Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 13:57     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the explanation. I keep hearing the "there are no honors classes in middle school" thing and had not, as yet, understood what that meant to folks who were saying it. It's much clearer to me now. Sorry for the mini-hijack.


Latin was trying to find a way to really advance our 5th grader in math for 6th grade but there was just no real way to do it and no precedent. We are happy at BASIS and the middle school is incredibly challenging (not sure I could have gotten thru it and done as well grade wise, sleep wise, and social wise as my child has so far).

The other thing that is not really academic in nature but incredibly important is that for me, middle school is when I lost my way, started hanging out with the wrong crowd (still my same class race etc at a DC private school) but my child is too busy and just too good so far to engage in any of the shenanigans I did. And her peer group are the ones who are all doing well. It is not cool to get C's and D's. I switched for high school and shaped up.
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 12:45     Subject: Re:If not Basis or Latin, where?
Pertinent article for the person dissing the lack of technology at BASIS. BASIS is smart in that they use a lot of tried and true hand on methods to facilitate learning coupled with very judicious use of technology.


Silicon Valley does not compute!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hp&
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 12:40     Subject: Re:If not Basis or Latin, where?
I forgot to add that many students math abilities are crippled through too much calculator use!
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 12:38     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
Anonymous wrote:

BASIS is hard but it is more quantity than quality. Not even one single computer class is used. Other schools teach using graphing calculators, but not at BASIS. All that glitter is not gold.


The big wigs in Silicon Valley are choosing schools with little computing power in droves since they understand the value of hands of old fashioned work when it comes to education. Plus BASIS does have Smart boards and laptops for student use. As for quality, I have been quite impressed with the quality of the curricula.
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 12:28     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
And comcelts = concepts
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 12:28     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
hars = hard
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 12:27     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
The students use computers for projects and the majority of them use computers in real life -- why do they need a separate computer class unless they want to be programming? And is it all that hars to use a graphing calculator after you have learned all the comcelts behind them? What a strange comment, 12:24.
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 12:24     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD is a top student at her less-than-demanding DCPS elementary. I'm attracted to a rigorous, small scale middle and high school model after my own experience moving from a large chaotic urban public school to a small private K-12 school in 9th grade. We're not fazed by reports of tons of homework or kids taking Algebra in 7th grade. I am a bit worried about what we'll do (short of moving) if we don't get into Latin or Basis in a few years.
Are any of the other middle to H.S. charters on the same level?


Of course, PP, you should give some thought to what your fall-back plan will be. However, its not clear to me yet that anyone will ever be shut out of BASIS if they apply for fifth grade.

Yes, BASIS might become very popular, necessitating a lottery for fifth. On the other hand, our impression thus far is that the school is even harder than we imagined when we applied. So, we suspect that the attrition rate will be high. Since the powers that be at BASIS assure us that they are unwilling to water down the curriculum, they will have to start with a very large cohort of fifth graders to ensure a reasonably sized graduating class six years later. Furthermore, BASIS is developing a reputation as a school where the kids must work very hard, and families who know that their kids are unwilling to work that hard will rightly decide not to apply.

As was the case last year and is still the case this year, it is possible that there will always be space in the BASIS fifth grade for anyone who applies early enough.

That said, it is now and will continue to be difficult to get into the sixth grade at BASIS. I think only 25 kids were accepted, via lottery. I suspect that BASIS will eventually stop accepting kids into seventh grade and higher.

So, the trick with BASIS will likely be to take the plunge for fifth grade.


BASIS is hard but it is more quantity than quality. Not even one single computer class is used. Other schools teach using graphing calculators, but not at BASIS. All that glitter is not gold.
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 10:58     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
This is what I am counting on. Here is what is annoying. Latin got 900 applications for just under 100 spots. DCPS could have these students and this level of demand if there was some foresight and strategic planning going on downtown.
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 09:40     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: Of course the weaker students were staying and of course the SES goes down in the HS when parents who can pull their kids do just because they can. If you were unsatisfied with the education or found the differentiation inadequate, then pull your DC, absolutely, but not because the SES goes down or because the school won't stroke your ego by calling you DC's class "honors".


The pp who left after 8th. I no longer believe in in-class middle school differentiation as the solution in the face of the enormous DC achievement gap between most of the high-SES kids and most of the low-SES kids. In my little New England town, almost everybody was middle-class, yet I was bored out of my skull at a pretty good middle school. Latin MS was better for my kid, but no amount of fine teaching, or small classes, could change the fact that the teachers simply must focus on bringing up the bottom due to NCLB strictures, and the bottom was pretty darn low, in class with my kid!

My ego doesn't need stroking, but my fairly brilliant but lazy kid does need pushing and Latin's teachers were a little too busy with the stragglers to do that. She's doing better, particularly socially, at her parochial school. DC middle schools are all the same, they don't ability group other than for math (and not much at Latin). If your kid is advanced (in whatever subject), they aren't going to have to put nose to the grindstone. This is the main reason middle-class families leave en masse, yet it's hardly discussed. We didn't want her in a HS that was at least 80% AA and mostly low-SES. Sorry if we aren't PC enough for those here. You'll all say, good riddance, but my very nice kid is probably heading to a better Ivy than mine (now that she has to buckle down).

I have to agree with this, but I have high hopes for the students that remain based on what I've seen with some of my friends' kids. My kids left after 8th grade, but it seems that the Latin high school really focuses on the smart, high achieving kids and gears them toward college in a very mindful way, and tailored for each individual kid. They can do that because the HS is so small. There are a lot of other adantages to being a good student at Latin and I believe that within the next 5 years it will be a much sought-after public high school, but will remain small because they don't take kids after 9th grade.






Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 09:07     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
Anonymous wrote:My DD is a top student at her less-than-demanding DCPS elementary. I'm attracted to a rigorous, small scale middle and high school model after my own experience moving from a large chaotic urban public school to a small private K-12 school in 9th grade. We're not fazed by reports of tons of homework or kids taking Algebra in 7th grade. I am a bit worried about what we'll do (short of moving) if we don't get into Latin or Basis in a few years.
Are any of the other middle to H.S. charters on the same level?


Of course, PP, you should give some thought to what your fall-back plan will be. However, its not clear to me yet that anyone will ever be shut out of BASIS if they apply for fifth grade.

Yes, BASIS might become very popular, necessitating a lottery for fifth. On the other hand, our impression thus far is that the school is even harder than we imagined when we applied. So, we suspect that the attrition rate will be high. Since the powers that be at BASIS assure us that they are unwilling to water down the curriculum, they will have to start with a very large cohort of fifth graders to ensure a reasonably sized graduating class six years later. Furthermore, BASIS is developing a reputation as a school where the kids must work very hard, and families who know that their kids are unwilling to work that hard will rightly decide not to apply.

As was the case last year and is still the case this year, it is possible that there will always be space in the BASIS fifth grade for anyone who applies early enough.

That said, it is now and will continue to be difficult to get into the sixth grade at BASIS. I think only 25 kids were accepted, via lottery. I suspect that BASIS will eventually stop accepting kids into seventh grade and higher.

So, the trick with BASIS will likely be to take the plunge for fifth grade.
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 08:24     Subject: Re:If not Basis or Latin, where?
Latin parent above with "normal smart" kids... what are the arts like? Science classes? With the new building, will these offerings be better? thanks for any info.

p.s. my normal smart mixed AA kid loves hands-on activities and the arts so that's why I'm asking
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 08:15     Subject: Re:If not Basis or Latin, where?
to the original question: we're holding out for DCI with fingers crossed!
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 06:51     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: Of course the weaker students were staying and of course the SES goes down in the HS when parents who can pull their kids do just because they can. If you were unsatisfied with the education or found the differentiation inadequate, then pull your DC, absolutely, but not because the SES goes down or because the school won't stroke your ego by calling you DC's class "honors".


The pp who left after 8th. I no longer believe in in-class middle school differentiation as the solution in the face of the enormous DC achievement gap between most of the high-SES kids and most of the low-SES kids. In my little New England town, almost everybody was middle-class, yet I was bored out of my skull at a pretty good middle school. Latin MS was better for my kid, but no amount of fine teaching, or small classes, could change the fact that the teachers simply must focus on bringing up the bottom due to NCLB strictures, and the bottom was pretty darn low, in class with my kid!

My ego doesn't need stroking, but my fairly brilliant but lazy kid does need pushing and Latin's teachers were a little too busy with the stragglers to do that. She's doing better, particularly socially, at her parochial school. DC middle schools are all the same, they don't ability group other than for math (and not much at Latin). If your kid is advanced (in whatever subject), they aren't going to have to put nose to the grindstone. This e

the main reason middle-class families leave en masse, yet it's hardly discussed. We didn't want her in a HS that was at least 80% AA and mostly low-SEkS. Sorry if we aren't PC enough for those here. You'll all say, good riddance, but my very nice kid is probably heading to a better Ivy than mine (now that she has to buckle down).



Thanks very much for this post. I am not a Latin booster, just a Latin parent. You gave all the context I need to understand why some people leave Latin after middle school. It gave me lots of encouragement that my kids will be able to thrive there through high school graduation. They are not advanced--just normal smart. We don't care at all what race their classmates are and we certainly aren't trying to getvthem to an Ivy League, let alone a better Ivy League than their parents. So the excellent teachers, small classes, rich curriculum, high school honors classes, nice sports program, experiences administration, personalized college counseling and brand new campus will be quite enough for us. Clarity is nice.
Anonymous
Post 03/19/2013 06:29     Subject: If not Basis or Latin, where?
I don't know much about Hardy, but if you're looking there, Deal seems like another one worth checking out. The biggest concern there seems to be overcrowding.

Does anyone know how well Deal carries out their IB program?