I argue, is seeing a growth in supply that outpaces the growth in demand. In that case, waiting is a much better bet if you're sitting on the demand side of the market.

So what schools would you specifically consider if you wait until 6th to enroll your child in middle school? (thus, BASIS and Latin are not options.)
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 14:33     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:130 open slots for 5th grade. MAYBE 10-20 for 6th grade. You do the math and then figure out why people feel the need to apply for 5th grade rather than wait for 6th.


Sure, if Basis is your be all and end all, then taking a shot at it for 5th grade is no-brainer, whether your child is ready or not. However, if you're in the market for any of the good middle school slots, then it's neither a necessary nor a wise strategy. In that case, you need to look at the aggregate supply and demand of the entire "5th going into 6th" middle school market in DC. And that, I argue, is seeing a growth in supply that outpaces the growth in demand. In that case, waiting is a much better bet if you're sitting on the demand side of the market.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 12:38     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:You may want to reflect on the quality of the 5th grade at Latin and Basis versus the quality of 5th grade at dcps. They are completey different. That may be a difference as well. By the end of 4th grade at dcps many parents are tired of settling for mediocre.


This is EXACTLY why DC is now at BASIS. Couldn't take one more year of boredom and the sociological experimentation that is DCPS. DC is much happier this year and is enjoying learning. And, after the class reorg, much more happy in class without the troublemakers/bullies.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 12:13     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
You may want to reflect on the quality of the 5th grade at Latin and Basis versus the quality of 5th grade at dcps. They are completey different. That may be a difference as well. By the end of 4th grade at dcps many parents are tired of settling for mediocre.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 12:02     Subject: Re:Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:

Will BASIS allow kids to enroll into 6th grade? I got the impression that they must start at 5th-- and that was why so many bailed on continuing into 5th at a DCPS elementary school.


This is sooo much rubbish! I know there were cohorts of parents (and there are again this year) who were/are made to believe that the only chance they had to get into any even half-way decent school was to bail out from their elementary school after 4th grade. I don't know what that person's agenda was but it always makes people feel so much better when they're not along in their quest I guess. This is a lie and I really don't pity anyone who fell for it. Can't help it: But I told you so! My rough estimate is that there are about twice as many 5th grade spots going around than there are kids, including many in very well regarded middle schools.
Meanwhile, there may be way too many 5th graders place in middle school who frankly aren't ready for middle school. Just because parents find it so cool that their pre-teen is starting to show signs of middle school readiness doesn't make them ready. Some undoubtedly are, but many are not. And way too many kids are being experimented with, oh, let's do year at Basis and then go private.
My prediction is that there will be absolutely no problem getting kids into good 6th grade come fall 2013. And I'm prepared to come back her to post another "I told you so".
And my prediction is that the following cohort will experience the same situation. The year thereafter may be a different story. But by then, there will be yet many more options. So relax and do what's right for your child.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 11:28     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
130 open slots for 5th grade. MAYBE 10-20 for 6th grade. You do the math and then figure out why people feel the need to apply for 5th grade rather than wait for 6th.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 11:26     Subject: Re:Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:Another family will surely appreciate our spot next year; good luck to them.








Will BASIS allow kids to enroll into 6th grade? I got the impression that they must start at 5th-- and that was why so many bailed on continuing into 5th at a DCPS elementary school.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 11:19     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think it was necessarily for incoming students to be "advanced", but there is definitely an expectation of rigor, an expectation that the curriculum will be accelerated and will push hard on subjects like math and science, that there will not be social promotion, and accordingly that kids and parents will need to be committed, motivated and hard-working. It's not a school for slackers. If it was anyone's notion that they could just coast through BASIS as with a DCPS school, that was their own mistake.




Do you really not hear how obnoxious that sounds? Do you really believe that parents of students who are struggling are supposed to give up and have low expectations for their children?

I am not a Basis parent, I don't have a dog in this fight. What I find amazing about these sorts of assertions, is the underlying assumption that families with children "less special" than your snowflake, are supposed to back-off, bow out, and/or give up, so that you can direct all the resources to your child. It's all their fault, for not agreeing with your worldview that your snowflake deserves extra-special treatment, at tax-payer expense.

Do you hear how obnoxious you sound? Calling kids names? Every kid has a chance to succeed at Basis. It is an actual chance for a quality education for parents in dc who can't afford privates. Please don't tell me you think kids who are academically talented for whatever reason "deserve" to be ignored in regular dcps schools. Whether you like.it or not, you are picking winners and losers. You seem to hate certain children which makes me sick.


Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 11:10     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:I don't think it was necessarily for incoming students to be "advanced", but there is definitely an expectation of rigor, an expectation that the curriculum will be accelerated and will push hard on subjects like math and science, that there will not be social promotion, and accordingly that kids and parents will need to be committed, motivated and hard-working. It's not a school for slackers. If it was anyone's notion that they could just coast through BASIS as with a DCPS school, that was their own mistake.


Maybe not advanced in the abstract, but at least successful. Unless there is a special need involved, most of the underachieving kids in our city have been failed but not only the school system, but also by their parents. It would be ridiculous to think that parents that would allow their kids to get so far behind by fifth grade would suddenly participate in the middle school educational process to allow the children to succeed at a rapid pace.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 11:03     Subject: Re:Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
We're in 5th, not pulling out but quietly applying to privates for 6th. Our Hill ES didn't work for 5th because none of our kid's pals were staying. We're concerned that most of the high SES families will go sooner or later, as at Latin (although we keep this to ourselves). I get the feeling that a good many high SES parents are biding their time while saving for privates. We're fine with what's happening now, but skeptical about the HS situation, so seems best to go before we open the door to a socially turbulent situation for our child. Another family will surely appreciate our spot next year; good luck to them.






Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 11:03     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't think it was necessarily for incoming students to be "advanced", but there is definitely an expectation of rigor, an expectation that the curriculum will be accelerated and will push hard on subjects like math and science, that there will not be social promotion, and accordingly that kids and parents will need to be committed, motivated and hard-working. It's not a school for slackers. If it was anyone's notion that they could just coast through BASIS as with a DCPS school, that was their own mistake.




Do you really not hear how obnoxious that sounds? Do you really believe that parents of students who are struggling are supposed to give up and have low expectations for their children?

I am not a Basis parent, I don't have a dog in this fight. What I find amazing about these sorts of assertions, is the underlying assumption that families with children "less special" than your snowflake, are supposed to back-off, bow out, and/or give up, so that you can direct all the resources to your child. It's all their fault, for not agreeing with your worldview that your snowflake deserves extra-special treatment, at tax-payer expense.




No but many parents believe just putting their child in a rigorous school will suddenly make their child smarter/attentive/eager to learn and it doesn't work like that. If the basics are lacking, they will never get anywhere.
Anonymous
Post 12/11/2012 10:55     Subject: Parents are pulling their children out of Basis FAST!
Anonymous wrote:I don't think it was necessarily for incoming students to be "advanced", but there is definitely an expectation of rigor, an expectation that the curriculum will be accelerated and will push hard on subjects like math and science, that there will not be social promotion, and accordingly that kids and parents will need to be committed, motivated and hard-working. It's not a school for slackers. If it was anyone's notion that they could just coast through BASIS as with a DCPS school, that was their own mistake.




Do you really not hear how obnoxious that sounds? Do you really believe that parents of students who are struggling are supposed to give up and have low expectations for their children?

I am not a Basis parent, I don't have a dog in this fight. What I find amazing about these sorts of assertions, is the underlying assumption that families with children "less special" than your snowflake, are supposed to back-off, bow out, and/or give up, so that you can direct all the resources to your child. It's all their fault, for not agreeing with your worldview that your snowflake deserves extra-special treatment, at tax-payer expense.